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Commission backs downgrading Eagle Drive, Avenue A and Wilcher/Belcher Street to collectors to protect pedestrians
Summary
Denton Planning and Zoning Commission approved a mobility plan amendment (MPA24003) to reclassify sections of Eagle Drive, Avenue A and Wilcher/Belcher Street from secondary arterials to collectors, citing existing street widths, proximity to UNT and pedestrian safety. Vote: 5‑0.
The Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 13 voted 5‑0 to approve a mobility plan amendment to change parts of Eagle Drive, Avenue A and Wilcher/Belcher Street from secondary arterial to collector classification (MPA24003).
Sahar Svandiari, senior transportation planner, told commissioners the studied sections are largely built to collector dimensions — roughly 50 to 65 feet of right‑of‑way — and pass through areas with high pedestrian volumes, including University of North Texas facilities and a cemetery along Eagle Drive. Svandiari said treating these segments as collectors would avoid an expensive and disruptive widening to a 110‑foot arterial cross‑section, which would require land acquisition from the state, UNT and other properties.
"By keeping these roads as a collector, we can maintain the safety speed limit ... between 30 to 35 miles per hour and we can maintain the roads safe for all road users," Svandiari said. Commissioners asked staff to confirm traffic counts and whether adjacent projects (including a substation and frontage‑road work) were considered; staff responded the corridor study accounted for existing and planned work and that traffic volumes do not require arterial widening.
Commissioners noted the pedestrian and student‑heavy context near UNT and agreed a collector classification better balances mobility, right‑of‑way costs and safety. The motion to approve the amendment passed unanimously.
Why this matters: Reclassifying these streets reduces the city’s obligation to widen them to arterial standards and preserves narrower cross‑sections that support pedestrian safety near a major campus.
Details: MPA24003 changes the future functional classification for Eagle Drive (between N. Texas Blvd and S. Carroll Blvd), Avenue A (between I‑35 E and Eagle Drive) and Wilcher/Belcher Street (between Eagle Drive and W. Oak) from secondary arterial to collector. Staff conducted public outreach (mailings, meetings, signage) and received one letter in favor. The amendment complies with DDC section 271 approval criteria and the Denton 2040 future land use guidance.
