Tag Archives: Dallas

The Houston Roughnecks

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Meet your new XFL team. When the XFL kicks off in February, the Houston team will be known as the Houston Roughnecks. The XFL unveiled team names and logos for all eight teams in the league Wednesday. The Houston Roughnecks … Continue reading →

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Uber’s vision for the future

Posted on July 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I feel like this is more wishcasting than real planning. Still, some of it may happen, and if nothing else we should be aware of what it’s all about. When Uber envisions the future, it not only wants to put … Continue reading →

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The real goal of SB2

Posted on June 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s take a look at the quotes from the supporters of SB2, the new law that will impose revenue caps on all Texas cities, to see what they say about it. “They’re going to have to start looking at spending … Continue reading →

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The case for a second MLB team in the Metroplex

Posted on June 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an interesting argument, with a lot of aspects to it. [T]he 2019 Street & Smith Baseball Yearbook contains an article (“Where to Next?” by G. Scott Thomas) rating the top 20 metro areas [for potential MLB expansion]. More than … Continue reading →

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How good a stepping stone is Mayor of Dallas?

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Stephen Young notes that being Mayor of Dallas has not been particularly helpful to others’ ambitions. If he’s anything, Dallas mayor-elect Eric Johnson is an ambitious guy. He’s got degrees from Harvard, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania, and took … Continue reading →

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Let the HD100 candidates come on out

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

With State Rep. Eric Johnson now also known as Dallas Mayor-Elect Eric Johnson, that means a special election for his legislative district is in the offing. Dallas community advocate Lorraine Birabil has launched a campaign to replace outgoing state Rep. … Continue reading →

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DART to study driverless buses

Posted on June 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what this means in practice. Dallas Area Rapid Transit has joined a national association of transit and transportation agencies to explore how autonomous buses could shuttle people around cities in the future. The Automated Bus Consortium plans to research driverless buses and run pilot … Continue reading →

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May runoff results

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

With 303 of 474 precincts reporting, State Rep. Eric Johnson was leading in the runoff for Dallas Mayor over Scott Griggs, 57% to 43%. At the time I started writing this I didn’t see any news coverage declaring the race … Continue reading →

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Sometimes, bad bills do die

Posted on May 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The calendar giveth, and the calendar taketh away. One of the the biggest priorities for Texas Republicans this session appears to be on the verge of legislative death. A series of bills that would broadly prohibit local governments from regulating … Continue reading →

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May 4 election results

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The hottest race was in San Antonio. With more than 81 percent of the precincts counted, Mayor Ron Nirenberg took a nearly 3-point lead against Councilman Greg Brockhouse, but it likely won’t be enough to avoid a runoff to determine … Continue reading →

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Still waiting to see if an anti-Texas Central bill passes

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still time, and anything can happen in the Lege, but so far it’s looking like Texas Central will make it through more or less unscathed. High-speed rail developers have been eyeing a 240-mile stretch of mostly rural land sandwiched … Continue reading →

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Early voting for the May elections has begun

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Early Voting for the May 4, 2019 Joint Election starts Monday, April 22 and ends on Tuesday, April 30. During that period, Harris County voters may vote at any of the 25 Early Voting locations designated throughout … Continue reading →

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What can you legally wear when you go to vote?

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the subject of a lawsuit involving voters from Houston and Dallas. A Houston woman who was forced to turn a firefighters T-shirt inside out at the polls and a Dallas-area man who tried to vote in his Trump MAGA … Continue reading →

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The down side of scooters

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Watch out for that tree. And that pedestrian, and that street light, and that strange bump in the sidewalk, and that abandoned scooter someone just left lying there… In September 2017, Tarak Trivedi, an emergency room doctor, and Catherine Lerer, … Continue reading →

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Take a Tesla to Austin

Posted on January 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Because sure, why not? Want to ride in a Tesla? For $250, you can be chauffeured on a one-way trip between Houston and Austin. Dallas is just $400 away. Austin-based ElecTrip is billed as an energy-efficient alternative to private flights … Continue reading →

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FIFA World Cup update

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Still a year away from a decision. Houston is among 17 American cities vying to become one of 10 host cities selected when the finalists are trimmed by 2021. The 2026 World Cup will also include 10 games each in … Continue reading →

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Here come the e-bikes

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

To Dallas. Uber is about to jump into Dallas with a brand-new rent-a-ride for this market: rechargeable electric bikes. Jump, which Uber bought in April for $200 million, has filed an application with Dallas City Hall to bring 2,000 stationless … Continue reading →

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Houston to get XFL 2.0 team

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

For those of you that need more football. TDECU Stadium at the University of Houston will be the home field for Houston’s team in the XFL, the spring football league owned by WWE chairman Vince McMahon that will begin play … Continue reading →

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Are we ready for Texas Central?

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is more about the experience than anything else. Texas Central said it will break ground late next year on the first bullet train line in the United States, which will connect Dallas to Houston, and the train, technology and … Continue reading →

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“The Rise and Fall of Dockless Bike Sharing in Dallas”

Posted on September 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Amazing story. Several dockless bike-share companies first converged on Dallas last August after promising local officials that their services would come at no cost to taxpayers, and the impact was immediate. The dockless feature allowed bike-share companies to distribute its … Continue reading →

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Dallas hyperlooping

Posted on July 14, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

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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Too many people don’t get sick leave

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the CPPP: All Texans should be able to care for themselves or a loved one if they get sick, regardless of what kind of job they do or how much they earn. Approximately 4.3 million Texas workers – or … Continue reading →

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NASA to test Uber’s flying cars

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Just simulations, thankfully. NASA will soon begin testing in Dallas how Uber’s on-demand air-taxi concept would affect crowded areas. Uber is in the midst of designing an air-taxi service, called UberAIR. Officials hope to conduct flight demonstrations starting in 2020 … Continue reading →

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Texas Central and Amtrak

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Connectivity is good. Amtrak and Texas Central announced a partnership Friday to link the proposed bullet train from Dallas to Houston to the national passenger rail network. Passengers will be able to book their bullet train trips through Amtrak. The partnership … Continue reading →

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Time for an update on that other high speed rail line

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s been awhile. Backers continue to move along on plans to build a bullet-train route between Dallas and Houston, but it’s not the only high-speed passenger rail project on Texas drawing boards. With a proposal to run between cities such … Continue reading →

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Northwest Mall will be your Houston high speed rail terminal

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise. Texas Central Partners and Houston-area elected officials on Monday announced that the company, which is seeking federal approval for a 240-mile high-speed train line, has chosen Northwest Mall near Loop 610 and U.S. 290 as their preferred site. … Continue reading →

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Texas Central picks its midway stop

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Hello, Roans Prairie. A proposed high-speed train between Houston and Dallas on Thursday announced its midpoint, even as common ground with opponents near the proposed Roans Prairie stop remains elusive. Texas Central, the company proposing the Texas Bullet Train, said … Continue reading →

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No Amazon HQ2 for Houston

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Never really expected that we’d be a top contender, to be honest. Amazon ruled out Houston as a candidate for its $5 billion second headquarters on Thursday, delivering a blow to local leaders who had hoped to lure the Seattle … Continue reading →

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High speed rail line route finalist chosen

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’d where the Texas Central rail route will be, modulo some possible final tweaks and any further political obstacles. Federal officials narrowed the possible paths for a Dallas-Houston bullet train down to one likely route Friday, providing an unknown number … Continue reading →

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Hyperloop versus high-speed rail

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been pondering whether our state is big enough for two high speed land-based forms of transportation, and I think the answer is “yes, at least for now”. The Hyperloop is nearly twice as fast as Texas Central’s High-Speed Rail … Continue reading →

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Texas remains in hyperloop competition

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still a long way from anything happening, but if it does it could happen here. There’s still a chance Texans could be some of the first people in the world to whisk along in tubes at 700 mph. Hyperloop … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s preemptive “sanctuary cities” lawsuit dismissed

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks on Wednesday dismissed the state of Texas’ lawsuit against Travis County and other defendants over the state’s new immigration enforcement law. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a pre-emptive lawsuit shortly after the bill was … Continue reading →

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Abbott versus the cities

Posted on July 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The continuing story. If Gov. Greg Abbott has disdain for how local Texas officials govern their cities, it didn’t show in a Wednesday sit-down with three mayors who were among 18 who jointly requested a meeting to discuss legislation that … Continue reading →

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Mayors to Abbott: Don’t mess with our cities

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

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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