Comments on: The North Texas Corridor http://www.neohouston.com/2009/11/the-north-texas-corridor/ advocating urbanism in the opportunity city Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:06:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Michael http://www.neohouston.com/2009/11/the-north-texas-corridor/#comment-562 Michael Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:28:02 +0000 http://www.neohouston.com/?p=1678#comment-562 With the DART Orange Line and the T's SW2NE planned to stop at DFW Airport and the possibility of the Cotton Belt stopping at DFW airport is there the need for yet another rail to go to DFW airport? The rail is build for transit between the major cities in the state and DFW airport will already have at least two, if not three, rail lines by the time high speed rail makes it into Texas. With the DART Orange Line and the T’s SW2NE planned to stop at DFW Airport and the possibility of the Cotton Belt stopping at DFW airport is there the need for yet another rail to go to DFW airport? The rail is build for transit between the major cities in the state and DFW airport will already have at least two, if not three, rail lines by the time high speed rail makes it into Texas.

]]> By: KP http://www.neohouston.com/2009/11/the-north-texas-corridor/#comment-561 KP Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:18:12 +0000 http://www.neohouston.com/?p=1678#comment-561 I grew up in Arlington as well, and Anfang is correct about the attitude towards transit. However, in the county the "T" plans to soon start the construction of the SW2NE line which will link the southwest side of Fort Worth with the northeast suburbs (Grapvine and DFW) via downtown Fort Worth. So option 2 is out of the question. I am not sure how the railroads are routed coming out of Fort Worth but it might logical to have the southern branch come through Hillsboro, then to Cleburn then downtown Fort Worth, then on to Dallas. That is also the route the Texas Eagle takes (or at least close). That way you could when it is time to connect these smaller regional systems in to a statewide system it will be a bit easier. This would also allow you to serve all of the rail passengers that change trains in Fort Worth to take the Heartland Flyer to OKC and the Texas Eagle to points south and east. I grew up in Arlington as well, and Anfang is correct about the attitude towards transit. However, in the county the “T” plans to soon start the construction of the SW2NE line which will link the southwest side of Fort Worth with the northeast suburbs (Grapvine and DFW) via downtown Fort Worth. So option 2 is out of the question. I am not sure how the railroads are routed coming out of Fort Worth but it might logical to have the southern branch come through Hillsboro, then to Cleburn then downtown Fort Worth, then on to Dallas. That is also the route the Texas Eagle takes (or at least close). That way you could when it is time to connect these smaller regional systems in to a statewide system it will be a bit easier. This would also allow you to serve all of the rail passengers that change trains in Fort Worth to take the Heartland Flyer to OKC and the Texas Eagle to points south and east.

]]> By: Anfang http://www.neohouston.com/2009/11/the-north-texas-corridor/#comment-560 Anfang Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:42:00 +0000 http://www.neohouston.com/?p=1678#comment-560 As a former resident of Arlington, I can tell you that whenever the issue is put to residents or the city council, Arlington consistently rejects the expansion of public transportation into city boundaries. Hell, attitudinally speaking, anything less private than a person and their friends or family driving in a car is "public transportation." I have plenty of stories from my high school years of friends biking or walking and getting honked at by cars whose drivers thought it was hilarious to see someone actually using the sidewalks (Actually, the only socially normative reason I ever heard to use sidewalks was for exercise or walking the dog. I guess that's something). This despite being smack dab in the middle of the Metroplex with a local economy that depends mightily on the tourism of the stadiums and the theme parks and the malls. Arlington still very much views itself as car-driving and suburban - when I was still living there, calling someplace "Downtown Arlington" was almost a sarcastic remark among my peers. The open, undeveloped areas you cite as prime targets for profitable TOD only reinforces this self-identification. As a former resident of Arlington, I can tell you that whenever the issue is put to residents or the city council, Arlington consistently rejects the expansion of public transportation into city boundaries. Hell, attitudinally speaking, anything less private than a person and their friends or family driving in a car is “public transportation.” I have plenty of stories from my high school years of friends biking or walking and getting honked at by cars whose drivers thought it was hilarious to see someone actually using the sidewalks (Actually, the only socially normative reason I ever heard to use sidewalks was for exercise or walking the dog. I guess that’s something).

This despite being smack dab in the middle of the Metroplex with a local economy that depends mightily on the tourism of the stadiums and the theme parks and the malls. Arlington still very much views itself as car-driving and suburban – when I was still living there, calling someplace “Downtown Arlington” was almost a sarcastic remark among my peers. The open, undeveloped areas you cite as prime targets for profitable TOD only reinforces this self-identification.

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