Town Manager Brandon Wright presented new ideas for alleviating heavy traffic along the road based on a report by Lee Engineering. The council update is the fourth step in a six-step process that aims to address traffic partially caused by three neighboring schools in the area.
Staff are expected to accept public input on the recommendations for the road before bringing a final report to council in September.
What are the options?
The new report includes several recommendations for improving traffic flow on Bobcat Boulevard. Cost estimates for each element are preliminary.
- A roundabout at Bobcat Boulevard and Marshall Creek Road
- Cost: $3.25 million-$3.5 million for a one-lane roundabout
- A traffic light at Bobcat Boulevard and Trophy Club Drive
- Cost: $500,000
- A crossing guard and a new right-turn lane at the Byron Nelson High School entrance No. 4 along Bobcat Boulevard
- Cost: $15,000 annually
- Mid-block pedestrian crossing between Marshall Creek and Parkview Drive
- Cost: $350,000
Staff asked Lee Engineering officials to find the most economical combination of traffic elements for the corridor, Wright said.
“One solution is not going to be the one solution you use all the way through that corridor,” he said.
The recommended plan would cost about $4.35 million in infrastructure costs and about $15,000 annually for an additional crossing guard. Traffic light maintenance is estimated to cost about $8,000 each year.
Improvements made to Bobcat Boulevard would be funded by a $7 million bond issued by the town in 2023. Denton County has also previously agreed to funding half of any costs associated with improving Bobcat Boulevard up to $3.3 million.
Also of note
The report included other cost estimates for alternatives such as a two-lane roundabout instead of a one-lane roundabout at the intersection of Bobcat Boulevard and Trophy Club Drive. Additional ideas and cost estimates can be found on the report, which was published online.
The background
Town council members began reviewing options for improving traffic on Bobcat Boulevard in January. The area hosts a high volume of traffic in the morning and late afternoon because of three neighboring schools.
- Byron Nelson High School
- Medlin Middle School
- Beck Elementary
Town officials initiated a six-phase approach to gather information about the road before making a decision. The process is expected to take eight months.
- Traffic watch and review
- Identify key objectives
- Develop solutions
- Town Council debrief
- Community Input and surveys (scheduled to start July 29)
- Final presentation to town council (anticipated Sept. 9)
Trophy Club officials are organizing resident input sessions and creating surveys in order to gather feedback from the community. Public input is expected to open July 29 with an online survey. Officials will also collect feedback via in-person focus groups on July 30 and July 3,1 which will be held at Town Hall.
During the public input process, staff will seek feedback on the recommended traffic elements, Wright said.
“We’ll present these things as options but we’re really looking for the opportunity to get community feedback about these solutions before we make any final recommendation to the town council,” he said.
Town staff expect to present community input and final recommendations to council members at a Sept. 9 workshop. The final recommendations would be based on resident input received during the public input process, Wright said.
