25 replies to this topic

[RD Milhollin]

The old, narrow, beat-up bridge that carries 28th Street over the railroad tracks and drainage ditch just north of the Stockyards is being replaced, and the southern two (eastbound) lanes are coming along nicely. It is hard to tell at this point whether there will be sidewalks, shoulders, or bike lanes added but any attempt at providing a wider bridge is going to be an improvement over what had been there for many years. The project is not listed in the city government transportation projects page, but I found some vague reference to it on a TxDOT page (28th Street is also SH-183 there). The narrow constriction remaining on that road is underneath the several railroad bridges just to the east... Look for those to be replaced in due course, including the one that is likely to carry the Tex Rail trains.

[Not Sure]

BNSF's Fort Worth Subdivision bridge over the Trinity River (the westernmost bridge of the three just south of Tower 60) is slated to be replaced this year. Considering how busy this rail is I suspect a parallel bridge will be constructed then the old bridge removed and possibly replaced. The BNSF Fort Worth Subdivision main - along with a siding and several out of service yard tracks - passes under the 28th Street bridge that is currently under construction. 

[Dylan]

You can see half of the bridge missing on Google street view: https://maps.google....192.94,,0,23.77

 

I apologize for the link to new Google Maps. I use old Google Maps (which is far better than new Google Maps), but links to streetview images always link to new Google Maps for whatever reason.

[RD Milhollin]

BNSF's Fort Worth Subdivision bridge over the Trinity River (the westernmost bridge of the three just south of Tower 60) is slated to be replaced this year. 

 

It would be great if that old bridge could be acquired and repurposed for bicycle traffic across the river there or at some other needed river crossing.

[Not Sure]

 

BNSF's Fort Worth Subdivision bridge over the Trinity River (the westernmost bridge of the three just south of Tower 60) is slated to be replaced this year. 

 

It would be great if that old bridge could be acquired and repurposed for bicycle traffic across the river there or at some other needed river crossing.

 

 

I am selfishly hoping for two main tracks, but I agree it would be nice to have a river crossing of the trail in this area.

[RD Milhollin]

I went over the 28th Street bridge yesterday and noticed that the deck is being poured on the new east-bound lanes. The new addition appears considerably wider than the old, there might be room for three lanes and plenty for sidewalks, maybe even a bike lane (?) This is going to be a major improvement to a long-time traffic bottleneck in that area. The new lanes should probably be ready for traffic within two weeks and they can begin working on demoing the remaining west-bound lanes. 

 

I have still not been able to find any plans for the project on-line. It would be great if, as part of this project, the hugely-screwed-up traffic signal situation at 28th and Main St. could be addressed. There are two signals one block apart along 28th; one at Main and the other at Commerce. They do not appear to be timed in sync with one another, resulting in cars stuck in the middle of an intersection preventing the other traffic from moving through, etc. Additionally, there are multiple non-signal controlled access drives from 28th into the retail areas north and south; the traffic turning on and off the street adds to the congestion and confusion, and I would bet more than the expected number of collisions. Setting the signal timing to allow efficient flow, putting a median along 28th to stop turning across oncoming traffic, and in general thinking out the expected and preferred traffic flow would greatly help things. 

 

For instance, traffic turning into the parking lot for Fiesta from eastbound 28th cuts off traffic going westbound all the time. This could be prevented by building a "backage road" running from Stockyards Blvd./Packers St. going north to connect with a spur coming off 28th., then follow under the new bridge where it could connect to the Fiesta parking and continue north to connect to N. Commerce and NE 29th St. I imagine the new owners of the Stockyards would be interested in seeing how this could affect traffic flow into, out of, and within their property. It would provide access for new retail/mixed use construction in the area, something that has been hinted at by the developers.   

[JBB]

The light at Commerce has always seemed kind of pointless to me when you have all of the uncontrolled driveways in the immediate vicinity.

[Dylan]

Just east of the 28th Street overpass, 28th Street runs underneath Union Pacific and TEXRail tracks. Two of the railroad bridges are new (built when TEXRail was built); one railroad bridge is old.

 

The remaining old railroad bridge is constricting the width of 28th Street under it. There's barely enough room for four 10-foot lanes.

 

Last year, TxDOT proposed that the remaining bridge be replaced, allowing 28th Street to be rebuilt with wider 12-foot lanes, turn lanes, a median, and wider sidewalks. Hopefully, it comes to fruition.

 

 

 

NOTE: 28th Street is technically SH 183, so that's how TxDOT refers to it: https://www.txdot.go...sh183-uprr.html

[renamerusk]

What is the purpose of the widening of the road and why?

 

Side tracking, here is an excerpt taken from TXDOT Project Background:

 

"The project area is approximately 0.75 miles north of the West Fork Trinity River and occurs partially within the 100-year floodplain. Three rail tracks run through the project area, owned by UPRR and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro’s TEXRail rail line runs north-south through the project area, with the recently renovated Northside Station located north of SH 183 on Decatur Avenue."

 

 

 

I know it is a thing, an annoying thing at that, but I will always be bothered by the DART ownership of this Tarrant County rail project.  I suspect that DART exercises some Trojan influence upon the strategic plans for this corridor and has used that influence towards accomplishing its long term plan to incorporate Tarrant County into its fold.  It has been debated; is a fate complete;  and as such is not worthy of any further justification IMO as my annoyance is my own, accept to say -

 

What if the situation was reverse, and FWTA owned a corridor within DART service area; would it be annoying in a similarly way?

[Electricron]

What if the situation was reverse, and FWTA owned a corridor within DART service area; would it be annoying in a similarly way?

It would certainly be worrisome to DART. DART could, just like Trinity Metro or DCTA could, buy the rail corridor in question at a price acceptable to the existing owner, whoever that might be. Otherwise, lease the rail corridor from the other as they do now. 

[Not Sure]

I can't wait for this project to be completed! Some much-needed sidewalks from the TexRail station to the stockyards will be constructed underneath the tracks.

 

Just east of the 28th Street overpass, 28th Street runs underneath Union Pacific and TEXRail tracks. Two of the railroad bridges are new (built when TEXRail was built); one railroad bridge is old.

 

The remaining old railroad bridge is constricting the width of 28th Street under it. There's barely enough room for four 10-foot lanes.

 

Last year, TxDOT proposed that the remaining bridge be replaced, allowing 28th Street to be rebuilt with wider 12-foot lanes, turn lanes, a median, and wider sidewalks. Hopefully, it comes to fruition.

 

 

 

NOTE: 28th Street is technically SH 183, so that's how TxDOT refers to it: https://www.txdot.go...sh183-uprr.html

[renamerusk]

 

I can't wait for this project to be completed! Some much-needed sidewalks from the TexRail station to the stockyards will be constructed underneath the tracks.

 

  Much needed sidewalks!

 

  Just who will walk across NE28th just to walk through a industrial/scrap park and to cross multiple active tracks just to get to the FWSY..who is going to do that?  I know that the RR are not going to encourage such foot traffic. I can see the RR building a fence to prevent such a thing as that from occurring.  If I was Tarrant Express Rail, I would not advise or encourage anyone to do that; and installing a sidewalk would be  doing just that.  

 

Wasn't it once the story that shuttle vans would operate between North Side Station and FWSY and FW bought into that garbage.

 

Had Tarrant Express Rail had just put the station on the FWSY side of the tracks; oh what a different picture we would now have.

 

Here is an idea: take the money that TM plans to waste flying over and under West Freeway and apply it to constructing a new station for FWSY on the west side of the tracks.

 

Stop Tarrant Express at T&P Terminal!

[Not Sure]

 

 

I can't wait for this project to be completed! Some much-needed sidewalks from the TexRail station to the stockyards will be constructed underneath the tracks.

 

  Much needed sidewalks!

 

  Just who will walk across NE28th just to walk through a industrial/scrap park and to cross multiple active tracks just to get to the FWSY..who is going to do that?  

 

 

I will. I have done it and I'll do it again. It would be a whole lot easier with sidewalks than the way I've had to do it in the past.

 

It's been awhile since I worked in the civil engineering industry designing things, but from what I recollect sidewalks are cheaper than railroad viaducts.

[renamerusk]

But isn't more it dangerous to walk across a railroad track  or navigate tracks which are not equipped for handicap ramps?

 

What this idea is encouraging is that pedestrian take risks and what I would think to be unacceptable for the general public. Sure a sidewalk is cheaper than a railroad viaduct until a life is lost or someone is maimed. Who will take the responsibility, TXDOT, RR or City?  FW got a taste of the financial and deadly risks when a person drowned in the Water Gardens because of a lack of forethought about what could possibly happen when tourists a lure into taking seemingly benign situation.  I think a sidewalk will become a lawsuit in waiting simply because of it lures people to take a risk.

 

FWTA/Tarrant Express Rail has never been straight forward about how it would address how it would connect NS Sta to FWSY.  FWTA has promised a solutions but never yet delivered one. Yet Tarrant Express Rail is drawing up plans to cross/tunnel I-30 and multiple RR lines to extend the line west to the Medical District. How is it that Tarrant Express Rail is unable to navigate the RR lines at the FWSY?

 

The one and best solution is to add a sidings on the FWSY where Tarrant Express Rail can be boarded and riders can disembark in a safe and obstacle free environment.

[Not Sure]

But isn't more it dangerous to walk across a railroad track  or navigate tracks which are not equipped for handicap ramps?

 

I did not cross over the tracks at grade. I walked parallel to 28th Street under the bridges where no sidewalks exist (existed?). Far more dangerous than crossing over railroad tracks at grade to be honest, but every day I see people who have difficulty with it so that's a fair point. And obviously for disabled folks crossing tracks could only occur at a designated road or pedestrian crossing.

 

It's been awhile since I used TexRail to get to the stockyards, but when I did I walked east to Decatur Ave, then south to 28th St. then west along 28th St. Looking at the Google Maps satellite view now it appears the sidewalk construction might be complete under the bridges so my problem may well be solved. My only remaining barrier would be crossing over 28th St. at N. Commerce St. 

[renamerusk]

And you believe that this is a safe solution for people to undertake day and night?

 

If Tarrant Express Rail wants to connect to the FWSY, then build a damn flyover or a least operate a 7 day shuttle along 28th Street to FWSY and NS Sta.

 

Problem solved.

[Not Sure]

And you believe that this is a safe solution for people to undertake day and night?

 

If Tarrant Express Rail wants to connect to the FWSY, then build a damn flyover or a least operate a 7 day shuttle along 28th Street to FWSY and NS Sta.

 

Problem solved.

 

What? Walking on a sidewalk? Crossing the street? 

 

If you want to completely eliminate risk from your life, you'll never be able to leave your house. Even then you'll find loads of things that can go wrong. 

 

What are the statistics on walking vs. driving a car as far as accident risk is concerned? I've walked most of my life and never got hit by a car, truck, train or plane that I can remember. I've been in several car accidents, though. Fortunately none were life-altering.

[renamerusk]

False equivalency.   Airlines don't have you cross an unsupervised ramp to board an airplane.  They would think that that is an unacceptable risk.  The actions of a private citizen driving a car is their liability; the action of FWTA is its liability. Asking pedestrian to walk under unlighted bridges and crossing private rail lines is as irresponsible as it can possibly be. Not under the most favorable weather conditions am I and my family going to take that journey.

 

Planning. How many millions of dollars did FWTA have for Tarrant Express Rail?  Nearly 1 Billion. 

 

I will continue to believe until otherwise shown differently that Tarrant Express Rail top priority is to be a TOD project. I am satisfied that Tarrant Express Rail connects DTFW with DFW Airport, but apparently it has been revealed that the trains do not always complete the trip between DTFW and DFW Airport.

 

Please make that make sense!

[Not Sure]

If TexRail is a TOD project, then the improving walkability should be a priority. In fact it is one of the stated objectives of Transit Oriented Developments.

 

From the FTA:

 

 

 

The Pilot Program for TOD Planning helps support FTA’s mission of improving public transportation for America’s communities by providing funding to local communities to integrate land use and transportation planning with a new fixed guideway or core capacity transit capital investment. Comprehensive planning funded through the program must examine ways to improve economic development and ridership, foster multimodal connectivity and accessibility, improve transit access for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, engage the private sector, identify infrastructure needs, and enable mixed-use development near transit stations.

 

And from the Transit Oriented Development Institute:

 

 

Transit Oriented Development is the exciting fast growing trend in creating vibrant, livable, sustainable communities. Also known as TOD, it's the creation of compact, walkable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use communities centered around high quality train systems. This makes it possible to live a lower-stress life without complete dependence on a car for mobility and survival.

 

 

Asking pedestrian to walk under unlighted bridges and crossing private rail lines is as irresponsible as it can possibly be. 

 

I think we finally found something we can agree on. Only I think you're missing something because in the case of the Northside station it's cross over the rails or under the bridge, not both. I am not advocating anyone to cross the rail at grade and most definitely would not suggest doing so except at designated purpose-built and protected crossings. When I've made my way to the stockyards from the Northside station I did so following the path I outlined above which went under the TexRail, FWWR and UP tracks not over them. The dangerous element was the lack of sidewalks in the area underneath the railroad bridges. Based on the current Google Maps satellite imagery that problem might be solved. I'll have to go that way to see firsthand. If the reconstructed roadway in this area includes sidewalks on both the north and south side of the street, even better.

[renamerusk]

OK, so where does one enter the FWSY using this path?

 

In regards to TOD, Iogic would suggest that the TOD should be responsible for creating a walk-able environment within its property.  Connecting the station to the FWSY seems to be the issue which should have been the priority of FWTA if it ever was its plan.  What FWTA created is its own problem.  The FWSY is a known area that FWTA decided not to make a direct connection to.

 

Now it is the responsibility of FW to make the connection? 

 

Now it is FW responsibility to resolve the situation by installing sidewalks and lights because FWTA had another agenda. 

 

The decision to locate the NS near 28th was an awful one illustrated by the lack of significant ridership actualized from this station coupled with the near impossible huddles it takes to get from one to the other.

 

I think I would take a bus before I would walk between NS and the FWSY.

[Not Sure]

West along NE 28th Street to Main Street, then south following the sidewalk along Main to the stockyards. If I'm just going to Cooper's BBQ, I might cut through the parking lot between Walgreens and Wells Fargo.

[renamerusk]

Shouldn't there be a bus that a rider can take to and from the NS to FWSY?

[RD Milhollin]

Streetcar?

[Doohickie]

What is the purpose of the widening of the road and why?

 

Side tracking, here is an excerpt taken from TXDOT Project Background:

 

"The project area is approximately 0.75 miles north of the West Fork Trinity River and occurs partially within the 100-year floodplain. Three rail tracks run through the project area, owned by UPRR and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro’s TEXRail rail line runs north-south through the project area, with the recently renovated Northside Station located north of SH 183 on Decatur Avenue."

 

 

 

I know it is a thing, an annoying thing at that, but I will always be bothered by the DART ownership of this Tarrant County rail project.  I suspect that DART exercises some Trojan influence upon the strategic plans for this corridor and has used that influence towards accomplishing its long term plan to incorporate Tarrant County into its fold.  It has been debated; is a fate complete;  and as such is not worthy of any further justification IMO as my annoyance is my own, accept to say -

 

What if the situation was reverse, and FWTA owned a corridor within DART service area; would it be annoying in a similarly way?

I, for one, welcome our transit-oriented overlords.

[txbornviking]

Shouldn't there be a bus that a rider can take to and from the NS to FWSY?

 

signage, the connection, and advertising could be better BUT basically every 10-15min a bus does depart Northside Station that could take someone to the stockyards. I tried to include a screenshot of the bus route number and departure times but couldn't get the image to be included, sorry)

(but I too am VERY much of the idea that an actual stop at the stockyards would be as popular if not more popular than the downtown grapevine stop and would unlock HUGE potential for much of the underutilized land in the area)

[Austin55]

 

Shouldn't there be a bus that a rider can take to and from the NS to FWSY?

 

signage, the connection, and advertising could be better BUT basically every 10-15min a bus does depart Northside Station that could take someone to the stockyards. I tried to include a screenshot of the bus route number and departure times but couldn't get the image to be included, sorry)

(but I too am VERY much of the idea that an actual stop at the stockyards would be as popular if not more popular than the downtown grapevine stop and would unlock HUGE potential for much of the underutilized land in the area)

 

Also worth noting that the bus route reorganization will consolidate the Northside Station and the Stockyards transfer center at the Northside Station. PDF link.