Ft Worth Times

The City’s Transportation & Public Works Department has reached a pivotal phase with the Eastside Transportation Plan. The study’s overarching objective is to enhance safety, multimodal connectivity and support future economic development. Central to this initiative is development and adoption of a locally preferred alternative for an extension of Route 89, route mode-type (such as rail vs. bus), and roadway cross-sections for East Lancaster Avenue, Bridge Street and Brentwood Stair Road.

Recommendations for a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) identify an alternative that has been evaluated and deemed optimal through the local planning process. The LPA will be used by TxDOT as they determine improvements though their driven by the design, engineering, and environmental process.

Why it matters: This comprehensive process ensures alignment with the entire vision for the region's transportation future. The prominence of East Lancaster Avenue as a catalytic corridor in the broader revitalization of Fort Worth’s Central City initiatives indicates the need for the proposed enhancements. The 2020 Advancing East Lancaster Study identified this area as a key Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), confirming its potential for accommodating a high number of transit modes based on vehicular data.

What else: The recommended LPA transit alignment extension for Route 89, identified as the Red Route, along East Lancaster Avenue and Dottie Lynn Parkway, is complemented by the recommended LPA transit mode, Tech-Based Rapid Transit. Thorough analysis and comparison of available options resulted in Route 89, Trinity Metro’s highest ridership route, being selected as part of the comprehensive regional transportation vision.

Route 89 is strategically positioned to interface with the anticipated high-speed rail service along the I-30 corridor, a facet under examination in the Dallas-Fort Worth High-Speed Transportation Connections Study. Rigorous public engagement, conducted through open houses and virtual displays, provided decision-makers with an opportunity to contribute feedback on these proposed alternatives. This input to the plan not only concentrates on infrastructure enhancements, but also includes environmental considerations. A complete list of environmental commitments has been purposefully compiled to diminish project impacts, therefore ensuring the harmonization of transportation advancements with sustainability initiatives.

In short: The Fort Worth Eastside Transportation Plan encompasses a substantial stride toward reshaping the City’s transportation. The adoption of locally preferred alternatives signifies a commitment to safety, accessibility and the future economic vitality of the region. As these plans progress, ongoing collaboration between governmental entities, community stakeholders and the public remains imperative to ensure a transportation network that adeptly accommodates the needs of Fort Worth's evolving landscape.

Original source can be found here.