Item 6A Staff Traffic MemoItem 6A
M E M O R A N D U M
(May 21, 2019)
To: Shana Yelverton, City Manager
From: Rob Cohen, Director of Public Works
Subject: Traffic Access and Safety Improvements – N. Carroll Avenue near
Lakewood Drive
Background Information
N. Carroll Avenue from TX-114 to Southcrest Court includes 11 different access points to
commercial, government, office and residential uses within a stretch of roadway less than
1500 feet long. Of particular concern to adjacent neighborhoods and City staff are the
following existing conditions:
• The queue for NB vehicles turning left onto WB TX-114 often extends past
Lakewood Drive, blocking some turning movements onto N. Carroll Avenue.
• Motorists perform prohibited movements, i.e. left turns from 1101 E. TX-114 (7-
Eleven), left turns from 1221 E. TX-114 (Chuy’s) and U-turns near 667 N. Carroll
Avenue (Southlake Fire House #1).
• The driveway for 754 N. Carroll Avenue (Landmark Office) is full-access and less
than 100 feet away from the intersection with Lakewood Drive.
Proposed Alternatives
Staff is working with a consultant to evaluate a variety of alternatives to mitigate access
and safety concerns, including:
1. More NB left turn storage at TX-114. Public Works has requested that TxDOT
evaluate the feasibility of creating a dual left turn or making a lane “through/left”
instead of just “through.” Our consultant has also identified an additional 100 feet
of left turn storage which will be available if we remove a portion of the median.
2. Consolidation of curb cuts. To comply with best practices and our Driveway
Ordinance, the closely spaced driveways for Landmark Office and 7 -Eleven could
be combined.
3. Relocation of curb cuts. The existing driveway for Landmark Office could be
relocated to the portion of Lakewood Drive adjacent to commercial property. This
same configuration exists for the office building at 550 N. Carroll Avenue, which
has one driveway along Southcrest Court, a residential street.
4. Median extension. An average of 10 vehicles per day make the prohibited left turn
from Chuy’s, which is relatively low, but more aggressive measures can be taken
to reduce that count to zero. We could construct a median island to allow access
to and from Lakewood Drive while obstructing access to left turns from Chuy’s, or
we could extend the median completely across the intersection.
Item 6A
5. Relocation of full-access points. To reduce conflicts between turning movements
for the Landmark Office driveway and Lakewood Drive, the driveway can be
modified to right-in/right-out. Left turning traffic into or out of the site can make a
U-turn at 7-Eleven or at the driveway closest to 1241 E. TX-114 (Cyclebar). The
road near this driveway currently has a median which restricts left turns and U-
turns, but this driveway is a more appropriate location for full access movements.
Allowing U-turns here would also mitigate the issue of the U-turns which occur near
Fire House #1.
Strategic Link
This effort links to the City’s Strategy Map relative to the focus areas of Mobility and
Infrastructure. The specific Corporate Objectives that are met by this project include: (C2)
provide travel convenience within City & region and (F2) invest to provide & maintain high
quality public assets. The Critical Business Outcome is to (CB02) enhance mobility
through aggressive traffic management initiatives and capital project implementation.
Staff Contacts
Ken Baker, Senior Director of Planning and Development Services
Rob Cohen, Director of Public Works
Stephanie Taylor, Transportation Manager