Light rail? New bus routes? Fort Worth explores transit options for East Lancaster
Fort Worth plans to redevelop East Lancaster Avenue to improve public transportation and economic opportunity.
While the Texas Department of Transportation will take the lead on redeveloping the state highway, the city will recommend what kind of transit it would like to see, assistant transportation and public works director Kelly Porter told the City Council on Tuesday.
Options include rapid transit buses or light rail, however, the city will work with Trinity Metro and get public feedback to assess the best options.
The city wants to make the area more pedestrian friendly while encouraging the development of shops, bars and restaurants.
In addition to transit, the city is looking to add what Porter called “smart city features,” including public WiFi and smart traffic lights that adjust to traffic and can detect pedestrians in crosswalks.
Porter said his department will make a recommendation on the preferred transit plan for the City Council’s approval by summer 2023.
Once the city settles on its preferred mode of transit, TxDOT can start the engineering process before beginning construction in 2026.
The funding for the road construction will be a combination of federal, state and local dollars, said TPW spokesperson Jeffery Allen.
The city also plans to conduct a series of meetings to hear from residents and business owners on the planned improvements.
This will guide updates to zoning and future economic development similar to the code developed for the Hemphill corridor.
Mayor Mattie Parker pressed Porter on what could be done to speed up the timeline, noting that many residents are hoping for more to be done along East Lancaster before 2026.
Porter said a lot will depend on what gets dug up, such as old bricks or unused sewage pipe.
“The area is so old, we’re going to find something,” Porter said.
Once the city determines what kinds of transit options it would like to see, the project can move along a lot faster, Porter said.
This story was originally published September 20, 2022 at 5:20 PM.
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