DALLAS – Enterprise homeowners on Maple Avenue in Dallas are annoyed a couple of plan to scale back the variety of visitors lanes from 4 to 2. Nonetheless, some residents within the space argue the change is required.
The change would have an effect on Maple Avenue between Mockingbird Lane and Oak Garden Avenue.
The 2 lanes which are being eliminated will likely be transformed right into a turning lane and a motorbike lane in every route.
“It’s going to kill a few of these companies right here,” mentioned Martin Guajardo, the supervisor at Avila’s.
Guajardo believes reducing the variety of visitors lanes in half will create visitors jams that may drive away his prospects.
“Plenty of our enterprise comes from the Medical District, Downtown, Oak Garden Heights,” he mentioned. “They’ve very restricted time to return and eat – an hour normally. They’re gonna be caught in visitors for half-hour of that. It’s actually going to harm enterprise. And loads of these companies, they’re all mother and pops.”
Town of Dallas mentioned it’s proposing the change to make Maple Avenue safer.
In keeping with a metropolis presentation, Maple Avenue between Hudnall Avenue and Oak Garden Avenue tops the listing of metropolis streets with deadly or extreme damage crashes involving pedestrians.
Jorge Garza lives within the space and mentioned he’s been asking the town to do one thing to make Maple Avenue safer for years.
“Folks have died right here,” he mentioned. “These drivers turn into very aggressive.”
Garza mentioned crossing Maple Avenue is subsequent to not possible.
“He has the very best rooster tacos that I can discover on the town, and I can not stroll the six blocks. My spouse and I come down, and after we come throughout, there are at the very least three intersections the place we’re not secure,” he mentioned.
Garza believes the modifications won’t solely enhance security but additionally the standard of life.
However the enterprise homeowners see it otherwise.
Guajardo mentioned the companies within the space are geared towards drivers, not pedestrians.
“They’re not going to stroll. It’s not likely a strolling space. They’re not going to stroll with baggage filled with groceries from the grocery retailer down the road. They’re not going to hold their laundry baskets and stroll to the laundromat. They’re gonna be driving. And it’s going to be limiting entry to all of those companies up and down Maple.”
And what has annoyed loads of enterprise homeowners is that the town by no means notified them concerning the proposed modifications. They’re simply now discovering out about it two and a half months after the deadline for public remark.
“We didn’t know something about it,” he mentioned. “My spouse had seen it on a TikTok. My brother despatched me one thing additionally. We’ve talked to a couple folks up and down the road. No person knew about it.”
A gathering was held Friday afternoon between the town’s transportation division and the stakeholders. There isn’t any phrase but on the result.
Building was set to start in a couple of yr.
