Arlington Awarded $3.9 Million to Make School Zone Pedestrian Safety Improvements

By Nina Sherer, Public Works and Transportation

Posted on December 08, 2020, December 08, 2020

The City of Arlington's Public Works and Transportation Department is proud to announce that it has been awarded three grants from the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) to make pedestrian safety and infrastructure improvements at Webb and Thornton elementary schools and the Crow Leadership Academy. The grants were awarded under the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program and will provide $3.9 million in construction funds toward the safety improvements.

According to NCTCOG, the program’s focus is to encourage and enable “more children to safely walk to and bicycle to school, thereby improving student health, traffic congestion, safety, and air quality around schools.”

The following improvements are anticipated at each of the schools:

Webb Elementary School - $788,987

• Construction of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant sidewalks and ramps to provide safe paths along Slaughter Street between N. Mesquite and N. Center Streets, N. Center Street between Slaughter and E. Rogers Streets, and N. Cooper Street at the mid-block crossing north of Randol Mill Road.

• Relocation of the school zone boundary closer towards the crosswalk to improve compliance with school zone speed limits as vehicles near the crosswalk.

• Rebuilding the existing school zone warning flashers with new overhead flashing beacons and signs to increase compliance of school zone speed limit.

• Reconstruction of the mid-block pedestrian crossing on N. Cooper Street to include the addition of a traffic signal and all associated signs and markings.

Thornton Elementary - $1,452,534

• Construction of ADA accessible sidewalks and ramps to provide safe paths along E. Park Row Drive between Carter Drive and Latrium Place, Carter Drive from E. Park Row Drive to Stampede Drive, Marilyn Lane between Hillcrest Drive and Catalo Lane, Reever Street between Sherry Street and Catalo Lane, Reever Street between Carter Drive and S. Watson Road, Ruth Street between Overhill Drive and Claudia Street, Randolph Street between Sunnyvale Drive and Moore Terrace, and Sunnyvale Drive between Dawn Drive and Mitchell Street.

• Rebuilding of all driveways within the project limits to bring them into compliance with current ADA standards.

• Construction of ADA compliant ramps and crosswalk at the intersection of Raines Street and Highland Drive.

Crow Leadership Academy - $1,668,585

• Construction of ADA accessible sidewalks and ramps to provide safe paths along Coke Drive between Valley View Drive and Mitchell Street, Cardinal and Raines Streets between Perrin Street and Highland Drive, Raines Street between Perrin Street and Sunnyvale Drive, and Highland Drive between Mitchell and Raines Streets.

The work scheduled for all three locations will be performed in close coordination with the Arlington ISD projects approved by voters in the 2019 Arlington ISD Bond Election. Click here to learn more about the improvements planned to Arlington ISD campuses. Please contact Arlington ISD at https://www.aisd.net/bond/contact/ with any questions regarding the campus improvements.

City staff has begun working through the design process for each of these projects and anticipates beginning construction in 2023. Click here to learn more about the NCTCOG’s Safe Routes to School Program. This program aligns with City Council’s priorities to Champion Great Neighborhoods and Support Our Youth and Families.