Demand for roadway travel in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is steadily increasing, as are traffic counts on Southlake roads.
In an effort to increase the capacity of the local system to improve mobility within the city, the Southlake City Council has agreed to funding for an intersection capacity improvement program.
“We’re looking for any and all opportunities to improve traffic conditions around town,” said Mayor Laura Hill. “Upgrading the performance of key intersections should help alleviate congestion and promote the smooth flow of traffic during peak hours.”
The project began with traffic counts and other data collection. Initial analysis is intended to help engineers focus on areas where a deeper dive is warranted. Ultimately a set of recommendations will be put into place for the intersections so that improvements can be implemented.
Public Works Director Rob Cohen explains that the process will include traffic counts, crosswalk reviews, site distance analysis, signal timing and field observation. Computer modeling will be used by engineers to develop performance enhancing recommendations. Ultimately, recommended improvements will become a part of the capital improvement program.
“This project is meant to complement other roadway work going on in the city,” said Cohen. “Low performing intersections can be a real hindrance to motorists trying to get from point to point, and we want to ensure that the capacity of Southlake intersections is maximized.”
Data collection and traffic analysis for the first 17 intersections should be completed by the end of September. Phase 2 of the project, which will include analysis of the remaining intersections and the prioritization of recommendations, will begin in October with the new fiscal year. More than 30 intersections will be reviewed.
Funds have been included in the FY 2017 budget to complete the study, as well as provide for engineering design of improvements and construction of initial improvements.
Intersection improvements could include the following:
This project supports the recommendations of the Southlake 2030 Mobility Plan. To track progress on this project, please go to
Cityof Southlake.com/ExpandingMobility.
These are the 32 intersections which will be analyzed in the study. The intent is to help find ways to maximize traffic flow through Southlake’s intersections.
Intersections