...for City of Southlake news, business, and community happenings.
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- FM 1709
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Olivia, a 12-year-old rescue dog, was all smiles and wags earlier this month when the street name, Parkwood Drive, was changed to Olivia Court in her honor. Olivia, a rat terrier, and chihuahua mix, is a well-known local Southlake dog who frequently walks in Northwood Park.
She belongs to the daughter of Eric Karl, who regularly walks Olivia in the neighborhood. He proposed changing the street’s name to safeguard the community from ongoing traffic after it was discovered that more commercial businesses would be developed in the area.
“Our primary goal is to keep FM 1709 and commercial traffic out of a residential neighborhood and away from our school crossing,” Karl stated in a letter written to the Director of Planning and Development Services, Dennis Killough.
“There are two Parkwood Drives, one is known as a residential street, and it has five homes on it; the other Parkwood Drive is in a commercial area,” Karl stated.
The recommendation to change the name came after Karl and other homeowners met with the commercial developer at a Southlake Program for the Involvement of Neighborhoods (SPIN) meeting in April 2022. The SPIN process was very successful in this instance, according to Karl.
When it was time to think of a name for the street, after a process of elimination, Olivia seemingly was the right choice.
City Council approved the name change at the March 21, 2023, City Council meeting.
The process took over a year to come to fruition, but it was “woof” the wait!
Olivia (the dog)
Olivia Court
Eric Karl and Olivia
Eric Karl and Olivia
Signal work begins next week at most of the intersections along FM 1709 (Southlake Boulevard). Advanced warning signs are going up along the road between State Highway 114 and Interstate 35W.
Contractors will be upgrading communication and video cameras at signalized intersections. The project is expected to take four months.
Traffic signals on FM 1709 are owned and operated by TxDOT.
Keep up with all our mobility news by subscribing to the Mobility E-Newsletter or following the Southlake Mobility Facebook page.
The City of Southlake will host a public open house to present the FM 1709 – FM 1938 Corridor Plan. This is the second of six elements that will be included in the Southlake 2035 Land Use Plan update.
The first element, the SH 114 Corridor Plan, was adopted by City Council in June of 2017.
This open house will be one of several public meetings designed to share information and accept public input on the City’s future development aspirations, which will eventually be adopted as the Southlake 2035 FM 1709 – FM 1938 Corridor Plan.
Land Use Plan Open House
The plan covers approximately 850 acres that are adjacent to two of the three major roadway corridors in Southlake. The gray portion of the map below illustrates the planning area for the FM 1709 – FM 1938 Corridor.
Significant development has already occurred on the FM 1709 – FM 1938 corridors. “There are still a number of future planning issues that need to be discussed”, said Senior Director of Planning and Development Services Ken Baker. “This includes new development, redevelopment, traffic, urban design and pedestrian mobility. It’s important to involve residents and property stakeholders in the planning process as the City develops the Land Use Plans. The Open House provides an opportunity for our stakeholders to give us some great feedback.”
A draft version of the FM 1709 – FM 1938 Corridor Plan is available on the City’s website. There is also a feedback form that has been created so that residents may submit questions or comments directly to Planning staff regarding this plan. For more information about land use, visit the 2035 Land Use webpage, or call the Planning and Development Services department at (817) 748-8621.
TxDot now confirms anticipated completion of the Davis (FM 1938) Boulevard project will be Summer 2017.
TxDot recently confirmed substantial completion of the Davis (FM 1938) and Southlake (FM 1709) intersection by the end of the year. TxDot states that reconstruction is substantially complete with all through lanes on FM 1709 open, and that some work is still ongoing on the north side of the intersection and occasional lane closures will still be necessary. TxDot also says that sometime in January, weather permitting, that all other lanes at the intersection will be open when the taper to one lane north of the intersection is moved further to the north.
TxDOT has informed the City that a traffic switch on Davis will occur on Friday, December 30th. Northbound traffic will be routed to the newly completed pavement.
TxDOT uses social media accounts (created in September of this year) to aid with the communication of road closures and progress updates to Davis Boulevard. You can “like” the FM1938Mobility page on Facebook or “follow” FM1938Mobility on Twitter for the latest updates.
The City of Southlake will continue to keep you updated through the City of Southlake, TX – Government Facebook page and City of Southlake Twitter page. You can also find information at the Southlake DPS Facebook page and the Southlake DPS Twitter page. Also, information will be updated on the City’s FM 1938 Road Construction page. If you have questions specific to the construction, please contact Stephen Ranft from TxDOT at 817-462-0520 or Alex Ayala from the City of Southlake at 817-748-8274.
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Austin-Bridge and Road have confirmed substantial completion of the Davis (FM 1938) and Southlake (FM 1709) Boulevard intersection by the end of this year.
The City of Southlake over the past year and a half has received dozens of phone calls, e-mails, and social media posts with feedback on the Davis Boulevard construction. “We understand how difficult this construction project has made driving in that area, and we appreciate everyone’s patience,” says Director of Public Works, Rob Cohen.
TxDOT is making improvements to Davis Blvd, and it is the largest construction project in the City of Southlake. The Davis Blvd construction is a two-phase construction project. Phase 1 was completed in Fall of 2012, and it runs through Westlake. Phase 1 has a six-lane divided roadway with raised curb medians to Randol Mill Road. Phase 2 is what is presently being constructed. The construction for Phase 2 began in March of 2015. Phase 2 will include a four-lane roadway with raised curb medians from Randol Mill Road to Southlake Blvd. The improvements at the intersection of Davis and Southlake Blvd will provide dual left turn lanes to enhance mobility through the intersection.
Austin-Bridge and Road is presently working towards finishing the pavements markings in order to be able to open up all three through lanes for the westbound and eastbound directions of travel.
TxDOT recently maximized the timing of the signal at the Davis and Southlake Blvd intersection. According to TxDOT, the current timing is the maximum allowable time needed in order to keep traffic flowing between all intersections from Pearson Road to SH 114 along Southlake Blvd, and any more increases in time in either direction of the intersection will only cause delays at other intersections along the Southlake Blvd corridor.
TxDOT uses social media accounts (created in September of this year) to aid with the communication of road closures and progress updates to Davis Boulevard. You can “like” the FM1938Mobility page on Facebook or “follow” FM1938Mobility on Twitter for the latest updates.
The City of Southlake will continue to keep you updated through the City of Southlake, TX – Government Facebook page and City of Southlake Twitter page. You can also find information at the Southlake DPS Facebook page and the Southlake DPS Twitter page. Also, information will be updated on the City’s FM 1938 Road Construction page. If you have questions specific to the construction, please contact Stephen Ranft from TxDOT at 817-462-0520 or Alex Ayala from the City of Southlake at 817-748-8274.
The City of Southlake Public Works Streets/Drainage division will be working with contractors to repair failing pavement on N. Kimball Avenue beginning Tuesday, October 25, 2016.
The City of Southlake Public Works Streets/Drainage division will be making needed repairs to N. Kimball Avenue between FM 1709 and SH 114 Service Road. Work is expected to begin on October 25, 2016, weather permitting.Crews will work from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. between the dates of Tuesday, October 25 and Wednesday, November 2 to complete the needed repair. The project will consist of various lanes closures as described below:
Crews are only scheduled to be present on the first day of each phase, with the other days needed for curing.
Motorists can expect delays when traveling through the work zone and should plan trips accordingly. The project is anticipated to be complete by Wednesday, November 2.
For questions, please contact Public Works Operations at 817.748.8082.
New Lane Signs at the FM 1938/Southlake Blvd Intersection
TxDOT placed new signs on southbound FM 1938 near the intersection with Southlake Boulevard that identifies recent changes to how traffic moves through the intersection (see image).
The construction along FM 1938 has caused numerous headaches for motorists. At the intersection of FM 1938 and Southlake Boulevard (FM 1709), those headaches take the form of long lines, the perception of short signal cycles, and just the general frustrations caused by the amount of traffic on the roads. Since the project’s inception however, TxDOT has worked with the City to address many frustrations related to signal timing, working hours, etc.
One issue recently fixed now allows cars heading southbound two through lanes at the FM 1938/Southlake Boulevard intersection rather than the single lane that was previously available. Opening another lane that goes through the intersection improved traffic back up at this location significantly. Cars have been able to move quicker through the intersection and the backups that have become commonplace in the AM and PM peak have been less severe.
The FM 1938 project is expected to be complete by the end of 2017. TxDOT and the City of Southlake will continue providing regular updates on the project as they become available.
For questions about the FM 1938 project, please contact the TxDOT Mobility Coordinator Stephen Ranft at fm1938mobility@gmail.com or 817-462-0520.
The FM 1938 project continues to move forward as Lovegrass Lane is expected to be closed starting Wednesday, May 4, 2016.
Lovegrass Lane Closure Detour Map
Beginning Wednesday, May 4, 2016 (weather permitting), TxDOT contractors plan to close Lovegrass Lane at FM 1938 in order to perform roadway construction in the area. The closure is expected to happen around 6:00 a.m. and will last approximately one week from the start date. Motorists are asked to seek alternate routes to/from Lovegrass Lane and TxDOT has provided suggestions for those alternate routes (click here for a map).
Johnson Road at FM 1938 will remain open during the time that Lovegrass Lane is closed.
For questions about the FM 1938 project, contact Stephen Ranft – TxDOT Mobility Coordinator – at 817-462-0520 or fm1938mobility@gmail.com.
Over the last several months, City contractors have been installing illuminated street name signs (ILSN) and battery back-ups, at most major intersections along Southlake Boulevard (FM 1709).
The ILSN and battery back-up project, which aims to improve nighttime visibility of street signs along Southlake Boulevard and to ensure the signals continue to work during power failures, will be wrapping up in the next few weeks.
We appreciate your patience during the installation of the illuminated street name signs and battery back-ups. It was a long process, but these projects will make traveling along Southlake Boulevard safer.
For questions regarding the illuminated street name signs, please contact Steven Anderson, P.E. in the Public Works Department at 817-748-8098. For additional information about the illuminated street name signs, please visit the project web page here.