Completing the Bachman Lake Trail Loop

Unsafe Segment of Bachman Lake Trail Loop

Dallas Parks and Recreation rebuilt the Bachman Lake Trail loop in 2016, replacing the existing trail with a 12-foot wide, 2- lane trail. However, the 5-foot sidewalk along the Webb Chapel bridge was not widened. As a result, pedestrians and cyclists cannot pass one another without stepping into the street, creating conflicts with vehicular traffic and safety risks. Webb Chapel and Northwest Highway are part of the “High Injury Network” in the City’s Vision Zero initiative.

Parking Along Shorecrest Drive

Parking is also a frequent issue at Bachman Lake Park. According to Placer.ai, a location analytics company that tracks foot traffic through mobile phones, Bachman Lake Park has received more than 622,000 visits over the last 12 months.

At present, many visitors park along Shorecrest Road, although the road is not designed or marked for on-street parking.

The Brilliant Proposal

The Friends of Bachman Lake proposes:

• Right sizing the Webb Chapel bridge from four to two lanes

• Completing the Bachman Lake Trail loop to accommodate pedestrian and cyclists safely

• Improve Parking on Shorecrest Road by right-sizing lanes for a 2-lane thoroughfare

This is a cost-effective solution that requires only minor modifications to lane markings, curbs, and the sidewalk on Webb Chapel bridge. Most importantly, the Lane Diagram on Page 3 shows this will not disrupt ingress/egress to neighboring businesses, Southwest Airlines, or airport operations at Love Field.

Requested Steps by City of Dallas:

#1: Amend Thoroughfare Plan to Right-Size Webb Chapel Road & Shorecrest Drive Both designated as four-lane roads: “S-4-U” for Webb Chapel and “M-4-U” for Shorecrest. The City’s Throughfare Plan should be amended to designate these as two-lane throughfares. #2: Minor Improvements to Roadways Webb Chapel Road: Better direct traffic flows to the bottleneck on Shorecrest ► “Turn Only” in southbound lane that turns into Speedy Cash, Walgreens, and Whataburger ► Repaint lane markings on the Webb Chapel bridge to two lanes (one north, one south) Shorecrest Road: Calm traffic and address parking issues ► Reduce lane width along Shorecrest and add lane markings for on-street parking ► Include paving to replace gravel parking in the next Bond program

#3. Complete the Bachman Lake Trail Loop After reducing lanes, widen sidewalk and/or create on-street bike lane with dividers.