Party for the Friends of the Katy Trail

Please join the Friends of the Katy Trail and local artist Dahlia Woods
in our effort to Finish Lighting the Trail

Enjoy wine, hors d'ouerves, art and live music.

Wednesday, April 30 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at
The Dahlia Woods Gallery
600 Cantegral St., Dallas, Texas 75204(off Live Oak-behind the Latino Cultural Center and diagonally across from The Dallas Center for Contemporary Art)

Space is limited
Tickets are $50
Click Here for Tickets

Light pole installation begins

Poles to light the Katy Trail starting being installed on Monday morning. Installation began at the south end near the American Airlines Center. It will continue on Tuesday at 8 a.m.

Here’s what the poles look like.

Light Poles to be Installed

The new light poles for the Katy Trail lighting project will begin being installed starting Monday, April 28. Installation will take place between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. starting at the south end of the Trail and working north.

Please use care when cycling, skating, running or walking past the construction crews.

The lighting is not 100 percent funded. Help us Finish the Lighting. Click here today to do your part.

From Earth Day to Arbor Day

Did you know the 30 acres that are home to the Katy Trail are classified as an Urban Forest? That’s why the Friends of the Katy Trail hired Arborilogical Services eight years ago to complete a tree inventory of the Trail from the AAC to Knox Street, and recently helped a future Eagle Scout conduct a tree inventory from Knox to Airline Road.

When it comes to helping the environment, a story in The New York Times reported that urban trees "can be 15 times more effective than a tree merely standing in the forest” because “three trees will sequester one ton of CO2 over a lifetime of 55 years.” A booklet titled "Urban Street Trees” by Dan Burden, founder of Walkable Communities, claims that "a single street tree returns over $90,000 of direct benefits (not including aesthetic, social and natural) in the lifetime of the tree."

Arbor Day is this Friday, April 25. Consider planting a tree in your part of our urban jungle … er … forest.

How Walkable is Your Neighborhood?

From Sunday’s New York Times: “An economics researcher at Washington University in St. Louis suggests that raising gasoline prices by $1 a gallon would reduce American obesity by 9 percent. Another study posits that if every American spent 30 minutes a day walking or cycling instead of driving, we would collectively cut carbon emissions by 64 million tons and shed more than three billion pounds of excess flab.”

Go to www.walkscore.com and type in your address to see how walkable your neighborhood is.

Earth Day – Seven Ways to Participate

Earth Day is next Tuesday, April 22. So what should you do? Here are seven suggestions:

1. Organize a fun walk, run or bicycle ride.
2. Support the Dallas Farmers Market
3. Make it a car-free day
4. Rediscover nature on the Katy Trail
5. Stay active and informed
6. Volunteer to clean up or improve the Katy Trail
7. Chip in by making a financial commitment to trails.

For details about Earth Day opportunities from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, of which the Friends of the Katy Trail is a member, click here. Help make every day an Earth Day.

Knox parking almost done

Thanks to the generosity of E2M Companies, the improvements to the parking lot next to the Katy Trail just south of Knox Street is almost done. The contractor is in the process of adding the wheel stops, lane striping and landscaping. Expect to see all the work done in the next couple of weeks during normal work hours (7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.).

In the meantime, you can use the lot after hours. And let us know what you think of the improvements.

Register for the Katy 5K

In case you haven't seen the great billboards around town and banners on Katy Trail bridges promoting the 5K, the Michelob Ultra No. 10 Katy 5K is coming up on May 15. The Dallas Morning News' new Fitness blog says it's a great way to get in shape. http://fitnessblog.dallasnews.com We'll have 50+ restaurants at the official post-race party, Katy's Picnic, so register now at www.KatyTrailDallas.org

Be a Katy Trail VIP

The Friends of the Katy Trail is committed to making safety for the Trail a top priority. Because the Katy Trail is a City of Dallas park, the Dallas Police Department and City are responsible for the overall safety and protection of the citizens. But no one person or organization, not even the resources of the DPD, can enhance the safety of the Katy Trail without the community’s involvement.

• We need more than 100 VIPs. You will be trained in situations presented by Dallas Police. Training will be on Saturday, April 19 at the DPD/DFD 911 communications center and you'll get a tour of the center. Click here to sign up now.
• VIPs simply observe while using the Katy Trail. They carry mobile phones to dial 911 when there is an incident needing reporting.
• VIPs wear a cool vest featuring Volunteers in Patrol, Dallas Police Department, and Katy Trail logos while on the Trail.
• VIPs should walk in pairs, so grab a friend and sign up.

The above will be a valuable service to the safety effort and should be a lot of fun, especially if there are 30, 40 or 50 VIPs on the trail at any one time wearing their vests. Email Office@KatyTrailDallas to get your application or more information

50 Ways to Leave Your Hummer

In honor of Tuesday’s “Travel Differently Day” we at the Friends of the Katy Trail would like to write a special song for you to help you “Travel Differently.” With sincere apologies to Paul Simon … hit it …

There must be, 50 ways to leave your Hummer.

Leave it out back, Jack;
You don't need a new toy, Roy;
Drive a sedan, Stan;
And set yourself free.

So hop on a bus, Gus
Get onto DART, Bart
Just take the train, Jane
Please do it for me.

Use a non-motorized scooter, Scooter.
Try taking the trolley, Dolly
Just leave your &$%# car at home for a day. It will help decrease emissions and the obesity epidemic … Shamemick.


OK, so the last line, or stanza, or entire song needs some help. So what would you sing?

Travel Differently

April 7-13 is National Public Health Week. We hope everyone will be making the connection between personal health and the health of our planet, and how both can be improved by walking and biking more, and driving less.

In particular, Tuesday, April 8, is “Travel Differently Day.” You can travel differently by using the Katy Trail to walk or bike instead of drive, so get out on the Trail!

DPD Central Patrol's "Quarterly Crime Synopsis" Coming Up

The Dallas Police Department's Central Patrol Division(Katy Trail is in Central Patrol) will be hosting it's "Quarterly Crime Synopsis" on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. This meeting will be held at Ceazar Chavez Learning Center, located at 1710 North Carroll @ Ross. The meeting will address crime concerns and how Central Patrol plans to elevate them.

There will be opportunities to share information about your neighborhoods with the respective Geographic Area Commanders. Please mark your calendar for this event.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Neighborhood Police Sergeant Dennis Craig at 214-670-4420 or Community Outreach Representative Donna Rockmoreat 214-670-0659.