B ACKGROUND
The city of Fort Worth is one of the most livable cities in Texas and a great place to live. The population increased by nearly 200,000 residents from 2010 to 2022 and is expected to reach 1.5 million residents by 2045. The study area encompassing the Eastside has 109,041 residents and has seen less growth than the overall city with an average population increase of approximately one percent since 2010, with few new businesses or housing. Despite the slower growth in the Eastside, the area holds the potential for opportunity rooted in a rich culture that is key in the description of the history of Fort Worth. The study area remains a
vibrant area with attractions like Gateway Park, the Lenora Butler Rolla Museum, several historic neighborhoods, Texas Wesleyan University, and lively local restaurants and locally owned businesses. The vibrancy of the area and its people is widely recognized. Trinity Metro, in partnership with the City of Fort Worth and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) initiated the Advancing East Lancaster Study in 2020 to evaluate the corridor’s potential for transit-oriented development (TOD) that could be leveraged to support high-capacity transit and create options for new housing, retail, and service development. The study primarily focused on East
Lancaster Avenue, but its implications resonated across the entire Eastside. Advancing East Lancaster’s Guiding Principles are depicted in Figure 2 . Recognizing the implications of the Advancing East Lancaster study and the opportunity to enhance mobility, housing, and economic options for Eastside residents, City of Fort Worth determined the need to conduct the Eastside Transportation Plan. East Lancaster Avenue, formerly US 80, was a nationally significant route through most of the 20 th Century serving as the primary connection between Savannah, GA and San Diego, CA via Fort Worth. In the mid-century with the advent of the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike and Interstate Highway System, the corridor’s function has changed. With the removal of tolls from the turnpike, today the road serves as more of a commercial corridor than a thruway for Fort Worth’s near Eastside and an alternate east-west connection.
Figure 2: Guiding Principles from the Advancing East Lancaster Study
• Equitable investment for Eastside residents and businesses that improves quality of life and provides better access to transit, jobs, housing and opportunity, and upward mobility. • Economic development that is inclusive, provides for the community, and leverages transportation investment. • Safe, comfortable, and convenient infrastructure that provides amenities such as lighting and technology , and complete streets that provide mobility options for all users . • Street design that is respectful of the community , pedestrian-oriented, creates a sense of place, and catalyzes investment. • Encourage and support affordable housing and a b usiness incubator space that creates options for aging in place and local business.
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FORT WORTH EASTSIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN
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