The Northhaven Bridge
And how pedestrian infrastructure connects communities together.
Today I would like to talk about how freeways divide our communities and how projects like the Northhaven bridge can be a good first step to more connected communities.
The Issue: Communities Divided
Dallas is not very safe to be as a pedestrian or cyclist. This is especially true near any of the many freeways throughout Dallas. Freeway crossings are optimized to move the largest number of cars as possible, which comes into conflict with pedestrian and cyclist safety. Anybody that has crossed underneath a freeway on foot knows that, although they are impressive from an engineering perspective, they are absolutely terrifying for anybody outside of a car. This really disincentivizes communities from opposite sides of the freeway from interacting with each other. In many cases in America, this was done on purpose. With the troubled past and the present state of urban freeways in America, it is a problem that deserves serious attention.
The Northhaven Bridge
I live off of Forest Lane and 75, which is an incredibly busy intersection. As mentioned before, these crossings are incredibly unsafe and I am often left cycling miles out of my way to avoid these intersections. Near my apartment, however, they have recently installed a bridge to cross 75. The Northhaven bridge connects the Northaven trail with the White Rock Creek Trail and Cottonwood Creek Trail. Major construction has been completed, but it will take some time for the final touches. In its current state it is safe to cross.
This gives residents on the West side of 75 access to a trail that goes all the way to White Rock Lake, the Forest Lane DART station, and many more food and grocery options. Likewise, the residents on the East side of 75 receive a trail that goes all the way to old Koreatown, various shopping centers, and NorthPark Mall (through Boedecker).
Community Response
I took the opportunity of the (unofficial) opening to interview some residents. Every resident mentioned being able to explore the other side and connect with the communities on the other side. Tim, who has four kids, was cycling with them and excited to ride all the new trails he now has access to.
There is a whole community on the other side that never comes over here. - Tim
Another resident, Jeff, mentioned how he will use the bridge to beat rush hour traffic to get to the gym and decrease his car usage. An ordeal that normally involved a lot of time and stress will now just take a couple minutes. He never crossed 75 with his electric scooter before, but now he is eager to use it more.
A couple, Christie and Mike, actually moved to the Midtown apartments on Manderville Lane years ago with the hope the trail would be finished soon. Although the wait was very long, they are happy with the new options and safety it provides.
What should Dallas do in the future?
With community feedback this positive, I think it is a good sign should be doing more projects of this nature. Improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure helps people feel safer, decreases car usage, and helps connect communities as seen in this article. I personally will benefit greatly from this project. However, to do justice to our communities, this infrastructure also needs to go to areas that have been underinvested in. Oak Cliff and South Dallas in general does not have near the amount of cycling infrastructure and pedestrianized freeway crossings that the North does. I am happy to see more progress on The Loop, but all of Dallas needs to be included. Let your city council member know if you feel the same way and let me know what you think in the comments.