The University Crossing Public Improvement District wants to shine a light on the University Crossing Trail to make the pathway safer and more user friendly for neighbors.
The proposal would install lights along the southern tip of Glencoe Park that extend to the suspension bridge over Mockingbird Lane. After the bridge, lighting would continue straight to SMU Boulevard and cut east to Matilda Bridge and the edge of the district, University Crossing Executive Director Patrick Sanders said.
“It’s part of our master plan to make the area more walkable and bikeable with an emphasis on safety,” he said.
A map of the University Crossing Public Improvement District. (Courtesy of University Crossing.)
The $900,000 project will be paid for through reserve funds the district set aside specifically for a lighting project. About 80 percent will be reimbursed through a federal grant, and those funds will be invested in future public improvement projects, University Crossing spokeswoman Ginger Greenberg said.
“The City of Dallas Park Board doesn’t typically light its trails, so it’s unique to have a lighted trail,” she said. “This neighborhood is very dense and has removed sections of trail. We felt it would be great if we could light it.”
Rendering of a University Crossing light fixture. (Courtesy of University Crossing.)
Work on the project began last fall when Sanders convened a task force of officials from Dallas Area Rapid Transit, the Texas Department of Transportation, Oncor and other stakeholders to discuss the feasibility of the project. Nine months later, University Crossing submitted a design plan to the City of Dallas showing where light fixtures could be installed. The hope is that construction can begin early next year or by the end of spring, Sanders said.
Light fixtures cannot be installed along the stretch from the trail split to SMU Boulevard and the span after the Matilda Bridge. So, Oncor has agreed to hang lights over those portions. Those lights will likely be installed first because it does not require drilling into already-paved sections of trail, Sanders said.
In addition to the new lights, University Crossing plans to install seven signs along the trail. The 7-by-3 signs will include easy-to-read maps that will show walkers and bikers the distance to certain landmarks within the district and where they are in relation to the larger trail system.
Neighborhood sponsors, including Southern Methodist University, The Highland, Energy Square and Glenstar, paid for four of the signs, and University Crossing picked up the tab for the remaining three, Sanders said.
The signs are being manufactured, and installation is expected to be complete in the next 4-8 weeks.
A rendering of new signage that will be installed along the University Crossing Trail. (Courtesy of University Crossing.)
