Forest Park Road Diet
2012-September
by Susan Pressley
Meeting: Forest Park Road Diet given by city of Fort Worth
When: Monday, September 10, 2012 6-7 p.m.
Where: Hilton at Midtown
Some Background about the Road Diet
At the MH neighborhood meeting on Feb. 21, our neighborhood voted in favor of supporting the Forest Park road diet proposal in an effort to make Forest Park a safer street. The proposal originated in Berkeley, but Berkeley felt our neighborhoods should work together since Forest Park affects us both. The proposal we presented to the city requests that the section of Forest Park that runs through Mistletoe Heights and Berkeley be re-striped, reducing the number of car lanes from four to three and adding bicycle lanes on both sides of the street. It would reduce traffic to one lane in each direction and add a middle turn lane. So, how does that make Forest Park safer?
How the Road Diet Can Change Forest Park
The road diet will help enforce the speed limit. One of the best things about the proposed road diet is that it is self-policing. By having only one lane of traffic each direction, cars can only drive as fast as the slowest car on the road. That means if just one person is going the speed limit then every car behind them has to do the same.
The road diet will improve the flow of traffic. Adding a middle turn lane on Forest Park will enable you to make a left turn onto your street without slowing or stopping the cars behind you. This decreases your risk of getting rear-ended. It also keeps traffic flowing.
The road diet will improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. The bike lanes don’t just help bicyclists. They also serve as a buffer for pedestrians on the sidewalk. This is especially important for areas where the sidewalk is right next to Forest Park, such as the section between Mistletoe Dr. and Park Place. Many school children and exercise enthusiasts use this section to get to Lily B. or the Trinity Trails. The bike lane can provide a much-needed buffer from moving traffic if someone accidentally falls into Forest Park.
How the Road Diet Will Not Change Forest Park
The road diet will not make traffic backup at the W. Rosedale light any worse than it is right now. The road diet proposal we presented to the city suggested Forest Park open back up to four lanes in the area around W. Rosedale S., Irwin, and even Mistletoe Blvd. if needed.
The road diet will not make it more difficult to pull out onto Forest Park from your street or driveway. The stop lights that provide a break in traffic will still be there. The only difference is that you will have fewer lanes of traffic to contend with.
What’s Next
The city is holding a public meeting about the Forest Park road diet on Monday, Sept. 10th. At this meeting they will unveil their progress on the road diet plan, but they are also using it to gauge public support for this project. Until now, every meeting we have held about the road diet has been a neighborhood meeting that was unattended by city leaders. This one is being held by the city and they are watching to see if we are united on this issue. It is extremely important for us to show up and support this project. It is time to start putting people’s lives ahead of expediting traffic.