Denton officials are working to improve southeast Denton with the Southeast Denton Area Plan, a guide for future improvements and capital projects that includes updated sidewalk infrastructure.
City staff conducted a study and compiled their findings in a July 2024 report, which showed the need for improved mobility in the area.
Zooming in
Southeast Denton’s perimeter consists of a solid barrier of industrial buildings and busy streets that, combined with a lack of sidewalks and bike facilities, make it difficult or impossible for residents to safely walk or bike beyond the edges of the community, according to the report. There is also a lack of sidewalk infrastructure heading to southeast Denton city parks.
Kayla Herrod, deputy director of marketing and communications with the city of Denton, said city staff created a map of areas where they want to see sidewalk infrastructure improvement, but the exact mileage for improvement has not been determined yet.
The plan highlights several streets where adding sidewalks and bike lanes could enhance connectivity and safety. These include East McKinney, East Hickory, South Ruddell, East Sycamore, East Prairie, Robertson, Morse and Duncan streets, as well as Woodrow Lane.
Many of these street locations are also high areas of vehicular crashes. Between 2018-23, there were 2,561 people involved in car crashes in southeast Denton, with 27 of those being pedestrians, according to crash data from the Texas Department of Transportation. Crashes on McKinney Street alone accounted for nearly 20% of accidents in southeast Denton, and East Hickory, Morse, Lakey and Duncan streets were also commonly cited crash sites in the area.
Some context
City staff developed the overall Southeast Denton Area Plan in March 2023 to improve resident quality of life and rebuild trust with the community, according to city documents. In the 1920s, the city government forcibly relocated the residents of Quakertown, a predominantly Black community, to southeast Denton, destroying nearly 70 homes in the process, city documents state.
Staff finalized the plan in summer 2024, and the planning and zoning commission recommended creating a special overlay district in October.
Looking ahead
Exact funding has not been assigned to this project yet. All funding decisions will be determined with Denton City Council, and grants could be an additional funding source, city staff said. Herrod said staff does not anticipate completing any major infrastructure projects by the end of 2026 and added that area plans typically begin several years after the city official approves the plan.
