‘It’s Not an Option to Do Nothing’: Dallas Advances Pedestrian Safety Plans for Lovers Lane

Plans to give Lovers Lane some much-needed love kicked off this month as the Dallas Transportation & Public Works Department (TPW) began a year-long study on the best way to make Lovers Lane more pedestrian and bicycle friendly from Lomo Alto Drive to Lemmon Avenue.

The study and work, which will be a several-year-long endeavor, will be handled in two different phases, said Gus Khankarli, Ph.D., director of Transportation and Public Works for the City of Dallas.

Phase 1 will cover the area from Lomo Alto Drive to the intersection of Inwood Road, Khankarli said. 

“We’re trying to optimize the funds we have,” Khankarli said. Between city, county, and grant funding, he said, the improvements from Lomo Alto Drive to Inwood Road are covered. “My recommendation to you is that we need to phase it (the work) out to get something done.”

Phase 1 of the work would also complement the part of Lovers Lane that crosses the Dallas North Tollway into University Park. The ongoing work along Lovers Lane from Lomo Alto Drive to Douglas Avenue has been happening for more than a year.

“It’s not an option for us to do nothing,” Khankarli said. “It’s a much easier sell to get funding” for Phase 1. “I have a safety problem.”

Some of the issues that will be addressed along Lovers Lane from Inwood Road to Lomo Alto Drive include shared use paths for pedestrians and bicyclists, eliminating sidewalk obstructions that make it difficult for individuals with a disability to use the sidewalks, updating stop lights so traffic flows efficiently, etc.

While a total of four different alternatives have been created as a starting point, Jana Wentzel, transportation planning administrator, said right now the department’s preference is Alternative 3.  Attendees were asked to leave notes with concerns and suggestions as to what they would like to see. Neighborhoods that will be directly impacted by the improvement to sidewalks and traffic signals are Devonshire, Elm Thicket/Northpark, Briarwood, and Greenway Parks.

Wentzel also said there is a survey they are asking residents to complete by Feb. 28 so they can incorporate that input before the next public meeting. 

The cost for the project varies depending on the alternative.

Phase 2 Will Cover Lovers Lane to Lemmon Avenue

Phase 2 of the project will encompass Lovers Lane from Inwood Road to Lemmon Avenue.

Wentzel said the current plan is for Phase 2 to use the same alternative used in Phase 1. The study on the section of Lovers Lane in Phase 2 will continue to be worked out while Phase 1 progresses.

“We will be continuously re-evaluating as we get more feedback,” Wentzel said.

Phase 2 will have to take into consideration three restaurants in close proximity that all have valet services as well as a private school that uses on-street parking when it has events. Residents of Elm Thicket/Northpark and Briarwood expressed concern about being able to exit their neighborhoods onto Lovers Lane safely.

Khankarli said the timeline for the study will be for the department to continue refining the plans and by 2027 see those plans finalized. In January 2028, bidding for the project will be opened with work beginning in Spring 2028, he said.

“Safety is number one,” Khankarli said. “We really want to make a difference” for pedestrians and motorists.