NPR for North Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Not taken for granted: Arlington applies for 3 awards to improve city amid projected budget woes

The white concrete statue of Gen. Trần Hưng Đạo is seen with blue sky and white clouds behind.
Yfat Yossifor
/
KERA News
A statue of Gen. Tran Hung Dao, a Vietnamese national and cultural icon. Arlington has promoted Lunar New Year events at Ben Thanh Plaza, where the statue is located.

Arlington is seeking three grants to help with road safety, cultural celebrations and city beautification.

The council gave the go-ahead to grant applications during its regular meeting last month, hours after a budget update outlining how the city is looking at a $21.5 million budget shortfall by 2026. The financial woes are largely due to changes with the Tarrant Appraisal District in which property will not be reevaluated for increases until 2027, officials said.

Trey Yelverton, Arlington’s city manager, told the council during its afternoon update that grants are one way leaders will be looking to relieve some of the impacts of decreased property tax revenue on the city’s coffers.

None of the grants would require the city to match funds, according to city staff reports.

Road improvements

The largest payout would come from two Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant (RAISE).

Its $31 million is split into two purposes, with $25 million for improving roadway safety and accessibility along Park Row Drive and $6 million for a railroad crossing study.

The roadway safety and accessibility improvement money would be used for smart road technology utilized to ease traffic and enhance pedestrian and vehicle mobility, according to a staff report.

The city is already using smart technology to improve traffic in parts of the city, with AI traffic management systems being installed in the Arlington Entertainment District ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The $6 million, if awarded, would be used for a comprehensive study of railroad crossings at street level. The city hopes to use the results of the study to determine how feasible it would be to improve those crossings.

Council Member Rebecca Boxall, who represents District 5 on the council, told KERA News during a conversation about a pilot program for redevelopment that she would like to see the city eventually improve some street-level railroad crossings by building bridges for vehicles and pedestrians to cross over the railroad tracks.

Crossings between Abram Street and Division Street are known for causing long traffic backups through areas like Downtown and UT Arlington.

Boxall said during the discussion on the pilot program (form-based code) that building those bridges over the railroad tracks could be a long and expensive process. A grant for a feasibility study could help relieve some of that cost burden from the city.

More cultural celebrations

Arlington’s diversity is something city leaders want to see celebrated, and they hope the Sid W. Richardson Grant will help them do that.

The grant would provide $200,000 for the city to organize cultural celebrations including a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event, Cinco de Mayo celebration and other cultural holidays and events, according to a city staff report.

The report says that “investment in cultural engagement reinforces Arlington’s commitment to celebrating its diversity and creating meaningful connections among residents.”

The city already hosts some events and helps to promote others that celebrate the city’s diversity.

The city promoted Lunar New Year events at Ben Thanh Plaza, a Vietnamese market that put the festival together.

Arlington Pride has grown each year since it started in 2022, transforming from a small celebration behind the HELP Center LGBTQ+ health clinic in the city to an event that see the city close off Abram Street between city hall and Levitt Pavillion, along with a parking lot next to city hall.

A more artistic community

If approved for the $100,000 Bloomberg Philanthropies grant, Arlington would put the money toward a mural under the Kim Brimer Bridge, according to a staff report about the grant application.

The bridge in the Arlington Entertainment District crosses Mark Holtz Lake, the water feature in the area more the size of a large pond than a true lake. It connects to Nolan Ryan Expressway near the soon-opening National Medal of Honor Museum.

The mural would be at the bridge’s pedestrian overpass, according to the report.

“Located directly across from the Arlington Museum of Art, the mural will not only beautify the area but also serve as a creative means to divert pedestrian traffic safely away from the busy roadway above,” the report reads. “This project fosters community pride while enhancing safety and connectivity.”

Got a tip? Email James Hartley at jhartley@kera.org. You can follow James on X @ByJamesHartley.

KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.

James Hartley is the Arlington Government Accountability reporter for KERA.