In a nutshell
The Facebook post states the following improvements are being made:
- Widening and reconstructing the road
- Improving utilities and drainage
- Adding parking, sidewalks, seating, landscaping, lighting and wayfinding signage
A closer look
According to previous Community Impact reporting, the Elm Street project is the second phase of a plan to improve Old Town Keller. A ribbon cutting was held Oct. 7 to mark the completion of improvements to Bates Street in Old Town Keller, which was also part of the second phase.
The project included installing a pedestrian hybrid beacon, a median on US 377 and improvements to Bates Street Park.
At their June 4 meeting, Tarrant County commissioners approved an interlocal agreement with Keller to provide the city an additional $1.84 million to help complete the Elm Street project. This adds to the $5.75 million voters previously approved the county to contribute as part of the 2021 bond package. That brings the total amount the county is contributing to $7.59 million of the $21.9 million project, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
The backstory
Road maintenance and management has been an issue on the City Council’s radar as the city’s population approaches 50,000 residents.
According to previous Community Impact reporting, once Keller’s population reaches 50,000, certain state and federal regulations are triggered.
Roads in town that are managed by the Texas Department of Transportation would be put under the city’s purview. This would add an additional 16 intersections and 54 lane miles to what Keller currently manages and could cost the city another $1 million a year, Keller City Manager Aaron Rector said.
Keller’s population currently sits above 46,000, according to the U.S. Census. Over the last decade, the city has grown by an average of 500 residents a year, and a couple of years saw bigger spikes in population growth than others.
