Northwest Highway: a Barrier to Green
Updated: Jul 2, 2020
Friends of Bachman Lake sponsored a meeting with State, City and County representatives in February to talk about the pedestrian / cycling challenges in the area. There were no concerns raised by the community about Shorecrest and Denton Drive, however Northwest Highway was another matter. The community asked for:
A pedestrian/cycling bridge close to Webb Chapel or Marsh / Lemmon Ave
A pedestrian/cycling bridge along the Denton Drive bridge (which is falling apart)
Wide, useful sidewalks
Cross-walks that are bid, bold, beautiful and safe
A separator, using greenery, that would help slow the traffic along Northwest Highway
Additional cross-walks or signals at Timberline, Ovella and Admiral Dr
Addressing the flooding issues at Northwest Highway, under the Denton Dr birdge
We are working with Representative Rafael Anchia's office to put into action the next steps he outlined:
Establish a working group and meet every two months to keep momentum going. This would include government, NGOs and neighborhood representatives.
Review all prior studies to summarize what has been previously proposed so that we don't reinvent the wheel. In other words, don’t make this another study, make it a plan of execution, a mobility plan.
Apply strategies that would reduce speed on Northwest Highway.
Have aesthetics as a strategy: "make northwest highway humane / humanly accessible."
Work with the community to prioritize the asks based on cost and community needs.
Include North Texas Council of Governments (NTCoG) in the meetings (Councilman Narvaez is coordinating the introductory meeting).
Ensure that the sidewalk needs inventory reflects Northwest Highway, Harry Hines and Shorecrest.
Friends of Bachman Lake will be working with Councilman Narvaez's and Representative Anchia's offices to identify the appropriate attendees for the working sessions. We also appreciate Representative Anchia interest in staying engaged and attending future meetings.
