The newly proposed Garland-Grand-Gaston intersection. (Courtesy of TxDOT)
The future of Gaston-Garland-Grand is still up for debate, and neighbors will have another chance to weigh in. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the City of Dallas will conduct a public meeting next Thursday to solicit opinions from neighbors.
The current plan was chosen during a December 2016 meeting, when the ‘Reverse-T” design (pictured) was preferred by only eight people, the most any design received. This will be one of a few meetings to take place, and the state will move forward with this design barring “full-throated” opposition, said Michelle Raglon of TxDOT.
The intersection has been the cause of much discussion the past couple years after City Councilman Mark Clayton asked for a traffic study on the busy intersection. Garland Road is State Highway 78, and is used by commuters coming from northeast of Dallas to get downtown and avoid highway traffic. The fact that the intersection includes both city and state roads, and sits on the line between city council and state government districts has further complicated the matter.
The Friends of Gaston (FOG), whose motto is “Lift the Fog. Expose the Truth,” released a notice encouraging neighbors to attend and speak out against the proposed design.
The flyer reads: “The goal seems to make Gaston a highway through our neighborhoods simply so people who live in the suburbs can get into faster and easier. What about us?”
The public meeting is Sept. 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Mount Auburn Elementary School, 6012 E. Grand Ave.
