City of Fort Worth residents can expect to wrap up their evening strolls in city parks a bit earlier starting next year, as officials have decided to uniformly shut the gates by 10 p.m. The Fort Worth City Council put their stamp on the new ordinance, deciding to align park hours across the board, chopping off up to an hour and a half of nighttime park access for some spots that previously closed at 11:30 p.m. This change, set to kick off on January 1, 2025, aims to bring a consistent close of day for all city-operated green spaces, as reported by the City of Fort Worth.
The Park & Recreation Department has been prompted to quickly put into action this earlier closure time after the City Council's approval on Tuesday. Commentaries from neighborhoods and meetings with local associations pushed the decision, spurring the unanimous approval of the updated Chapter 24 of the City Code. It's a play for uniformity—the Trinity River Trail system already adheres to these hours under the auspices of the Tarrant Regional Water District, and 117 other parks had either the same or dusk-to-dawn hours in place under an exception clause in the existing ordinance.
The directive ensures that certain conditions remain unaffected. Permitted rentals, sporting events, and special events will still run their course past the nightfall cutoff should the situation call for it. The Fort Worth Police Department is on board with the systemwide 10 p.m. curtain call, lending their seal of support alongside the Park & Recreation Advisory Board’s endorsement last month.
