Denton City outlines Safe Routes to Schools sidewalks for four elementary campuses and Sycamore side path; work to begin May 1

Denton City project staff and their contractor described plans and timing on Oct. 26 for a Safe Routes to Schools program that will add sidewalks around four Denton elementary schools and build a 10-foot mixed-use side path on Sycamore.

The project, funded through TxDOT’s Safe Routes to Schools and Transportation Alternatives set-aside programs, will begin citywide mobilization May 1, with staff saying they expect all segments to be complete in June 2026, weather permitting.

City project manager Robin, speaking for the project team, said the work is intended to “fill as much of the gap areas closest to the schools as we can through the summer while school is out.” The presentation listed sidewalk segments at Jennings, Nettie Schultz, Concrete and Alexander elementaries and a separate Sycamore side path that will connect to existing bike lanes and the A-train.

Jennings Elementary will receive sidewalks on both sides of Stewart Road covering about 4,800 linear feet, Robin said; crews are scheduled to begin mobilization and utility locates there first. The Nettie Schultz segment is roughly 2,200 linear feet, covering Emerson Lane and Glenwood Lane, with locates and flagging to occur in the weeks before construction. A short 900-linear-foot gap at Concrete Elementary will be filled after the other school segments, and Alexander Elementary will get about 2,350 linear feet across Mulkey, Audra and Lattimore streets, the presentation said.

Separately, the Sycamore side path — described in the meeting as the A-train to UNT connection — will be a 10-foot mixed-use path on the north side of Sycamore from Bell to Welch Street. The project will also add 5-foot bike lanes on both sides of Welch and tie into an existing south-end bike lane near Eagle and Hickory. Robin said the team will begin the Sycamore work once the school-sidewalk segments are finished and estimated about 4,800 linear feet of 10-foot path in this phase.

Contractor and schedule details

Chip Fisher, owner of 2 l Construction, joined the meeting to represent the contractor. Fisher confirmed standard working hours will be Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; he said weekend work may occur if needed to recover schedule after weather delays. Robin and Fisher said Saturday work would begin at 8 a.m.; the meeting transcript records an early-evening departure time as 08:30, which the project team characterized as the contractor’s usual expectation for leaving site on weekend work days.

Robin said residents should expect utility-locate flags in ditches during early mobilization and, where needed, clearing to prepare for sidewalk installation. If a driveway approach must be reconstructed to accommodate a sidewalk or sidepath, homeowners will receive prior notice, including a door hanger and contact phone number. Robin said, “If you were not contacted during this project about right-of-way easements, then chances are that you won't see any disturbance of existing trees…we had enough right-of-way to build what we need.”

Traffic and access impacts

The team said traffic impacts will vary by street width. On wider streets, crews will generally work from shoulders without closing lanes; on narrow streets, short closures with flaggers are possible. Robin said planned closures will be communicated in advance. Unplanned closures may occur if previously unidentified utilities are encountered.

Questions from residents

During a brief question-and-answer period, a resident asked whether an approach would be installed for an access drive off Progress Road where a future Post Oak extension is planned. Robin replied that if the driveway is currently unpaved gravel, the contractor will replace it with a concrete approach where a sidewalk is installed at that location; if an existing paved approach is present, they will replace it and put the sidewalk across it.

A separate question about the Glenwood/Emerson work prompted Chip Fisher to estimate the segment would likely take “every bit of a couple of months” to complete, with the project team later noting that particular section could be three-plus months given its length. Robin said the team hopes to mobilize on multiple school segments over the summer, beginning with Stewart (Jennings) then Nettie Schultz.

Contacts and project updates

Robin provided on-screen contact numbers for the project: herself (project manager), Alex (public works inspector), Juan (contractor superintendent) and Chip Fisher (contractor owner/project manager). The team said project updates and presentation materials will be posted on the project website and via a QR code shown during the meeting.

No formal decisions or city votes were taken at the session; the meeting was informational and intended to share scope, schedule and neighborhood impact procedures.