Cotton Belt/Silver Line Rail Trail

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is constructing the 26-mile Silver Line Regional Rail Project currently scheduled to open in late 2025/early 2026 connecting four existing rail lines, seven cities (Grapevine, Coppell, Carrollton, Addison, Dallas, Richardson, and Plano), three counties (Tarrant, Dallas, and Collin), and DFW International Airport.  DART ensured with the Silver Line rail engineering design the accommodation of the parallel regional Cotton Belt Trail primarily located within the DART-owned rail right-of-way. The DART Silver Line Rail Project, including the companion Cotton Belt Trail, will provide connections and mobility improvements, accessibility and links to major employment, population, and activity centers in the northern portion of the 700 square mile, 2.5 million persons DART Service Area.  Currently there are no existing bicycle accommodations connecting to the future Silver Line Rail station areas.  In addition, there are currently no other east/west shared use trail corridors or bikeways in this portion of the metropolitan area providing a non-motorized mode of transportation to the many significant destinations and high-density employment centers.  

Since 2018, the Regional Transportation Council, Dallas County, seven cities, and DART have awarded more than $100 million in federal and local funding toward the Rail Trail engineering design and construction phases for the entire 26-mile corridor.  The Cotton Belt / Silver Line Rail Trail Critical Sections  included in the TxDOT 2023 Transportation Alternatives Call for Projects funding request will significantly improve non-motorized access by providing direct connections to three rail stations (Addison Station in Addison, Knoll Trail Station in Dallas, and City Line Station in Richardson) as well as major employment destinations and high-density residential area thus promoting increased transit ridership at these new rail stations.   DART is leading the engineering design and construction phases of the project, which upon completion will be owned and maintained by various cities. 

TxDOT 2023 Call for Projects Application

The following documents support the DART application to the 2023 Call for Projects:

Attachment B (Trail Crossings of Roadways and Intersections (60% Design))


Attachment F (Project Sponsor Resolution)


Attachment G (Public Outreach and Support) - Letters of Support