Wedgwood Square Neighborhood Association

Have you discovered a pothole in the city?

The Fort Worth Transportation & Public Works Department wants to know where it is. Web users now can report potholes online via the City of Fort Worth Web site.

Simply log on to http://www.fortworthgov.org/forms/potholereport.asp to fill out and submit the form.

To report a pothole by phone, simply call TPW's 24-hour customer service number at 817-392-8100.

It now is illegal to pass certain stationary emergency vehicles on the highway.

The new state law, which became effective in September of 2003, simply states that if you're on a multi-lane road, and you're approaching a police car, fire truck, or ambulance that is stopped with its emergency lights on, you MUST more over and leave at least one lane between you and the emergency vehicle.

For example, if the emergency vehicle is stopped on the right shoulder, and you are on a road with three lanes moving in the same direction, you must move into the center or left lane. If you cannot move over, you must slow down using the following guidelines:

* If the posted speed limit is 25 mph or more, you must slow to a speed at least 20 mph less than the posted speed limit.

* If the posted speed limit is less than 25 mph, you must slow down to 5 mph.

The new law is designed to keep emergency vehicle responders as well as passing motorists safe.

Information provided by Fort Worth City Times 12-03 Vol. 22 No. 12

Lots of factors affect neighborhoods.

Traffic safety is one of them-especially efforts to reduce speeding and discourage drivers from cutting through residential areas. Speeding and high cut-through traffic affect the livability and safety of neighborhoods.

That's where the traffic safety section of the Fort Worth Transportation and Public Works Department comes to the rescue, using a variety of traffic control devices and working with local residents to build safe communities.

Traffic Safety investigates requests for traffic control and /or calming in residential areas citywide. Traffic control devices include stop, yield, speed limit, turn/curve and playground signs, as well as pavement markings like centerlines.

The most common method of reducing high speeds and discouraging cut-through traffic in residential neighborhoods is speed humps. Other devices such as semi-diverters are being considered.

Sometimes, however, solving a problem on one street moves the problem to other streets. That's why the city encourages residents to form neighborhood traffic safety committees composed of residents from key streets in the area. Working in concert with Traffic Safety, the group can develop a comprehensive plan that addresses the traffic concerns of a whole neighborhood, rather than those of a single street.

For more information on the city's Traffic Safety Program, visit the web at http://www.fortworthgov.org/tpw/NTMP1.htm
or contact WSNA's traffic control director, Mr. Byron Miller.

Traffic Safety specialists also work with school officials, parents, and community members, often attending after-hours PTA meetings, to help ensure local students a safe roue to school. Fort Worth provides traffic control devices - reduced-speed-limit school zone signs (with or without flashers) and crosswalks as well as school-advance, loading zone, and bus loading zones signs - for all schools within the city limits.

Knowing that safe traffic sidewalks contribute to a neighborhood's quality of life, the city's Traffic Safety Section uses school-walking route maps to identify walkway needs in the vicinity of schools. And, neighborhood associations assist Traffic Safety in identifying frequently used routes for sidewalk placement or existing sidewalks in need of repair.

Information Provided By Fort Worth City Times 12-03 Vol. 22 No. 12

We know that the traffic problems in our area are a thorn in our side. But NOW we know what to do about it! At our Quarterly meeting in August, those in attendance were able to vote on one traffic plan that the Traffic Committee has developed and the plan was unanimously passed without opposition. The seven points to this plan are as follows:

1) The addition of Bike and Pedestrian Lanes to .... .
2) A new 4 way school Crossing at .... .
3) The closing of 5300 Wooten Drive.
4) Intersection Improvement / median addition to .... .
5) Traffic Studies of Trail Lake Drive and Woodway.
6) An Additional Speed Limit Sign at Trail Lake and Wedgway.
7) Street Resurfacing on Wedgway.

These points if implemented by the city (where the plan is now being reviewed and investigated by City Official Mr. John Hobson) will hopefully reduce traffic, reduce traffic speeds, increase safety and increase convenience.

At least four additional traffic concerns have already been discussed during and since the August meeting and it is apparent that we need more neighborhood discussion and involvement in bettering our community's transportation elements.

Please contact WSNA's Traffic control Director at Large, Mr. Byron Miller with any traffic related concerns or better yet, contact him with this phrase dangling from your lips, "I want to volunteer on the traffic committee!". Traffic Committee meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of every month at a WSNA meeting location-call for details.

2004 Request for Wedgwood Square Street Improvements through the 2004 Bond Election-Tolli Thomas to Fort Worth City:

To: Fort Worth City council
From: Mrs. Tolli A. Thomas, President Wedgwood Square NA
CC: All council members
Date: 08/28/03
Re: CIP / Improvements to WSNA

Regarding Street Repairs"
Wedgwood Square Neighborhood Association requests street resurfacing and/or street repair for to the following streets:

1) Wosley (resurfaced)

2) Wedgway - Between Wonder Drive and Trail Lake Drive (resurfaced)

3) Walton - large pothole - repair needed at 3900 block

4) Welch - large pothole - repair needed at 6025 block