Why doesn't Arlington belive in public transit? (Houston, Dallas: apartments, crime)

[RayStokes]

Originally Posted by Acntx

I agree that the stigma attached to public transportation is outdated and some suburbs are doing well with public transportation. I have no problems with that. I don't understand the reason for singling out certain communities, including my own, as being in so-called long term decline even though all of the listed places have continued to grow over the past decade (Lancaster & Grand Prairie by approximately 40 percent) and their demographic composition has remained primarily middle-class with poverty rates that remain under the state average. I know it is difficult for some to accept, but there are many decent, safe neighborhoods in the southern suburbs and the other inner-ring communities that are looked down on and regularly scapegoated on this site. Perception isn't always reality.

For places without public transportation, the funding that would have been dedicated to public transit is sometimes used to fund other projects that are beneficial to the city and its residents. At least that is the case in Lancaster. Regarding Arlington, I could see some form of mass transit being successful there due to its size, centralized location within DFW, and the abundance of sports and entertainment venues. In the end, its up to the citizens of Arlington to decide.

You're right. I'm guilty of doing what I accused people against public transportation of doing - stereotyping. I based my judgment of a couple of southern Dallas 'burbs on stereotypes I have long heard. If my views on these cities are inaccurate, I apologize.

I am more familiar with Arlington and Mesquite though, and good chunks of these two towns are not what they were 20 years ago despite the fact that they went against DART.

[Acntx]

Originally Posted by RayStokes

You're right. I'm guilty of doing what I accused people against public transportation of doing - stereotyping. I based my judgment of a couple of southern Dallas 'burbs on stereotypes I have long heard. If my views on these cities are inaccurate, I apologize.

I am more familiar with Arlington and Mesquite though, and good chunks of these two towns are not what they were 20 years ago despite the fact that they went against DART.

Understood. If I came across as a little harsh, I apologize as well.

[ChristyInTX]

Remember, you're in a RED state. Not much funding for local public transit. Or education.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by ChristyInTX

Remember, you're in a RED state. Not much funding for local public transit. Or education.

Please take that to the Political threads.

We don't need any stereotypical headache posts here....

[binkyman]

Originally Posted by 13 cats

I know they voted it down, and the reason is to keep ghetto people out. I started a thread and this subject came up, but the thread is closed. //www.city-data.com/forum/dalla...ate-texas.html

A city with 300,000 people has plenty of people who would take the bus, especially with such popular destinations like the Entertainment District.

I went shopping yesterday evening in south Arlington (Cooper & I-20 area), and it's just as ghetto as central Arlington in terms of people types. The only difference is that the buildings aren't 50 years old and falling down.

Twice I was asked for money. It's really annoying, especially when it's inside the store. These scumbuckets are everywhere! Obviously your plan to keep them out by banning city buses didn't work. At least let them take the bus and cut down on the traffic a little so I can get home sooner.

Actually, that population number is closer to 400,000 than to 300,000. Arlington used its available sales tax to attract both the Rangers and the Cowboys to Arlington. I think the ball park in Arlington is already paid off. Something seems to be cooking in downtown Arlington between the expansions of the University of Arlington and downtown Arlington. If it decided to do so, it would have to join either Dallas or Fort Worth. That is the other problem. Who do you join? There is no grid in Arlington for it to have its own transportation system. So, it would seem it would have to join one.

[dollaztx]

Originally Posted by binkyman

Actually, that population number is closer to 400,000 than to 300,000. Arlington used its available sales tax to attract both the Rangers and the Cowboys to Arlington. I think the ball park in Arlington is already paid off. Something seems to be cooking in downtown Arlington between the expansions of the University of Arlington and downtown Arlington. If it decided to do so, it would have to join either Dallas or Fort Worth. That is the other problem. Who do you join? There is no grid in Arlington for it to have its own transportation system. So, it would seem it would have to join one.

I hope it doesn't get to half a million and still no public transportation because that just sounds embarrassing.

[happycrow]

Public transit is no panacea.

Arlington is laid out in such a way that it simply makes very little sense. Public transit here in Irving is slow, miserable, and pretty darned awful (I could take a bus to work, or I could drive. It's the difference between almost two hours, and 20 minutes), but it works, sort of, because the residents and the jobs are in the same city. It's not very practical unless you're RIGHT on one of the transit centers, but you can do it.

Now, Arlington? Where would they put it, and where would it go? What in-city routes would actually make fiscal sense?

I hate to be Debbie Downer, but we can argue all day long about "values" -- simple logistics makes it a non-starter.

[binkyman]

Originally Posted by happycrow

Public transit is no panacea.

Arlington is laid out in such a way that it simply makes very little sense. Public transit here in Irving is slow, miserable, and pretty darned awful (I could take a bus to work, or I could drive. It's the difference between almost two hours, and 20 minutes), but it works, sort of, because the residents and the jobs are in the same city. It's not very practical unless you're RIGHT on one of the transit centers, but you can do it.

Now, Arlington? Where would they put it, and where would it go? What in-city routes would actually make fiscal sense?

I hate to be Debbie Downer, but we can argue all day long about "values" -- simple logistics makes it a non-starter.

Yes, you are describing why Irving is more of a principle city than is Arlington. While at one time it was thought to be way off by itself in the middle a fairly good distance from either Dallas or Fort Worth, Arlington has now become part of an illegitimate city of a million people located between the two legitimate ones.

Because of the layout of freeways around it, DFW airport mainly has a relationship with those cities located to the north of it with these being Irving, Grapevine, Southlake, Louisville, Coppell and so on. Of these, Irving is the principle city of importance. The way the freeways travel south of DFW airport veering off at 183 has worked to limit the importance of those cities located south of it.

[dollaztx]

Arlington doesn't have much of a relationship with DFW Airport, but you cannot ignore the fact that it's the densest city in DFW and the third most populated. If public transportation doesn't make sense here, it doesn't make sense in most of DFW. It houses much entertainment so of course routes from nearby cities would make perfect sense. In-city routes that I think would make sense would be all along Cooper and Collins going from N to S, and Divison (or Randol Mill) and Pioneer going E to W. Maybe Green Oaks also with a final stop at Centreport Station

[Kibby]

It's not so much that Arlington "doesn't believe in public transit" as it is that Arlington really hasn't needed public transit. Many people have long wanted light rail in Arlington to get to downtown Fr Worth and Dallas - I think that will eventually come when they work out all the logistics. There is a free bus for the handicap and elderly, a bus tht runs around the UT area and another around the entertainment area. There is a free bus that is on call for the shelters to take people where they need to go.

There is essentially no "downtown", UTA was just a commuter college with very few dorms years ago and is now the 2nd largest University in the UT system. Arlington grew fast - 40 years ago it was 90,000 people and I-30 was a toll road. Almost no restaurants in Arlington at the time - we went to Dallas to eat out.

For those folks flooding into Texas from the North & West who are looking for the "Urban Lifestyle" - Arlington is never going to be that. It's a bedroom community for the most part with a lot of "stuff" in it now that people come here to see/do. 6-Flags, Hurricane Harbor, Texas Rangers, Cowboys, River Legacy Park, good restaurants, good shopping. Arlington will probably grow in population, but not much more - it's now hemmed in with no more room to expand - which means that the "abandoned" shopping areas get renovations and are turned to other uses for the most part. I believe the strength in Arlington has been the City Government - it's always been pretty progressive with sound finances. Ranger Stadium was paid off early and Cowboy Stadium is on track to pay off early. I don't remember any big "corruption" scandal like is common in both Dallas and Ft Worth. We've had really solid Mayors and City Managers.

I would like to see rail to Dallas/Ft Worth, rail line to DFW airport and a line of some sort from the Entertainment district/UTA/Cooper corridor to I-20. Arlington has had a strong/organized group that fought any public transport for decades - this was due to taxes and because they really thought it was un-necessary. I think those folks are dying out, so we may see some progress in that area. Activists depend on getting out a simple message - for the transit issues it was always "where would it go?". There was no light rail in Ft Worth and none from Dallas that came West - voters failed to understand the long term planning and get on board for the expansion. Now they see the Trinity Rail Express and better understand a benefit to light rail. Jerry Jones could be a lot of help in pushing a rail line to the Entertainment district and Stadiums.