Dallas Run TEAM

By DEBBIE FETTERMAN / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

An unfamiliar sight greeted runners arriving for a recent road race at Winfrey Point.

For decades, participants and spectators had been allowed to park on the roadside grass at White Rock Lake. But this time, cones and signs blocked access. Once the area’s 82 designated parking spots filled up, participants were directed to park offsite at churches and a law firm.

“All things considered, it went as well as it could have gone,” said Stephanie Hill, who helped direct the White Rock ‘n’ Roll five-mile run for the Dallas Running Club. “We had to secure additional police officers and extra volunteers to assist with parking. They had a few upset folks.”

That scene may play out repeatedly starting next year, when a city ordinance that allows parking only in designated spots will be strictly enforced at the lake.

The rule was designed to ensure safety and minimize the environmental impact at all Dallas parks. The Park and Recreation Department waived the ordinance for special events in the past but now plans to apply it consistently. When that happens, organizers say, White Rock Lake road races as well as cycling and walking events will suffer.

Some race directors fear they will be forced to increase their registration fees to account for bus shuttle service. James Thruston, a longtime road race and duathlon director, said he will probably be forced to cancel events. And the Dallas Running Club is exploring other race sites – Bachman Lake, Fair Park, the Trinity River levee and the Katy Trail – suggested by the city.

“There will be an increase in cost, volunteer time, and for some runners who thoroughly enjoy running at the lake, they will be disappointed if we move away from the lake,” Hill said. “It’s a tough choice.”

The city doesn’t want to run the runners off, City Council member Sheffie Kadane said. His district includes White Rock Lake, which has almost 9 ½ miles of shoreline running and cycling trails.

“But you can’t go to every park and park all over the grass,” he said. “We need to keep our green spaces green.”

Two local owners of running specialty stores said they’re working to adhere to the rules. Run On’s Bob Wallace said he foresees fewer special events at the lake and less participation because runners won’t want to deal with the extra time and hassle to commute and wait for shuttle buses.

Don Lucas of Luke’s Locker raised concerns about pedestrians crossing major roads like Northwest Highway or Garland Road. It will be an imposition for participants to trek more than three miles to get from off-site parking to race starts, he said.

“It almost seems like the cure is a lot worse than the problem,” Lucas said.

In the past, the Park and Recreation Department accepted plans based on parking as many as 800 cars on grassy areas and roadsides, race directors said.

But park use has grown. Jill Beam, parks department events and reservation manager, said she schedules at least six special events at White Rock Lake every month.

“Safety is our primary goal,” said James Page, parks department maintenance district manager for White Rock Lake. “The overall usage of the park has grown. It’s not just special events. There’s no telling how many hundreds of thousands of people use the park. The chance of having an accident is greatly increased.”

The city also had environmental concerns because part of Winfrey Point contains endangered blackland prairie.

Parks officials called a meeting of special event organizers early last month to share the policy change. Penalties for parking violations have not been determined.

Some park users aren’t convinced that the stricter parking rules are necessary.

Race organizer Lewis George said he and others think a small group of vocal homeowners around the lake has forced the parks department to stop making allowances to runners at Winfrey Point. City officials say that there have always been complaints but that safety is the primary catalyst.

Parks department officials said this week that they hope to designate overflow parking lots in the next couple of months. The park has 1,685 parking spaces spread around the 1,015-acre lake. Beam said they are considering using about 200 spots at Flagpole Hill and 300 more near that site.

Some users have accepted the new situation. The March of Dimes used 39 shuttle buses for the 30,000 walkers and volunteers participating in its annual March for the Babies. It also encouraged participants to use Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail.

Dallas Running Club officials said they have begun educating their 3,500 members on the rules. Wallace said the city’s stance discourages him and others from wanting to use the lake. It’s inconvenient and costly, yet he said he understands the parks department’s point of view.

“It’s a park, not a parking lot,” he said. “I don’t blame the city for not wanting people to park all over the grass.”

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