DALLAS the Largest Metro in the South "Where's the respect City-Data" (cost, map)

[tablemtn]

Dallas has terrible public transportation?

Compared to other metro areas close to its size? Yes. But Dallas is improving that by building those new lines.

Still, it's really not much compared to, say, Madrid, which has about 5.8 million people in its metro area:

Madrid Metro system map

[south-to-west]

Originally Posted by tablemtn

Compared to other metro areas close to its size? Yes. But Dallas is improving that by building those new lines.

Still, it's really not much compared to, say, Madrid, which has about 5.8 million people in its metro area:

Madrid Metro system map

That is completely disingenuous to compare Dallas to a European capital. There is no American city on the level of Madrid when it comes to public transport--not even New York. And before people jump on me for saying that, realize that there are large sections of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island that aren't served by the subway. However nearly every neighborhood of Madrid, as well as its airport, is served well by its metro.

Dallas is currently expanding its light rail system, as well as its road network. In fact, I can't think of another metro area that is currently investing as extensively as the Metroplex is investing in its transportation infrastructure--both road and rail; nor can I think of any other metro area that currently has the same number of new road and rail construction projects in progress.

[Spade]

haha south-to-west. I was about to come jump on that post myself.

[rgb123]

improving your road network isn't really improving public transportation. Dallas's public transportation is good by Texas standards, maybe sunbelt standards. I was very suprised by how such a "world class" citiy's public transportation system was not only poor, but lacking sophistication.

I don't have anything to gain by putting Dallas down. I'm sure it will one day become more sophisticated. Right now it seems more like a city that is experiencing rapid growth it can't keep up with.

Chicago didn't become a tourist destination overnight either. It was once a smelly, confusing, overcrowded, immigration center that people flocked to for jobs (not for the scenery or the world class amenities) as well.

It doesn't matter what the statistics are. You are arguing with public perception. Telling people its a "World class" city might make people curious, they might visit (I was curious, and visited on business, and feel I gave it a fair chance, at least the downtown area). But it did not live up the perception I had even from the highway.

Big buildings (some very cool looking) but very large buildings, not a real sense of community, empties at night, small downtown -- smaller than it looks from the highway. Not really bustling. It was lacking in ways that are hard to put a finger on when compared to other cities.

This is my perception. And I am pretty unbiased here. I'm a curious person and a geographer with a planning background. I don't have any reason to hate Dallas, and I don't hate it.

But my perception of it is not great. To be fair, what I see is more a city that has yet to catch up with its own growth. Sophistication (both among its residents, transportation, and design) will come in time.

Public opinion and "respect" will come over time too if the city really develops as something other than an economic center where people move for jobs or from smaller towns in Texas.

[tmac9wr]

Originally Posted by Spade

haha south-to-west. I was about to come jump on that post myself.

Yea same here...there's absolutely no comparing the United States mass transit systems to those of European or Asian cities.

[Lakewooder]

I will agree with you rgb, your perception is not great.

[rgb123]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

I will agree with you rgb, your perception is not great.

All I've really seen from you and several others is to put down other cities. The only path to making a city better, or great, is to acknowledge what other people percieve about it, take in all the facts and opinions, then proceed.

Bashing other cities, and other people is not doing any good, it is also not helping the image of people from Dallas.

As noted here and elsewhere, many have expressed that they feel the most obnoxious defenders/posters are from Texas and Dallas. Fact or not. Doesn't matter, none of it helps public perception. Personal insults get you nowhere.

[rgb123]

Originally Posted by tmac9wr

Yea same here...there's absolutely no comparing the United States mass transit systems to those of European or Asian cities.

Sure there is. The US has a long way to go. Just because we are not even in their league doesn't make it ok for ours to be terrible, and judge ourselves only on our own league and within region. There is a bar, and we should aim for it.

[south-to-west]

Originally Posted by rgb123

Sure there is. The US has a long way to go. Just because we are not even in their league doesn't make it ok for ours to be terrible, and judge ourselves only on our own league and within region. There is a bar, and we should aim for it.

I totally agree with you, but it is completely disingenuous and dishonest to single out Dallas in comparison to Madrid in regards to public transport. It's a US problem, not just a Dallas problem.

The reason why I mentioned road construction as well is that I was trying to show how the Metroplex overall is investing in its infrastructure. But even if you leave out road construction, it is still evident that the Metroplex, or DART specifically, is currently undergoing one of the largest expansions of rail transit in the nation right now with several new LRT lines proposed or under construction. Not only that, but Fort Worth, or the T, is securing funding for construction of commuter rail and the suburban Denton County Transportation Authority has plans to run commuter rail to DFW.

[south-to-west]

Originally Posted by rgb123

Big buildings (some very cool looking) but very large buildings, not a real sense of community, empties at night, small downtown -- smaller than it looks from the highway. Not really bustling. It was lacking in ways that are hard to put a finger on when compared to other cities.

This is my perception. And I am pretty unbiased here. I'm a curious person and a geographer with a planning background. I don't have any reason to hate Dallas, and I don't hate it.

But my perception of it is not great. To be fair, what I see is more a city that has yet to catch up with its own growth. Sophistication (both among its residents, transportation, and design) will come in time.

You must have never been to Uptown on a weekend night. It's immediately north of Downtown and it's the portion of Central Dallas where people live and play. A lot of major cities have dead downtowns, including the Chicago Loop and Downtown Manhattan (financial district)--all of which are bustling by day and empty by night.

Originally Posted by rgb123

Public opinion and "respect" will come over time too if the city really develops as something other than an economic center where people move for jobs or from smaller towns in Texas

So you're telling me that the growth of the fastest growing MSA raw numbers-wise is sustained primarily by rural Texans?

People from all over the world, as well as from all across the US, are moving to the Metroplex. You will find a large South Asian population, a large Korean population, a large African population, and a large Latin American population in the Metroplex. Nobody is saying that it's a New York or Chicago, but it's definitely cosmopolitan.