From: Houston Chronicle
By: Mike Snyder // August 19, 2009
Passengers stepping off trains in Houston's expanding light rail network will be more likely to encounter walkable environments and interesting destinations because of action taken Wednesday by the City Council, city officials and transit advocates said.
The council unanimously approved changes in development codes intended to promote dense, urban-style development along the Metropolitan Transit Authority's Main Street rail line and five planned extensions. The pedestrian zone requirements and incentives were developed through more than three years of work by city officials, consultants, development experts and others.
Councilwoman Toni Lawrence said the changes, coupled with plans to expand urban development regulations from Loop 610 to Beltway 8 and high speed rail proposals under consideration for commuters, will have a major impact on automobile-dependent Houston. The measures take effect immediately.
“I'm excited about it,” Lawrence said. “We're behind cities our size to move forward with rail.”
MORE
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Denton County Transit Authority Purchases Property for Highland Village-Lewisville Lake Station
From: LakeCitiesSun.com
August 20,2009
August 20,2009
The Denton County Transportation Authority closed on two properties on the southeast corner of I-35E and Garden Ridge Boulevard. The properties will serve as the site for the Highland Village/Lewisville Lake station.
The purchases included a 1.1 acre tract for $1,508,391.83 and a 1.434 acre tract for $1,255,069. This acquisition of the 2.5 acres completes the station acquisition phase of the A-train project.
"This final phase of property acquisition illustrates our commitment to bringing rail service to Denton County. The progress we have made thus far is a direct result of the hard work of our board and employees and the support of our local and regional partners," said Charles Emery, DCTA Board Chairman. "The cities of Lewisville and Highland Village have been strong supporters of DCTA and continue to work with us to make the A-train a reality."
MOREAustin MetroRail: Still no opening date
From: statesman.com
By: Ben Wear // August 19, 2009
Capital Metro officials, still working to solve various issues with its commuter rail line, can’t yet say when the line will open.
When the line does open, agency officials said, some of the morning and afternoon runs on the 32-mile line between Leander and downtown Austin might start at stations further up the line rather than at the end points.
In the fourth monthly update since an eleventh-hour postponement of an announced March 30 opening date, Capital Metro said it had completed training engineers, completed adjustment to railroad crossing “safety equipment pending any new issues,” finished some track repairs at the U.S. 183 frontage road and Parmer Lane crossings and completed work on “signal preemption” technology meant to clear cars from places where the track is near a street traffic signal.
MORE
By: Ben Wear // August 19, 2009
Capital Metro officials, still working to solve various issues with its commuter rail line, can’t yet say when the line will open.
When the line does open, agency officials said, some of the morning and afternoon runs on the 32-mile line between Leander and downtown Austin might start at stations further up the line rather than at the end points.
In the fourth monthly update since an eleventh-hour postponement of an announced March 30 opening date, Capital Metro said it had completed training engineers, completed adjustment to railroad crossing “safety equipment pending any new issues,” finished some track repairs at the U.S. 183 frontage road and Parmer Lane crossings and completed work on “signal preemption” technology meant to clear cars from places where the track is near a street traffic signal.
MORE
Would High-Speed Rail from Dallas to Houston Make Sense?
From: The New York Times
By: Edward Glaeser // August 12, 2009
How large are the environmental and other social benefits of high-speed rail?
I’ve now reached the halfway point in this series of blog posts on the president’s “vision for high-speed rail.” The national discussion of high-speed rail must get away from high-flying rhetoric and tawdry ad hominem attacks and start weighing costs and benefits.
Environmental benefits are one potentially big plus from rail lines.
Today, I focus only on the social benefits that come from switching travelers from cars and planes to rail, not any indirect benefits associated with changing land-use patterns. I’ll get to those next week, when I also discuss high-speed rail as an economic development strategy. As I did last week, I use a simple, transparent methodology, focusing on costs and benefits during an average year. Today, I’ll estimate the environmental and other social benefits that will help offset the costs of rail.
I’d like to include buses, but this post is too long already. Only about 2 percent of inter-city vehicle miles are traveled by bus, and a Center for Clean Air Policy report has convinced me that buses wouldn’t make much of a difference.
I’m going to ignore fatalities for both rail and air and noise externalities (typical estimates for these are modest), and ignore any traffic congestion associated with getting to and from the airport or train station. For both air and rail, the only social cost will be carbon emissions. For cars, I’ll add in traffic deaths, congestion and local pollution.
As in the previous two posts, I focus on a mythical 240-mile-line between Houston and Dallas, which was chosen to avoid giving the impression that this back-of-the-envelope calculation represents a complete evaluation of any actual proposed route. (The Texas route will be certainly far less attractive than high-speed rail in the Northeast Corridor, but it is not inherently less reasonable than the proposed high-speed rail routes across Missouri or between Dallas and Oklahoma City.)
MORE
By: Edward Glaeser // August 12, 2009
How large are the environmental and other social benefits of high-speed rail?
I’ve now reached the halfway point in this series of blog posts on the president’s “vision for high-speed rail.” The national discussion of high-speed rail must get away from high-flying rhetoric and tawdry ad hominem attacks and start weighing costs and benefits.
Environmental benefits are one potentially big plus from rail lines.
Today, I focus only on the social benefits that come from switching travelers from cars and planes to rail, not any indirect benefits associated with changing land-use patterns. I’ll get to those next week, when I also discuss high-speed rail as an economic development strategy. As I did last week, I use a simple, transparent methodology, focusing on costs and benefits during an average year. Today, I’ll estimate the environmental and other social benefits that will help offset the costs of rail.
I’d like to include buses, but this post is too long already. Only about 2 percent of inter-city vehicle miles are traveled by bus, and a Center for Clean Air Policy report has convinced me that buses wouldn’t make much of a difference.
I’m going to ignore fatalities for both rail and air and noise externalities (typical estimates for these are modest), and ignore any traffic congestion associated with getting to and from the airport or train station. For both air and rail, the only social cost will be carbon emissions. For cars, I’ll add in traffic deaths, congestion and local pollution.
As in the previous two posts, I focus on a mythical 240-mile-line between Houston and Dallas, which was chosen to avoid giving the impression that this back-of-the-envelope calculation represents a complete evaluation of any actual proposed route. (The Texas route will be certainly far less attractive than high-speed rail in the Northeast Corridor, but it is not inherently less reasonable than the proposed high-speed rail routes across Missouri or between Dallas and Oklahoma City.)
MORE
Saturday, August 22, 2009
DART receives $78.4 million in federal funds for Green Line
From: Fort Worth Star Telegram
By: Gordon Dickson / August 13, 2009
Dallas Area Rapid Transit received $78.4 million in federal stimulus funds to speed up construction of the Green Line, a light-rail corridor from Carrollton-Farmer’s Branch to Pleasant Grove in south Dallas, officials said.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the award Thursday. It is part of an effort to infuse $48.1 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding into roads, rails, buses, bridges and airports nationwide.
A portion of the DART Green Line is scheduled to open Sept. 14. As a result, Tarrant County residents may find it much easier to ride the Trinity Railway Express and DART light rail to the State Fair of Texas.
The $78.4 million awarded to DART is essentially an advance of federal grant reimbursements the agency was scheduled to get in 2013, DART spokesman Morgan Lyons said. It’s part of a previously announced, $700 million long-term commitment the Federal Transit Administration has made to the DART project.
"By getting the money now, we can shift funds and do other things more quickly," Lyons said. "It’s very good news."
DART was awarded $61 million in federal funds this year for the Orange Line, which is expected to connect to the north end of Dallas/Fort Worth Airport by 2013. The Orange Line is scheduled to be joined by a proposed commuter rail line operated by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority from Grapevine to Fort Worth.
By: Gordon Dickson / August 13, 2009
Dallas Area Rapid Transit received $78.4 million in federal stimulus funds to speed up construction of the Green Line, a light-rail corridor from Carrollton-Farmer’s Branch to Pleasant Grove in south Dallas, officials said.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the award Thursday. It is part of an effort to infuse $48.1 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding into roads, rails, buses, bridges and airports nationwide.
A portion of the DART Green Line is scheduled to open Sept. 14. As a result, Tarrant County residents may find it much easier to ride the Trinity Railway Express and DART light rail to the State Fair of Texas.
The $78.4 million awarded to DART is essentially an advance of federal grant reimbursements the agency was scheduled to get in 2013, DART spokesman Morgan Lyons said. It’s part of a previously announced, $700 million long-term commitment the Federal Transit Administration has made to the DART project.
"By getting the money now, we can shift funds and do other things more quickly," Lyons said. "It’s very good news."
DART was awarded $61 million in federal funds this year for the Orange Line, which is expected to connect to the north end of Dallas/Fort Worth Airport by 2013. The Orange Line is scheduled to be joined by a proposed commuter rail line operated by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority from Grapevine to Fort Worth.
Mixed Use in North Texas
From: Texas A&M Real Estate Center
August 3, 2009
According to the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), developers completed mixed-use projects encompassing 913,000 sf of retail space, 255,900 sf of office space, 1,488 apartment units and 39 condo units during second quarter 2009.
Construction began on 1.1 million sf of retail space, 15,000 sf of office space, 1,998 multifamily residential units and 545 single-family units in mixed-use developments.
Mixed-use developments announced during 2Q 2009 will add 108,000 sf of retail space and 68 hotel rooms.
View the complete NCTCOG report here.
August 3, 2009
According to the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), developers completed mixed-use projects encompassing 913,000 sf of retail space, 255,900 sf of office space, 1,488 apartment units and 39 condo units during second quarter 2009.
Construction began on 1.1 million sf of retail space, 15,000 sf of office space, 1,998 multifamily residential units and 545 single-family units in mixed-use developments.
Mixed-use developments announced during 2Q 2009 will add 108,000 sf of retail space and 68 hotel rooms.
View the complete NCTCOG report here.
Construction Contract Awarded for Woodall Rodgers Deck Park in Dallas
From: Dallas Morning News
TxDOT this morning announced the award of a contract to begin construction on the planned deck park over the Woodall Rodgersfreeway that will link Uptown to downtown.
By: Rudolph Bush // August 3, 2009
TxDOT this morning announced the award of a contract to begin construction on the planned deck park over the Woodall Rodgersfreeway that will link Uptown to downtown.The contract went to Atlanta-based Archer Western to build the 5.2 acre span that is expected to become the city's most lavish park and a critical pedestrian connection between the Arts District and Uptown.
A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 14, according to a press release from TxDOT.
The $44.5 million contract will go toward construction of the main bridge between Pearl and St. Paul over the 8-lane freeway.
The $44.5 million contract will go toward construction of the main bridge between Pearl and St. Paul over the 8-lane freeway.
Sponsors of the deck park also say that they will now refer to it simply as"the Park" while they work toward selling naming rights to some major donor.
City Hall has long been eager to name the entire park in honor of a donor and to sell off the names of specific amenities planned inside the park.
Similar efforts have been successful nationally in funding significant features in important urban parks.
UPDATE: The deck park is scheduled to open in mid-2011. All of the features (or amenities as parks folks say) are to be in by 2012.
Moving on streetcars at Dallas City Hall
From: Dallas Morning News
By: Rodger Jones // August 5, 2009
Could be a breakthrough moment at City Hall today. Council member Linda Koop and staff will brief council on a new approach to planning the first stretches of a citywide streetcar system.
The idea melds the long-soughtdowntown starter line with an ambitious plan that Oak Cliff has been developing to both serve the community and connect their neighborhoods with downtown.
The dual projects had been dueling projects of sorts, with some Oak Cliff boosters saying that Dallas City Hall was horning in on an OC strategy to go after stimulus money under a new program.
As colleague Sharon Grigsby wrote on the Southern Dallas Blog:
Now there's some buzz that several city council members want to apply for the same funds for the proposed downtown street car system. The thinking is that downtown should get "first dibs" on this funding source. Now whether that's just talk or may develop into a problem for the Oak Cliff-based idea, I don't know. But I do know that's the same thinking, unfortunately, that has left southern Dallas so often getting the leftovers.
Along comes the different approach. Linda Koop told me that she met with Dallas, DART and NCTCOG planners in Arlington Tuesday about the best way to secure money to start both systems. The thinking is that the city would be owner of either the Oak Cliff or downtown line and ought to bring them along simultaneously mindful of certain common needs -- like a financial plan, an operator (probably DART) a unified power system (electricity via overhead catenaries), car procurement and a maintenance facility. It only makes sense to address these things once.
MORE
By: Rodger Jones // August 5, 2009
Could be a breakthrough moment at City Hall today. Council member Linda Koop and staff will brief council on a new approach to planning the first stretches of a citywide streetcar system.
The idea melds the long-soughtdowntown starter line with an ambitious plan that Oak Cliff has been developing to both serve the community and connect their neighborhoods with downtown.
The dual projects had been dueling projects of sorts, with some Oak Cliff boosters saying that Dallas City Hall was horning in on an OC strategy to go after stimulus money under a new program.
As colleague Sharon Grigsby wrote on the Southern Dallas Blog:
Now there's some buzz that several city council members want to apply for the same funds for the proposed downtown street car system. The thinking is that downtown should get "first dibs" on this funding source. Now whether that's just talk or may develop into a problem for the Oak Cliff-based idea, I don't know. But I do know that's the same thinking, unfortunately, that has left southern Dallas so often getting the leftovers.
Along comes the different approach. Linda Koop told me that she met with Dallas, DART and NCTCOG planners in Arlington Tuesday about the best way to secure money to start both systems. The thinking is that the city would be owner of either the Oak Cliff or downtown line and ought to bring them along simultaneously mindful of certain common needs -- like a financial plan, an operator (probably DART) a unified power system (electricity via overhead catenaries), car procurement and a maintenance facility. It only makes sense to address these things once.
MORE
Houston to Dallas High Speed Rail - The Numbers Don't Add Up
From: Austin Contrarian
August 4, 2009
Economist Ed Glaeser runs the numbers for a hypothetical high-speed rail line from Houston to Dallas and concludes they don't add up. I think it's a closer call.
Here's the crux of his estimate:
I estimate benefits by comparing rail to air. A train going from Dallas to Houston at 150 miles an hour would take 96 minutes. Southwest Airlines takes an hour for the same route, but the need to arrive early could add on an extra hour. I’ll add on an extra 36 minutes for the driving time to the airports, which means that the train saves an hour. The per-passenger benefit from the high-speed rail line is the saved cost of the Southwest ticket ($80) plus an hour’s worth of time (let’s say $40, which seems generous), plus any added benefits from the comfort of the train (let’s say $20 more). All told, benefits per trip are $140. Since the variable costs are $72 for the trip (30 cents a mile times 240 miles), benefits minus variable costs come to $68 a trip. If these numbers were right (and I think that they are very kind to rail), then the system should be able to run a healthy operating surplus.
. . .
Now it’s just down to multiplying: 1.5 million trips times $68 a trip means $102 million for benefits minus operating costs. Annual capital costs came in $648 million, more than six times that amount. If you think that the right number is three million trips, then the benefits rise to $200 million, and the ratio between the per rider net benefits and costs drops to one-to-three.
This is the cruel arithmetic faced by people, like myself, who would love to be pro-rail.
A couple of problems here. First, Glaeser underestimates the value of time for business travelers, who surely would be HSR's predominant users. I don't know where he got his estimate of $40 per hour, but it is belied by the air fares travelers already pay. The walk-up fare for a one-way trip from Houston to Dallas (the fare business travelers pay) is $140. From airport parking lot to airport parking lot, the flight from Houston to Dallas takes about two hours. Add an average of one hour for travel to and from the airport, for a total travel time of three hours. By contrast, it is a four-hour drive from Houston to Dallas. The plane beats the car by one hour, which means the business traveler values his time at least at $140/hour. Even if we are generous and assume the plane is one and one-half hours faster, business travelers are willing to pay almost $100 to save one hour.
MORE
August 4, 2009
Economist Ed Glaeser runs the numbers for a hypothetical high-speed rail line from Houston to Dallas and concludes they don't add up. I think it's a closer call.
Here's the crux of his estimate:
I estimate benefits by comparing rail to air. A train going from Dallas to Houston at 150 miles an hour would take 96 minutes. Southwest Airlines takes an hour for the same route, but the need to arrive early could add on an extra hour. I’ll add on an extra 36 minutes for the driving time to the airports, which means that the train saves an hour. The per-passenger benefit from the high-speed rail line is the saved cost of the Southwest ticket ($80) plus an hour’s worth of time (let’s say $40, which seems generous), plus any added benefits from the comfort of the train (let’s say $20 more). All told, benefits per trip are $140. Since the variable costs are $72 for the trip (30 cents a mile times 240 miles), benefits minus variable costs come to $68 a trip. If these numbers were right (and I think that they are very kind to rail), then the system should be able to run a healthy operating surplus.
. . .
Now it’s just down to multiplying: 1.5 million trips times $68 a trip means $102 million for benefits minus operating costs. Annual capital costs came in $648 million, more than six times that amount. If you think that the right number is three million trips, then the benefits rise to $200 million, and the ratio between the per rider net benefits and costs drops to one-to-three.
This is the cruel arithmetic faced by people, like myself, who would love to be pro-rail.
A couple of problems here. First, Glaeser underestimates the value of time for business travelers, who surely would be HSR's predominant users. I don't know where he got his estimate of $40 per hour, but it is belied by the air fares travelers already pay. The walk-up fare for a one-way trip from Houston to Dallas (the fare business travelers pay) is $140. From airport parking lot to airport parking lot, the flight from Houston to Dallas takes about two hours. Add an average of one hour for travel to and from the airport, for a total travel time of three hours. By contrast, it is a four-hour drive from Houston to Dallas. The plane beats the car by one hour, which means the business traveler values his time at least at $140/hour. Even if we are generous and assume the plane is one and one-half hours faster, business travelers are willing to pay almost $100 to save one hour.
MORE
Austin/San Antonio Commuter rail district seeking $17.5M from FRA
From: AustinBusinessJournal
August 3, 2009
The Austin-San Antonio Commuter Rail District is asking the Federal Railroad Administration for $17.5 million to fund environmental clearances and preliminary engineering services related to the creation of a passenger rail line and the relocation of Union Pacific along the corridor.
The Texas Department of Transportation has submitted the actual application on behalf of the rail district. Alison Schulze, administrator and senior planner with the rail district, said the $17.5 million amounts to half of the money the district needs to begin the clearance and relocation efforts. The other half is coming from matching funds from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization and other groups.
“The competition for this money is fierce,” Schulze said, adding that it’s unclear how many different high-speed rail projects around the country will be vying for funds and what stage they are at now. Still, she points out that passenger rail between Dallas and San Antonio has been cited as a national priority for years. “We have a meeting with FRA later this week. Even if we don’t get the money this time around, at least we get our foot in the door and they can see that we have a credible project.”
August 3, 2009
The Austin-San Antonio Commuter Rail District is asking the Federal Railroad Administration for $17.5 million to fund environmental clearances and preliminary engineering services related to the creation of a passenger rail line and the relocation of Union Pacific along the corridor.
The Texas Department of Transportation has submitted the actual application on behalf of the rail district. Alison Schulze, administrator and senior planner with the rail district, said the $17.5 million amounts to half of the money the district needs to begin the clearance and relocation efforts. The other half is coming from matching funds from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization and other groups.
“The competition for this money is fierce,” Schulze said, adding that it’s unclear how many different high-speed rail projects around the country will be vying for funds and what stage they are at now. Still, she points out that passenger rail between Dallas and San Antonio has been cited as a national priority for years. “We have a meeting with FRA later this week. Even if we don’t get the money this time around, at least we get our foot in the door and they can see that we have a credible project.”
Massive Mixed Use Project in SE Austin Clears Hurdle
From: AustinBusinessJournal
By: Kate Harrington // July 31, 2009
A protracted legal battle over water in Southeast Travis County may finally be at an end, paving the way for a massive planned development to move forward.
A Travis County District Court judge ruled earlier this month in favor of Carma Texas, the Texas arm of Calgary, Canada-based Carma Developers LP, dismissing a case from Creedmoor-Maha Water Supply Corp.
The dispute between the two groups goes back more than a year. Carma has been buying land just west of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in far East Austin since 2005 and has amassed about 2,300 acres.
The developer plans a master-planned community that will include about 16,000 homes, roughly 4 million square feet of commercial space, several schools and parklands at buildout, but a construction timeline has not yet been put together.
By: Kate Harrington // July 31, 2009
A protracted legal battle over water in Southeast Travis County may finally be at an end, paving the way for a massive planned development to move forward.
A Travis County District Court judge ruled earlier this month in favor of Carma Texas, the Texas arm of Calgary, Canada-based Carma Developers LP, dismissing a case from Creedmoor-Maha Water Supply Corp.
The dispute between the two groups goes back more than a year. Carma has been buying land just west of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in far East Austin since 2005 and has amassed about 2,300 acres.
The developer plans a master-planned community that will include about 16,000 homes, roughly 4 million square feet of commercial space, several schools and parklands at buildout, but a construction timeline has not yet been put together.
Dallas City Manager -- City Can & Must be Denser, More Walkable
From: Dallas Morning News
By: Rudolph Bush // July 29, 2009
Linda Koop, the transportation guru of the Dallas City Council, said that citizens should expect Dallas to look a little more like Toronto in a decade.
Dallas has no choice but to build fewer roads and more sidewalks, she said.
"We cannot sustain building more and more highways year after year. Our air quality is teetering on the edge," she said.
Koop said that Dallas is poised for construction of a street car system that will change the way downtown, Oak Cliff and other central neighborhoods function.
"You're going to be able to live downtown and not have a car in Dallas," she said.
Council member Angela Hunt said developers in the city are keen on the benefits of density, but so far have been reluctant to take on the costs.
Wider sidewalks, parks, green medians and scaled lighting are all part of building an attractive urban landscape, she said.
Getting those has been easier said than done, she said.
"We still think streets," said Mayor Tom Leppert.
By: Rudolph Bush // July 29, 2009
Linda Koop, the transportation guru of the Dallas City Council, said that citizens should expect Dallas to look a little more like Toronto in a decade.
Dallas has no choice but to build fewer roads and more sidewalks, she said.
"We cannot sustain building more and more highways year after year. Our air quality is teetering on the edge," she said.
Koop said that Dallas is poised for construction of a street car system that will change the way downtown, Oak Cliff and other central neighborhoods function.
"You're going to be able to live downtown and not have a car in Dallas," she said.
Council member Angela Hunt said developers in the city are keen on the benefits of density, but so far have been reluctant to take on the costs.
Wider sidewalks, parks, green medians and scaled lighting are all part of building an attractive urban landscape, she said.
Getting those has been easier said than done, she said.
"We still think streets," said Mayor Tom Leppert.
New Urbanism Will Kill Us All
From: Dallas Morning News
By: Jeff Young / July 23, 2009
Whenever I'm at a social function and somebody throws out a term like "new urbanism," there's a pretty decent chance that I don't know what it is, unless it somehow showed up on MythBusters or SportsCenter . But unlike most people, who might use this opportunity to nod and be generally agreeable, I choose to feign an opposing viewpoint just to stir things up.
So, Jeff, what do you think of all the new urbanism projects popping up in Dallas?"
"I'm against it. It's going to kill us all."
"What? Why? Don't you think it's a great way to reduce our dependence on automobiles?"
"Yes, but – you won't believe this – I think somebody brought queso. You guys keep talking about the evils of new burbanism. ... I'll get a read on the queso situation." And then I'll run home and search dallasnews.com and Wikipedia to find out what the heck everybody is talking about.
It turns out that new urbanism is an inspired concept of community structure, where you combine mixed-use development with pedestrian-friendly walkways to condense sprawling suburbs into little microcosm neighborhoods. You mix in some trees, hide all the cars and, ta-da, you have a little Truman Show-type world where people can eat, sleep, work, play and go on dates, all within 17 feet of one another. You get extra points if you live on top of a bakery, next door to a dental office and across the walkway from a yoga studio. (Pssst ... good luck finding a dollar store.)
MORE
By: Jeff Young / July 23, 2009
Whenever I'm at a social function and somebody throws out a term like "new urbanism," there's a pretty decent chance that I don't know what it is, unless it somehow showed up on MythBusters or SportsCenter . But unlike most people, who might use this opportunity to nod and be generally agreeable, I choose to feign an opposing viewpoint just to stir things up.
So, Jeff, what do you think of all the new urbanism projects popping up in Dallas?"
"I'm against it. It's going to kill us all."
"What? Why? Don't you think it's a great way to reduce our dependence on automobiles?"
"Yes, but – you won't believe this – I think somebody brought queso. You guys keep talking about the evils of new burbanism. ... I'll get a read on the queso situation." And then I'll run home and search dallasnews.com and Wikipedia to find out what the heck everybody is talking about.
It turns out that new urbanism is an inspired concept of community structure, where you combine mixed-use development with pedestrian-friendly walkways to condense sprawling suburbs into little microcosm neighborhoods. You mix in some trees, hide all the cars and, ta-da, you have a little Truman Show-type world where people can eat, sleep, work, play and go on dates, all within 17 feet of one another. You get extra points if you live on top of a bakery, next door to a dental office and across the walkway from a yoga studio. (Pssst ... good luck finding a dollar store.)
MORE
Sunday, August 9, 2009
DART Rail Lines to Generate $4 Billion in Development
From: Pegasus News Wire
July 24, 2009
The 45-mile Green, Orange and Blue Line DART Rail expansion is projected to generate more than $4 billion in economic activity between 2009 and 2014, according to a new study by economists at the University of North Texas. Including prior Green Line expenditures, the total economic activity is more than $5.6 billion.
The study, conducted for DART by Drs. Terry Clower and Bernard Weinstein of the UNT Center for Economic Development and Research, also determined the expansion will create 32,095 job-years of employment [or an average of 6,400 jobs each year for the next five years]. Separately, ongoing operations of the multimodal transit agency will generate $663 million in annual economic activity and more than 5,300 jobs.
"Dallas Area Rapid Transit's light rail operations continue to be one of the best examples of the growing importance of transit, in all modes, to sustainable economic and community development," the researchers said.
DART President/Executive Director Gary Thomas said the study "is the latest evidence transit can help sustain and strengthen communities, particularly during tough economic times." Thomas said this was particularly evident in the number of small and emerging minority and women-owned businesses who are part of DART's expansion and ongoing operation. On the Green Line alone, more than $360 million in contract awards will be invested in these firms.
MORE
July 24, 2009
The 45-mile Green, Orange and Blue Line DART Rail expansion is projected to generate more than $4 billion in economic activity between 2009 and 2014, according to a new study by economists at the University of North Texas. Including prior Green Line expenditures, the total economic activity is more than $5.6 billion.
The study, conducted for DART by Drs. Terry Clower and Bernard Weinstein of the UNT Center for Economic Development and Research, also determined the expansion will create 32,095 job-years of employment [or an average of 6,400 jobs each year for the next five years]. Separately, ongoing operations of the multimodal transit agency will generate $663 million in annual economic activity and more than 5,300 jobs.
"Dallas Area Rapid Transit's light rail operations continue to be one of the best examples of the growing importance of transit, in all modes, to sustainable economic and community development," the researchers said.
DART President/Executive Director Gary Thomas said the study "is the latest evidence transit can help sustain and strengthen communities, particularly during tough economic times." Thomas said this was particularly evident in the number of small and emerging minority and women-owned businesses who are part of DART's expansion and ongoing operation. On the Green Line alone, more than $360 million in contract awards will be invested in these firms.
MORE
Texas Grass is Indeed Greener than Elsewhere
From: Texas A&M Real Estate Center
July 15, 2009
Despite the recent lack of rain, the “grass” in Texas is much greener than in most states. At least that’s the picture according to the U.S. Census Bureau and recent rankings by Forbes and Business Week.
The combination of rising unemployment, rapid market undulations, stingy credit, diminished home values, and consumer restraint in regard to major purchases has left many Americans finding that the careers and communities with which they have identified themselves for lengthy periods are no longer as economically dependable as they once assumed.
All states have been affected by the national economic downturn, but a handful of states, especially Texas, remain relatively healthy and inviting for those seeking greener pastures.
Geographic mobility has become the password for job-seekers with flexibility in terms of skills, family responsibilities and the marketing of their homes.
According to the online moving-services company, Relocation.com, although the economy has placed a strain on migration to some extent and is causing fewer people than normal to move from place to place, for those able to relocate, Texas is the most popular draw among all states.
Forbes reports that of the top five cities to which Americans are resettling, two are in the Lone Star State — Austin, number two nationally, and Dallas, in fifth place.
The most distinctive characteristic of these locales, as well as the others on the list — Raleigh, Charlotte and Phoenix — is the prevalence of varied business opportunities.
Other qualities shared by those on the list include generally pleasing climate and affordable housing.
Based on a recent study published by Business Week, three Texas metro areas are among the 20 best places in which to start a new career or a new life.
They include Amarillo at number 9, followed by Beaumont-Port Arthur and Waco, at 12 and 14, respectively.
The rankings were based on the percentages of companies that anticipated increasing their employment roles during the third quarter of this year.
There are many other reasons why people want to come to Texas.
According to a survey of CEOs by Chief Executive Magazine, for the fourth year in a row, Texas is the top state in terms of job growth and business development.
July 15, 2009
Despite the recent lack of rain, the “grass” in Texas is much greener than in most states. At least that’s the picture according to the U.S. Census Bureau and recent rankings by Forbes and Business Week.
The combination of rising unemployment, rapid market undulations, stingy credit, diminished home values, and consumer restraint in regard to major purchases has left many Americans finding that the careers and communities with which they have identified themselves for lengthy periods are no longer as economically dependable as they once assumed.
All states have been affected by the national economic downturn, but a handful of states, especially Texas, remain relatively healthy and inviting for those seeking greener pastures.
Geographic mobility has become the password for job-seekers with flexibility in terms of skills, family responsibilities and the marketing of their homes.
According to the online moving-services company, Relocation.com, although the economy has placed a strain on migration to some extent and is causing fewer people than normal to move from place to place, for those able to relocate, Texas is the most popular draw among all states.
Forbes reports that of the top five cities to which Americans are resettling, two are in the Lone Star State — Austin, number two nationally, and Dallas, in fifth place.
The most distinctive characteristic of these locales, as well as the others on the list — Raleigh, Charlotte and Phoenix — is the prevalence of varied business opportunities.
Other qualities shared by those on the list include generally pleasing climate and affordable housing.
Based on a recent study published by Business Week, three Texas metro areas are among the 20 best places in which to start a new career or a new life.
They include Amarillo at number 9, followed by Beaumont-Port Arthur and Waco, at 12 and 14, respectively.
The rankings were based on the percentages of companies that anticipated increasing their employment roles during the third quarter of this year.
There are many other reasons why people want to come to Texas.
According to a survey of CEOs by Chief Executive Magazine, for the fourth year in a row, Texas is the top state in terms of job growth and business development.
If Dallas Business Establishment Had Its Way with Dart
From: Dallas Observer
By: Jum Schutze // July 22, 2009
I'm not even trying to change the outcome. It's a freight train. Strapping myself to the tracks is not my idea of fun. But I want you to see what an enormous mistake we're about to make in choosing a second DART rail line through downtown.
Downtown Dallas 50 years from now could be what downtown Toronto is now—bustling, sophisticated, exciting and, best of all, booming.
Or not.
In September, DART, our regional mass transit agency, opens a whole new rail line, the Green Line, which will finally give us rail coverage from the center of the city out to all four corners of the region.
MORE
By: Jum Schutze // July 22, 2009
I'm not even trying to change the outcome. It's a freight train. Strapping myself to the tracks is not my idea of fun. But I want you to see what an enormous mistake we're about to make in choosing a second DART rail line through downtown.
Downtown Dallas 50 years from now could be what downtown Toronto is now—bustling, sophisticated, exciting and, best of all, booming.
Or not.
In September, DART, our regional mass transit agency, opens a whole new rail line, the Green Line, which will finally give us rail coverage from the center of the city out to all four corners of the region.
MORE
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