West 7th Street is one of the busiest areas of Fort Worth, but if the latest city is any indication, it’s a little safer, thanks to the conversion of certain streets to one-way.
Between June 1, 2017, and June 30, 2018, 70 automobile accidents were reported. However, between July 1, 2018, and June 30 of this year, there were only 61 crashes, a decrease of 13%.
Also, automobile-pedestrian accidents during that same time period dropped from five to zero.
The improved numbers likely come from the decision in June of 2018 to convert certain streets in the core of West Seventh Street from two-way to one-way. This also helped with such things as crowd control, improving access for emergency vehicles, and reducing vehicle-pedestrian conflicts.
The one-way streets were part of a slate of projects designed to improve the safety, walkability and accessibility of one of the city’s fastest growing areas. The changes were brought about primarily by a spike in overall crime in the area from 2015 to 2017, mostly late at night and involving bar patrons.