Allen officials kick off update to Trails and Bikeways Master Plan

Allen is revamping its Trails and Bikeways Master Plan.

Allen City Council approved a $150,000 contract with Halff Associates to update the city’s Trails and Bikeways Master Plan at an April 28 meeting.

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The city’s current Trails and Bikeways Master Plan, adopted in 2019, no longer reflects current conditions, completed projects or evolving priorities, according to city documents.

Additionally, updates to the Collin County Regional Trail Plan in 2025 prompted Allen Parks and Recreation officials to begin updating the city’s plan to align with regional efforts, Parks and Recreation Director Kate Meacham said.

Infrastructure consulting firm Halff Associates has prior experience working with the city and consulted on the 2019 trails plan, Meacham said. The plan will be updated in multiple phases:

• Phase 1, May-July: understanding the current situation and gathering public input
• Phase 2, July-November: analyzing needs and identifying gaps
• Phase 3, November-February 2027: Planning the future trail system
• Phase 4, February 2027-March 2027: Creating an action plan for implementation of the updated master plan

Also of note

The Watters Trail South extension project is currently under construction and is expected to wrap up in May, Meacham said.

The “much-anticipated” Rowlett Trail project, which will connect to Watters Trail, is currently out to bid.

“This is a trail that we’re very excited about,” Meacham said.

The Rowlett Trail project will be funded through a combination of local sales tax dollars, county, state and federal grant dollars.

“In total, the project is anticipated to be around $9 million, with 50% of that coming from matching grants,” she said.

Meacham said the project is expected to go before Allen City Council in late June or early July.