Tag Archives: Arlington

Alternate route for the DFW high speed rail line

Compromise! High-speed rail could zip past downtown Dallas under a revised route that regional elected leaders will consider this week. The proposal, developed after the Dallas City Council approved a June 12 resolution opposing an elevated line through downtown and … Continue reading

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A few questions about Swyft Cities and the Whoosh project

In my earlier post about the Whoosh elevated autonomous cable car project in North Texas, I got a comment from Leonard Lee addressing some of the concerns I had raised. He invited me to contact him if I had any … Continue reading

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Whoosh!

Okay, this is a new one. Transportation planners have a new idea about how to take on congestion as Dallas-Fort Worth’s population grows: elevated autonomous cable cars that riders can hail on demand. Five North Texas cities — Dallas, Arlington, … Continue reading

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The DFW high speed rail line hits a bump

Whoops. Dallas City Council members hit the brakes on a proposed elevated high-speed passenger rail line that would connect with Arlington and Fort Worth. The council, including Mayor Eric Johnson, approved a resolution 14-0, with council member Jaime Resendez absent. … Continue reading

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That other high speed rail line update

Keep on moving. Transportation planners in North Texas continue their efforts to bring high-speed rail to the area, a system that would link Dallas and Fort Worth via Arlington and push south to Houston. The North Central Texas Council of … Continue reading

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Mutinous nuns file and then withdraw a restraining order motion

This happened last week. Legal and ecclesiastical tensions escalated between the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Arlington and the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth after a group of sisters filed for a temporary restraining order on Monday against Bishop Michael Olson … Continue reading

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Arlington nun mutiny update

Things remain wild in Arlington, that’s all I can say. The story starts on Thursday with the Vatican attempting to impose its order on the situation. A Carmelite monastery that has engaged in a yearlong feud with Diocese of Fort … Continue reading

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A legal view of the Arlington nun mutiny

The Fort Worth Report talks to some legal experts about the fascinating dispute between the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Arlington and Fort Worth Bishop Michael F. Olson. Lawrence Sager is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s School … Continue reading

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The Arlington nun mutiny

Oh my God this story is wild. There’s a strange saga unfolding in Texas. It involves allegations and accusations of illicit sexual relationships, drug use, theft, abuse, spying, planted evidence, and plots to steal a multimillion-dollar property. The people involved … Continue reading

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How much downtown parking do we need?

I don’t know the answer to that, but this is how much we have. Downtown Houston dedicates more than a quarter of its land to parking spaces, surpassing the percentages in most major U.S. cities, a new report shows. A photo from … Continue reading

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We’re fixing to have some boring May elections

At least as far as Mayoral races go. The mayors of some of Texas’ largest cities are cruising toward reelection. The incumbents in San Antonio and Fort Worth face little opposition after the deadline to run for mayor in the … Continue reading

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Multiple cities sue streaming services over franchise fees

This has been coming for awhile, it seems. A lawsuit filed Thursday by 25 Texas cities claims that Disney, Hulu and Netflix have for years stiffed the cities out of dollars the streaming giants are required to pay under state … Continue reading

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We also have to worry about water

Hopefully not for too much longer. On Friday, as the ice melted and lights flickered back on in homes and businesses across the state, Texans were melting snow into their toilet tanks and mopping up water from busted pipes. The … Continue reading

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Whistling past the ICU

Clap louder! Gov. Greg Abbott and top Texas health officials on Tuesday responded to growing alarm over hospitals now swelling with coronavirus patients, assuring there is still plenty of space available even as some facilities have neared or surpassed capacity. … Continue reading

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How about an Arizona/Florida/Texas plan for MLB?

Call it the MLB Plan 3.0 for having a season. With the spread of the novel coronavirus threatening Major League Baseball’s 2020 season, the league and the union continue to seek ways to salvage the year as best they can. … Continue reading

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Other counties also considering property tax rate hikes

I have four things to say about this. A statewide property tax relief plan that takes effect next year is prompting hefty tax increases this fall in many of the biggest cities and counties in Texas, even in places that … Continue reading

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Driverless car pilot ends in Frisco

I’d love to know what we learned from this. For about eight months, a fleet of bright orange self-driving vans have been rolling around Frisco. The autonomous vehicles — and the pilot run by Silicon Valley-based Drive.ai — will be permanently parked on … Continue reading

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Autonomous cars in Arlington

Who wants a robot to drive them to a Cowboys game? Arlington visitors and residents will soon be able to request an autonomous vehicle on demand in the city’s entertainment district. The city approved a one-year contract with Silicon Valley-based … Continue reading

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Dallas hyperlooping

North Texas takes the lead for this super sexy but possibly vaporware transportation technology. The Regional Transportation Council announced Wednesday that it will consider the feasibility of a hyperloop as a way to connect Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington. The … Continue reading

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Pushing the NFL Draft angle

Every angle is going to be needed, and this is one that ought to speak to some folks. The Cowboys’ efforts to land the NFL draft and how it could be derailed by the legislative push for a bathroom bill … Continue reading

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Mayors to Abbott: Don’t mess with our cities

Good luck getting through. Less than 24 hours after Gov. Greg Abbott blasted local government restrictions like tree ordinances as a threat to the “Texas brand,” city government leaders statewide are seeking a meeting with the Republican leader. “We would … Continue reading

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The (mostly) high speed rail extension to Fort Worth

I hope they can make this happen. A proposed high-speed rail route cutting through Dallas-Fort Worth would go slower than previously planned but would include a station south of DFW Airport, according to a newly unveiled plan. The proposal, which … Continue reading

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Red light camera bill dies in House committee

Better luck next time. A drive to outlaw red-light cameras in Dallas and other Texas cities has reached a red light of its own. The House Transportation Committee on Friday voted to reject a Senate bill that would’ve gradually phased … Continue reading

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Can we really measure the economic impact of sports events?

I don’t know, but they’re going to give it a try in Dallas. Spending in the region on mega sporting events since the Dallas Cowboys moved to Arlington could top $1 billion when next month’s Final Four and next year’s … Continue reading

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About those Super Bowl economic projections…

You can pretty much throw them out the window. North Texas’ weeklong weather whipping is blunting the economic bonanza from Super Bowl XLV. The White Bluff Resort on Lake Whitney, about 70 miles south of Cowboys Stadium, and a sister … Continue reading

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Time once again to play “Guess the economic impact”

So just how much money does Dallas Arlington North Texas hope to rake in from Super Bowl XL? Opinions differ. Yeah, I’m shocked, too. A larger stadium, an improving economy and die-hard fan bases for the Green Bay Packers and … Continue reading

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You can still text while driving in Arlington

At least one town is bucking the no-texting-while-driving trend. The Arlington City Council on Tuesday decided not to consider a citywide ban on texting while driving. City councilmember Robert Rivera had requested to set texting while driving as an agenda … Continue reading

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Houston extends red light camera contract

We’ll have red light cameras to kick around for at least a few more years. The City Council extended the contract of the company that administers its red-light camera program for three more years Wednesday, aiming to thwart legislation pending … Continue reading

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Skinning a cat: Alternate methods

As you know, the TxDOT sunset bill HB300 included among its many House amendments a couple that were aimed at killing off red light cameras in Texas’ cities, by putting them under the authority of DPS and by forbidding the … Continue reading Continue reading

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