Popular road at Benbrook Lake is closing to cyclists. Army Corps cites dangerous riding

A popular road at Benbrook Lake will close to cyclists and pedestrians in October after hundreds of safety incidents the past three months, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said.

The Corps, which manages the recreation at Benbrook Lake, has announced cyclists and pedestrians will need camping reservations to enter South Holiday Park beginning Oct. 1. While this has been the rule since 1996, the Corps said it will begin enforcement to follow national policy that separates day use activities from campgrounds.

But cyclists, runners and walkers said the change will force them onto busy U.S. 377 and Aledo Iona Road. They have been using the park and its quiet, traffic-free 2.4-mile road for years under an informal agreement that required them to follow a list of rules.

Richard Bumgardner, a spokesperson for the Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth Division, said the policy should have been enforced back when it was adopted. It states that joggers and cyclists should be separated from campgrounds.

He said large groups of cyclists riding at high speeds have increased tension in the campground and have increased the possibility of someone getting hit by a cyclist. He said there have been 388 safety infractions the past three months. They include ignoring road rules, running stop signs and riding off the main road in unauthorized areas.

“Campgrounds are designed for families and people seeking relaxation and enjoying the environment,” said Bumgardner. “We know they’re going to bring bikes or walk around the campsite — as long as they have a valid campsite reservation, they can do all of that.”

Bumgardner said the Corps understands the concerns of the cyclists. Its decision is an attempt to make the park safer for everyone, he said.

In response, a petition on change.org asking the Corps to keep the park open was created. It has more than 1,000 signatures.

Christel Chase started the petition and lives in the Deerwood Forest neighborhood just outside South Holiday Park. She said if the road closes, her trips to the Trinity Trails will force her onto U.S. 377, a highway with a narrow shoulder and a 65-mph speed limit.

Dr. Ajai Cadambi, a surgeon who commutes via bike to his office in Clearfork, bought his house in Deerwood Forest because of the easy access to the scenic park road that links to the Trinity Trials.

“I actually use the lake road through the campground to commute to work on my bicycle,” he wrote in an email to Stefan Flores, the Corps’ new manager of Benbrook Lake. “I’m a senior and ride for fitness, plus it’s environmentally friendly not driving a car.”

Cadambi used to ride with clubs but rides mostly solo now because of his busy schedule.

“If I can get on that first 2.4 miles, I can ride all the way to Gateway Park,” he said. “Maybe it’s a selfish perspective, but I picked my house because I have access to this wonderful park and I’ve been living there for almost two decades.”

Scott Boldt, another resident of the neighborhood and the former manager of Elevate Racing, a competitive cycling club based in Fort Worth, called U.S. 377 a “death wish” and said Aledo Iona Road is dangerous because of its lack of a shoulder.

“The cars don’t want us there and we don’t want to be there,” he said.

An ‘informal handshake’

One of the area’s biggest cycling clubs, the Fort Worth Bicycling Association, said it had an agreement with the previous lake manager allowing them to pass through the South Holiday Park campground provided they followed a list of rules.

The list included staying on the main road, honoring road rules, stop signs, closures and riding two abreast while staying as far right on the roads as possible to avoid impeding traffic. All of these, the Corps said, have been broken over the last few months.

One of the steepest parts of the road in South Holiday Park was dubbed “Nice Hill” after someone spray painted the words on the incline. To avoid the hill, cyclists ride through a lower road, considered the “Nice Hill” bypass.

The bypass was an unofficial exemption to the rule that says cyclists should stay on Lakeview Drive and Pearl Branch Road.

The unofficial exemption allowing older riders to bypass the hill was made by the former manager as part of his agreement with the FWBA that allowed cyclists to continue to use the southern pass.

Sam Busa, a senior at TCU who cycles during his triathlon training, also uses the “cycling friendly” road on his rides west from the Trinity Trails.

“It’s really disappointing to hear,” he said. “There are not many cycling-friendly roads in Fort Worth and Benbrook Lake is one of the best areas.”

The north side of the park will remain open to cyclists for an entrance fee of $2, but rangers will enforce the road closure, marked by a barrier at the campground entrance.

“Right now, they bypass the barrier gate that says road closed and continue to ride on the south side,” said Bumgardner, the spokesperson. “As of October, that will no longer be allowed.”

Bumgardner said there weren’t as many issues with walkers or joggers, but the rule will have to be enforced for everyone participating in day use activities.

The cyclists said they are willing to do whatever they can to preserve the lakeside view they get when they ride through Holiday Park, north and south.

The riders are willing to help

Cadambi, the doctor who uses the park as part of his commute, is confident a good relationship would help improve the situation between cyclists and campers in South Holiday Park.

“We’re very motivated as a group to police ourselves,” he said.

Craig Roshaven, of the Fort Worth Bicycling Association, believes the group’s influence in the cycling community could solve the issues with the unsafe riding.

“Since we’re the largest organization it’s easiest for us to reach out to others,” said Roshaven. “We think we can really have an effect in working to keep the park safe for everyone.”

Boldt said cyclists know each other and can take care of the issues the Corps is addressing with the closure.

“The cycling world is big in Fort Worth, but it’s also small,” he said. “We know who the offenders are and now that it has been brought to our attention, it can be taken care of.”

Other than offering help to police the park, the cyclists called for more signs.

“Putting a bigger sign up that is a little more stern about what is expected might catch people’s attention,” said Cadambi.

In the foreground of the trees and the big Texas sky that rests over Benbrook Lake sits a sign telling cyclists they must stay on the main road, but doesn’t list any other rules.

The cyclists said they hope the petition and future meetings with the Corps of Engineers will help make progress in finding a solution that helps everyone.