Dallas transportation officials want to make it easier for residents to commute between Fair Park, Downtown, and parts of Deep Ellum.
The goal behind the proposed transportation links would be to “reconnect neighborhoods that were separated when the freeways were built back in the 50s and 60s,” according to Dallas City Council’s Transportation Committee chair Omar Narvaez.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCG) presented details about the proposed transportation links during a public meeting at the South Dallas Cultural Center on Tuesday.
NCTCG is a 228-member association established to assist local governments in the North Central Texas region. The association, which was federally designated as the area’s Metropolitan Planning Organization in 1974, comprises 16 counties, 169 cities, 19 school districts, and 27 special districts.
NCTCG Regional Transportation director Michael Morris said he is excited about the proposed link connections and the economic development benefits they will naturally bring to the region.
The concept of expanding connections from Fair Park through Deep Ellum to Downtown is “really exciting,” Morris said, per NBC 5 DFW.
Additional connections throughout these three targeted areas will not only help residents who are not well-positioned to use highways but will also lead to more business investment in the area.
“Our hope is to create a public sector investment in ground transportation that results in increased public and private sector investment in that part of the community,” said Morris, adding that now is the time to move forward on the project, per NBC 5.
According to Morris, new surface streets, roadways, bridges, thoroughfares, and improvements will greatly improve the availability of transportation to adjacent communities and businesses.
One recommendation from transportation planners was to add thoroughfare links that connect the Deep Ellum area with the new I-30 design improvements and Fair Park. Proposed intersection improvements are being considered for Elm Street/Exposition Avenue, Canton Street/Exposition Avenue & Commerce Street/Exposition Avenue, and Grand Avenue/Haskell Avenue.
