Just two days after winning his unopposed re-election bid, state Representative Rafael Anchia has released a survey to gauge Dallas residents' opinion of the proposed Trinity toll road.
The survey was quickly pushed out on social media by opponents of the toll road such as City Council member Scott Griggs, who says it's good that people's voices will again be heard on the issue.
"This is a vehicle for the NTTA [North Texas Tollway Authority] to hear from the citizens of Dallas and the people who will be impacted by the toll road. I think it's wonderful that Rafael Anchia, our representative, is facilitating this communication," he said. "I'm concerned that there's been a disconnect between the NTTA and the people, and they need to know that people do not support this road."
As in any online "poll" self-selection will dictate the results. In the case of something as intensely disliked as the toll road, expect the click totals to weigh heavily for its not being built -- unless council member Vonciel Jones Hill knows how to write a decent HTML script.
The thing to watch is what Anchia does with the data. The representative has long been rumored as a future mayor of Dallas. While he's unlikely to run in 2015 should Mike Rawlings decide to seek a second term, he could attempt to take action against the toll road at the state level -- either out of benevolence for his district or looking toward a run for a different office at a later date.
