Changes to University near Fort Worth’s Cultural District could make the street safer

Changes are coming to University Drive near Interstate 30 that should improve access to Fort Worth’s Cultural District.

The first phase will see the creation of a median and an additional stop light south of the interstate. A second phase, which the City Council approved $8 million for Tuesday night, will continue pedestrian-friendly improvements north to Trail Drive, past the Botanic Garden and Trinity Park. The total project is expected to cost about $14 million and won’t be finished for several years.

William Johnson, the city’s transportation and public works director, called University Drive “a Gateway to the Cultural District” and said improvements will make the now car-focused street more appropriate for a tourist and shopping district.

“You have the museum district, the zoo, the BRIT, all of those things, but there’s really no good wayfinding, it’s not aesthetically pleasing and it’s not safe for pedestrians,” Johnson said.

Construction on phase one, funded with $4 million from the 2018 bond election, will start next spring and focus on the commercial core — basically the Clear Fork of the Trinity River north to the Chisholm Trail Parkway overpass. The area south of TCU has become a popular shopping and dining district with destinations in University Village Park on the west side of the road and in the WestBend mall on the east side.

A median will be added to University Drive with cutouts for dedicated left turn lanes. A traffic signal will be added to Collinsworth Street along with additional lighting along the drive. On Old University, sidewalks will be added to connect the area to the Trinity Trail system and bike lanes will be painted in the street. The changes should improve traffic flow and make University Drive safer for people to cross, Johnson said.

Construction should be done by 2023.

A longer project will see similar work north of the overpass to Trail Drive.

Here a sidewalk will be added to the west side of the road, connecting the Botanic Garden to the Will Rogers Memorial Center and Casa Manana. A median with dedicated turn lanes will be added to University, Johnson said. This phase is expected to cost a little more than $10 million, with $8 million coming from the federal government through the Texas Department of Transportation. Because of federal requirements, construction likely won’t start until 2025, after public input is taken, he said.

In both phases, Trinity Metro plans to improve bus stops along University Drives, Johnson said. The medians will feature landscaping inline with the aesthetic of the Botanic Garden and park. Wayfinding signs will be added to help guide people around.

During a council discussion on the project Tuesday, Mayor Betsy Price said Fort Worth has long needed a gateway to the Cultural District at University Drive. The area can be dangerous to tourists who come in for horse shows and other events, she said.

“You take your life in your had crossing down there,” Price said.