New bike lane technology is rolling towards east Fort Worth. The Transportation & Public Works Department will start construction this month on a new bike lane from the east side of downtown to Gateway Park.

With design consultation from Kimley-Horn & Associates, the $2.9 million project is funded by the North Central Texas Council of Government's Transportation Alternatives Project + located in Council Districts 8 + 11.

🚲 Cycling corridor

Running along East 4th Street and East 1st Street from I-35W to Haltom Road, the 1.5-mile project is part of the larger DFW Discovery Trail project, a 66-mile bike trail that connects Fort Worth and Dallas.

The project will convert one car lane into a bike lane in each direction and separate the lanes with a painted median. The bike lanes will connect to existing downtown cycling infrastructure to the west + transition to an off-street trail to the east.

🚦 Safety signals

The 6-ft-wide pathway will include innovative bike signals at three intersections on South Sylvania Avenue, Riverside Drive, and North Beach Street. Designed for user safety, a bike detection pad in the ground will communicate with a signal showing red, yellow, and green lights that are stenciled to feature bikes.

The first of its kind in the region, the system will also count the number of cyclists passing through the area, collecting data that can be used for future funding applications.

The new system will detect, count, and signal cyclists. | Photo by the City of Fort Worth

🚧 Construction changes

Road work will be completed during the day with lane closures expected during non-peak hours + there are no planned detours. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The new project hopes to increase connectivity, safety, and inclusivity, making Fort Worth a more bike-friendly city. Cowtown currently has a bike score of 39 out of 100.

👀 What do you want to see?

When we shared the news about the new bike lane project in east Fort Worth, we asked our readers about their biking habits + what they would change about Cowtown's cycling infrastructure. Here's what y'all said:

About 80% of respondents ride their bikes weekly or monthly with approximately half of respondents riding for exercise. Nearly 40% of respondents ride for recreation, while 14% commute via bicycle.

According to our respondents, the top priority for Fort Worth's cycling infrastructure is the location and connection of trails, followed by pavement maintenance and pothole repairs. Readers also suggested improvements for accessing shared bikes, updating safety signals, and readdressing helmet requirements.

Check out some of the other bike lane projects going on around town, including:

Oakland Boulevard and Miller Avenue Bike Lanes | Expected completion: May 2027
Horne Street Improvements | Expected completion: December 2026
University Drive Phase 1 | Expected completion: March 2024