37 replies to this topic

[John T Roberts]

  

 

Your vision and dreams are essential.

We hope you will be a part of Envision Hemphill, a multi-day, community-led visioning workshop scheduled for December 7th-10th at the Fire Station Community Center.

 

We strongly encourage you, your families, and your neighbors to participate and help shape the next two key components of the Near Southside's ongoing renaissance: A reconfigured Hemphill Street between Vickery and Biddison, and a major expansion of Fire Station Park at 1616 Hemphill.

 

 

What specifically will be the focus of Envision Hemphill?

 

This important workshop will directly influence the design and function of:

 

Hemphill Street between Vickery and Biddison - Our interactive survey at ArtsGoggle generated hundreds of responses showing strong support for protected bike lanes, safe crosswalks, on-street parking for retail, and other street design elements. Virtually all respondents agreed that the current configuration is not working well, with Hemphill being unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists and failing to promote new business activity and mixed-use development. We hope you'll share ideas on how to improve the street.

 

Expansion of Fire Station Park at 1616 Hemphill - The same ArtsGoggle survey generated enthusiastic support for elements that could be included into the design and programming for the currently vacant parcel at Hemphill and Maddox that would add over an acre to the existing Fire Station Park. Among those elements receiving the strongest support: Skate park, dog park, flexible spaces for farmers markets and public events, splash pad, interactive features for all ages, and well-shaded areas for relaxation. Your ideas at the workshop will directly influence the ultimate design and programming of the park.

 

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

 

DNESDAY, DECEMBER 7T

5:30-7:30pm PUBLIC WORKSHOP

RETHINKING HEMPHILL:

Placemaking Possibilities for the Future

An introduction to placemaking, a visioning workshop, and a presentation on state-of-the-art bike infrastructure

 

cn Community Center 

               1601 Lipscomb Street, Fort Worth, TX 76104

THURSY, DECEMBER 8TH

 

9:30-11:30am PUBLIC WORKSHOP

WALK & RIDE AUDIT OF HEMPHILL STREET

Join us on foot or bicycle as we explore the current conditions of Hemphill Street to take note of areas in need of improvement. 

 

11:30-12:30pm PUBLIC WORKSHOP

HEMPHILL OBSERVATIONS & CONVERSATION

Following the walk/ride audit, you are invited to join the Projects for Public Spaces & HDR Engineering team for an in depth discussion regarding the current conditions and future expectations for Hemphill Street. Your feedback at this meeting will shape the preliminary street designs that will be presented at the following meeting.

 

5:30-7:30pm PUBLIC WORKSHOP - YOUR ATTENDANCE IS CRITICAL.

THE STREET TAKES SHAPE

Presenting the preliminary Hemphill Street plans shaped by consultant research and community feedback.

 

Location for all events: Fire Station Community Center 

                                     1601 Lipscomb Street, Fort Worth, TX 76104 

BER 9TH

 

5:30-7:30pm PUBLIC WORKSHOP

HOW TO "LQC": 

A LIGHTER, QUICKER, CHEAPER ORIENTATION & PIZZA PARTY

Learn how simple efforts can transform Hemphill Street and Fire Station Park. Our consultants will present best practices and offer examples from other LQC efforts across the country.  A group brainstorming session will follow and you are invited be part of the team that will create an LQC demonstration on Saturday, December 10 during the Hemphill Park Party. 

 

Location: HopFusion Ale Works 

                200 E. Broadway Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76104 

 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10TH

CREATING HEMPHILL PARK

Share your dreams and expectations for our new community park in a community workshop and park party to follow.  Children are encouraged to participate and share their wishes for the future expansion of Fire Station Park.

 

 

10:00am-12:00pm PUBLIC WORKSHOP - YOUR ATTENDANCE IS CRITICAL.

Hemphill Park 

Visioning Workshop

• Learn about park design opportunities and best practices
• Cast your vote for your favorite design features such as a splash pad, skate park, pump track for bikes, walking path, adult playground, etc.
• Bring the kids and let them share their ideas, too!

Location: Fire Station Community Center 

                1601 Lipscomb Street, Fort Worth, TX 76104 

 

12:00pm-4:00pm A HANDS-ON COMMUNITY EVENT

HEMPHILL PARK PARTY

• Food Trucks
• Holiday Vendors
• Live Music
• Kids Activities
• Share your ideas for the future of Hemphill Park on our public comment boards
• Lend a helping hand during our LQC temporary park improvements

Location: Fire Station Park Expansion 

                1616 Hemphill Street, Fort Worth, TX 76104 

 

 

 

Who are the partners behind Envision Hemphill?

 

A strong coalition of community groups have been working together for over two decades to promote improvements along Hemphill and throughout the Southside. The Hemphill Corridor Task Force, Near Southside, Inc., Historic Fairmount Neighborhood Association, I-CARE, Tax Increment Finance District #4, and the City of Fort Worth are the primary workshop partners, with additional support from LegacyTexas.

 

 

Who are the experts leading the sessions?

 

Project for Public Spaces is the international leader in creating vibrant parks and plazas that serve as treasured hubs of community life. PPS also leads a paradigm-shifting "streets as places" initiative aimed at creating streets that not only provide vehicular circulation, but function just as well for people riding bicycles, walking to school, shopping at local stores, or catching the bus.

 

HDR Engineering is the highly qualified multi-disciplinary firm that led the recently adopted update to the City of Fort Worth's Master Thoroughfare Plan (MTP). The updated MTP created a new set of street types that allow for the type of "complete street" design approach contemplated for Hemphill. HDR's familiarity with the MTP and leadership in promoting a new approach to street design made them an ideal match to oversee traffic engineering efforts for Hemphill.

 

 

Will street changes happen soon?

 

Yes! While Envision Hemphill should ultimately lead to a long-term vision plan for the street, the workshop's most immediate impact will be a re-striping plan that the City will implement as part of a resurfacing project scheduled for early 2017. Don't miss the presentation and discussion on Thursday evening, December 8th that focuses on these short-term and long-term street design options.

 

 

Will park improvements happen soon?

 

Not as quickly as the street re-striping, but yes! There will be additional design steps required between the workshop and the start of any construction, but the City has already allocated funding for the park's final design and a first phase of improvements. The conceptual plan and programming recommendations that come out of the workshop should directly shape those initial improvements and any future phases.

 

How can I help? How do I spread the word?

• Attend as many of the public workshops as possible on December 7-10. Save these dates to your calendar and plan on joining us for a exciting conversations about the future of Hemphill.

• Join the LQC Team planning to install temporary park and street improvements on Saturday, December 10.  We'll be seeking donations for materials and pre-building a few key pieces to install during the park party. Contact megan@nearsouthsidefw.org for details about participating.

• Find, accept, share and invite friends to the Facebook event.  CLICK HERE

 

Questions?

 

Mike Brennan, Near Southside, Inc. Planning Director

mike@nearsouthsidefw.org

 

Megan Henderson, Near Southside, Inc. Director of Events 

megan@nearsouthsidefw.org  

[rriojas71]

Awesome. we need a few more organizations in the city for these types of programs. I'd like to see an emphasis on making infrastructure changes (lighted pedestrian crossings, protected bike lanes, micro park spaces) to make the city safer for pedestrians and bicyclists instead of just residential/retail developments in the central city that give the illusion that an area is pedestrian friendly. Although I really love the W 7th area 7th Street feels very unsafe. Even more so than Hemphill.

[Austin55]

Fort Worth has done some nice street makeovers (Berry near TCU, Magnolia, S. Main) that are excellent streets, but I'd love to see Hemphill go to the next level. Those prior mentioned streets have a lot of great elements, like curb bulb-outs, attractive wide brick sidewalks, marked crosswalks, trees, benches, lights, artwork, street parking and painted on bike lanes. Hemphill ought to have all that as well. I'd like to see proper protected bike lanes, like so.

 

I'd also like NSS to work with the T and build what would be Fort Worth's first Bus Rapid Transit lanes. I'm not sure what's in a name, but the Downtown-La Gran Plaza bus route that uses Hemphill currently  is named "Route 1", which sure sounds important, and Route 1 is one of only 3 in the city which run every 15 minutes between 6:15 AM - 6:15 PM (the other two being East Lancaster and the West 7th/Camp Bowie routes. Route 1 also runs North from downtown to the Stockyards, and N. Main having BRT through Panther Island would be perfect for the area) 

[Doohickie]

I bike through that area a LOT, and frankly I don't see a need for bike lanes on Hemphill.  They wouldn't hurt, but I'd much rather see formal bicycle boulevard corridors following existing Bicycle Routes on the nearby parallel streets.

[Jeriat]

Can't believe I missed this...

[John T Roberts]

I bike through that area a LOT, and frankly I don't see a need for bike lanes on Hemphill.  They wouldn't hurt, but I'd much rather see formal bicycle boulevard corridors following existing Bicycle Routes on the nearby parallel streets.

Yes, look how well the bicycle route along Jennings Avenue worked out.  Although it had a series of offsets from different street grids, the avenue was a part of a through route from La Gran Plaza all the way into downtown.  Now, it is broken into several segments.

[Doohickie]

Not sure what your point is.  (Can't tell if you're agreeing with me or not, or whether you're in favor of bike lanes on Hemphill or not.)

[John T Roberts]

I'm sorry, Doohickie.  That's what I get for not being able to sleep and then deciding to get on the computer in the middle of the night.  I actually wasn't agreeing or disagreeing with you.  I'm all for improving bicycling in this city, no matter through what means it is done.  My point was that when the first bicycle routes were planned, the idea was for the designated routes to parallel the main thoroughfares on the streets that were best suited for that purpose.  Jennings Avenue, for the most part, had been repaved from beginning to end.  It was also designated as the route to parallel Hemphill and to stretch from La Gran Plaza all the way to downtown.  The last few blocks would have been on May and Alice Streets, since Jennings ended at West Dickson.  When the routes were laid out, Jennings was severed at Berry, but due to the construction of the bridge, it actually still connected by service roads and other streets at that location.  The bike routes were signed as far as the budget allowed, which terminated the route at West Biddison.  (There was still a street connection via Alice and May.)  The Jennings-May-St. Louis neighborhood gated their area, thus making the connection more difficult by closing the streets.  I still think the bicycle route is still accessible, but just not as clear that you have to ride on the sidewalks in places to get through.  I also believe that before the route was signed, Jennings was closed between Ripy and Dickson, and eventually, this closure extended northward to Biddison.  One of the last changes made was the closure of Jennings at the BNSF Railroad Tracks at Carlock.  This closure made the route legally impassable on a bicycle.  The last change was made recently, but I think it will still allow a bicycle to use the route, unless the parking lot is fenced.  That is the construction of the Victory Forest Community Center.  Jennings is now passing through the parking lot of the community center.  Using Jennings as a bicycle route is now fairly difficult.

[Doohickie]

I still think the bicycle route is still accessible, but just not as clear that you have to ride on the sidewalks in places to get through.

 

I don't typically go to La Gran Plaza, but I have used the route through Jennings/May/St. Louis quite a bit from Morningside to Biddison.  North of Morningside I usually just take Main.  it's lightly traveled there, and the bridge over the RR tracks isn't as intimidating to me now as it was when I first started riding (I actually like that bridge now).

 

South of Biddison I typically swing west toward your neck of the woods, so I can't really comment on that part of the route.

 

Perhaps the point you were making (even if you didn't intend to), is that using side streets for bicycle routes doesn't always work out when changes to the street grid interrupt the route.

 

Between Hemphill and 8th, my favorite routes have been College/Adams and Fairmount/Ryan Ave.  They are both pretty straightforward.  College jogs around a bit at Daggett Elementary, where I usually use Adams until Lowden where there's the viaduct under the train tracks that goes back to College.  I used to jog over to 6th Ave. further south, but the last several times through there, loose dogs convinced me to take other routes.  I used to take 6th Ave. routinely but I don't go there at all anymore due to the dogs.  Fairmount (turning into Willing) is a good route through Fairmount and Ryan Place neighborhoods, then I usually jog over to Ryan Ave. between Cantey and Berry, and Ryan Ave. is good all the way down to Rosemont Park.

 

If I have one complaint about riding in Fort Worth, it's having to deal with loose dogs.  I wish they were more enthusiastic about enforcing the leash law.  I don't think I've ever seen or heard of action being taken after I've reported loose dogs.

[John T Roberts]

Doohickie, that was the point I was trying to make and the city not giving the bicycle routes a high enough priority in this case.  I have not ridden the complete route since Jennings was closed at Carlock, which forces a cyclist to either use Hemphill or Main.  I have noticed that Main is not as busy as it used to be when there were more industrial businesses open on the street.  So, I guess that is the best alternative when you come to the closed section of the road.

[McHand]

Can't believe I missed this...

 

Me either.  I had too many after school and travel obligations each day.

 

Can anyone report on the meeting?

[Jeriat]

 

Can't believe I missed this...

 

Me either.  I had too many after school and travel obligations each day.

 

Can anyone report on the meeting?

 

 

I was so tired from work all week, I forgot even though I was available.

 

[John T Roberts]

In late February, the city released information that the construction has stopped on the Victory Forest Community Center.  Below is a link to the city's website:

 

http://fortworthtexa...-Forest-update/

[Austin55]

Some info on Fire Station Park.

 

 

 

 

Most importantly, PPS took an important first step in applying those ideas to the site. Their preliminary layout diagram below illustrates how the most popular components might fit together, and this diagram will serve as a starting point for the master plan work

 

 

A survey regarding the park is also ongoing

[Austin55]

In late February, the city released information that the construction has stopped on the Victory Forest Community Center.  Below is a link to the city's website:

 

http://fortworthtexa...-Forest-update/

 

Restarted

 

http://fortworthtexa...t-construction/

[Doohickie]

Huzzah!

[John T Roberts]

This week, the City of Fort Worth started work on marking the bicycle lanes on West Biddison Street between McCart and Hemphill.  Right now the lanes are marked with guidelines for the final striping of the street.  This also included the center stripe, since Biddison was repaved recently with new asphalt.

[John T Roberts]

The re-striping of the bicycle lanes on Biddison is almost complete.  Signs on the side of the road going each direction have now been installed. 

[Doohickie]

Now put sharrows on James Ave. from I-20 to Seminary and I'll be happy.

 

(Or better yet, a Forest Park-like lane diet)

[Austin55]

Here's an update on Fire Station Park

https://www.nearsout...-park-expansion

[Austin55]

Fire Station park is fully funded! https://www.facebook...2/?ref=newsfeed

[Austin55]

Video rendering

 

[Doohickie]

I bike through that area a LOT, and frankly I don't see a need for bike lanes on Hemphill.  They wouldn't hurt, but I'd much rather see formal bicycle boulevard corridors following existing Bicycle Routes on the nearby parallel streets.

This comment from 2016 got a Like today.  Now that the bike lanes are there, I think they are fantastic.  I use them frequently when riding toward downtown or the south side from South Hills.

[John T Roberts]

It's also interesting to compare the Strava Global Heatmap from 2016 to today's map.  Hemphill has become a major cycling corridor and the amount of heat through the core of the South Side has decreased, even in Fairmount, which still has visible "heat".

[Doohickie]

I typically would use Ryan Ave./Willing/Fairmount, or College, or Lipscomb, to get to the Near Southside.  It involved a lot of navigation since the railroad tracks disrupt the street grid, and from time I'd have to deal with loose dogs.  It was definitely slower than taking Seminary to Hemphill then Hemphill to downtown, since the main roads have traffic light priority over the side streets.  I kind of hope the city will put in some kind of bicycle infrastructure on Seminary at some point, but it's not usually too bad as is.  I generally avoid the intersection of Seminary and McCart, instead crossing McCart at Gambrell and swinging north to Seminary on Frazier.

[txbornviking]

As city and urban planner Brent Toderian often says "It's hard to justify a bridge by the number of people swimming across a river."

 

It's great to see the demand making itself visible now that a safe® alternative is available.

 

MORE MORE MORE please!

[Austin55]

Fire Station Park is open!

 

[John T Roberts]

I toured the park this morning for my continuing education credits with the American Institute of Architects.  Mike Brennan and Megan Henderson with the Near Southside were there, as was Former Councilwoman Ann Zadeh.  We had a nice turnout and I also learned some things.  I took a few photographs.

[John T Roberts]

Here are my photographs from the tour of the Fire Station Skate Park.

 

Entrance Sign:

firestationparksign by jtrobert, on Flickr

 

Rules and Park Hours:

firestationparkrules by jtrobert, on Flickr

 

General photographs:

firestationpark-1 by jtrobert, on Flickr

 

firestationpark-2 by jtrobert, on Flickr

 

firestationpark-3 by jtrobert, on Flickr

 

firestationpark-4 by jtrobert, on Flickr

[ramjet]

Sharp pictures, John!

[John T Roberts]

Thank you, Ramjet.  These were taken with my cell phone.

[Austin55]

Great photos!

[John T Roberts]

Thank you, Austin.

[Austin55]

Thank you, Austin.

 

I expect that next time you will bring your skateboard and practice some kickflips?

[Stadtplan]

Good to know Soap Box Derby use is an option here:

 

[Austin55]

Recent drone dusk pics of the park

 

 

 

[John T Roberts]

Nicely done, Austin.  These are great photographs.

[Jeriat]

Recent drone dusk pics of the park

 

 

 

 

 

 

You just may have just given me a small idea...