marksiwel wrote:Want the DART in Grapevine? Look how much it did for Irving
If Irving is a poorly managed city, then they will get a poorly managed result.
The problem is that DART is a poorly managed service; it's way too easy to get stranded somewhere due to lousy scheduling, and too many routes are actually slower than walking because connections aren't scheduled properly.
We are in a 100% agreement on that.
I was refering to how in the 90s Dart dragged some of Irvings Property values down to the dirt, turning once nice neighborshood into Ghettos, part of the reason I was born in Irving but was raised in Coppell
In Capitalism, Man exploits Man. In Communism, it's just the reverse
As I understand it, here's what's going to change for Grapevine:
1. An upgrade of the tracks between Grapevine and Fort Worth. The rational is that A) although there will be no real increase in the amount of freight usage, those trains that will use the track will be able to run faster; and B) a new commuter train will start running between Ft Worth and Grapevine. Currently, speeds are limited to 25 mph due to aging track conditions. The upgraded will both allow higher speeds, and make the trains run more quietly.
2. The addition of a spur running between downtown Grapevine and the DART station at DFW airport. A dedicated shuttle will run along that spur. What happens to passengers when they get to the DART station is up to DART, but the shuttle between the two will not be affected by DART scheduling/service.
The net effect for Grapevine residents will be A) reduced dependence on personal vehicles to commute out of Grapevine and into Dallas and Fort Worth; and B) reduced surface street impact from visitors into Grapevine. Those are arguably good things - particularly for Grapevine residents that have to deal with traffic congestion and parking issues during festivals and other events. Obviously, if DART has problems, commuters into Fort Worth may be better off than commuters heading into Dallas, but that is not a Grapevine issue, it's a DART issue. Big T officials say that freight traffic will not increase very much along the current Fort Worth to Grapevine right of way because that particular corridor is less desirable for moving freight into and out of the region than other, already existing rail corridors. The upgraded tracks will allow trains to run more quietly, and the increased train speeds will mean a reduced impact of the trains upon local surface street traffic patterns.
As this relates to the thread topic, if Vicki Truitt supports the idea of local voters having some local control over how to fund improvements to their local infrastructure without going into debt to do it, then I will continue to support her candidacy. If EmpowerTexans.com is making an advocacy statement in support of her opponents because they are running on a platform calculated to halt the Big T, then it is a losing strategy. 600 Colleyville residents have signed a petition against it, most of whom live right along the right of way. They will likely support Truitt's opponents. That is 600 out of a city population of 25,000. I empathize with those folks who live along that right of way. I really do. But the rail was there long before any homes were built along it, and if you buy a home like that, then trains are something you've bought into, whether you want to admit it or not. However, a NIMBY attitude on the part of a small minority of Colleyville residents balanced against the greater needs of the community, particularly when they bought homes built alongside a previously existing "nuisance," seems pretty short-sighted. That this attitude is brought against a movement to gain some local autonomy from the state seems blind.
At least, that's how it seems to me. Maybe I'm nuts.
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”
