Gary Thomas

DART Working With "Reasonable, Affordable" Number of Police, Fare Enforcement Officers

DART Police Chief Spiller​Last night, on WFAA, Byron Harris reported: "DART says it doesn't have enough police to put an officer on every train, but it is trying to place uniformed officers on platforms, where they can be seen." But then, this morning, this from The Dallas Morning News: "'Effectiv ... More >>

After Yesterday's Shooting at DART Station, Caraway Wants Agency To Do "Something"

​One month ago Dallas Area Rapid Transit released its 2011 Customer Satisfaction Survey, with nine out of 10 riders insisting they would recommend DART to others. But Pages 19 and 20 of the 23-page report are filled with concerns over security aboard DART buses and trains: Only 78 percent of those ... More >>

Take an Early Drive Aboard DART's New Bus

Exactly one year ago Dallas Area Rapid Transit announced that it had signed a $210-million contract with Anniston, Alabama-based North American Bus Industries, Inc. for a new fleet of  compressed natural gas-fueled buses, which DART promised to start rolling out by October 2012. This morning I ... More >>

DART Prez: Orange Line to DFW's Terminal A Will "Complete That Big-City System"

Dallas Area Rapid TransitA rendering of the Belt Line Station on the Orange Line, the last stop before Dallas-Fort Worth Airport's Terminal A come 2014​Last night Dallas Area Rapid Transit sent word that its board of directors signed off on the design-build contract that'll push the under-construc ... More >>

Converting Central's HOV Lanes to Managed Toll Lanes a "Possibility" Down the Road

​The Dallas Area Rapid Transit board's meeting today, and top o' the agenda is the FY 2012 Budget and Twenty-Year Financial Plan, which factors into this news brief concerning Fitch's decision to downgrade DART's sales tax revenue bonds. Says the rating agency, the small dip from AA to AA- "reflec ... More >>

Defending DART? We Think Schutze Might Have Scored Some X at Electric Daisy.

​I did a thing for DC9 at Night yesterday about how the city didn't do anything wrong at that rave at Fair Park over the weekend, and I got a lot of very positive response in the comments, most of it probably from the people who put on the rave, but it was really nice to hear some flattering t ... More >>

DART, East Texas Transit Officials Sign Letter They Hope Leads to Light-Rail Love Affair

DART chair Bill Velasco, left, and North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority's Jeff Austin III look at the line that could one day connect their parts of the great state.​Ever wished you could take Dallas Area Rapid Transit to ... oh ... let's say Tyler? Or Canton? Or Shreveport, even? Because ... More >>

Slow Train Coming: First Look At DART's First Streetcar Audition Downtown

Photos by Patrick MichelsKinkisharyo's ameriTRAM takes a bow through downtown this morning.​With a crowd of DART execs, reporters and folks who'd apparently misplaced their cars looking on at downtown's Akard Station, the Kinkisharyo ameriTRAM streetcar made its first arrival a little after 11:30 ... More >>

Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Official Recap of Board Meeting Dealing with "Super Storm 2011"

Daniel Rodrigue​The Dallas Area Rapid Transit board is meeting today, with the board once more set to award HDR Engineering, Inc. the $351,536 Dallas Streetcar System Planning Study Consultant contract. (Last month's scheduled vote was deferred following a disagreement over minority- and women-bus ... More >>

The Rite: Exorcising Demons No Scarier Than Nasty Older Sisters.

DART Prez Makes Good on World Series Bet

DART via BART​Earlier this morning I came across this San Francisco TV report: "Texan to sing at BART station over World Series bet." Said Texan is actually Dallas Area Rapid Transit President and Executive Director Gary Thomas, who made a bet with his BART counterpart that involved the loser goin ... More >>

At the Council's Transportation and Environment Committee Meeting, Where DART and Downtown Plan Are on the Menu

Among the recommendation in the downtown plan to be discussed shortly: Plant "glass box" retail downtown pronto!​It's dudes in suits on parade here at City Hall this afternoon, as the Transportation and Environment Committee Meeting -- which, in due time, will finally get 'round to the Downtown Da ... More >>

"Indefinite Delay" to "Could Be Preserved," the Resurrection of Orange Line to DFW Airport?

​On June 22, Dallas Area Rapid Transit's higher-ups sent the bad news: Three projects had been derailed by that $3-billion drop in sales tax receipts: the section of the Orange Line that's supposed to run from Irving to Terminal A at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the Blue Line extension ... More >>

In the Loop: A Closer Look at MATA's "Urban Streetcar Track Extension" Downtown

Click to embiggen: DART sends this map of the MATA's downtown loop​Morgan Lyons, Dallas Area Rapid Transit's spokesman, and Jay Kline, DART's streetcar liaison with the city, were kind enough to forward along this map of the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority's "0.65-mile urban streetcar track exte ... More >>

DART Sends Word: Sales Tax Drop Will Cause "Indefinite" Delays of Three Significant Projects

​We've known since March that Dallas Area Rapid Transit's $3-billion drop in sales tax receipts would put on hold several key projects, chief among them the second downtown rail line, or D2. But exactly what and for how long? Those are answers we didn't know, not until this evening. DART spokesman ... More >>

At City Hall, It's Back to the Drawing Board On Community Garden, Downtown DART Plans

​Well, soon as the Trash-Attack Code Compliance crew cleared out, this afternoon's party at City Hall sure died fast. Blame it on this bummer of a PowerPoint from DART, explaining the long-term impact of having flat sales tax revenues over the last 10 years, referred to simply as "The Lost Decade" ... More >>

Two Infrastructuralists Look at What Dallas Is (And Isn't) Doing. And Why.

​Below, a Friend of Unfair Park takes note of the cynicism aimed at the under-construction Woodall Rodgers Deck Park and wonders, "I wonder how this would have been received if the Trinity debacle had never occurred?" At the same time, urban planner Patrick "Car-Free" Kennedy has penned a sprawlin ... More >>

A Look at Some of DART's "Creative Concepts for Revenue Generation"

​We've already established this much: Dallas Area Rapid Transit, facing an "anticipated sales tax shortfall" this fiscal year, needs money -- pronto. So, with that in mind, we take a look at today's meeting agenda for the DART board's revenue committee: "Creative Concepts for Revenue Generation." ... More >>

Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Drop in Sales Tax Receipts Prompts "Review of Operations, Future Capital Projects"

​Dallas Area Rapid Transit's board of directors met this afternoon to discuss the ramifications of a significant decline in sales tax receipts. Originally, DART had budgeted for $387.8 million; the numbers, according to the transit agency, are presently looking $15 to $20 million short of that. Th ... More >>

Get on the (Census) Bus: A Sneak Peek at Dallas Area Rapid Transit's New Guilt Trip

​Dallas Area Rapid Transit held an employees-only Census 2010 rally yesterday, during which the agency's president and exec director, Gary Thomas, told workers: "If we do not get a good accurate count from the region, funding local transportation projects will miss out." At which point DART offici ... More >>

Build America, Eff Yeah! U.S. Treasurer to Visit Convention Center Hotel Site Tomorrow.

Sam MertenNo, this is not the same picture we've run before. Merten's got a ton of them for his coffee-table book.​Took, oh, 'bout four months, but I see the city finally got around to posting The Official Convention Center Hotel Groundbreaking Video, which I've embedded after the jump. Good timin ... More >>

Public Art Attack: Look, It's Good for Tourism

Dallas Convention & Visitors BureauIs Pioneer Plaza really "the best example" of Dallas's "iconic public art projects"?​Pretty sure Sam's heading to the city council's Transportation and Environment Committee meeting today, during which council members will meet with Dallas Area Rapid Transit pres ... More >>

Schutze's High on City Hall as Council's Transportation Committee Chair Puts Positive Spin on DART's Texas-OU Mishap

Brian HarkinLinda Koop​Linda Koop, chair of the city council's Transportation and Environment Committee, and Gary Thomas, president of Dallas Area Rapid Transit, are having a mutual smooch-fest today at this afternoon's committee briefing, congratulating each other on what a terrific job DART ... More >>

Far as Mayor and DART Prez Are Concerned, the Green Line's All About Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

Kimberly Thorpe​Mayor Tom Leppert and other city officials got their first ride on the much-anticipated Dallas Area Rapid Transit Green Line this morning. The first four stops on the $1.8 billion, 20-station, 28-mile line will officially open Monday -- following tomorrow's Super Saturday spectacul ... More >>

According to UNT Profs, DART's the "Economic Engine Making Dallas a World-Class City"

Click to expland the image if you actually want to peek at DART's 2030 Transit PlanThis morning at Dallas Area Rapid Transit HQ, president Gary Thomas lauded the rail expansion as "on time and under budget," and presented a new study by professors at the University of North Texas's Center for Econom ... More >>

Leppert Leads Trade Mission to Canada in Search of Sustainability, Whatever That Is

Patrick MichelsWe suggest Leppert make it a short trip -- arrive wearing these shades and demand all of Canada's sustainability secrets "or else."A group of city officials and business leaders will join Mayor Tom Leppert today for a four-day trip to Toronto, Canada, where they're set to tackle the ... More >>

DART President Asks Feds to Consider Turning Second Downtown Rail Line Into Pilot Project

As mentioned yesterday, Dallas Area Rapid Transit president and exec director Gary Thomas testified today in front of a U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs subcommittee hearing concerning Federal Transit Administration grants and oversight. For those who might have missed it -- and I'll a ... More >>

Get Rail: DART President to Testify Before U.S. Senate Tomorrow Concerning "New Starts"

DART president Gary ThomasTomorrow, Dallas Area Rapid Transit president and exec director Gary Thomas will be in Washington, D.C., to talk -- what else? -- transportation. Specifically, he's been invited to appear before a U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs subcommittee, chaired by Chris ... More >>

Fluid Victory

DART acts as though it is accountable to no man. Especially my man Betz.

Dunno What'll Happen to Deep Ellum. But At Least There'll Be Sculptures.

DART Needs to Build a Subway Downtown

If DART backtracks on its subway promise, downtown traffic will be even more congested

Lynn Flint Shaw's "Inner Circle"

Dodging Raindrops at DART

Thanks to DART's Deal of the Century, Dallas is Screwed

DART's Outside Auditor Seems Too Inside to Expose Secrets

We're over the game of hide the ball with Deloitte Touche

DART Doing Fuzzy Math

DART: What billion dollar shortfall?

DART Made a Billion-Dollar Goof

New DART lines to cost $1 billion more than promised

Dallas City Council Grills DART Boss Over That Missing Billion

Slow Train Coming, And DART Doesn't Care

Why is the DART board nonchalant about a billion-dollar shortfall?

Between heaven and hell

A father robbed of his sons is caught between a cult and fear of another Waco

The artist formerly known as print

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