A big day in Big D

The challenge of spending the day in Dallas is trying to capture everything I saw in this limited space. Dallas is demonstrating an outsized appetite for innovative transportation projects.

It's hard to know where to even start with the forward-thinking ideas this city is developing:

• Woodall Rodgers Freeway Deck Park
  This is a 5.2 acre multi-use park that will sit atop a freeway and create a pedestrian link from Downtown to Uptown. It sits atop the freeway; that's a great use of space. Plus, the project uses a combination of public--city, state, and federal--and private funding, including a Recovery Act grant.
• DART light rail expansion
  This system, currently operating over 45 miles of light rail, is undertaking an ambitious doubling of its light rail miles by 2013. That's not  even mentoning the 20 miles of rapid bus transit corridors expected.
• Trinity River Corridor
  In conjunction with the Dallas Flood Extension Project for flood relief and the Trinity Parkway for traffic relief, Dallas is developing another ambitious environmental restoration and recreational public space. The Corridor will include The Great Trinity Forest, an Audubon Interpretive Center, and signature bridges to connect neighborhoods and promote revitalization.

Do I sound impressed? Well, I absolutely am. You know, transportation advocates have cities they like to name-check when discussing livability and sustainability. But innovative transportation projects don't have to be northern or coastal; there are transportation pioneers everywhere.

Thank you and congratulations, Dallas, for committing to a greener, more sustainable home. The Department of Transportation is proud to be your partner.

Comments

[Jay Blazek Crossley]

While I applaud the many interesting efforts in Dallas (and the many efforts of the new DOT to build livable communities), it seems a real shame that DOT appears to be at least publicly ignoring Houston's light rail transit plans, which are far more innovative and efficient than the Rail North Texas plan.

While Dallas currently has 45 miles of rail and something like 65,000 riders, Houston has 7 miles of rail and something like 45,000 riders, because the system is designed to go where people actually currently live and work and play - to reinforce the existing efficient, dense, livable, urban areas.

As soon as we build the next 5 lines, we will at least double Dallas' ridership, if not more, with just about 37 total miles of track. We will also have opportunities for TOD in established urban areas with efficient street grids, existing utility infrastructure, and affordable property values incomparable to anywhere else in the country.

Not just to compare to Dallas, the Houston light rail system is expected to be second only to Boston in terms of total light rail ridership by 2013.

That's a better investment of taxpayer money and its better service for actual people.

Those of us here in Houston who work on making better transportation investments to build livable communities need the national recognition of our innovative projects currently on the books. Otherwise local proponents of land speculation and sprawl could be successful at pointing at the Dallas suburban commuter rail system and all the recognition it gets to argue for building suburban sprawl commuter rail here at the expense of our current plan for rail where the people are.

(I honestly do applaud the efforts of our neighbors in Dallas and look forward to better connections between the 4th and 6th largest metros in the country as we build the Texas Triangle Megaregion. I just wish that more people outside of Houston understood the benefits of our urban, people & jobs centered approach to light rail)

But also thanks to DOT for recognizing the importance of Texas urban areas and our transit plans, even if i think you need to look 200 miles south as well.

[Elena Rohweder]

Would love to see Texas lead the nation in collaboration between its cities. I'm very excited about what is going on between DART, Fort Worth and Denton already. High speed rail to our other metro areas (okay, I'm actually thinking the beach too)would be incredible.

[Michael E. Bailey]

Dallas is the only city of any size anywhere I know that is doing anything like building a park above a freeway andmaking easy pedestrian cross over from one side to the other through the park. And the Trinity Riverprogram is also great. Hopefully, more communities will be doing more projects like these. Parks above freeways is perfect for the whole Southern California Region. Something good for the environment, good for pedestrians, good for wildlife. Going hand in hand with these fresh ideas from Dallas, is alternative fuels for the country's bus fleets. To that end, I hope H.R. 1835 in the House and S.1408 in the Senate soon pass to renew the Alternative Fuel Tax Credits set to expire later this month. Renewal of the tax credits will be good for the environment and good for national energy independence. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[S.]

I am really excited about the Woodall Rodgers Freeway Deck Park project. I think it is something that Dallas will benefit from immensely!

http://www.theparkdallas.org

[Warren Tucker]

We truly support the efforts of Trans. Sec. Ray LaHood! Non-Motorized Vehicles (NMV) can generate Billions of dollars in revenue for the Federal Government, and people are going to find out so in a few weeks.

NMV's are also the foundation for a Job Creation plan to put over 10 Million people back to work with good paying long term work. Visit www.gasfreenj.com for more info!

Warren Tucker
DLF GLOBAL