Dallas Fort Worth Urban Forum

Anyone know what's happening with the Thanksgiving Tower's new curb? It looks like they've effectively purchased a single lane of Elm Street.

I don't know how this is seen as a good idea.

The City approved a Thoroughfare Plan amendment in 2015 to reduce Elm from five lanes to four. What you are seeing is the first in a series of modifications that reallocate the northside travel lane to other uses such as wider sidewalks, indented parallel parking, etc. The Drever and Tower Petroleum have similar plans to reconfigure that travel lane for other uses.

I wish Elm had trees!

R1070 wrote:I wish Elm had trees!

I really do too.

I wish Field st was reconfigured! This street bridges CBD and VP together. Would be nice to see it more hospitable towards people.

I have a feeling when the Thanksgiving Tower sidewalk/curb work on Elm is done, there may be quite the learning curve at Elm/Ervay for those going west on Elm. There's already a sign before Ervay for those in the right lane to ťurn right, but some might not catch sight of the new curbing and try to drive on it, unless some kind of markings are put up (reflective yellow paint, the little square yellow/black chevron signs, etc).

Well I can tell you it's a huge mess every single morning. The buses come through in waves, cars are trying to turn right at Ervay across the buses trying to merge over, there is parking on the South side of Elm that is nearly always occupied (so really only 3 lanes). Then the buses go right back over again after thanksgiving Tower.

So if others are planning this too it will be lots of hopping, skipping, and jumping until Elm street is just one big gridlock every morning. Come down between 7-9am and see what I mean.

I'm all for giving the city to the pedestrian over the cars downtown, but this seems like a poorly thought out proposition.

masdallas wrote:Well I can tell you it's a huge mess every single morning. The buses come through in waves, cars are trying to turn right at Ervay across the buses trying to merge over, there is parking on the South side of Elm that is nearly always occupied (so really only 3 lanes). Then the buses go right back over again after thanksgiving Tower.

So if others are planning this too it will be lots of hopping, skipping, and jumping until Elm street is just one big gridlock every morning. Come down between 7-9am and see what I mean.

I'm all for giving the city to the pedestrian over the cars downtown, but this seems like a poorly thought out proposition.

I think it's a little soon to judge. That entire two block stretch of Elm (from Ervay to Akard) has been under heavy construction for at least the last two years. That's the view from my balcony and I haven't seen it without at least one lane closed on both sides of the street since I moved in in 2015.

Forty Five Ten, LTV, Elm Lofts, and Thanksgiving Tower projects have all affected that stretch of road. And I'd be shocked if the Drever doesn't start to impact the next block very soon. I'm sure it's painful, and I certainly don't envy your experience. Just think we'll have to wait to see what the real long term impact is.

The biggest roadblock is the city is demanding private property owners extend the curb on their own dime. If you are a new project like Thankgiving Tower or The Drever the city can demand it as part of the incentives. When it comes to properties like 1700 Pacific who aren't doing multi-million dollar redos to the sidewalk areas they have no drive to make the change.

^Since the city is for the most part paying for downtown parks, I'm okay with the property owners replacing the curbs....

mas is right - this is going to be a nightmare every weekday morning at least. Buses were already having to slalom their way past cars parked in the bus lane with their flashers on - as they waited in front of Thanksgiving Tower for whoever. If the intention of a protected bus lane is the unimpeded operation of the bus system, then why deliberately install an impedance? If the bus lane is not important - stop running buses down Elm. Basically, Thanksgiving Tower's investors bought themselves a patio at the expense of an already tedious bus system. I know the horse has already run off while I shut this door, but "Change the dimensional classification of Elm Street between Houston Street and Cesar Chavez Boulevard from a five lane one-way westbound roadway to a four lane one-way westbound roadway" doesn't really give anyone enough information to challenge the plan. Thanks, City Hall. This is SO very Dallas.

theoryNine wrote:

R1070 wrote:I wish Elm had trees!

I really do too.

There are now trees in front of Thanksgiving Tower along Elm!

Pictures please!

Why are these streets still one way?

I have attached an image from last week and the trees are there but they are twigs, unlike the ones they installed on the Pacific side.