Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mobility committee presses staff on Reeves Elementary access, Bonnie Brae work and temporary sidewalks for students
Summary
Staff reported on construction progress at Reeves Elementary and the Bonnie Brae corridor, described temporary sidewalk and crosswalk arrangements for the fall semester, and committee members urged quick, low-cost safety treatments for children walking to school.
City of Denton capital projects and transportation staff on Aug. 27 updated the Mobility Committee on recent construction work affecting school access and pedestrian safety, including a temporary sidewalk for Reeves Elementary and ongoing phases of Bonnie Brae.
Seth Garcia, director of Capital Projects, said Rhiney Road was reopened to Bonnie Brae on Aug. 20 and that crews expect the remaining sidewalk work to be complete by the end of the month. To provide safe access for students during the fall semester, Seth said staff will install a temporary 4- to 5-foot concrete sidewalk along Hardaway Road that will later be removed and reconfigured as part of the permanent roadway project. “It is gonna be a 5 foot concrete sidewalk,” Seth said.
Committee members pressed staff about several safety details: - Striping and markings at the temporary crossing: Transportation staff said there is currently no plan to add striping at the temporary Rhiney Road crossing and that a crossing guard is in place to manage school‑day crossings. Chandra (city staff working on crossings) explained that because the location is an active construction zone without ADA ramps, adding marked crosswalks could raise liability and ADA‑compliance concerns. - Timing for permanent work: Staff said the Rainey Road East project is expected to go to bid in the fall with construction early next year; the temporary sidewalk will serve through the current school semester. - Pedestrian beacons: Staff confirmed beacons with flashing signals are installed at Rainey on the east side of the campus.
Committee members repeatedly urged the city to deploy low‑cost, high‑visibility measures — paint, signage and other treatments — while permanent work is pending. “Nobody's gonna tolerate additional risk for children,” a committee member said; the committee asked staff to explore striping, signage and other short‑term mitigations, and to return with options. Staff responded that safety is the highest priority and that they are exploring additional measures and will follow up.
Seth also summarized the larger construction update: Bonnie Brae Phase 3 remains under construction with a goal of completion in 2026; crews coordinated a brief closure of FM 1515 to complete a tie‑in and reopen prior to a UNT football event. For Bonnie Brae, staff said crews will stage work to minimize impacts during football season and that the final railroad crossing work will come later in the project schedule.
Ending: The committee asked staff to return with specific, near‑term pedestrian safety measures (striping, signage or temporary islands or beacons), clarified that crossing guards remain in place for now, and requested clearer public communications about construction staging and why some temporary pavements will later be removed.
