Dallas Giving Day a Success - Thanks

A big thank you to everyone who gave $25 to $2,500 to the Friends of the Katy Trail last Thursday as part of Dallas Giving Day. The foundations that made it possible reported the following information from that day:

• 8,400 donations made
• 353 organizations received gifts
• 98 percent of participating organizations received something
• More than $4 million given in total to North Texas nonprofits

The foundations estimate it will take 640 man-hours of gift processing to finish all the calculations. Expect to see what the Friends of the Katy Trail raised by the middle of June.

Thanks again to everyone who made a donation to the Katy Trail. We can't keep the Trail clean, safe and beautiful with your support.

Limestone blocks installed

Last week the limestone blocks were installed that make up the seatwall at Dedo’s Place, the plaza under construction at the north end of the Katy Trail. New colored concrete was also poured, which appears to be darker than the original stained concrete. However, it will lighten in color as it cures and will match the rest of the concrete. Expect to see all the concrete sand blasted later this week or early next. The contractor will also be moving the stones around slightly before he affixes them permanently. That should happen before Memorial Day.

The entire $200,000 project will be done by the end of the summer. Check out the slide show on our construction page for more scenes of this project in progress

Word O' The Day

While we don't actually have a word of the day feature, we happened to read this one and thought it was a good one to share:

Freiker: a frequent biker. Used in a sentence: There are many freikers on the Katy Trail.

Try inserting that word into a conversation the next time you're at a swanky party.

Info You Need to Know about the Michelob Ultra No. 11 Katy 5K:

Online race registration is available through midnight on Tuesday, May 12.

Packet pickup is at Luke's Locker (3607 Oak Lawn) through 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13

Race Day Registration will be available starting at 4:30 p.m. at Reverchon Park (3505 Maple)

Parking is available at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children at Maple and Oak Lawn

Race Day Start Times are:

• 6:10 p.m. - Katy Trail Kids Point-5K Dash
• 6:25 p.m. - 5K Skate
• 6:30 p.m. - Run/Walk Begins
• 6:45 p.m. - Katy's Picnic Opens

For more information email Office@KatyTrailDallas.org or call 214-303-1180.

One Arts Plaza Loves Katy

Our good friends at One Arts Plaza have made an extensive post on their blog about the upcoming Katy 5k. Thanks One Arts!

If you don't know already, One Arts Plaza is the office/residential high-rise on the east side of the new Arts District in Downtown Dallas. There's been talk that Routh Street, which runs right in front of One Arts, might be redesigned to make it more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. Check out the One Arts Plaza website for more info about this super cool location.

Free Gift Bags for Biking the Trail

DailyCandy and Fleetwood’s Kit Kat are hosting a bike ride down the Katy Trail to the W Hotel for a private patio lunch benefitting Friends of Katy Trail. It gets even better because you'll get a free gift bag and VitaminWater10 (while supplies last).

Check it out on Sat., 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Meet at 5214 E. Mockingbird Ln. Tickets $25 (includes bike and lunch). R.S.V.P. to 214-282-9951 or thefleetster@gmail.com.

"Runners Wanted" Truck Debuts

Check out the new roving advertising truck that helps promotes the Katy 5K for the Friends of the Katy Trail. It is generously furnished by Rod Collins of Bulldog Mobile Billboards. Thanks Rod! You may see it parked at the lot near the Knox Street entrance, where this picture was taken, or perhaps notice it tooling around the Uptown-Turtle Creek-Oak Lawn-Downtown areas of our fair burg. Hope you like it. We think it rocks. And don't forget to sign up for the Katy 5K, taking place Thursday, May 14 at 6:15 p.m. at Reverchon Park. Click here to register today.

Concrete Fails - Gets Replaced

Unfortunately for all of us, the world is an imperfect place. That became evident last week when cracks formed in the freshly poured concrete that was installed just the week before at Dedo’s Place, the plaza under construction near the north end of the Katy Trail. So the contractor began removing sections of the concrete that cracked and will replace it later this week.

Despite this setback, and the amount of rain that limits construction, the contractor still believes the $200,000 project will be completed by the end of the summer. Thank you for your patience during this time period that the main trail is closed and all Trail traffic is forced to share the running trail.

You Deserve VIP Treatment

You wear sunglasses at night to protect your eyes from the flashbulbs of the paparazzi. . . You live on the side of the velvet rope others only dream of going to . . . You always score the best table at the hottest restaurants . . . and you want everyone to know you're a VIP at the Michelob Ultra No. 11 Katy 5K, but how can you do that?

Brand new this year is VIP Registration for $100. Sound steep for a 5K? It's not. It's the best value in town because it includes access to VIP area before and after the 5K with your own catered food and drink, a 2009 Friends of the Katy Trail membership, 5K entry, and a cool, limited edition Katy 5K running hat. As a bonus, it's limited to 150 participants. So sign up today!

D Magazine and Aeon Studio Love Us

Want a free circuit-training session? Want it at a super cool gym that looks out on the Katy Trail? Good news, you can get that at Aeon Studio. Click here to check out the details from D Magazine.

Did we mention Aeon is giving $50 to the Friends of the Katy Trail for every member who joins this month? Go check it out and our friend Ryan will make sure to pump you up, er, motivate you.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's . . .

The Bulldog Mobile Billboard for the Michelob Ultra No. 11 Katy 5K!

Feel free to wave at the truck and tell Rod thanks for promoting the Katy 5K with his cool mobile billboard truck.

Drinking Fountain Arrives at Dedo's

The drinking fountain that will be installed at the plaza near the north end of the Trail arrived on the scene last Friday. As you can see by the photo, the fountain is our standard three-tiered one with drinking bowls for adults, children and people in wheelchairs, and pets. The concrete to anchor the drinking fountain will be poured later this week, weather permitting.

Construction of the $200,000 Dedo's Place plaza is expected to be complete by the end of the summer. Go to the Friends of the Katy Trail's construction page for more photos of the project.

Fort Worth Going Bike Friendly

Fort Worth has rolled out a plan to become a Bicycle Friendly City by 2015. The plan includes making complete streets that are accessible to ALL forms of transportation users -- vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, mass transit, disabled, elderly -- as well as requiring new development to meet city codes for bicycle accessibility and parking. They even plan to (gasp!) remove some parking and replace it with bike lanes and bike parking.

Check out our neighbor to the west's effort to solve their transportation and infrastructure problems and move their city into the 21st century.

Bike Oak Cliff on Saturday

Our friends at BFOC (that's Bike Friendly Oak Cliff) are having ribbon cutting for the Coombs Creek Trail on Saturday, April 18. Here are the details from their blog:

"The first leg of the paved Coombs Creek Trail has been completed and a ribbon cutting is set for tomorrow morning. We’ll try to arrive around 9ish in the morning, and will probably be riding in a small parade at 9:30 a.m. The trail is located at Kessler Parkway and Junior Drive (on the northwest side of Methodist Hospital). The best way to get there is to take Sylvan Northbound toward I-30. Kessler Parkway is the street before the highway. Go right (east) to Junior. There should be a good crowd out that can point everyone the rest of the way."

Here's a link to their website. KT says "check it out."

Question of the Month

Last month we asked you what you would spend federal stimulus funds on. The power-brokers down at City Hall must have been listening because the Council approved the submission of a $21 million grant request to finish the Katy Trail-Trinity Strand Trail-Coombs Creek Trail corridor. Now let’s keep our fingers crossed that the Feds like our trail plan, too. The grant will be submitted by the City in late summer.

However, paying the $1 million ransom to Dr. Evil isn’t part of that grant request, so the whole thing may be moot if he’s successful in his quest for world domination. But you were concerned enough to make Dr. Evil the third-most popular answer, and we appreciate that.

Here’s this month’s question:
What are you planning to do for Earth Day and/or Arbor Day this year?

Keep Your Helmet On

We just received a tip from the Mayor of McKinney Avenue (who knew there was one?) about DPD officers issuing tickets to bicycle riders who are not wearing a helmet. As KT said on a recent answer in the Ask KT section of our website, it is a City of Dallas code that cyclists wear helmets. So be forewarned that DPD can give out a ticket, which comes with a $147 fine.

So unless you're willing to challenge the law, or your head is harder than concrete, we suggest you wear a helmet at all times when on your bike. This goes for inline skates as well.

Report Quality of Life Offenses to DPD

DPD has asked us to help them identify locations where you consistantly see any Quality of Life Offenses. Here's what Lt. Lewis said in an email to us earlier today ...

"With the weather becoming more pleasant and more daylight to enjoy it, there may be a noticeable increase of quality of life offenses such as panhandling, sleeping in public, public intoxication, homeless encampments and urinating in public. I am seeking your assistance in identifying locations that tend to have a chronic problem with such offenses. Please at your earliest convenience e-mail me with any locations you are aware of that need police attention in the Uptown area."

If you know of any specific locations like this, particularly on or around the Katy Trail, please email Lt. Lewis at ricky.lewis@dpd.ci.dallas.tx.us.

What's Your Fav Trail Event?

The Rails to Trails Conservancy asked its members that question in March and listed some of the responses on its website this month. Guess what event topped their list? The Michelob Ultra Katy 5K, of course. The RTC site even ran two photos from last year's event. Check it out.

Obviously, you don't want to miss the Katy 5K this year. The annual event takes place Thursday, May 14 at 6:30 p.m. If you haven't signed up yet, click here to register online today.

New Construction -- Dedo's Place

The contractor working on the plaza near the north end of the Katy Trail is digging trenches to install the irrigation line that will add a new drinking fountain to the Trail. Expect to see that work this week and early next. The hope is they will begin to pour the new concrete for the primary trail by then end of the week of April 13. The photo shows the forms that have been put in place to support the stained concrete that is part of the plaza. Expected completion of the $200,000 project is this summer. Remember, always check out the Construction Updates page on the Friends of the Katy Trail's website for more details and additional images of the construction progress.

This is a Freaking Cool Calculator

In case you were trying to figure out how green you really can go (while even losing some weight) or you're looking to waste some time at the office, check out this super cool calculator that tells you how much you can save by biking to work.

Dallas Police Department Events

Our friends at the Dallas Police Department sent us an email about two upcoming events that we think you should mark on your calendar. The first is Volunteers in Patrol training on April 11th. Volunteers in Patrol are trained by DPD in order to be a more effective version of neighborhood watch. On April 11th, DPD will teach volunteers how to spot suspicious or criminal activity in their neighborhood. The second event is the Central Patrol Division’s quarterly crime summit, on April 16th.
If you want to learn more information about the events, visit their website at http://www.blogger.com/www.cepatrolcrimewatch.org.

Construction Signs Installed

Just so you can't miss the location and reason for the big mess on the north end of the Katy Trail, here's a shot of the new signs that were installed on both ends of the construction zone. Sure hope we make that construction completion date despite all this rain.

North End Construction Underway

The area has been fenced off and the concrete is being removed near the north end to make way for Dedo's Place, the entry plaza at the intersection of McKinney Ave and the Katy Trail. Signs will be installed soon on either side of the construction zone that inform Trail users of the project and expected completion date -- sometime this summer. Check out the photo above of what the mess looks like today after all the thunderstorms last night.

Contrary to what some Trail users are saying, the concrete trail will not be closed off forever. It will open in a couple of months, but will simply be in a stained pattern to help create the space that is the plaza. If anyone tells you the concrete is gone for good, please correct them.

Dedo's Place Construction Begins

Construction has started on the entry plaza near the north end of the Katy Trail where McKinney Avenue hits the Trail. Last week, the contractor did the saw cuts for the sections of the concrete that will be removed. You may also see the removable metal bollards out of their collars during the day. And very soon, the contractor will be pouring some asphalt to help move people from the concrete trail to the rubber trail just south of the construction zone.

New Bike Store Offers Free Rides on the Katy Trail

Fleetwood’s Kit Kat, a new boutique near SMU that sells and rents cruiser bikes, is hosting FREE rides on Fridays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Show up early to stake your wheels (we hear hot pink goes fast), then follow him down the Katy Trail to Victory Park where you can grab a snack before heading back.

The boutique itself stocks vintage Western shirts, graphic tees, retro home furnishings, stickers (they’re free!), and homemade cupcakes on weekends. Five percent of proceeds from bike sales and rentals benefit Friends of Katy Trail.

Who knew cruisin’ could be so cool?Fleetwood’s Kit Kat, 5214 East Mockingbird Lane (214-282-9951 or fleetwoodskitkat.com).

Turn out. Take Action

Be part of Earth Hour on March 28, 2009, 8:30 pm local time.

World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.

Graffiti Goes Away - Again

So the graffiti gurus who work for the Parks Department -- Mark and Keith -- got rid of most of the graffiti on the Katy Trail last Thursday and Friday. And, as you know from reading the blog last week, they tackled the biggest problem by painting over the Lemmon Avenue bridge. Well, no good deed goes unpunished.

When the guys returned on Monday to finish up, they found the bridge had been hit again, and the dirty little taggers had hit almost a dozen other places along the Trail. Undeterred, Mark and Keith repainted the entire Lemmon bridge -- again. Then on Tuesday, they attacked the graffiti on the Trail with a power washer, using bio-degradable cleaners. By Wednesday, most of the graffiti was gone.

Mark reports that they have helped wipe out graffiti at other City of Dallas parks, and expect to win the battle of the Katy Trail, too. Thanks, guys, for your persistence and help in eliminating this problem.

DPD Working Hard in Uptown

Two stories of good work by DPD in the Uptown area.

First, on March 17 around 3 a.m. an individual was robbed in the 4000 block of Cole Ave. As he was getting out of his car to go into his home, two suspects approached him with a gun and an ice pick. They took his laptop and drove off. But he got a good look at their vehicle, and its description was broadcast over police radio throughout the city. The suspects were arrested later that morning in northwest Dallas.

Second, because there had been some cars broken into around Gold's Gym, the Central Division conducted an operation in the area. On March 19 around 9:45 p.m., suspects burglarized a vehicle and removed a piece of property that contained a police tracker. DPD was able to track the suspects to the 3800 block of Cedar Springs, and three individuals were arrested.

Getting Your Workout Even in a Tough Economy

The American Council on Exercise did a survey of its certified fitness professionals, and 48 percent expected gym memberships to decrease in 2009. Aren't you glad you can use the Katy Trail without that monthly fee? (But you should be a Friend of the Katy Trail starting at just $50 a year. Click here to join.)

The Dallas Morning News has an interesting article about other inexpensive workouts. Click here to check it out.

Grafitti on Bridge Goes Bye-Bye

The City of Dallas Park Department gave us a big hand this week by painting over the graffiti that had defaced the bridge over Lemmon Avenue last weekend. Thank you to all the folks in the Parks maintenance division who helped get rid of this eyesore.