UP City Council Mulls “Miracle Mile” Plans

The University Park city council and city staff explored options for the stretch of Lovers Lane between the Dallas North Tollway and Douglas Avenue known as the Miracle Mile at the Feb. 21 city council meeting. 

Stakeholders favored a proposal for the retail area that would replace aging pavement, add three parking spaces, more green space, pedestrian accessibility, and lighting, and improve traffic signal timing.  

University Park city engineer Katie Barron said construction plans for the project are about 60% complete. Dallas County committed to funding 50% of the estimated $9 million project up to $4.6 million.

Among changes proposed to the approved concept was potentially reconfiguring Lomo Alto Drive and Lovers Lane to remove the pedestrian crossing at the Lomo Alto Drive extension, which Barron said would add a parking space, and provide additional space across the street, and narrowing Lomo Alto Drive at Lovers Lane on the northbound side (near the tollway), which she said would allow for a crosswalk across Lovers Lane and add another parking space.

Councilman Mark Aldredge and councilwoman Liz Farley said they weren’t sold on moving the crosswalk close to the Dallas North Tollway.

“I’m not in favor of having that crosswalk down close to the tollway,” Aldredge said. “I think there’s too much going on there at that tollway, and I’m very afraid that that’s not going to work very well. I’d rather see it back the other way.”

With the city council feedback, Barron said city staff will continue coordinating with the city of Dallas, Dallas County Public Works, and the North Texas Tollway Authority on the design of the project.

In other news:

• The city council approved an interlocal agreement with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) for public transportation improvements.
• Action regarding the potential abandonment of an obsolete sanitary sewer main along Golf Drive was tabled until the March 21 city council meeting.