30 replies to this topic

[lobster]

I do this every time while @ the WalMart/Sams/HomeDepot on 820 & Rufe Snow .. want to go back on 820 westbound, but you have to double all the way back to Rufe Snow because they have NEVER HAD A WESTBOUND ONRAMP .. I've always wondered if it's a land ownership issue because there's plenty of room for one to exist and there's certainly enough traffic to meet the demand... why isn't there one?

What other similar quirky road-related things are missing around town?

[hooked]

There's an exit off North Loop 820 westbound near the Saginaw Main Street area that goes absolutely nowhere. I think it's called "Railhead Road" or something like that.

Also, I hate exits where you have to get in the right lane to go left, and vice versa - like southbound 820 east at 121 toward downtown; and northbound I-35 to I-30 westbound. I always seem to be leaning the other direction, then realize I'm WAY in the wrong lane, and have to swerve suddenly across five lanes of traffic, spilling hot coffee all over myself in the process.

[Sam Stone]

Bellaire Dr. should go all the way through to Bryant Irvin. I know that's part of the SW pkwy plan (I'm opposed to SW pkwy) and I know the residents of Overton Woods would scream bloody murder, but Bellaire should go all the way through.

[fwpcman]

I really hate cloverleafs. What kind of idiot came up with that concept? Thank goodness we've got rid of a lot of them.

[JBB]

The fact that there seems to be no plan at all to expand 35 going north from downtown to Alliance drives me crazy. Traveling that stretch of road at rush hour is one of the most maddening journeys in the area. I wish we could take the money we're tossing into TIFs and tax abatements and spend it on expanding the roadways to the development that would happen regardless of the government subsidizing it.

Lobster, I believe the lack of an entrance in that area will be addressed when 820 is rebuilt.

[RD Milhollin]

[quote name='lobster' date='Mar 29 2005, 04:05 PM']
I do this every time while @ the WalMart/Sams/HomeDepot on 820 & Rufe Snow .. want to go back on 820 westbound, but you have to double all the way back to Rufe Snow because they have NEVER HAD A WESTBOUND ONRAMP ..

Lobster, the ramp onto 820 westbound can be accessed by driving east-bound on the parking lot drive and then turning on to the access road about 25 meters (yards) east of the Home Depot building. Look for fast traffic when leaving the parking lot drive, and when clear jump across the two lanes and enter the on-ramp. I tried the Industrial Drive bridge (shortcut" TWICE before I caught on.

Cheers, and happy motoring
Pup

[grow_smart]

I do this every time while @ the WalMart/Sams/HomeDepot on 820 & Rufe Snow .. want to go back on 820 westbound, but you have to double all the way back to Rufe Snow because they have NEVER HAD A WESTBOUND ONRAMP .. I've always wondered if it's a land ownership issue because there's plenty of room for one to exist and there's certainly enough traffic to meet the demand... why isn't there one?   

This is partially because of the adjacent railroad - and partially because when 820 was built us their, who the heck was going west? Nobody. Now it makes the frontage roads in this area a mess. NRH is studying this right now- figuring out how best to work w/ TxDOT on the ramps. They've had a bunch of public meetings. A lot of the ramps in this area will be changing. You're WB on-ramp is on the drawing board, sort of. What are you doing spending your tax $$ in NRH anyway??? Shop in FTW instead and avoid that problem.

There's an exit off North Loop 820 westbound near the Saginaw Main Street area that goes absolutely nowhere.  I think it's called "Railhead Road" or something like that.

If you were a truck driver trying to get into all of the Industrial development near that railyard, you may have a different opinion about that off-ramp.

Bellaire Dr. should go all the way through to Bryant Irvin.  I know that's part of the SW pkwy plan (I'm opposed to SW pkwy) and I know the residents of Overton Woods would scream bloody murder, but Bellaire should go all the way through.

It will go all the way through - sort of. Bellaire will 'T' into the extension of Arborlawn, and Arborlawn will extend all the way to Bryant Irvin. If you've been following the 121T history, this was a huge deal about 2 years ago. Take a look at some of the exhibits here to get more info: http://www.sh-121t.org/exhibits.asp

The fact that there seems to be no plan at all to expand 35 going north from downtown to Alliance drives me crazy.  Traveling that stretch of road at rush hour is one of the most maddening journeys in the area.  I wish we could take the money we're tossing into TIFs and tax abatements and spend it on expanding the roadways to the development that would happen regardless of the government subsidizing it.

There is a plan - just no money. A significant amount of TxDOT's $$ in the Fort Worth district is going to fund the Funnel project (635/121/114/360 north of DFW) - that's something like $500 million. Makes ya feel good that FTW money is going to fund the commute of people who work in Dallas and Collin Counties, huh? So...35W is on hold, at least for now. The only way it will get widened is with toll lanes.

[SouthSideAllan2000]

I don't know if any of you have noticed, but there is a part of 35W towards Alliance that has basicly 2 additional lanes already built but not used. Why would they use some much concrete for a shoulder or are they planing to do something with it? It is just north of 820.

http://terraserver-u...Y=9094&Z=14&W=3
http://terraserver-u...=36379&Z=14&W=3

And looking at these sat photos, there seems to be a lot ot dead end roads. Why spend so much on it now if there's nothing there, there are places that need that money more. IMHO. I guess it's for these cookie cutter subdivision popping up over there, huh?

Allan

[Thurman52]

How Sycamore School Turns into Evernman Pkwy for like a block and then back to Sycamore School at Crowely Road. Who ever redesigned that to make that T was an idiot...

[JBB]

Allan: The extra unused lanes were added when the 35/Western Center and Basswood intersections were reworked with the thought in mind that the freeway would be exanded on either side of it at some point in the future. Made more sense than going to the trouble of replacing the bridges and having to go back and add the lanes in a few years.

[lobster]

I do this every time while @ the WalMart/Sams/HomeDepot on 820 & Rufe Snow .. want to go back on 820 westbound, but you have to double all the way back to Rufe Snow because they have NEVER HAD A WESTBOUND ONRAMP .. I've always wondered if it's a land ownership issue because there's plenty of room for one to exist and there's certainly enough traffic to meet the demand... why isn't there one?   

What are you doing spending your tax $$ in NRH anyway??? Shop in FTW instead and avoid that problem.

Oh, now now, we all know all them silly lil OTHER Tarrant County cities only exist to further serve FW at the end of the day anyway.... we get it all back when those NRH residents have to head downtown when wanting a change of pace from the Evergreen Super Buffet..

But yes, good advice -- I think if I just stick with FW, there will now be no excuse to ever have to encounter that 820/Rufe Snow slop.. I will now put a dime in the faux pas jar..

[Call me Arch Stanton]

I do this every time while @ the WalMart/Sams/HomeDepot on 820 & Rufe Snow .. want to go back on 820 westbound, but you have to double all the way back to Rufe Snow because they have NEVER HAD A WESTBOUND ONRAMP .. I've always wondered if it's a land ownership issue because there's plenty of room for one to exist and there's certainly enough traffic to meet the demand... why isn't there one?   

What other similar quirky road-related things are missing around town?

With the new trend of reducing on ramps to improve highway traffic flow, I would be skeptical if the ramp you mention gets added. Traffic already backs up horribly when traveling westbound through that area, then frees up until you begin to approach the Denton Hwy on ramp. If anyone knows differently, feel free to correct me.

I agree it would be cooler if it were there, in a perfect world. In fact, If the scenario were reversed, it might've aided traffic flow. Currently there is an off ramp when traveling westbound, and on on ramp traveling eastbound. Flip those around (in a perfect world) and it might've worked better.

I'll make sure to mail my crystal ball to any engineers handling future projects so they can be sure their work more efficently handles traffic patterns thirty years from now

Believe it or not, I often drive all the way down Pipeline/Glenview from Euless to Beach St. in the afternoons to avoid the cluster*ahem* that is North Loop 820. A couple of well placed turns to use residential streets to skip across some of the longer lights, and presto, you make better time.

No, really, I don't spend that much time studying a Mapsco...

[Call me Arch Stanton]

*Retrieves recently used soapbox from the closet, steps onto it*

While I'm thinking about it, here's what I can't stand, and it's a REALLY original idea. Freaking traffic lights. EVERYONE gets a traffic light. Why? Because people whine and moan and talk about safety and a developer says he needs a light so people can get into his shopping center, so the city will make more sales tax revenue. Screw it. Screw you. If you aren't smart enough to find the back streets to get two miles from your house to the shopping center WITHOUT unnecessarily adding traffic to a main "through" road, then forget you. If you aren't patient enough, or wily enough, to find the necessary opening in traffic to make your turn without the aid of a light, tough. There are roads around here that need to be designated some kind of "through" road, and their purpose should be (get this) to MOVE TRAFFIC DOWN THE ROAD. Not used as opportunities for developers to open shopping centers. They need to be thoroughfares that push traffic THROUGH, discouraging stops at many of these places that are "short trip" stops. Oh, yeah, I know, people will scream from the rooftops all the reasons it's a "bad" idea. (Now, I'm leaving this as all one paragraph for effect, it feels more rant-y that way) Yeah, sales tax numbers will drop if you discourage people from stopping in your town to shop, yeah people will scream about safety, "The CHILDREN! Won't someone PLEASE think of the CHILDREN?" and so on and so on. It's mostly garbage. It's crap. People need to find different ways to access these main throughfares rather than wanting a stop light out of each of their driveways so they have time to back their SUV out and shift one handed, clutching a cell phone in the other, on their way up Denton Hwy at 5:30 in the afternoon to run up to Starbucks real quick. THINK, people! During peak traffic periods, these larger arteries should be used to move traffic from home to work and work to home. They should not be used for errands. Drive responsibly! Am I the only one this makes sense too? Apparently! In the last week or so I've noticed the glorious arrival that is a NEW STOPLIGHT going up on Denton Hwy at Kroger Dr and a new one going up on Saginaw Main that looks like it's only purpose is to serve the Wal-Mart. These are roads that should be serving as conveyor belts to move vehicles from point A to point B. I don't want people running their errands during rush hour (and, yes, people are dumb enough to run ERRANDS while everyone else is trying to get home from work, even when they could do it at another time). I don't want to make it EASIER for people to turn onto and off of a "through" road. I want it to be for "through" traffic!



I think I feel better.

[hooked]

You gotta love the two traffic lights on Bryant Irvin just south of Camp Bowie that are TWENTY FEET APART!!

[Biggins]

*Retrieves recently used soapbox from the closet, steps onto it*

While I'm thinking about it, here's what I can't stand, and it's a REALLY original idea. Freaking traffic lights. EVERYONE gets a traffic light. Why? Because people whine and moan and talk about safety and a developer says he needs a light so people can get into his shopping center, so the city will make more sales tax revenue. Screw it. Screw you. If you aren't smart enough to find the back streets to get two miles from your house to the shopping center WITHOUT unnecessarily adding traffic to a main "through" road, then forget you. If you aren't patient enough, or wily enough, to find the necessary opening in traffic to make your turn without the aid of a light, tough. There are roads around here that need to be designated some kind of "through" road, and their purpose should be (get this) to MOVE TRAFFIC DOWN THE ROAD. Not used as opportunities for developers to open shopping centers. They need to be thoroughfares that push traffic THROUGH, discouraging stops at many of these places that are "short trip" stops. Oh, yeah, I know, people will scream from the rooftops all the reasons it's a "bad" idea. (Now, I'm leaving this as all one paragraph for effect, it feels more rant-y that way) Yeah, sales tax numbers will drop if you discourage people from stopping in your town to shop, yeah people will scream about safety, "The CHILDREN! Won't someone PLEASE think of the CHILDREN?" and so on and so on. It's mostly garbage. It's crap. People need to find different ways to access these main throughfares rather than wanting a stop light out of each of their driveways so they have time to back their SUV out and shift one handed, clutching a cell phone in the other, on their way up Denton Hwy at 5:30 in the afternoon to run up to Starbucks real quick. THINK, people! During peak traffic periods, these larger arteries should be used to move traffic from home to work and work to home. They should not be used for errands. Drive responsibly! Am I the only one this makes sense too? Apparently! In the last week or so I've noticed the glorious arrival that is a NEW STOPLIGHT going up on Denton Hwy at Kroger Dr and a new one going up on Saginaw Main that looks like it's only purpose is to serve the Wal-Mart. These are roads that should be serving as conveyor belts to move vehicles from point A to point B. I don't want people running their errands during rush hour (and, yes, people are dumb enough to run ERRANDS while everyone else is trying to get home from work, even when they could do it at another time). I don't want to make it EASIER for people to turn onto and off of a "through" road. I want it to be for "through" traffic!

   

I think I feel better.

Great rant; reminds me of myself. Until we start seeing a resurgence of relatively interconnected, gridded suburban patterns of development, a lot of these people you mentioned have no choice but to get into their S.U.V. to go to Starbucks. It makes me sick too. They probably shouldn't be out during rush hour, but they essentially have no other choice (besides staying at home). Even if there was a sidewalk to use, who would want to walk next to a 6 lane, 50 mph arterial? Only if you're out of your mind and/or you have a death wish. I do have hope that there will eventually be enough desire for an interconnected street network to warrant new ones throughout the suburbs, once enough people wise up and see that while a car does embody freedom, that freedom is limited to just the car. I certainly have sympathy for people who wish they could walk, bike or use mass transit to reduce or eliminate redundant vehicular trips. But then, that would certainly upset "big oil" and their cronies in the auto industry, wouldn't it?

[Call me Arch Stanton]

Great rant; reminds me of myself.    Until we start seeing a resurgence of relatively interconnected, gridded suburban patterns of development, a lot of these people you mentioned have no choice but to get into their S.U.V. to go to Starbucks.  It makes me sick too.  They probably shouldn't be out during rush hour, but they essentially have no other choice (besides staying at home).  Even if there was a sidewalk to use, who would want to walk next to a 6 lane, 50 mph arterial?  Only if you're out of your mind and/or you have a death wish.  I do have hope that there will eventually be enough desire for an interconnected street network to warrant new ones throughout the suburbs, once enough people wise up and see that while a car does embody freedom, that freedom is limited to just the car.  I certainly have sympathy for people who wish they could walk, bike or use mass transit to reduce or eliminate redundant vehicular trips.  But then, that would certainly upset "big oil" and their cronies in the auto industry, wouldn't it? 

Actually much of my complaint stems from people using main thoroughfares during rush hour when "back" streets would be sufficient for their short trips, and would reduce the traffic load on the main roads. Plus, when they turn off of their small side road onto the main arterial during rush hour, they have to wait because of traffic, so they complain and decide they need a light. The problem builds upon itself, because the light encourages people to take that route, increasing the traffic load on the main thoroughfare while also slowing down the flow of it.

Sure it would be cooler if people didn't drive for these errands, but we can still achieve certain benefits if people make intelligent decisions when they run these errands. Try not to run your errands during rush hour, and if you're going to do so, stay off the main roads for your short trips.

[safly]

Exactly, that is why I will take rufe snow or 377 to Belknap for all my downtown excursions during rush hour, if needed. It's only a 16-20 minute drive for me.

[lobster]

...is there a reason why they never constructed access to eastbound campbowie off of the highway (without having to plan one exit ahead and ride the svc road)?

[grow_smart]

...is there a reason why they never constructed access to eastbound campbowie off of the highway (without having to plan one exit ahead and ride the svc road)? 

From WB IH-30 to EB Camp Bowie, that's as good as a U-turn. Your tax dollars are better spent elsewhere.

[lobster]

From WB IH-30 to EB Camp Bowie, that's as good as a U-turn.  Your tax dollars are better spent elsewhere.

(yeah, like those pretty little metal stars they call "bike racks" scattered throughout the city that cost tens of thousands of dollars? )

I was just asking why they felt there wasn't a need for eastbound travel off the highway like every other exit gets.. certainly the layout they went with wasn't a cost cutting measure at the time they were constructing it to begin with? there are tons more businesses on camp bowie east of the highway than say what lies east/north @ the hulen exit..

alas, it's just a curiosity pet peeve.. i'm not going to speak at city council about it or anything

[utamav91]

Construction along Jacksboro Hwy through Lake Worth is nearly finished.

You may recall last year the bridge was reduced to one lane each way, with a 20-minute delay during morning rush hour. Now the lanes are expanded a bit and the lights seem to be sequenced nicely and it's a very pleasant drive nearly any time of day. I am pleased.

Looks like there's a Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, Ross, a major-brand pet store and a few other stores going in. Great to see new development in northwest Fort Worth. Wonder if a mall might be coming to that area at some point?

[lobster]

Great to see new development in northwest Fort Worth. Wonder if a mall might be coming to that area at some point?

they've been talking about a mall on the hill between Jacksboro and Quebec St (from behind Staples to about IHOP) since I was a kid.. but that was when Nat Summers owned tons of land around them parts... I'm sure there'll be something poppin' up... all that stuff north of the 820 overpass totally killed off all the old 70s/80s stuff south of it...

and poor Vivian Courtneys .. another vintage 50s diner all gone.. I wonder if the huge rotating neon "V" sign is for sale .. If FW had only saved signs from closed businesses, Fort Worth should have an old sign graveyard like Vegas has

I'd love to see the Rocket Lounge sign all lit up again..

[lobster]

another pet peeve .. this time on the state level (?)..

all the overhead hwy signs coming out of downtown leading towards 35W makes NO indication that 121/airport freeway is that direction.. not even a "..to 121" .. the frickin split is RIGHT THERE as soon as you leave downtown via 5th/7th streets!
Same thing when you're coming from 30 onto 35W.. They all just say "35W/377"... even though they share a four mile stretch, who even calls 35 "377" anyway? I think 121 is a significant enough highway to warrant a mention on the very signs that lead to it... if you're not from here it's not that obvious until you've already made the decision to head northbound 35W.. wierd.. especially since that is the way to the airport

[hooked]

It would be a whole lot easier to navigate downtown - especially for those folks who don't get down here very often - if all the streets (except maybe Main) were one way. It's pretty confusing when a street is one-way for a few blocks, then two-way, then one-way the OPPOSITE direction. I frequently see people in cars headed toward me without a clue that they're going the wrong way on a one-way street. Of coure, they're often talking on the phone . . .

[John T Roberts]

Hooked, the one-way/two-way streets are a part of a traffic plan to revert the streets back to two-way. The city decided to do this in phases rather than convert the entire street at once. It is very confusing, but maybe when all the streets planned for conversion become two-way, there will be fewer wrong way drivers.

[lobster]

Hooked, the one-way/two-way streets are a part of a traffic plan to revert the streets back to two-way.  The city decided to do this in phases rather than convert the entire street at once.  It is very confusing, but maybe when all the streets planned for conversion become two-way, there will be fewer wrong way drivers.

Perhaps, but lemme tell you right now, that's not going to be pretty..
Being able to make a left on a red is a great thing.. makes navigation very quick if you know the one-way pattern... If you can get around the whole "Taylor & Throckmorton are northbound" indescrepancy, they all alternate and it's all pretty easy to get around.. Hooked is right, though, Taylor is ridiculous .. one way going south, then two way, then one way going north..

I have found that Commerce being two-way is convenient but the fun ends at 4th street... Houston being two way along the convention center makes no sense because you have to turn right at 9th if you're heading south...

[maidenfancy]

I have been lurking for a few years and decided today that I would jump on this hay wagon with the rest of you. Everyone seems to be having a lot of fun disCUSSing our city streets. For sure they wouldn’t qualify for running anything less fragile than a cement truck fully loaded. I have thought of getting a hummer just so I could get down Hulen Street, near I30, during lunch time. When do you think they will start selling army tanks to the general public? I want mine painted black to match my mood when someone in a Mini Cooper thinks they can slip in front of me at the light on Donnelly, instead of turning right. Hello? You are in the right hand turn lane! If anyone dies at that traffic light, it will be my husband. He turns every shade of red from pale pink to fire engine red when someone does that to him. I, on the other hand, let them do it. After all, they believe they are SO much more important than anyone else that they can’t wait. They want to hurry up and sit at the next red light, while I breeze on through. I have stopped trying to cross Hulen Street. I take the back road to the frontage road. My husband doesn’t. He is determined to stand his ground against the onslaught of traffic. He looks for a slow coming gap that eventually comes when he can step on the gas and get across the street. (I get my neck exercises in during that time. I’m not getting any younger and every minute counts, right?) The traffic is horrible, the roads are deplorable, road rage is on the rise – We can get upset about, but what good does it do? Our blood pressure goes through the roof, we get fat around the middle from stress, we have heart attacks – Does it improve our streets, our traffic problems, or quiet our road rage? I still want a customized tank that will do 40 MPH down Hulen Street during lunch time.

[Call me Arch Stanton]

It's a good thing this topic came up, because I was fixin to dredge it up to add Rant, Volume Two.

I've already complained about the stoplight added at Denton Hwy and Kroger Dr. Fortunately, in effectively the same stretch, they are now adding a light at North Park. This one TRULY perplexes me. People living in that area can travel JUST OVER ONE QUARTER MILE north or south on Whitley to a cross street with a stoplight (Bursey or Starnes, respectively). I can't figure out why they're adding another one. By my count that will put FIVE stoplights in a stretch of road between Hightower and North Tarrant Parkway. FIVE STOPLIGHTS in just over a mile of road.

Please, someone sympathize with me here!

If you'd like to take a look for yourself, this link should work for you: http://www.mapquest....ate=tx&zipcode=

[mosteijn]

You gotta love the two traffic lights on Bryant Irvin just south of Camp Bowie that are TWENTY FEET APART!!

That can't even be legal, can it? You have to be really careful turning right off of Milburn on to BI, just in case the light at Fletcher turns red. Is the Fletcher light even necessary?

[safly]

I do this every time while @ the WalMart/Sams/HomeDepot on 820 & Rufe Snow .. want to go back on 820 westbound, but you have to double all the way back to Rufe Snow because they have NEVER HAD A WESTBOUND ONRAMP .. I've always wondered if it's a land ownership issue because there's plenty of room for one to exist and there's certainly enough traffic to meet the demand... why isn't there one?   

What other similar quirky road-related things are missing around town?

Lobs,

Since you started this topic with a very valid rant, I thought you would like to hear this. After discusssing the possibility of business expansion in the DFW area we came across a new development scheduled to take place in that area in the coming months or year. The developer is working out the details with TXDOT to open up that Industrial Blvd/820W access road onto 820 going westbound. They are keeping their fingers crossed and it will open up that stretch of land near the golf course for new development and access. I had artist renderings and demograph info of the project sent over, looks to be very impressive and somewhat riscky. But there are some big name businesses nearby.