SH 360 Corridor Improvement Study Fort Worth, Texas

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This paper provides an outline of the goals and objectives of the SH 360 Corridor Improvement Study (CIS). This study is intended to develop a locally-preferred plan of action to solve transportation problems along the north-south corridor through Arlington and Grand Prairie as outlined in the map below. The corridor includes the Cities of Arlington and Grand Prairie, plus small portions of Irving, Euless and Fort Worth. The corridor lies predominantly in Tarrant County, with the eastern edge extending into Dallas County. The study is managed by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Fort Worth District, who will act as the lead agency. The work will be developed as a cooperative effort among local and state agencies and citizens with an interest in the corridor. The State Highway 360 Corridor covers about 30 square miles, centered along SH 360 (Watson Road) through Arlington and Grand Prairie, from IH-20 to north of IH-30, including the IH-30 interchange.

This outline of the goals and objectives for the SH 360 Corridor Improvement Study will be refined with feedback from the study’s stakeholders. The stakeholders for this project include community interests (commuters, businesses, residents, freight carriers, environmental interests, and others), local elected officials, and involved agencies. The study began with the identification of the transportation problem, and will end with the selection of a locally-preferred alternative.

Goals and Objectives

The following goals and objectives have been developed to focus the efforts in this study. These goals and objectives will be used as a point of reference during the study to determine how well each alternative performs.

• Maximize the capacity of the existing transportation system for serving north-south travel patterns, before constructing new facilities.
• Reduce congestion on SH 360 to no more than four hours per day.
• Improve work trip reduction, non-motorized transportation (bicycle and pedestrian), mass transit and high-occupancy vehicle lanes before improving SH 360.
• Any improvements should be consistent with regional goals in Mobility 2025, the Metropolitan Transportation Plan.

• Improve the interchange between SH 360 and I-30, while minimizing any reduction in local access.
• Improve SH 360 ramps and frontage roads to provide adequate merging distances and driver visibility, especially on ramps between Abram and I-30.
• Any major modifications to SH 360 should upgrade it to current standards, including shoulder widths, bridge clearances and ramp spacing.

• Minimize the displacement of residences and businesses.
• Improve access where possible, and minimize restrictions to existing access.
• Minimize negative impacts due to construction.
• Avoid or mitigate any impacted hazardous material sites.

Goal #4 - Minimize negative environmental effects.

• Any improvements must comply with regional air quality standards.
• Avoid or minimize negative impacts due to noise from expanded facilities.
• Avoid or minimize damage to ecosystems, wetlands or water quality.
• Avoid impacts to archaeological, historical or cultural resources.
• Avoid negative effects on park lands.

• Maximize the benefit to cost ratio for savings in travel delay versus transportation improvement cost.
• Use toll revenue to offset construction costs where feasible.
• Recognizing that the regional budget for transportation improvements is constrained, strive to keep the costs for improvements within the budget outlined in Mobility 2025, the Metropolitan Transportation Plan.

These goals and objectives will be used to develop initial alternatives for improving the corridor. The criteria to evaluate the alternatives will then be used to determine how well the alternatives meet the study’s goals and objectives. The method for evaluating alternatives is documented in the paper "Procedures for the Analysis and Screening of Alternatives - SH 360 Corridor Improvement Study".

Conclusion Of The Study

By clearly articulating the study’s goals and objectives, the SH 360 Corridor Improvement Study will keep its "Eye on the Prize", which is to identify the community’s preferred plan of action for dealing with transportation needs in the study corridor. The study goals and objectives outlined in this paper are intended to provide that focus, thereby developing a plan that successfully meets those goals.

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