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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 2079 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 2079 N,.P T E NF �OEfORT0 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 28, 1972 rExP�. Subject: NAMING OF FREEWAYS 107 Several months ago the City Council received conflicting requests from the Tarrant County Historical Society that the Freeways be named for distinguished citizens of Fort Worth. As a result of these requestg the staff has reviewed the procedure for establishing memorials on existing freeways in the Fort Worth area. It is felt that a satisfactory method of designating memorials would be for future major thoroughfares and freeways and the proper time for the designation would be prior to construction and usage. For example, the proposed Southwest-Northside Freeway could logically be referred to as a memorial highway. The Texas Highway Department is limited to the use of numbers when identify=- highways or freeways. The signs for a memorial highway have been limited by the Texas Legislature to one small plaque placed at a point designated by the Highway Department on the parkway some distance from the through traffic lanes. The purpose would be to establish the memorial and not to sign the Freeway. Signs describing the freeway to the public as a memorial have to be in the form of standard street name signs at intersections of the frontage road and City streets. The City has received a letter from the Haltom Richland Area Chamber of Commerce requesting that the City of Fort Worth designate (Freeway) State Highway 121 as the AIRPORT FREEWAY. The City staff has considered this request and have no objections. The Haltom Richland Area Chamber of Commerce further asks the City to encourage the Texas Highway Department to sign the Freeway as Airport Freeway to overcome the confusion now existing with at least four different highway numbers from the central business district of Fort Worth to the Regional Airport. A copy of their letter is attached. By public usage the Freeways have been named (but not officially) except in the case of the North Freeway and the South Freeway. On September 4, 1970 (Informal Report No. 1792) , the generally recognized names of the freeways and the naming of Texas Highway 121 as the Northeast Freeway were discussed. Since that time it had appeared that the more acceptable name for Texas Highway 121 would be the Riverside Freeway but with the request from the Haltom Richland Area Chamber of Commerce, the Freeway could be named AIRPORT FREEWAY. On September 28, 1970 (M&C G-1632) , the frontage roads on Interstate 35-W were named the North Freeway and the South Freeway. In February, 1971 (M&C G-1700) , it was proposed that existing street names of frontage roads of Interstate 20 be called West Freeway. There was considerable citizen objection to the changing of the street names of West Rosedale from Spring Street to Horne Street and Calmont Street from Horne Street to Ridglea Avenue; therefore, no action was taken on the proposal. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS s INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 2079 - Page 2 +,,Pri it, VOR1yA To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 28, 1972 �TEXPy. Subject: NAMING OF FREEWAYS 18 73 Attached is a list of freeways by highway number and a proposed name for the identification of the frontage roads. If there is no objection to the pro- posed naming of the Freeway Frontage Roads, a Mayor and Council Communication designating the remaining unnamed frontage roads will be presented to the Council for action. Where existing frontage roads are named for old exist- ing streets, the impact of changing the name on existing usage and addresses will be reviewed before any future submission for approval. If the method of designating future freeways as memorials meets with Council approval, it will be used in referring to future freeways. If additional information is needed, the staff will be happy to supply it upon request. Respectfully submitted, c R. ff ine City Manager RNL:ms Attachment ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS