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[Transportation and Infrastructure on May 19, 2025.]
OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MARCH 21ST, 2025 TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES.AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS BRING THEIR TWO NOMINEES, MAURICE WEST AND ROY LOPEZ.
SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TWO TO COME UP TO THE FRONT AND PICK WHATEVER SEAT YOU LIKE, AND THEN WE'LL JUST GRILL YOU OVER THE COALS UNTIL WE'RE DONE AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE RE-APPOINTEES. BUT I'M JUST KIDDING ON THAT.
WE'RE A PRETTY NICE BUNCH, SO I THINK WE'RE ALL IN A GOOD MOOD ABOUT DART RIGHT NOW WITH THINGS THAT HAPPENED RECENTLY AT THE LEGISLATURE SO GO DART. SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY VIRTUAL.
VICE CHAIRMAN AND FORMER CHAIR KRAUSS AND CURRENT VICE CHAIR BRYANT.
SO WE'LL START IN HERE AND I'LL JUST I'LL GO FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE DONE AND YOU'VE EXHAUSTED ALL YOUR QUESTIONS AND WE WILL BE DONE.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO LET THEM EACH GIVE AN OPENING STATEMENT.
SO ROY, IF YOU WANT TO START LIKE THREE MINUTES AND THEN MR. WEST, YOU'LL GO NEXT. IT'LL BE THREE MINUTES OKAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU TODAY.
AS A POINT OF PRIVILEGE. I WANT TO THANK CHAIRMAN NARVAEZ FOR SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW THAT YOUR SERVICE WILL BE ENDING SOON AT LEAST IN THIS CAPACITY.
BUT WHAT A CHANGE MAKER YOU HAVE BEEN TO THIS COMMUNITY.
AN ADDITIONAL THANK YOU TO MAYOR PRO TEM TENNELL ATKINS.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LONG AND DISTINGUISHED SERVICE.
IT IS A GREAT HONOR TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS POSITION.
I WELCOME THIS CHALLENGE WITH BOTH HUMILITY AS WELL AS ENTHUSIASM.
MY DESIRE TO SERVE STEMS FROM A DEEP APPRECIATION FOR THE CRITICAL ROLE DART PLAYS IN CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITIES AND SUPPORTING OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS ACROSS DALLAS AND ACROSS THE REGION.
JUST THIS MORNING AT 6:15 A.M., I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A DISABLED TEACHER GET OFF THE PARATRANSIT VAN WITH THE BIGGEST SMILE AS SHE WAS ARRIVING AT HER WORK AT A LOCAL DISD SCHOOL.
DART TRANSFORMS LIVES. THAT SMILE REMINDED ME AS TO WHY I WANT TO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY.
I THINK I BRING A STRONG SENSE OF FINANCIAL ACUMEN EXPERIENCE IN STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORTS, A STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, AND, OF COURSE, THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
THESE EXPERIENCES HAVE PREPARED ME TO CONTRIBUTE MEANINGFULLY TO DART'S MISSION.
AND I THINK I COULD CONTRIBUTE FOR A LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS A CORNERSTONE OF A FORWARD LOOKING CITY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, MR. LOPEZ. MR. WEST, YOU CAN HAVE THE FLOOR NOW FOR ABOUT THREE MINUTES.
YES. GOOD AFTERNOON. AND WITH PROTOCOL ALREADY ESTABLISHED, LET ME SAY AGAIN AS MR. LOPEZ MENTIONED, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
IT IS A TREMENDOUS HONOR TO SIT BEFORE YOU TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT DRIVES THIS CITY, THIS REGION, AND EVEN MORE, THIS STATE OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.
AS A I WOULD SAY I WAS A LIFELONG RESIDENT. I MOVED HERE, LEFT AND CAME BACK.
I MADE NOT ONLY AN ADVOCATE FOR THOSE RESOURCES AND THOSE SERVICES THAT THE CITY THE REGION PROVIDES, BUT I'M ALSO ONE THAT USES THEM. SEVERAL DAYS AGO, I WENT AND JUST HAPPENED TO JUST JUMP ON THE BUS TO JUST KIND OF EXPERIENCE WHAT GOES ON A
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DAY TO DAY EXPERIENCE FOR US WHO MIGHT DRIVE ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT ALSO FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TO UTILIZE THIS PREDOMINANTLY SO THAT WE CAN NOT ONLY EXPERIENCE IT, BUT FEEL IT. AS MISS LOPEZ MENTIONED, MY EXPERIENCE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AS WELL AS IN HIGHER EDUCATION AFFORD ME AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST TO SERVE AND BENEFIT OUR CITY AND OUR REGION.BUT ALSO IT'S A DRIVER. IT'S A DRIVER FOR WHAT WE NEED ECONOMICALLY TO BUILD A BETTER CITY, A BETTER REGION AND A COUNTRY. AND I WANT TO FIGHT FOR THOSE THINGS.
I WANT TO BE THE PERSON THAT WILL ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS, SEEK OUT THE RIGHT ANSWERS, AND BRING THE PEOPLE TO THE TABLE SO THAT THEY CAN BE INFORMED, EDUCATED, AND THEN UTILIZE IT TO THE MOST ROBUST POSSIBLE MEASURES THAT WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS APPROPRIATE, SAFE, AND THEN IT ADVANCES US INTO THE YEARS TO COME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M GOING TO START OVER HERE WITH MAYOR PRO TEM ATKINS.
THE FIRST QUESTION AND THEN WE'LL GO THIS WAY.
DO WE HAVE ONE QUESTION OR COMPOUND QUESTION? IT'S YOUR TIME. MR. I'M GOING TO BE I'M TRYING TO PROCESS ONE QUESTION, OKAY, ONE QUESTION OR COMMENT, AND THEN WE'LL KEEP GOING UNTIL YOU'RE OKAY. OKAY.
WE'VE EXHAUSTED EVERYBODY. THAT WAY NOBODY ASKS ALL THE QUESTIONS.
AND THEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS LIKE, OH, THAT WAS MY QUESTION. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? OKAY.
MY QUESTION IS VERY SIMPLE. DO YOU HAVE THE TIME AND COMMITMENT TO DART AND TO SERVE ON THE DART BOARD? YES. CAN YOU TELL ME WHY? TELL YOU WHY. BECAUSE THE TIME AND THE COMMITMENT TO SERVE ON THE BOARD.
TELL ME, DO YOU HAVE THE TIME AND THE COMMITMENT TO SERVE ON THE DART BOARD? WHAT IS YOU'RE WILLING TO GIVE UP TO DO THAT? THE TIME COMMITMENT THAT IS ASKED OF ME TO SERVE REQUIRES EVENING, SOME UNEXPECTED OR EVEN SOME CALLED MEETINGS.
AND I HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY WITHIN RESPONSIBILITY THAT I HAVE.
I WORK AT PAUL QUINN COLLEGE. I'M THE DEAN OF MEN.
SO I DO HAVE THE TIME, I HAVE THE INTEREST AND THE COMMITMENT.
SAME QUESTION. YES, SIR. SAME. ABSOLUTELY, YES.
I CERTAINLY WILL MAKE THE TIME AS WELL. IF YOU WOULD HAVE ASKED ME THIS QUESTION THREE YEARS AGO, I WOULD HAVE SAID, ABSOLUTELY NOT. I WAS WORKING FOR THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK. I WAS TRAVELING AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK OUT OF THE STATE.
TODAY, AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I HAVE A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY.
I'M BLESSED TO OWN MY OWN BUSINESS. OR 30% OF THE BUSINESS.
AND I'M CERTAINLY WILLING TO COMMIT AND DEDICATE MY VALUABLE RESOURCES TO DART.
SO, ABSOLUTELY, I WOULD BE WILLING AND ABLE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME DEVOTED TO DART.
THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER SCHULTZ. THANK YOU. MR. CHAIR, FIRST OF ALL, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PREPARATION THAT BOTH OF YOU HAVE PUT INTO THIS.
I CAN START I THINK THE BIGGEST ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW IS OUR FUNDING ISSUES AT DART.
I THINK THAT HAS TO BE UNDERSTOOD. WE HAVE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THOSE FINANCING ISSUES.
GET AHOLD OF THEM. THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH THOSE ISSUES, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, BUT WE CAN HOPEFULLY SEE IF WE CAN FIND A LOCAL SOLUTION TO SOME OF THESE FUNDING AND CITY DISCONTENT ISSUES.
IF WE DON'T HAVE SAFETY AND SECURITY WITHIN OUR BUSSES AND OUR LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.
NO ONE WILL RIDE OUR TRAINS, NO ONE WILL RIDE OUR BUSSES.
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IN TERMS OF SAFETY AND SECURITY. AND I GUESS A THIRD ISSUE IS JUST EFFICIENCY.LOW RIDERSHIP HAS BEEN AN ISSUE, PARTICULARLY AFTER COVID.
AND I'VE NEVER BEEN ONE TO BE SHY ABOUT EXPRESSING MY INTEREST IN, IN TAKING ON MORE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS. SO I KNOW THAT I CAN BE AN ADVOCATE FOR BOTH THE, COMPROMISE FUNDING ISSUES AS WELL AS AN ADVOCATE FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY ISSUES, AS WELL AS AN ADVOCATE FOR EFFICIENCY AND LOW RIDERSHIP NUMBERS AND COVERAGE GAPS THAT MAY EXIST WITHIN OUR SYSTEM.
WHAT I'D LIKE YOU TO ALSO THINK ABOUT, AND SO MAYBE COME BACK, IS WHAT ARE SOME NEW ACTUAL JUST OPPORTUNITIES NOT BASED ON A PROBLEM, JUST NEW OPPORTUNITIES. DO WE GO INTO AEROSPACE? WHATEVER. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. DREAM FOR A MINUTE IN TERMS OF THE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO MAYBE GIVE IT JUST A MINUTE OF THINKING WHILE HE GOES TO THAT.
THANK YOU. OH WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING.
RIGHT. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I THINK I WOULD WANT TO DO IS GO VISIT WITH OUR RESIDENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, IN THE SUBURBS ON WHAT THEIR ISSUES AND CONCERNS ARE, SO THAT WE CAN HELP MITIGATE THAT AND DRIVE THAT MESSAGE HOME EVEN CLOSER.
WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN NORTH TEXAS WHEN IT COMES TO ENTERTAINMENT, TRANSPORTATION, BEING A MODEL FOR SOME TO GET THERE OR NOT GET THERE.
SO WE HAVE TO AGAIN ADDRESS IT. AS HE SHARED ON HOW DO WE MARKET THIS AND HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TO MORE EFFICIENTLY UTILIZE THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AS A METHOD RATHER THAN ALWAYS GETTING IN A CAR? IT'S CONGESTED OUR ROADWAYS. IT'S GIVING US BACKUPS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND SO WE NEED TO FIND SOLUTIONS AND WE NEED TO TALK TO THE INDIVIDUALS.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE COULD SIT AT THE TABLE AND TALK AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT FOR THEM.
IS IT ON TIME? IS SHARED? ARE WE GIVING THEM THE BEST EXPERIENCE AND THEN PROMOTING AND PROVIDING A SAFE EXPERIENCE FOR THEM? I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OF THE KEY THINGS THAT I WOULD WANT TO DO. GRASSROOTS APPROACH IS CRITICAL JUST AS MUCH AS IT IS THE OVER THE TOP CORPORATE HOLISTIC APPROACH.
YEAH. I THINK IT ALSO COMES DOWN TO OUR WORKFORCE.
HOW CAN WE ELEVATE OUR WORKFORCE? HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO TRAIN OUR WORKFORCE? IT'S MY MY ACTUAL FATHER IN LAW IS A BUS DRIVER SLASH TRUCK DRIVER.
AND THE CHALLENGES WITHIN THAT INDUSTRY ARE INCREDIBLY PERVASIVE.
IT'S HARD TO GET TRUCK DRIVERS. IT'S HARD TO GET BUS DRIVERS.
HOW CAN WE ELEVATE THAT STATURE OF A BUS DRIVER BECAUSE THERE'S HUGE WORKFORCE GAPS WITHIN DART.
AND IT GOES BACK TO MY OTHER ISSUE, WHICH IS SAFETY AND SOUNDNESS AND SAFETY ISSUES.
WHEN THOSE FAMILIES, WHEN THOSE YOUNG KIDS GET ON THOSE BUSSES, WE GOT TO KEEP THEM SAFE.
AND IT STARTS WITH THAT BUS DRIVER, THAT INDIVIDUAL THAT IS WELL TRAINED THAT UNDERSTANDS SECURITY ISSUES THAT CONTINUES TO ELEVATE THEIR SKILLS TO A LEVEL THAT THEY FEEL 110% CONFIDENT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET YOU FROM POINT A TO POINT B. AWESOME. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RESENDEZ.
WELL, I THINK THAT'S A THAT'S A CRITICAL ONE THAT IF YOU LOOK AT IT SOMETIMES THAT MIGHT GO MISSED.
BUT ALSO, AGAIN, PUBLIC MEETINGS INFORMATION SESSIONS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE HELP TO GET THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE A FAVORABLE IDEA OF WHAT THEY'RE FEELING AND WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE, BUT ALSO ADHERING TO WHAT IS ALREADY WRITTEN IN THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND AS WELL AS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL,
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THE STATE LEVEL, ABOUT WHAT THE LAW SAYS. BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS IT SO THAT THEY CAN HELP ENFORCE IT AND ADHERE TO IT ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.I ALSO BELIEVE THIS VERY QUICKLY. THE CORPORATE COMMUNITY IS A BIG STAKEHOLDER IN THAT, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS KNOW IT SO THEY CAN PROMOTE IT TO THEIR TO THEIR STAFFERS, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING FOR THEM OR EVEN THEIR PARTNERS IN THIS, SO THAT THEY CAN PROMOTE THE BEST WORK POSSIBLE FOR DART'S SUCCESS.
SAME VERY, VERY SIMILAR RESPONSE AS I LOOK AT THE MARKET CONDITIONS WITHIN OUR CITY.
AND I KNOW EQUITY CAN SOMETIMES BE A DIVISIVE WORD THESE DAYS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE MARKET CONDITIONS AND WHERE THE BIGGEST GAPS ARE, WHERE ARE THE BIGGEST NEEDS ARE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE GAPS TEND TO BE IN LATINO AND AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.
SO FROM A PUBLIC POLICY PERSPECTIVE, HOW CAN HOW CAN DART REALLY MOTIVATE AND UTILIZE AND CULTIVATE ITS RESOURCES IN A WAY THAT BETTER SERVES OUR MOST NEEDY OF OUR COMMUNITIES? I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE ALWAYS TRY TO IMPROVE ON THAT.
IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE TRY TO IMPROVE ON RIDERSHIP.
IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE LOOK AT OUR HIRING PRACTICES.
WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE IMPROVING. AND I WILL BE THE FIRST ONE TALKING AND DEDICATING RESOURCES SO THAT WE'RE HAVE A DIVERSE WORKFORCE, THAT WE HAVE A DIVERSE SET OF WRITERS THAT WE'RE REACHING, THAT WE'RE MEETING THE PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS, AND WE'RE SEEING THAT OUR LATINO BASED BUSINESSES AND OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN BASED BUSINESSES AND OUR ASIAN AMERICAN BUSINESSES GET THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT DART MAY HAVE. I THINK THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD REALLY, REALLY STAND FOR. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH.
I APPRECIATE IT. THAT'S ALL. MR. CHAIR. COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
SO LIKE MAYOR PRO TEM, I HAVE A COMMENT AND THEN QUESTIONS.
I'M INTRIGUED BY THE BUS DRIVER CONVERSATION.
REALLY, I AM. AND I KNOW THAT ONE WAY WE AND YOU ALL MAY ALREADY DO THIS, BUT ONE THING WE DO IN SCHOOLS IS TO HAVE TEACHER APPRECIATION. SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU DO ANY KIND OF BUS DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY OR WEEK OR MONTH, BUT I THINK WHEN A PERSON WHO'S WORKING HARD DAY IN AND DAY OUT HAS SOMEONE SHOW THEIR APPRECIATION, THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, YOUR SMILE. THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS JOB, WHATEVER THAT IS.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU JUST HAVE SIGNS IN THE BUS THAT SAY THE WEEK OF X.
CAN YOU TELL YOUR BUS DRIVER, THANK YOU. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US WILL TREAT IT LIKE TEACHER APPRECIATION AND WE'LL MAKE THEM COOKIES OR SOMETHING. BUT I THINK THAT COULD ELEVATE BECAUSE THEN THEY BECOME A PERSON.
RIGHT. THIS IS THIS IS WHAT I FIND IN LIFE. WE WE GO THROUGH LIFE TAKING SO MANY PEOPLE FOR GRANTED, LIKE THE PERSON WHO'S TAKING OUR ORDER IN A RESTAURANT. I OWNED A RESTAURANT FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THAT'S OKAY. BUT WHEN WE STOP FOR A MINUTE AND SAY, HEY, HOW'S YOUR DAY? OR THANK YOU SO MUCH OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THAT MOMENT IS WHERE YOU SEE A PERSON THERE, I THINK THAT COULD HELP WITH ELEVATING THE BUS DRIVERS SENSE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT THEY HAVE AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AND THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE APPRECIATE WHAT THEY'RE DOING DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
SO, OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH ABOUT BUS DRIVERS. I'M GOING TO I THINK YOU GUYS MAY HAVE TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK EACH OF YOU JUST TO IDENTIFY ONE EITHER SKILL THAT YOU HAVE, EXPERIENCE THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU BELIEVE UNIQUELY QUALIFIES YOU TO SERVE ON THE ON THE DART BOARD, AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE TOUCHED ON THAT IN YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS, BUT JUST TO PULL ONE OUT AND AND TALK ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU I WOULD REFERENCE VERY QUICKLY MY INTERPERSONAL AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS, BECAUSE I THINK THOSE THINGS HELP TREMENDOUSLY WITH WHAT YOU JUST REFERENCED, THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN TALK AT THE TABLE AND ADDRESS ISSUES AND CONCERNS AND COME AWAY WITH AN AMICABLE SOLUTION. I ALSO BELIEVE IT HELPS WHEN YOU'RE PROMOTING IT TO THE DOWNLINE OF SORTS, BECAUSE I DO KNOW SOME OF THOSE IDEALS WITH RESPECT TO HONOR RECOGNITION, ACCOLADES ARE BEING DONE, BUT THEY COULD BE DONE IN A MORE ROBUST AND PUBLIC FASHION.
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YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE MILKMAN OR THE MAILMAN OF BACK IN THE DAY.YOU WALK UP AND YOU KNEW THEM AND YOU ENGAGED THEM BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP YOU CULTIVATED.
WHY SHOULDN'T WE DO THAT WITH EVERYONE? AND SO THE FIRST THING WOULD BE THAT INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILL, BUT ALSO STRATEGIC PLANNING. I COULD AGREE WITH RAY.
WE BOTH HAVE IDEAS AND THOUGHTS ON A SHORT TERM AND A LONG TERM SOLUTION TO ALMOST ANY PROBLEM.
BECAUSE IF YOU AREN'T THINKING ABOUT IT IMMEDIATELY, IT DOESN'T HELP TO THINK ABOUT IT LONG TERM.
YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS IT NOW SO THAT IT CAN BE MORE SUCCESSFUL DOWN THE ROAD.
MR. KENNEDY, I DON'T I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE A BANKER ON DART.
AS A FORMER BANKER I, THINK I BRING FINANCIAL SKILLS.
I THINK I BRING FINANCIAL ACUMEN. I SERVED TWO YEARS JUST RECENTLY GETTING MY CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNING CERTIFICATE FROM SMU. SO I BRING THAT KIND OF ACUMEN OF I GET EXCITED ABOUT AUDITS AND REALLY DELVING INTO THE FINANCES OF A $1.8 BILLION ENTITY THAT IS DART.
I THINK I COULD REALLY SCRUTINIZE AND LOOK AT INEFFICIENCIES THAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE REMEDIATED OR MITIGATED TO A CERTAIN EXTENT. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I COULD BRING TO THE TABLE, JUST KIND OF MY FINANCIAL ACUMEN.
BUT I ALSO THINK I BRING A SENSE OF EMPATHY TO THE POSITION AS WELL.
GROWING UP IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY IN THE POOREST COUNTY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, IN STARK COUNTY I KNOW THE STRUGGLES OF A LOW INCOME FAMILY AND THE STRUGGLES OF GETTING TO WORK.
THIS WAS MY FAMILIA. THIS WAS MY MOM. THIS WAS MY DAD.
AND WE WILL HAVE TO BE VERY EMPATHETIC AND COMPASSIONATE WHEN THE DISCUSSIONS TURN TO RAISING RATES, FOR EXAMPLE, ON BUS FARES. AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THAT LOW INCOME FAMILY.
SO I THINK I BRING TWO, TWO THINGS. I THINK I WOULD WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS JUST MY FINANCIAL ACUMEN AND MY SENSE OF EMPATHY FOR LOW INCOME RIDERS AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR THEIR NEEDS OF AND STRUGGLES AS THEY JUST WANT TO GO TO WORK.
AND I SAW THAT THIS MORNING AT 615 WHEN THIS BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY GOT OUT OF THAT GO DART VAN AND SHE JUST HAD A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE, AND SHE JUST SEEMED TO BE HAPPY TO BE AT WORK.
AND IT WAS THAT DART BUS THAT GOT HER THERE. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM.
WE GOT AROUND TWO. OH, YEAH. WE'LL KEEP GOING.
WE'LL KEEP GOING UNTIL YOU GET YOU EXHAUST EVERY QUESTION OR COMMENT YOU HAVE UNTIL THEN.
OKAY. I GUESS MY MAIN DEAL WITH I'M TRYING TO DEAL WITH MARKETING IN A SENSE.
AND I BELIEVE DART DO A BAD MARKETING RESIDENT OR RIDERSHIP, YOU KNOW, JUST GOING NORTH AND SOUTH, BUT NOT EAST AND WEST. YOU KNOW, MY DISTRICT, DISTRICT EIGHT THAT WE ALWAYS LOOK AT GOING EAST AND WEST, HOW WE GET PEOPLE FROM PAUL QUINN COLLEGE TO REDBIRD MALL, OR BACK AND FORTH TO INLAND PORT.
SO WHAT WOULD BE YOUR STRATEGY OR SUGGESTION? I KNOW MARCUS, YOU HAVE PAUL QUINN COLLEGE, YOU'RE OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, DURING THE DURING THE PANDEMIC, YOU KNOW, KIDS, YOU KNOW, WE CUT SOME BUS STOPS WERE SHORT AND EVERYTHING.
WHAT WERE SOME NEW IDEAS THAT YOU CAN BRING TO DART JUST BY THE KNOWLEDGE OF WE DO HAVE A BIG ISSUES, YOU KNOW, GOING EAST AND WEST. WELL, I JUST THINK THERE'S A BIG NEED TO BE PUBLIC, BE PRESENT AND DO SOME EDUCATION, BUT ALSO BEING PRESENT WITH SOME, YOU KNOW, LOCAL CAMPUS OR COMMUNITY EVENTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION EVENTS, ANYTHING THAT HELPS TO STIMULATE MORE AWARENESS.
MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE GO LINK. THEY DON'T KNOW THE VALUE THAT IT CAN GET YOU.
SOME PLACES EAST AND WEST, AND IT'S VERY INEXPENSIVE.
BUT I HONESTLY BELIEVE BEING AT THE SCHOOLS, VISITING SOME OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY CENTERS, CHURCHES, IT'S GOING TO BE A GRASSROOTS APPROACH BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU CAN SAY, LET'S GO TO SOCIAL MEDIA.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT HAPPENING. IT'S NOT HAPPENING AS WELL AS IT SHOULD.
I EVEN GOT THE CHANCE. THE BUS I RODE, IT TOOK A, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK A, IT WAS A LATER THAN EXPECTED.
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BUT WHEN IT GOT THERE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE BUS.BUT THOSE WHO WERE ON THE BUS, YOU KNOW, THEY FELT GOOD ABOUT GOING.
WE JUST NEEDED TO DO THAT FOR MORE. COUNCILMAN IN A SIMILAR VEIN AS A TRAINED ECONOMISTS, I WOULD LOOK AT THE DATA. FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND SEE WHERE THE MARKET CONDITIONS AND THE MARKET NEEDS, AND WHERE THE JOB CENTERS ARE AND WHERE THE RESIDENTS ARE THAT NEED TO GET TO THEIR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT OR THEY'RE BACK TO THEIR HOME OR WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE. BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE I WOULD STOP. I WOULD ALSO REALLY TALK TO THE RESIDENTS AND GET A BETTER SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE. AND SOMETIMES THAT GRANULAR APPROACH BRINGS NEW SOLUTIONS TO TO A PROBLEM THAT MAYBE WE HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN BEFORE, OR LOOK AT SOLUTIONS THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN BEFORE.
SO I WOULD DEFINITELY LOOK AT MARKET CONDITIONS AND SEE IF THAT, IF THOSE EAST WEST LINES ARE, ARE NOT SERVING THE NEEDS OF OUR RESIDENTS. BUT I WOULD FIRST START WITH THE DATA AND THEN GO TOWARDS MORE OF A GRANULAR APPROACH AND JUST TALKING TO PEOPLE. WE TALK ABOUT BOTH THE QUANTITATIVE WHICH IS THE NUMBERS, AND THEN THE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH, WHICH IS TALKING AND GETTING A SENSE OF WHAT PEOPLE NEED FROM THEIR TRANSIT AUTHORITY.
COUNCIL MEMBER SCHULTZ. JUST VERY QUICKLY, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW YOU PERCEIVE YOUR ROLE AS A DALLAS DART MEMBER COMPARED TO A DART MEMBER? I WOULD DARE TO BELIEVE IT'S MULTILAYERED. FIRST, THERE'S A POLICY GOVERNANCE OPERATIONAL COMPONENT THAT EXISTS.
YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE LAW AND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU.
I THINK YOU BECOME AN ADVOCATE. YOU ALLY YOURSELF WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES OR OUR NEIGHBORING SUBURBS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT WHILE DALLAS HAS A LARGER PORTION OF IT, THAT EACH CITY AND EACH NEIGHBORHOOD HAS A VESTED INTEREST IN THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT.
WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE BEST EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE IN GETTING FROM WORK BACK HOME, AND VICE VERSA. OR IF THEY NEED TO CATCH IT, TO JUST GO DOWNTOWN AND GO TO A CONCERT.
THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE WITHOUT HAVING TO FILL THAT NEED THAT WELL, IN ORDER FOR ME TO GET THERE AND GET THERE ON TIME OR TO EXPERIENCE IT THE WAY I NEED TO, I HAVE TO DRIVE. I HAVE TO GO AND PARK. I HAVE TO WALK IF I CAN GET DROPPED OFF CLOSEST IN PROXIMITY TO THE LOCATION I'M GOING TO.
THAT DART HAS THE BEST SERVICES POSSIBLE. SO IN THAT BOARD ROLE, IN THAT LEADERSHIP ROLE, IT'S REQUIRED FOR ME TO LOOK AT IT THROUGH EVERY LENS OF FAIR, OBJECTIVE, BUT ALSO MEANINGFUL DIALOG WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS, BUT ALSO THOSE WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM IT. SIMILAR AS WELL.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WOULD BE A FIDUCIARY TO THE ORGANIZATION DART ITSELF.
DART I WOULD SERVE AS A FIDUCIARY TO DART. LET ME GET THAT SAID FIRST.
BUT I ALSO SAY IT WITH A SENSE OF DALLAS IS WHERE I'M RAISING MY CHILDREN.
DALLAS IS A CITY THAT HAS GIVEN ME OPPORTUNITY.
DALLAS IS THE PLACE OF MY EMPLOYMENT. THE DALLAS CITY COUNCIL WAS THE ONE THAT APPOINTED ME.
AS A RESULT OF THAT I WOULD WHEN THINGS GET TO PUSHING AND SHOVING, I WILL NOT FORGET ABOUT DALLAS. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE DATA AND MOST OF THE WRITERS ARE COMING FROM DALLAS.
MOST OF THE TAX REVENUE THAT IMPACTS DART'S FUNDING COMES FROM THIS GREAT CITY.
I'M HESITANT TO SAY IT, BUT I ALMOST WILL SAY IT.
WHICH IS I WILL PUT DALLAS FIRST. BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME COMPROMISE SOLUTIONS OUT THERE.
AND WE HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR 13 OR 12 OTHER MEMBER CITIES.
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THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RESENDEZ, ANY, NOTHING.COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART. MAYOR PRO TEM. THIRD ROUND? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER SCHULTZ. THE OTHER TWO. GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.
ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE SOME COMMENTS, BUT THEN ALSO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMMENTING ABOUT FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY, ABOUT THE ECONOMICS OF DART. THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO COME TO SOME COMPROMISE WITH OUR MEMBER CITIES AND I'VE BEEN LOUD ABOUT THIS, THAT IT WAS PREMATURE WHAT THE CITY OF PLANO WAS DOING AND I HOPE THAT THEY WILL NOW COME BACK TO THE TABLE BECAUSE THEY WALKED AWAY WITH THEIR BALL AND DECIDED THEY DIDN'T WANT TO WORK WITH US.
AND THAT'S OKAY, THAT HAPPENS AND THAT'S JUST POLITICS THAT HAPPENS.
BUT NOW THAT, YOU KNOW THAT BILL IS BASICALLY DEAD WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET TOGETHER AND YOU KNOW, WE'LL ALL LICK OUR WOUNDS AND LET'S WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE THIS IS HUGE.
WE CAN'T LOSE DART. EACH OF YOU SAID VERY GOOD THINGS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO THE CITY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST FOR THE ECONOMICS. IT'S FOR THAT EVERYDAY PERSON WHO'S GETTING FROM HERE TO THERE.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK BOTH OF YOU BECAUSE I CAN I KNOW ROY LOPEZ VERY, VERY WELL.
BECAUSE I'VE KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS. BUT MR. WEST, I HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET YOU, I DON'T THINK. AND I'M VERY I LOVE HOW YOU'VE PREPARED AND THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE SAID.
SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU'VE BEEN NOMINATED, BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY REFRESHING TO HEAR SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL RIDER. AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WILL SAY THAT I THINK CAN HAPPEN MAYBE A LITTLE MORE OFTEN IS IF WE CAN WORK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OR IF THEY WANT, AND HAVE A FEW MORE, LIKE ONCE A YEAR TOWN HALL OR SOMETHING, BECAUSE IT'S US WHO THEY COME TO WHEN THERE ARE ISSUES WITH DART.
BECAUSE MOST DON'T KNOW WHO THEIR BOARD MEMBER IS, RIGHT? THEY DON'T. THEY JUST DON'T KNOW. AND THAT'S OKAY. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BE PICKETING IN FRONT OF YOUR FRONT DOOR OR, YOU KNOW, KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE THE BUS WAS 20 MINUTES LATE YESTERDAY, BUT BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING PAID SO HANDSOMELY WITH NOTHING AND, WELL, I MEAN, THAT DART PASS IS EXPENSIVE, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ANNUAL PASS IS VERY EXPENSIVE, BUT STILL IT'S THIS IS SERVICE.
AND WE'RE GROWING AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE GROWING.
AND DART IS DOING EXCEPTIONALLY WELL NATIONWIDE.
AS COMPARED TO OTHER TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES, WE HAVE BOUNCED BACK BASICALLY EITHER TO RIGHT UNDER COVID LEVELS, LIKE DURING THE WEEK, BUT ON THE WEEKENDS WE ARE WE'VE SURPASSED IT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE WEEKENDS, BUT PEOPLE ARE UTILIZING DART MORE ON THE WEEKENDS. SO THAT'S REALLY, REALLY A GOOD THING AS WELL BECAUSE THAT'S PROBABLY MORE RECREATIONAL, RIGHT? MORE I'M GOING TO GO SEE THINGS OR DO THINGS IN THE CITY OR GO TO OTHER PLACES.
SO THOSE ARE SOMETHING TO KNOW. BUT I DID WANT TO BEFORE YOU ALL LEAVE IS I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT Y'ALL ARE BOTH FEELING SOME REALLY GREAT DART BOARD MEMBERS FROM DIDI ALEXANDER AS WELL AS FLORA HERNANDEZ.
BOTH HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONAL BOARD MEMBERS AND I CAN SPEAK ON FLORA.
I'M SURE SOMEBODY WILL WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT DIDI AFTER ME.
WHICH IS FLORA HERNANDEZ. WHEN SHE CAME ONTO THE DART BOARD, SHE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
YOU KNOW, SHE STARTED WORKING ON EXPANDING GO LINK AND TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
SO THAT WAS A HUGE DEAL. AND THAT'S THE, LIKE, MICRO TRANSIT, IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT.
LAST MILE TRANSIT, GETTING PEOPLE TO THE PLACES THAT THEY NEED TO GET THAT YOU MENTIONED MR. WEST. GO LINK EXPANSION WAS HUGE, NOT JUST IN DALLAS, BUT ACROSS THE REGION AND THE PLACES WHERE IT MAKES MORE SENSE.
SHE WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR TAKING TOYOTA, STARTED A PILOT CALLED THE WEST DALLAS CIRCULATOR, AND THEY PAID FOR IT FOR TWO YEARS. AND THEY'RE BASICALLY LITTLE GOLF CARTS, OR THEY'RE THOSE EXTENDED GOLF CARTS.
I CALL THEM LIMO GOLF CARTS. AND IT'S A FREE RIDE.
AND ANYBODY IN WEST DALLAS IN 75212, THEY CAN PICK UP THEIR PHONE, DIAL THE NUMBER, TEXT THE NUMBER.
AND I THINK THERE'S AN APP NOW AND THEY GET THEIR RIDE.
THE LITTLE GOLF CART COMES TO YOUR FRONT DOOR AND TAKES YOU ANYWHERE WITHIN THAT LITTLE AREA.
SO THAT'S I THINK THE LAST TIME I SPOKE AT DART LAST YEAR TO KEEP IT IN THE BUDGET, THE BOARD DID, THANKFULLY IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE 14,000 RIDERS A MONTH OR SOMETHING.
I MEAN, SOMETHING CRAZY BIG. AND I WAS THINKING, THAT'S WAY MORE THAN MOST BUS ROUTES COMBINED, RIGHT? SO IT'S FINDING THAT MICRO MICRO MOBILITY, THAT MICRO TRANSIT.
SO SHE'S GOING AFTER, YOU KNOW WHOEVER DOES THAT AND, YOU KNOW, THE SKY.
[00:35:01]
SO BUT, YOU KNOW, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS IT'S LIKE THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO START LOOKING AT, RIGHT? BECAUSE TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO ADVANCE AND IT'S GOING TO ADVANCE FAST.SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK FLORA HERNANDEZ AND DIDI.
BUT I'M JUST GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT FLORA BECAUSE I KNOW COUNCILMEMBER SCHULTZ WANTS TO SPEAK ABOUT DIDI, I BELIEVE SO BUT JUST I'M JUST SO HAPPY FOR HER BECAUSE SHE CALLED TO LET ME KNOW SHE WAS NOT GOING TO SEEK RENOMINATION BECAUSE HER HUSBAND WAS RETIRING. AND HE SAID HE WANTED TO SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN RETIREMENT WITH HIS BRIDE, TRAVELING THE WORLD AND DOING ALL KINDS OF COOL THINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHE'S LIKE, IS IT OKAY IF I DO, BOSS? AND I WAS LIKE, PLEASE, YOU BETTER GO. YOU BETTER GO SPEND YOUR TIME WITH YOUR HUSBAND AND ENJOY SEEING THE WORLD.
IT'S ALWAYS SAD TO SEE PEOPLE GO, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S LIKE THEY SHE THEY BOTH DID THEIR SERVICE AND I AND I KNOW THAT BOTH OF YOU ARE GOING TO DO SOME EXCEPTIONAL, AMAZING THINGS. I WON'T BE HERE, BUT I'LL STILL BE WATCHING FROM AFAR.
REALLY? NOT THAT FAR. BUT I'LL BE. I'LL BE WATCHING BECAUSE DART IS SO IMPORTANT.
NOT JUST TO DISTRICT SIX, BUT THE RESIDENTS, BUT EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS COMMITTEE TO OUR RESIDENTS AND THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE REGION WITHOUT DART. I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE EVER GROWN AS BIG AS WE DID.
SO THANK YOU. AND I GOT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT BECAUSE OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, DEB RASTOGI, SHE TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY ABOUT HOW SHE WAS THERE WHEN DART WAS JUST GETTING FORMED AND STARTED.
SO SHE HAS REALLY COOL STORIES. ANYWAY, THAT'S THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL ARE GOING TO DO AND APPRECIATE YOU SERVING.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER SCHULTZ. THANK YOU.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MISS ALEXANDER FOR HER SERVICE.
AND SHE BRINGS A VOICE TO THE TABLE THAT WE DESPERATELY NEED ON THE DART BOARD.
AND I THINK, MR. WEST, YOU ALLUDED TO IT IN THE SENSE OF REALLY GOING OUT AND SPEAKING TO THE RESIDENTS THEMSELVES AND WHAT THEY WANT, NOT NECESSARILY THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, WHO MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT AGENDA FOR WHY THEY WANT TO DO THINGS WITH DART.
AND WE HAVEN'T REALLY SPOKEN WITH THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING DART.
AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A VERY INTERESTING INITIATIVE TO TO DO, TO UNDERTAKE.
AND MISS ALEXANDER REPRESENTS THAT BECAUSE SHE'S A DART RIDER.
WE NEED THAT VOICE AT THE TABLE. WE NEED THE VOICE OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO NEED TO YOU KNOW, INVEST IN THIS FOR THEIR FUTURE. SO I AM THRILLED WITH YOU ALL.
THANK YOU. I THINK THAT'S IT FOR YOU, TWO. Y'ALL ARE OUT OF THE HOT SEAT, SO YOU BETTER JUMP OUT QUICK BEFORE SOMEBODY JUMPS IN, JUMPS IN OVER HERE AND COMES RUNNING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE OR GETS ONLINE.
AND WE HAVE THOSE SURPRISES SOMETIME SOON. WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
SO WE NOW HAVE OUR OTHER FOUR. I THINK THERE'S FOUR RE-NOMINEES.
I'M NOT SURE WHY IT'S SO TINY, BUT WE CAN SEE YOU ALL.
MISTER BRYANT AND MISSES JUAN KRAUSS, AND SO WE'LL DO THE SAME THING, COLLEAGUES, IF YOU WANT TO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT THEM ALL FOUR TO ASK YOUR QUESTION. JUST LET THEM KNOW IF YOU WANT ALL FOUR TO ASK IT OR IF YOU HAVE ONE DIRECTLY FOR SOMEBODY, THAT'S FINE. JUST I'M GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE FREE HERE BECAUSE FOR YOU ALL, BECAUSE THESE FOUR ARE COMING BACK MORE THAN LIKELY.
AND THEY'VE EACH SERVED VERY WELL AND SOME OF THEM FOR MANY YEARS, AND SOME OF THEM FOR A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME, BUT HAVE REALLY MADE THEIR MARK ALREADY ON THE DART BOARD, SO I'M WITH THAT.
UM MAYOR PRO TEM. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. ARE THEY GOING TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
SO, YES, WE WILL START AND WE'LL, GO THROUGH I GUESS WE'LL GO THROUGH, I DON'T KNOW THE SENIORITY, SO I'LL JUST START WITH MR. BRYANT AND MICHELLE JUAN KRAUSE AND THEN MR. MCGREGOR, AND THEN THEN MR. KENNEDY. SORRY. I WAS LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF NAMES RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN MR. KENNEDY, AND THEN JUST LIKE, LET'S DO A COUPLE MINUTES. OPENING STATEMENT. BECAUSE I KNOW WE ALL KNOW YOU, BUT I THINK MAYOR PRO TEM IS CORRECT. WE NEED TO GIVE YOU ALL THAT ABILITY TO GIVE AN OPENING STATEMENT.
SO, MR. BRYANT, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. SORRY MYSELF COULD NOT BE PRESENT WITH YOU.
MICHELLE. GIVE HER SORRYS SECOND. BUT, KNOW THAT WE ARE AT WORK.
WE ARE TOGETHER AND IN DC AT THE APTA LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE.
OF COURSE, MICHELLE SERVES AS THE IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR OF APTA, AND I SERVE ON THE BOARD AS WELL.
[00:40:05]
WE ARE UP HERE WORKING. WE'RE NOT JUST GOOFING OFF, WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS OF DALLAS DART AND OUR RIDERS, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP IN SHORT NOTICE.I THINK I CAME HERE FEBRUARY 26TH OF LAST YEAR AND EVEN COMING INTO THIS CONVERSATION TODAY REFLECTED A LOT ON MY FIRST INTERVIEW. AND THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED OF ME AT THAT TIME.
AND WE'VE MADE PROGRESS ON SOME THINGS AND, AND WE'RE STILL IN THE SAME PLACE ON OTHERS.
SINCE BECOMING APPOINTED TO THE DART BOARD, THOUGH, I CAN SAY THAT FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THE DART BOARD APPOINTED ME TO CHAIR OUR LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
I HELP GUIDE OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, AS MOST CAN BELIEVE OUT OF THE FIRE. AS FAR AS THE BILLS THAT WERE FILED AGAINST US MOST RECENTLY LAST MONTH MY COLLEAGUES APPOINTED OR ELECTED ME TO SERVE AS OUR VICE CHAIR FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS TERM.
SO FOR MYSELF, I'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK BUILDING UP MY KNOWLEDGE IN THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY.
AND I'VE ENSURED THAT THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE REFLECTED THAT.
THAT'S BEEN A PRIORITY OF MINE, ENSURING THAT THE DART BOARD IS ALIGNED AS BEST AS POSSIBLE ON AS MANY VOTES AS WE CAN BE AND THAT THAT PLAN. AND IN LARGE SCALE AT LEAST, IS EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATED BACK TO OUR CITY MANAGER, HER TEAM AND THE COMMITTEE CHAIR IN THIS COMMITTEE AND I THINK THOSE THAT IS THE, THE NUMBER ONE DIFFERENCE EVEN THOUGH IT'S GETTING BETTER NOW THAT I DO SEE WITH THE ADVERSE WORK OF OUR SUBURBS VERSUS WHERE WE ARE, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS IF WE BELIEVE THEY'RE RIGHT OR WRONG, THEY'RE ALL ALIGNED. AND I THINK IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON THAT WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN SHORT ORDER TO GET BETTER ALIGNED, CREATE BETTER LINES OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING SO THAT EVERYONE KNOWS AT ALL TIMES WHAT'S EXACTLY GOING ON THAT ALLOWS US TO TO BEAT AT THE SAME TO DRUM AT THE SAME BEAT AND CREATE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK BETTER IN COLLABORATION.
I THINK WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, CREATE WHAT THAT LARGE TERM PLAN IS.
I KNOW CONVENTION CENTER AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN AROUND THAT IS TOP OF MIND.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD YOU KNOW, BUILD UPON THAT GOING FORWARD.
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR. VERY GOOD. SO, NATIONAL CHAIR, JUAN KRAUS, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND I DO SEND MY APOLOGIES AS WELL FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ATTEND IN PERSON, BUT BOTH MR. BRYANT AND I ARE HERE NOT ONLY CONTINUING OUR TRANSIT EDUCATION BUT ALSO ADVOCATING FOR FUNDING FROM OUR LEGISLATORS FOR DART. SO THAT IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT, I THINK, OF BEING ACTIVE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
WE HAVE CHALLENGES AS CITY COUNCIL KNOWS REGARDING OUR MEMBER CITIES.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO, TO WORK ON AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR ALL OUR MEMBER CITIES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS THAT WE TRY TO LOOK AT OTHER POTENTIAL REVENUE FUNDS. WHERE CAN WHAT ARE OTHER OPTIONS? I'M INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT OUR DART'S LAND USE POLICY.
LET'S LOOK AT INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS TO GENERATE REVENUE TO DART.
THERE'S A THERE'S TRANSIT AGENCIES WORLDWIDE THAT HAVE LEVERAGED THEIR PROPERTY TO INCREASE FUNDS TO THEIR TRANSIT AGENCY, AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN DOING THAT AND HOW WE CAN WORK WITH OUR 13 MEMBER CITIES.
SAFETY, CLEANLINESS AND RELIABILITY. THAT'S WHAT OUR RIDERS WANT TO SEE.
[00:45:07]
RETURN ON INVESTMENT. FOR EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN PUBLIC TRANSIT, THERE'S A RETURN OF $5.AND I THINK THAT ONCE WE REACH OUT TO OUR MEMBER CITIES AND DO OUR AREA PLANS, LISTENING TO OUR, OUR CITIES, WHICH OUR CEO NADINE LEE HAS DONE AND REACHED OUT, I THINK WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL HOPEFULLY SATISFACTION WITH OUR MEMBER CITIES.
BUT ONE THING I DID WANT TO SAY IS THE OVERALL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WHICH IS CALLED THE NET PROMOTER SCORE, HAS INCREASED FROM IN 2023, IT WAS 2.4 AND IN 2024 IT WENT UP TO 16.
SO WE'RE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. WE HAVE ALLOCATED ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR TRANSIT SECURITY OFFICERS AND CLEAN TEAMS. AND SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE DOING THAT.
OUR SYSTEM MODERNIZATION. BUT ALL THAT OBVIOUSLY TAKES FUNDING.
SO AND WE ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND THEN WE'LL COME RIGHT OVER HERE.
SO WE'LL START WITH YOU ENRIQUE. AND THEN PATRICK. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AM I ON? AM I ON NOW? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. AND BY THE WAY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO HELP SAVE DART.
YOU STEPPED IN IT REALLY CRITICAL TIMES. ALL OF YOU DID.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. SO I'M ENRICO MCGREGOR.
I'M COMPLETING MY FIRST TERM, TWO YEAR TERM. I AM VICE CHAIR OF THE ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE, AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN IN DART.
OF COURSE. WHEN I FIRST SIGNED UP, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WE WERE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH.
AND IT'S BEEN A VERY INTERESTING PROCESS TO SEE, BUT IT'S ALSO BEEN A GOOD EDUCATION KIND OF LEARNING PROCESS FOR WHERE THE I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE SOFT PARTS ARE AND WHAT NEEDED TO BE FIXING.
FOR EXAMPLE, I LEARNED OR I DETERMINED EARLY ON THAT A LOT OF DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE BIG EXISTENTIAL DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER TO FUND OR DE-FUND DART ARE BEING MADE BY PEOPLE THAT DON'T RIDE DART, AND THAT THE VOICE OF THOSE WHO DO RIDE DART WAS NOT, WERE NOT AT THE TABLE.
SO I ACTUALLY REACHED OUT THROUGH DART HAS A COMMITTEE OF CITIZENS WHO PROVIDE ADVICE TO DART, AND THEY GET TOGETHER ONCE A MONTH. AND I WENT TO ONE OF THEIR MEETINGS AND I SAID, GUYS, IT'S GREAT THAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING, YOU'RE PROVIDING FEEDBACK.
BUT WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS MORE ADVOCACY FROM YOU.
AND THERE WAS ANOTHER GROUP THAT AT THE SAME TIME RELATED TO THE UNIVERSITY WERE ALSO ADVOCATES FOR TRANSIT, BUT THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE SPEAKING FROM THE OUTSIDE IN, YOU KNOW? SO I REALLY ENCOURAGED THEM AND APPROACHED THEM.
TESTIMONIALS FROM THE PERSONAL LEVEL. A COUPLE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN AT DART, I LEARNED EARLY ON THAT AS YOU TALK ABOUT DART WORKING FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, I LEARNED EARLY ON THAT THE SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNITY OR THE LATINO COMMUNITY STATISTICALLY, STATISTICALLY UNDER USES DART ACCORDING.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER MEASURES COMPARING THE OTHER GROUPS IN THE SAME INCOME BRACKET, THAT WOULD USE IT AT THIS LEVEL, FOR INSTANCE, THE BLACK COMMUNITY, THE LATINOS DON'T.
AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THAT.
SO STAFF HAS GOTTEN INTO A FAIRLY IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THAT, AND WE SAW THE FIRST RESULTS A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, AND I'M SURE WE'LL BE SEEING MORE OF THAT AS WE GO ALONG AND TAKE ACTION.
AND THEN I'LL SAY, THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS ONE AREA THAT IS THAT IS REALLY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART IS TRANSPORTATION ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT THAT IS ENGAGING IN AND DALLAS IS DOING AS WELL. AND I'VE ENCOURAGED DART STAFF TO TALK TO CITY OF DALLAS DEVELOPMENT PEOPLE AND TO LOOK INTO WHAT IS MAKING IT HARDER FOR TODS TO, TO DEVELOP.
[00:50:07]
SO THERE'S BEEN SOME BRAINSTORMING ABOUT PERHAPS CREATING ZONING FOR TODS THAT SORT OF OFF THE SHELF ZONING THAT MIGHT MAKE IT EASIER FOR DEVELOPERS OR ENCOURAGE THEM MORE TO DO IT.SHE HOSTED, DART HOSTED, BUT SHE ORGANIZED A CONFERENCE IN DALLAS THAT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED.
ALL ABOUT TODS AND EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT SPEAKERS.
SO I'LL STOP THERE. AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR THIS.
AND BEFORE I GO AND PASS IT TO MR. KENNEDY, CONGRATULATIONS ON PASSING PARKING REFORM.
THANK YOU. HELLO, COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AGAIN AND TO SERVE OUR CITY FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS CLOSER, NOT FURTHER AWAY. OKAY.
THAT'S BETTER. YEAH. PATRICK KENNEDY, I'M A PROFESSIONAL URBAN PLANNER, URBAN DESIGNER.
AND LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING THAT EXPERIENCE TO THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, WHICH I CHAIR AND HOPE TO CONTINUE CHAIRING ONCE WE TAKE THE CHAIRMANSHIP BACK IN OCTOBER. WE'VE GOT A LOT TO DO WITH, WITH OUR LAND.
I ALSO TEACH MASTERS OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT AT SMU.
AND EIGHT YEARS AGO, WHEN I FIRST WAS APPOINTED HERE, IN THESE INTERVIEWS, I LOBBIED THAT OR ARGUED THAT WE SHOULD BE OVERHAULING OUR BUS NETWORK, AND WE ENDED UP DOING THAT. IT TOOK A FEW YEARS UNTIL ABOUT 2021, IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID, WHEN WE WHEN WE LAUNCHED IT AND WE LAUNCHED IT WITH ABOUT 70% OF OUR, OUR OPERATORS.
SO IT DIDN'T GO THAT AS SMOOTHLY AS PLANNED. BUT WE DID GET FROM 6 TO 23 FREQUENT ROUTES IN THE SYSTEM AND DID SO IN A BUDGET NEUTRAL WAY, AND BEGAN LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR FURTHER INVESTMENT IN THE BUS SYSTEM, WHICH I HOPE TO THAT WE'LL UNVEIL HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
WE INVESTED IN SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF SERVICE ON ON WEEKENDS.
AND WE'RE SEEING THE BENEFITS OF THAT. AND I THINK THAT THAT UNDERSCORES HOW WE SHOULD BE TREATING TRANSIT, THAT WE SHOULD BE INVESTING IN IT, INVESTING IN IMPROVED SERVICE AND THE MARKET.
THE RIDERS WILL RESPOND TO THAT. AND I THINK THE OTHER PART OF THAT EQUATION IS, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS CITY IS AT AN INFLECTION POINT WHERE WE'RE BEGINNING TO GROW DIFFERENTLY.
WE'RE GROWING NOT JUST OUR POPULATION, BUT HOW WE BUILD AND OUR TAX BASE.
I THINK OBVIOUSLY THE FORWARD DALLAS UPDATE HAS BEEN CRITICAL AND WILL BE CRITICAL, BUT I THINK ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL TO CHARTING THAT SORT OF INFLECTION POINT TOWARDS A MUCH MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE CITY FINANCIALLY, ENVIRONMENTALLY AND SOCIALLY.
I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL. YEAH. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
EXCELLENT. THANK YOU. SO WE'LL START WITH MAYOR PRO TEM AND WE'LL GO THIS WAY LIKE WE DID LAST TIME.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO ONE QUESTION OR COMMENT EACH, AND THEN WE'LL JUST WE'RE JUST DOING ROUND ROBIN. SO IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE QUESTIONS IT'S OKAY. YOU'LL GET BACK TO YOU. SO DON'T THINK LIKE YOU ONLY GET ONE OKAY.
MAYOR PRO TEM GO FOR IT. YEAH. I THINK I'M GOING TO TAKE ONE QUESTION.
THANK YOU. AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR WILLING TO COME BACK AGAIN.
YOU DO HAVE A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO THE DART.
IF YOU HAVE TO GO BACK WHEN YOU'RE GOING BACK INTO THIS DART BOARD, HOW DO YOU TRY TO BUILD COORDINATION WITH ALL OF THE CITIES TO SHOW ONE VISION? I THINK THE VISION IS ABOUT REGION.
IT'S ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, BUT IT LOOK LIKE IT'S A DISCONNECT.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S YOUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR DART.
BUT GOING THROUGH THIS MEDIATION, IT SEEMS A BIT DISCONNECT.
BUT THE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY WAS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
SO WHAT WILL YOU DO DIFFERENT. IS THAT FOR ANYONE IN PARTICULAR OR ALL OF US? AUDIENCE I WANT TO RESPOND FOR ALL FOUR. SO WE'LL START WITH WE'LL START HERE IN THE CHAMBERS AND WE'LL START, WE'LL GO BACKWARDS. SO WE'LL START WITH MR. KENNEDY AND THEN JUST GO BACKWARDS TO I WAS GOING TO DEFER TO OUR LIKELY FUTURE CHAIR, BUT I'M HAPPY TO LET HIM GO LAST. YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE KEY AND MOST CRITICAL THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS IS THINK ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO MANAGE THE 5% MOBILITY FUND THAT WE PASSED THE RESOLUTION AS PART OF THE ATTEMPTED
[00:55:03]
MEDIATED COMPROMISE WITH SOME OF OUR SUBURBAN MEMBER CITIES.I WANT TO COMMEND VICE CHAIR BRYANT, AS WELL AS CHAIR SCHLEGEL AND FORMER CHAIR ENOCH AND THEIR WORK TO NOT GIVE OVER THE ENTIRE FARM IN DURING THOSE NEGOTIATIONS BECAUSE IT EASILY COULD HAVE GONE THAT DIRECTION.
I THINK THEY WERE WISE TO REALIZE THAT AS FAR AS WE GAVE, WE WEREN'T GOING TO GET ANYMORE, I THINK NOW IT WOULD PROBABLY BE A BAD LOOK FOR US TO GO BACK ON THAT 5%, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY WISE, GIVEN THAT THE CITY OF DALLAS IS GOING TO BE HAVE THAT BIGGEST 5% INCREMENT, WE SHOULD BE THINKING VERY CAREFULLY OF HOW WE WANT TO USE THAT 5%.
WE COULD JUST SAY IT GOES RIGHT BACK INTO THE SERVICE.
SO THERE'S NO CUTS. IT COULD SAY, LET'S INVEST IN VARIOUS PET PROJECTS WE MIGHT HAVE, OR I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, OKAY, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME SHORT TERM PAIN IN THE VARIOUS CUTS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE FOR THE FOR THOSE 5% REDUCTIONS.
BUT IF WE USE THAT REVENUE SOURCE TO INVEST IN IMPROVE SERVICE, THAT WHEN WE GET THAT MONEY BACK INTO THE SYSTEM, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER OVERALL SYSTEM. SO I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO BE SMART WITH HOW WE'RE USING THOSE DOLLARS.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT TRANSIT SHOULD NOT EXIST IN A SILO, AND THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD OUR COMMUNITIES AROUND TRANSIT AND IN OUR CITIES NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT THAT TRANSIT CAN PROVIDE.
IF WE DO THINK IN THAT INTEGRATED, HOLISTIC WAY.
AND I THINK WE'RE BEGINNING TO GET THERE. I THINK IT'S WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, FRANKLY. I MEAN, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE EIGHT YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, I FEEL LIKE ALL DIRECTIONS ARE POINTED IN THE SAME WAY.
AND I'M VERY IMBUED BY THAT. I THINK WE'RE ABOUT TO HIT SORT OF A GOLDEN AGE OF, OF CITY BUILDING AROUND TRANSIT AND WALKABLE DEVELOPMENT. AND I HOPE OUR MEMBER CITIES ALL WILL SEE THAT.
AS I LISTEN TO WHAT PATRICK IS TALKING ABOUT, I, I THINK THERE'S GOING FORWARD, THERE'S ONE WORD THAT REALLY GETS IN THE WAY OF EVERYTHING AND IT'S REALLY CHARGED. AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT DENSITY STRIKES, VERY DIFFERENT STRIKES, DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
DENSITY. THE WAY I SEE IT, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITIES IN THE WORLD BENEFIT FROM DENSITY.
A TRANSIT SYSTEM INTERACTS WITH A CITY THAT HAS MORE DENSITY IN DALLAS, AND HAVING BEEN THROUGH CPC AND LISTENING TO MANY ZONING CASES, DENSITY IS BRINGS UP IMAGES OF SQUALOR AND CRIME AND DRUGS TO PEOPLE AND THERE'S A MISPERCEPTION THAT DENSITY IS CONNECTED TO INCREASING CRIME. AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
IT'S POVERTY THAT INCREASES CRIME. DENSITY ACTUALLY IS BETTER FOR A COMMUNITY.
IT'S BETTER FOR TAX SERVICES, BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE AND SO FORTH.
SO THIS IS TRUE IN DALLAS. IT'S ALSO TRUE IN THE SUBURBS.
AND I THINK IN TIME, DART AND PERHAPS THE CITY OF DALLAS AS WELL, WILL NEED TO DO A JOB IN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT, WHAT DENSITY CAN BE AND WHAT A SUCCESSFUL TRANSPORTATION ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT CAN BE, AND SO FORTH.
MUCH OF THAT HAS BEGUN ALREADY IN THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH IN THE LAST YEAR, WHERE OUR CHAIR AND MAYOR ENOCH AND, WELL, THE TWO OF THEM PRIMARILY REALLY MADE A POINT OF REACHING OUT TO EACH INDIVIDUAL CITY, EACH INDIVIDUAL SUBURB. WE, BY THE WAY, IN THESE MEETINGS, NADINE LEE, OUR CEO, WAS THERE AS WELL.
AND WHATEVER REPRESENTATIVE THAT CITY WAS. AND TO ASK THE SPECIFIC QUESTION, WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM DART? WHAT WOULD WORK? AND WE DEVELOPED AN INVENTORY OF NEEDS THAT WE'RE NOW WORKING ON.
THERE YOU GO. SORT OF LIKE A TIF AND REALLY PUTTING SOME MEAT ON THOSE BONES.
WE KEEP THAT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE WE COULDN'T HEAR YOU.
OH T-I-R-Z. OH TIRZ, OKAY. TAX INCENTIVE. YOU'RE FINE.
YOU'RE FINE. Y'ALL CALL THEM TIRZ. WE CALL THEM TIF, BUT IT'S OKAY. IT'S INTERCHANGEABLE. SO. YEAH.
YEAH, WELL, I WAS FAMILIAR WITH TIF AND MET WITH THIS TERM BEFORE THIS, BUT.
YEAH, BUT IT'S THE SAME PRINCIPLE. AND ANYWAY, I'LL STOP THERE.
BUT THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAVE COMMON GOALS.
AND IF WE CAN JUST FOCUS ON THAT, WE'LL GET THERE.
AND IT'S BEEN SAID MANY TIMES THAT I THINK THERE MAY BE TWO CAMPS.
WITH RESPECT TO DART MOST OF US THINK THAT AS BOARD MEMBERS, THAT WE'RE THERE TO SERVE THE REGION, WHILE WHEN WE GET IN TROUBLE IS WHEN SOMEBODY GOES IN THERE AND SAYS THAT THEY'RE THERE TO SERVE THEIR CITY AND NOT DART SO MUCH.
IF WE JUST GET PAST THAT, I THINK WE WILL BE VERY PRODUCTIVE.
I'LL STOP THERE. THANK YOU. AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE VIRTUAL WORLD, AND WE'LL START WITH MICHELLE.
[01:00:06]
AND THEN. THANK YOU, RANDALL. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER.SO YES, I THINK EACH DART BOARD MEMBER WEARS TWO FIDUCIARY HATS, THE PRIMARY ONE TO DART AND THE SECONDARY ONE TO, ITS CITY, THEIR CITY. AND I THINK IT'S A MISLEADING NARRATIVE TO SAY IT'S A SUBURB VERSUS DALLAS ON THE BOARD BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S CORRECT.
RICHARDSON CHOSE WISELY AS FAR AS THEIR LEVERAGING TRANSIT SERVICES PROVIDED BY DART.
AND IT'S ALL ABOUT CHOOSING WISELY HOW YOU LEVERAGE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
THEY WERE ABLE TO ATTRACT STATE FARM. AND PART OF THAT ATTRACTION WAS HAVING A LIGHT RAIL STATION RIGHT AT THEIR DOORSTEP AND, AND GOING TO DFW. SO I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS CONTINUE TO BUILD THOSE COALITIONS AND LEVERAGE THEM WHERE WE CAN AND ALSO TO FOR THOSE CITIES WHO HAVE SOME DISSATISFACTION ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED TO THEM IS TO ASK THEM WHAT SERVICES DO YOU NEED? AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS CHAIR, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I ALWAYS ASKED FROM OUR MEMBER CITIES.
AND I NEVER GOT, YOU KNOW, FROM A COUPLE CITIES, YOU KNOW, REALLY GOOD ANSWERS.
AND WE ARE WORKING ON THAT. AND I THINK THAT THERE THE RESIDENTS OF THESE CITIES, THEY WANT TO KEEP DART PUBLIC TRANSIT SERVICES. IT BENEFITS THEM. AND AS WHEN MY COLLEAGUES SAID DENSITY IS SOMETHING THAT EACH CITY GRAPPLES WITH. AND THAT'S WHAT WHY WE DEVELOPED GO LINK MICRO TRANSIT.
WE ARE THE LARGEST PILOT PROJECT OF MICRO TRANSIT IN THE NATION AND WE BUT IT IS UNSUSTAINABLE FOR LONG AND LARGER AMOUNTS. WE HAVE TO USE THE MICRO TRANSIT AS IDENTIFICATION OF WHERE THE BUS SERVICES ARE NEEDED, AND THEN WE TRANSITION THEM.
SO THERE IS A PLACE FOR MICRO TRANSIT. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CUSTOMIZE OUR SERVICES TO EACH CITY BASED ON THEIR NEEDS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
COUNCILMAN ATKINS MAYOR PRO TEM. I THINK FIRST WE HAVE TO IDENTIFY THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY, MICHELLE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT THERE IS AN UNEVEN PLAYING FIELD.
FOR YOUR CITY OF DALLAS APPOINTEES AS IT RELATES TO THE OTHER 12 CITIES IN THE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE.
FOR SOME OF OUR SUBURB CITIES, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE IN THEIR CITY APPOINTMENTS THAT THEIR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITIES TO THEIR CITY FIRST AND NOT TO DART. OR AS FOR US, AS CITY OF DALLAS APPOINTEES, IT'S TO DART FIRST.
OKAY. SECONDLY WE'RE ALSO AT A BIT OF A DISADVANTAGE IN THAT OUR ETHICS RULES DOES NOT ALLOW FOR CONCURRENT SERVICE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL TO THE DART BOARD AS WELL.
AND SO WE'VE EXPERIENCED WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE FOLKS THAT COME TO THE TABLE FROM THE SUBURB CITIES THAT HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIDER INFORMATION FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE THAT THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPETITIVE AGAINST US.
AND SO THERE'S AN UNLEVEL PLAYING FIELD. AND SO IT WAS MY HOPE THAT WHILE THE GOVERNANCE BILL, YOU KNOW, AS A WHOLE, WOULD HAVE HURT THE CITY OF DALLAS AND LOWERED OUR REPRESENTATION, IT WOULD HAVE AT LEAST OPENED THE DOOR FOR A CONVERSATION TO TRY TO LEVEL SOME OF THE PLAYING FIELD OUT SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF ADDRESS THOSE THINGS OVER THE LONG TERM.
OF COURSE, GOING INTO YOUR PART ABOUT THE MEDIATION AND MOVING FORWARD, YOU WERE THERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOU AND CHAIRMAN NARVAEZ FOR BEING A PART OF THAT.
BUT GOING FORWARD IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT, NUMBER ONE, WE DO MAKE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT AND CONTINUE TO MAKE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT, BECAUSE WE DID UP UNTIL THIS POINT TO TRY TO COME UP TO WITH SOME RESOLVE, WE ULTIMATELY KNOW WHAT THE DRIVING CITY BEHIND THESE BILLS WANT.
[01:05:05]
AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S EITHER DIRECT FUNDS BACK OR OFFSETTING OF THEIR GENERAL FUND THROUGH HOURS, ESSENTIALLY. BUT LET'S BE HONEST, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF DALLAS IS IN A $6.5 MILLION SHORTFALL AS WELL.AND SO, YOU KNOW, SOME LEVEL OF MONEY BACK FROM US WOULD BE HELPFUL EVEN IN THIS MOMENT.
RIGHT. AND SO I THINK TO MICHELLE'S LAST POINT, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THE BUSINESS CASE AT DART AND WITH OUR TOD PROJECTS AND WITH OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY SO THAT WE CAN EITHER BRING MORE MONEY IN THAT'S EXTERNAL OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW TO HELP DRIVE DOWN THE NEED FOR THE FULL PENNY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AND, AND CREATE MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
THAT DRIVES UP SALES TAX AND AD VALOREM TAX DOLLARS IN ALL OF OUR CITIES TO HELP ALLEVIATE THAT PRESSURE AS WELL, AND THEN CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE OPERATION STANDARDS AT THE CURRENT LEVEL.
SO WE, NUMBER ONE, HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
NUMBER TWO, WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE TELLING THE STORY FACTUALLY AND COMMUNICATING WHAT THE MILESTONES ARE OF THAT WORK AND PROGRESS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. WE AT DART HAVE NOT DONE THE BEST JOB OF TELLING OUR STORY.
AND WHEN YOU RELY ON OTHER PEOPLE TO TELL IT, AND THEY'RE NOT COMING FROM A PLACE OF EARNEST, IT WILL NOT BE TOLD PROPERLY. SO I THINK BEING FORWARD AND BEING OUT FRONT AND WANTING TO COME UP WITH THIS COMPROMISE, WHATEVER THAT TAKES US TO, BUT ENSURING ALL STAKEHOLDERS, ALL STATE LAWMAKERS ALL OF OUR CITIES UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE AND HOW THAT IS MOVING ALONG SO THAT, YOU KNOW DECEMBER OF 2027 OR 2026, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT STARTING FROM GROUND ONE, GROUND ZERO, TRYING TO EDUCATE EVERYONE OVER THE WORK WE'VE DONE.
IT WOULD BE MOST IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE KNOWS EXACTLY WHY GOING INTO THAT NEXT SESSION.
VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. I THINK WE'RE IN A COUNCIL MEMBER, SCHULTZ.
THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD, AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO INCORPORATE IT INTO MY COLLEAGUES QUESTIONS, IS, ARE THERE THINGS FROM US THAT COUNCIL THAT YOU COULD THAT YOU NEED, THAT YOU WISH WE WOULD BE DOING A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, THAT COULD HELP YOU EVEN MORE? THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RESENDEZ.
I WAS GLAD TO HEAR A FEW PEOPLE MENTION TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENTS.
BECAUSE I THINK MOVING FORWARD, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WHAT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL WILL CONTINUE DOING AND THE IMPACT THAT THOSE DEVELOPMENTS CAN HAVE ON THE COMMUNITY. BUT I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK DART.
OVERALL, THANK THE BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL. OUR LAST AT OUR LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WE APPROVED AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE FOR THE BUCKNER DART RAIL STATION DEVELOPMENT. AND I NEGLECTED TO THANK DART.
SO I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER STEWART. I'M GOING TO CONFESS THAT I HAVE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ENVY, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. LET'S FIX THAT. I HAVE FOUR STATIONS IN DISTRICT TEN.
I THINK I HAVE MORE STATIONS THAN ANY OTHER DISTRICT.
AND THEN I WOULD HAVE SIX. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF STATIONS.
DART ALSO OWNS LAND AT THE LBJ SKILLMAN PROPERTY, AND I KNOW THERE ARE HUGE PILES OF DIRT FROM THE TXDOT PROJECT THERE AT THE MOMENT, BUT IT'S A PERFECT TIME TO START CONVERSATIONS AND HELP ME WITH MY ENVY BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THE DRAWINGS AND IT LOOKS GREAT.
IT LOOKS LIKE AN AMAZING, AMAZING PROJECT IN DISTRICT FIVE.
SO, I WOULD LOVE TO LOVE TO LEARN FROM THAT. YEAH.
OR FORCED LINE BUT I THINK SKILLMAN LBJ IS MAYBE THE PLACE TO START ANYWAY.
MAYBE WE'RE JUST GOING TO LET YOU ALL DO SOME CLOSING COMMENTS, BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO WRAP UP, BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION IS YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT. I'LL JUST SAY THAT. AND WHEN ORGANIZATIONS ARE GO THROUGH CHALLENGING TIMES, IT'S A MOMENT TO PAUSE AND SAY, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? AND I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF SPECIFICS, AND YOU ALL HAVE ADDRESSED THAT TO A LARGE DEGREE,
[01:10:03]
BUT DO YOU EACH INDIVIDUALLY HAVE SOMETHING IN MIND THAT YOU COULD DO? A PERSON YOU CAN REACH OUT TO, A COMMITTEE THAT YOU'RE SERVING ON THAT YOU COULD ENCOURAGE XYZ TO HAPPEN.I MEAN, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE MOVE FORWARD, IF ALL OF THE CITIES IN DART AND ALL OF US COULD MOVE FORWARD IN A POSITIVE WAY AND NOT STAY IN THIS FRACTURED PLACE.
BUT I'M PROBABLY I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE OPTIMIST ON THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO BUT I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT EACH OF YOU COULD DO INDIVIDUALLY OR PERHAPS AS AS THE BOARD THAT WOULD, WOULD TRY TO BEGIN TO KNIT SOME OF THIS BACK TOGETHER AND GIVE US A POSITIVE MOVEMENT FORWARD.
AND I WANT THAT BLANKET. I HAVE SO MUCH ENVY GOING ON THIS AFTERNOON.
YES, YES, YES I YES, I CAN'T IGNORE THAT. BUT I'M READY FOR MY SECOND ONE.
NO, NO, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO BETTER AND DO MORE.
NOT BETTER, BUT DO MORE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I'M ENVIOUS OF THAT ONE. SO COUNCIL MEMBER MORENO, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO. JUST THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND JUST CONTINUE DOING THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
AND MR. WEST GOT HERE JUST UNDER THE RADAR. ANY QUESTIONS FOR THESE FOLKS? BECAUSE WE GOT TO GET MOVING FORWARD TO VISION ZERO.
SO DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU NO. BUT IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT OR ANYTHING BECAUSE I KNOW ONE OF THEM IS DISTRICT ONE, SO. THEY BOTH ARE. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GUYS.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT ABOUT PATRICK. SO YEAH, BOTH 2D ONES.
ALL RIGHT. THAT WAS GOOD. VERY GOOD. ANYTHING ELSE? MAYOR PRO TEM? VERY GOOD.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH IT MEANT TO ME TO SEE YOU ALL ADVOCATING FOR THE AGENCY YOU ALL SERVE.
BUT ALSO SERVING THE CITY OF DALLAS AT THE SAME TIME.
IT WAS REALLY AMAZING WATCHING IT ALL. ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE, ALL THE LETTERS THAT WERE SENT, I MEAN, AND RANDALL, JUST BECAUSE THAT'S OVER DON'T MEAN YOU HAD TO QUIT CALLING ME NOW, BECAUSE I THINK RANDALL AND MICHELLE AND EACH OF YOU WAS CALLING ME LIKE FOR A WHILE THERE, I THOUGHT I WAS ON THE DART BOARD, SO BUT IT WAS GREAT BECAUSE I REALLY GOT TO UNDERSTAND THE DETAILS AND THE NUANCES OF WHAT YOU ALL WERE GOING THROUGH.
AND NOT JUST AS A COUNCIL MEMBER LOOKING FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY BEING PART OF THE INSIDE, YOU KNOW, AND SEEING WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO DART.
SO IT REALLY PREPARED ME BETTER. AND I THINK IT PREPARED ALL OF US BETTER.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK FOR NEXT. SO THANK YOU ALL.
AND FOR THE TWO NEW FOLKS AS WELL. THANK YOU ALL.
IT'S IT'S AHEAD OF TIME, BUT I HAVE A FEELING THIS MOTION IS GOING TO BE PRETTY POSITIVE.
SO I JUST NEED A RECOMMENDATION IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT HAS ONE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO FULL COUNCIL, ALSO, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WE INTERVIEWED TODAY, MOVE FORWARD.
SECOND. VERY GOOD. WE HAVE A MOTION TO MOVE THEM ALL FORWARD.
I. ANY OPPOSED? SAY NO. THE AYES HAVE IT. THE MOTION IS APPROVED AND WE WILL BE VOTING ON THIS, I BELIEVE, ON THE 28TH. SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE HERE FOR THAT.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO BE, NOBODY'S GOING TO BRING YOU UP TO ASK QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE ROOM IN THE CHAMBERS, OF COURSE YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR THIS THIS HALL BELONGS TO YOU ALL, JUST LIKE IT DOES US. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
THANK YOU. AND BEFORE I DO THAT COLLEAGUES, I MADE A MISTAKE.
WHEN I WAS READING THE AGENDA, I SAID MARCH 21ST, 2025 FOR THE MINUTES.
AND I'M JUST LETTING EVERYBODY KNOW IT'S APRIL 21ST, 2025.
SO JUST SO THAT THAT'S ON THE RECORD THAT WE APPROVED THE APRIL 21ST, 2020 FIVE MINUTES.
WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD TO THE VISION ZERO ANNUAL UPDATE.
WE HAVE DOCTOR GUS KHANKARLI, OUR DIRECTOR OF DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, WHO WILL BE PRESENTING THIS TO US. AND MR. KHANKARLI, I KNOW WE WE'RE RUNNING SHORT ON TIME, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT IF YOU CAN THIS IS AN UPDATE.
SO SPEED THROUGH TO THE CHANGES OR UPDATES AND THEN BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS.
IN SHORT, WE'RE DOING BETTER THAN LAST YEAR. I'M DONE.
SO. HAPPY TO BE HERE. AND. HAPPY TO BE HERE. AND GLAD YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION HERE ON WHAT WE'VE DONE AND SO ON. BUT BEFORE I GET STARTED, I REALLY WANT TO THANK OUR STAKEHOLDERS, OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS. AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION MY FORMER CHIEF PLANNING MISS CATHERINE RUSH,
[01:15:06]
WHO HAD THE DONE THE BULK OF THE WORK. AND I WANT TO GIVE HER CREDIT AND CONGRATULATE HER ON HER NEW JOB AND WHATEVER SHE'S DOING. SO WITH THAT WE'LL GET STARTED.SO THE PURPOSE OF THE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE THE UPDATE ON THE CITY'S VISION ZERO STRATEGIES, IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS, AND FUTURE ACTIONS SINCE THE MARCH 2024.
UPDATE. NEXT SLIDE IS A REMINDER OF WHAT DIVISION ZERO IT IS AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED STRATEGY TO ELIMINATE TRAFFIC FATALITIES AND SEVERE INJURIES RELATING TO AUTOMOBILE USERS, PEDESTRIANS, AND BICYCLISTS, AND IT'S BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT NO LOSS OF LIFE IS ACCEPTABLE AND THAT ALL TRAFFIC FATALITIES AND SEVERE INJURIES SHOULD BE PREVENTABLE.
NEXT SLIDE. SO I WANT TO GO OVER INTO THE DATA BASICALLY THAT WE HAVE COMPILED SINCE 2020. AND BASICALLY THE NEXT, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE TOTAL CRASHES IN THE CITY OF DALLAS SINCE 2020.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, SINCE IN 23, WE WERE AT 35,000 CRASHES.
IN 24, WE WENT DOWN TO 28,000 CRASHES. THE FATAL CRASHES IN 23 WERE 201, AND IN 2024 THERE WERE 210. AND ONE THING HERE THAT THIS DATA MAY BE TELLING US, AND I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE REPORTS, IS THE FACT THAT IN SOME OF THE INCIDENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2024 HAD MULTIPLE FATALITIES.
SO WHILE THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS WENT DOWN, HOWEVER, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF HIGHER FATALITY RATE.
AND THEN THE SEVERE INJURIES, WE WENT DOWN FROM 23 FROM 985 TO 932.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO THE FATALITIES BY MOBILITY TYPE ON THE NON-ACCESS CONTROLLED HIGHWAYS, WHICH ARE BASICALLY ALL THE ROADWAYS THAT ARE NOT FREE FLOW HIGHWAYS THE IN 23, WE WERE AT 62 MOTORISTS AND 24 WENT UP TO 95 PEDESTRIANS WENT DOWN FROM 55 TO 46 MOTORCYCLISTS WENT UP TO FROM 10 TO 13 AND WE HAD NO BICYCLIST FATALITIES AND WE HAD OTHERS WENT UP TO THREE.
SO TOTAL WAS 132 IN 23, 157 IN 24. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THIS ONE HERE I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF PUT IN WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THIS YEAR IN 24 VERSUS 2025.
AS YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE GONE DOWN FROM 59 FATALITIES IN 2024, IN THE SAME PERIOD TO 33. IN THIS PERIOD, PEDESTRIANS WENT DOWN FROM 15 TO 13, MOTORCYCLISTS WENT UP SIX.
AND WE STILL HAVE NO FATALITIES ON THE BICYCLE FRONT.
SO TOTAL FATALITIES TO DATE IS 55 VERSUS 75 IN LAST YEAR'S SAME PERIOD.
NEXT SLIDE SHOWS BASICALLY THE CRASH DATA BEHAVIOR FROM 25 TO 2019 AND THEN 2020 TO 2024.
STILL SPEEDING IS THE TOP CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE ALL THE OTHER FACTORS THAT PRETTY MUCH I MEAN, THEY'RE CLOSELY ALIGNED.
NEXT SLIDE. SO WE HAVE THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK AND THIS IS WHERE THE STREETS HAVE DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF SEVERE CRASHES, 7% OF THE STREETS ACCOUNTING FOR 57% OF THE SEVERE CRASHES.
AND IT ALLOWS US BASICALLY, ONCE WE, YOU KNOW, THE ADVANTAGE OF ALLOWING, I MEAN, OF US IDENTIFYING A HIGH INJURY NETWORK, WHICH BASICALLY WE CAN OPTIMIZE THE USE OF OUR RESOURCES THAT WOULD GIVE US THE BEST IMPACT, IF YOU WILL, ON TRYING TO ADDRESS THE, THE ISSUE OF FATALITIES AND SEVERE INJURIES.
INJURIES. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT PREVENT US FROM LOOKING AT IMPROVEMENTS TO OTHER AREAS OF CONCERNS.
[01:20:02]
SO THE NEXT SLIDE SHOWS THE DATA OF THE FATALITY AND SERIOUS INJURIES IN ON NON OR NON HIGH INJURY NETWORK VERSUS HIGH INJURY NETWORK ROADWAYS.AND THE PERCENTAGE IS ABOUT ON AVERAGE PERCENT ON HIGH ENERGY NETWORK IS ABOUT 57% THROUGHOUT OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. NEXT SLIDE. THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK INVENTORY THE STREETS WE HAVE 447 STREET SEGMENTS AND 1000 SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS. SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE HAVE SOME ACTION ITEMS THAT WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN. SINCE THEN WE'RE DOING NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
NEXT SLIDE. SO HERE WE'RE SHOWING THAT WE HAVE DONE AND CURRENTLY UNDERGOING CORRIDOR STUDIES.
SO IN MARCH 2024, WE HAD FIVE CORRIDOR STUDIES ON NON HIGH INJURY NETWORK AND 15 ON HIGH INJURY NETWORK FOR A TOTAL OF 20 NORTH CENTRAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS IS WAS HANDLING TWO OF THEM AND TEXTILE WAS HAVING THREE.
AND THEN IN MARCH BY MARCH 2025 WE ARE DOING SIX IN ON NON HIGH INJURY NETWORK AND 16 ON HIGH INJURY NETWORK FOR ANOTHER 22 LOCATIONS.
NCTCOG IS DOING NINE, TXDOT THREE AND FHWA IS ONE THROUGH THE ROADWAY SAFETY AUDIT.
SO WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS WE'VE GOT SIX IN DRAFT REPORT STATUS FOR IN THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK.
AND IN AS OF MARCH 2025, WE HAVE TWO COMPLETED REPORT, FIVE AWAITING FINAL REPORT AND 17 IN PROGRESS AND NINE NEW STUDIES. NEXT SLIDE. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PROVEN SAFETY COUNTERMEASURES THIS IS THE LIST OF THEM. AND WE HAVE IMPLEMENTING WE HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING MOST OF THEM.
YOU WILL HAVE THE REFLECTIVE BORDER ON THE BACK PLATE.
WE ARE ALSO DOING THE LEADING PEDESTRIAN INDICATORS.
AND THOSE ARE CLEARLY APPARENT, IF YOU WILL, IF YOU ARE IN DOWNTOWN, FOR EXAMPLE BEFORE THE SIGNAL TURNS GREEN, YOU WILL GET THE PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL FIRST AND THEN FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE SIGNAL TURNS GREEN.
WE'VE BEEN INSTALLING PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACONS. WE HAVE SEVERAL OF THEM UNDER DESIGN RIGHT NOW TO TO PROGRESS IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SIDEWALKS RECTANGULAR, RAPID FLASHING BEACONS AT SOME CROSSINGS.
WE'VE DONE MEDIAN AND PEDESTRIAN ISLANDS LANE REDUCTIONS ROUNDABOUTS INTERSECTION LIGHTING, STREET LIGHTING AND CROSSWALK VISIBILITY ENHANCEMENTS.
SO THE NEXT FEW SLIDES BASICALLY SHOWS WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE KEY HIGH INJURY NETWORK ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, LOOP 12, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING SIGNIFICANT WORK THERE IN COLLABORATION WITH DART AND TXDOT ON THE MAKING, MAKING THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL INCLUDE NEW TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS AND SO ON.
FERGUSON ROAD, WE'RE DOING THAT IN TWO PHASES, PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO.
ON THE PROGRESS LAKE JUNE. WE'VE GOT TWO ITEMS THERE.
THAT WILL BE COMING UP ON THAT ROADWAY MAPLE AVENUE.
THIS IS PHASE ONE, WHICH IS BASICALLY MAKING THE IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON CURRENT LANE ARRANGEMENTS, MASTERS DRIVE, CAMP WISDOM, SAINT AUGUSTINE, ECKERD, AND CESAR CHAVEZ.
I MEAN, ALL ARE PROGRESSING WITH DIFFERENT TYPE OF IMPROVEMENTS.
[01:25:05]
YOU'RE GOING TO START YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THOSE ARE BEING INSTALLED AROUND THE CITY INSTALLATION OF THE THEIR INSTALLATIONS. AND THEN WE HAVE THE HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THE SAFE STREETS FOR ALL GRANTS.WE'VE GOT TWO MAIN GRANTS. ONE WAS OBVIOUSLY THE MLK IMPROVEMENTS, AND THEN THE NEXT ONE WAS THE IMPROVEMENTS ALONG FIVE MAIN CORRIDORS THAT INCLUDES LAKE JUNE, SAINT AUGUSTINE, FERGUSON, MAPLES AND CAMP WISDOM INSTALLATION OF SPEED CUSHIONS. SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT AROUND THE CITY CROSSWALK VISIBILITY, LIKE I MENTIONED, AND STREET LIGHT INSTALLATIONS. SO NEXT WE HAVE INTERNAL PARTNERSHIP WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY. POLICE, FIRE COMMUNICATION, MUNICIPAL COURT, CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OF OFFERS, OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICE OF DATA ANALYTICS, AND THE OFFICE OF BOND, AMONG OTHERS.
ON THE ENFORCEMENT ACTION. AND THIS IS THIS IS FROM DPD.
THEY'VE STARTED AND OR COMPLETED TEN OF THE 12 VISION ZERO ACTIONS.
AND THEY'RE DOING EDUCATION THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND WE WILL BE FURTHER WORKING WITH THEM ON GOING TO COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO HELP WITH THAT AND OBVIOUSLY WORKING WITH THEM ON THE ENGINEERING. AND WE'RE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH OUR STAFF IN THE FIELD.
FOLKS BASICALLY ON WHAT THEY'RE SEEING OUT ON THE ROADWAY.
AND THEN CURRENTLY THEY'RE USING A NEW SOFTWARE, IF YOU WILL.
THAT GIVES US REAL TIME DATA THAT ALLOWS THEM TO DEPLOY AT KEY LOCATIONS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ON THE OUTREACH, THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT IS WORKING ON THE REVISED GRAPHICS, AND THEY'RE MAXIMIZING THE CITY COMMUNICATION CHANNELS THROUGH THE SOCIAL MEDIA BROADCAST PRINTED MATERIAL, DIGITAL DIGITAL BILLBOARDS AND PAID ADVERTISEMENT.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THE DATA MANAGEMENT ACTION ITEMS, THE DATA ANALYTICS MAINTAINS THE MANAGEMENT OF THE OF THE DATA DIVISION. ZERO DATA DASHBOARD. AND IT'S GOT GOOD INFORMATION THERE THAT SHOWS THAT DRAWS THE INFORMATION FROM THE STATES. CHRIS, SYSTEM ON THE STATE LEGISLATIVE ACTION.
AGAIN, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE ARE STILL IN PLAY FOR THE AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL TO THE AUTHORITY OF A MUNICIPALITY TO ALTER SPEED LIMITS. THIS IS, AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN HOPING THAT THIS WILL TRACK SO THAT IT WILL SAVE US A LOT OF A LOT OF MONEY, BASICALLY, IF YOU WILL, TO BE ABLE TO ADMINISTRATIVELY LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT FROM 30 TO 25MPH IN NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, AND THAT WOULD GREATLY HELP US. AND BY DOING SO, WE CAN CHANNEL OR USE THAT MONEY FOR UPDATING THE SIGNS AND THE SPEED LIMIT SIGNS AND SO ON. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS THE AUTHORITY OF A TO INSTALL A TEMPORARY TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE ON CERTAIN HIGHWAYS.
AGAIN SIMILAR TO WHAT IS BEING USED SOME OTHER PLACES.
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE. MOVING FORWARD IS THE CITY DEPARTMENTS TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER, IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE CORRIDOR STUDIES AND CONTINUED COORDINATION WITH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS.
AND THE DEFINITELY WE NEED TO UPDATE THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK USING THE RECENT CRASH DATA AND, AND THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING AND AN INCREASED FOCUS ON THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH AND BRING ATTENTION TO OTHER EMERGING BEST PRACTICES AND CERTAINLY THE ABILITY TO USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND PREDICTIVE MODELING TO IMPROVE OUR SAFETY.
SO WITH THAT, AGAIN, THANK I WANT TO THANK STAFF AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT HAS CONTRIBUTED.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS ALSO IF I DIDN'T THANK OUR FRIENDS IN THE MEDIA WHO HAVE HELPED US IN SPREADING THE WORD AND POINTING OUT TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TOPIC. SO HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND WE'LL BE JOINED BY OTHERS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER STAFF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND SO WE'LL START IN HERE AND WE'LL, WE'LL GO BACKWARDS.
SO I'LL LET CATHY STEWART COUNCIL MEMBER FROM 10 GO FIRST AND THEN WE'LL WORK THIS WAY.
AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR GUESTS THAT SHOWED UP.
[01:30:01]
NON-COMMITTEE MEMBERS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.YOU HAVE THE FLOOR NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
BUT I CAN GET THAT FROM YOUR STAFF. THAT'S. I CAN FOLLOW UP, I DON'T.
I CAN, I COULD GUESS, BUT THEN I FIGURED WE'LL.
I MEAN, CERTAINLY SKILLMAN IS AN INTEREST. I FIGURED IT WAS.
AND WALNUT HILL AND FOREST. ROYAL AND FOREST.
YEAH. YEAH, EXACTLY. AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THE DIFFERENT BILLS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF THE LEGISLATURE AT THIS TIME AROUND, ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO ALTERING SPEED LIMITS.
I KNOW WE NEED THAT DESPERATELY AND MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT NO QUESTIONS OTHER THAN THAT. SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER RESENDEZ. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU, MISTER CHAIR. THANK YOU, GUS, FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN GOING INTO THIS. I KNOW IT'S BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING. THERE'S SOME PROGRESS, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN A LOT OF OTHER AREAS.
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT SLIDE NUMBER SEVEN, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY.
WHY THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN NON ACCESS CONTROL ROADWAYS? WHY DO WE SEPARATE THAT OUT IN THE DATA AND THE PRESENTATION SIR? IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KIND OF SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE ROADWAYS VERSUS THE FREEWAY, AND TO SEE IF THERE IS SOMETHING IF THE DATA IS TELLING US THAT. SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT LIKE I SAID, SO WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND SEE WHAT IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE, ESPECIALLY IF SINCE OBVIOUSLY IT'S SHOWING THE BULK OF IT IS ON THE ROADWAY.
SO OBVIOUSLY THERE IS IMPROVEMENTS THERE. OKAY.
I GUESS THE REASON I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT IT, OR JUST ASKING ABOUT IT, IS BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DATA THAT WE GIVE THE PUBLIC IS ALSO COMPLETELY ACCURATE. AND I KNOW WE HAVE THE DASHBOARD, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE DASHBOARD, YOU'LL SEE IN TERMS OF PEDESTRIANS THAT THERE'S BEEN MORE DEATHS, RIGHT? YEAH. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC ALSO KNOWS THAT WE ONLY USE ONE SYSTEM OF RECORD, WHICH IS THE TXDOT SYSTEM CRASH INFORMATION SYSTEM.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE DRAW THE INFORMATION FROM.
OKAY. THANKS. SLIDE EIGHT. JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE REALLY QUICKLY IT LOOKS LOOKING GOOD.
YEAR TO DATE. BUT WE NEED TO KEEP OUR FOOT ON THE GAS, IF Y'ALL WILL EXCUSE THE TERRIBLE PUN.
YEAH. I HAD A QUESTION, THOUGH, RELATED TO. I KNOW WE'RE LOOKING INTO APPROVING THE BIKE PLAN.
HOW IS VISION ZERO AND AND THE BIKE PLAN? WHAT IS WHERE DOES IT OVERLAP? ARE WE LOOKING AT THAT SPECIFICALLY? YES, SIR.
THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE WHEREBY WE'RE IMPLEMENTING LANE REDUCTIONS AND PART OF THE BIKE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS, IF YOU WILL, TO START LOOKING INTO ACTUAL PHYSICAL SEPARATION AND HAVING GOOD SEPARATION.
SO THE COMBINATION OF LANE REDUCTION AS WELL AS PHYSICAL SEPARATION IS GOING TO GREATLY HELP US IN THE PROCESS AND IN SOME OF THE IMPLEMENTATIONS THAT WE HAVE DONE, I MEAN. AGAIN, THE RESULTS ARE STARTING TO SHOW WE'RE MAKING SOME IMPROVEMENTS AND SOME HEADWAYS, BUT DEFINITELY THERE ARE INTEGRATED AND THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER.
OKAY. SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, DOES THE SOME OF THE VISION ZERO DATA DIRECTLY INFORM THE PRIORITIZATION OF THE BIKE PLAN PROJECTS? IT DOES, BECAUSE, I MEAN, WE HAVE THE CRITERIA NINE CRITERIA IN THE BIKE PLAN AS WE LISTED IT IN THE BIKE PLAN.
AND CERTAINLY SAFETY AND CRASH AND EQUITY BASICALLY ARE SOME OF THE KEY ITEMS THERE.
ANOTHER TOPIC ON PAGE 19 IT MENTIONS SPEED CUSHIONS, RIGHT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD DIRECTLY FROM CONSTITUENTS WHO REALLY APPRECIATE THE SPEED CUSHIONS THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN DISTRICT FIVE. THEY'VE SEEN REAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WAY THAT PEOPLE ARE DRIVING AND HOW FAST THEY'RE DRIVING.
BUT AS THESE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS BECOME MORE VISIBLE.
I'M ALSO HEARING FROM MORE RESIDENTS ASKING WHEN THEIR STREETS WILL BE NEXT.
SO YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THAT TOP OF MIND.
IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN DISTRICT FIVE. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SPEED CUSHIONS.
AND SO I WAS CURIOUS TO KNOW, IN TERMS OF FUNDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM? WELL AGAIN, I'LL WORK WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND YOU ON, ON ANYTHING THAT IS BUDGET RELATED.
AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE HAVE THE CRITERIA AND WE GO IN THE PRIORITIZATION.
[01:35:02]
AND I WOULD LIKE ALSO, IF YOU ALLOW ME FOR A MOMENT TO GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR ALLOWING US TO TEST THE PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE EXPEDITED DEPLOYMENT. AND IT HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN DISTRICT FIVE.SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CHAMPIONING IT AND ALLOWING US TO TO TEST IT.
YEAH, I YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT UP BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE THAT, YOU KNOW, AND CONTINUE TO GIVE A LOT OF WEIGHT TO COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IN DECIDING WHERE TO INSTALL THE SPEED CUSHIONS.
AND FOR THE RECORD AND FOR CLARIFICATION, THE THE PILOT PROGRAM THAT WE DID IN DISTRICT FIVE WAS BASICALLY INSTEAD OF GOING FOR THE FULL PETITION PROCESS, IT WAS A HYBRID APPROACH WHEREBY WE HAD PARTIAL PETITION AND THE PUBLIC INPUT PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND WE WENT THROUGH THAT ROUTE. AND BY DOING SO, IT ALLOWED US TO ACCELERATE AND EXPEDITE THE DEPLOYMENT.
AND THAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL SO FAR AGAIN IN DISTRICT FIVE AND VERY PROUD OF IT.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME CHAMPION THIS THING HERE.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, DOCTOR, FOR YOUR WORK ON IT.
AND I HAVE ANOTHER LIST FOR YOU. SO JUST BUT THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.
VERY GOOD. THANK YOU, MR. RESENDEZ. AND NOW WE HAVE COUNCILMEMBER SCHULTZ.
THANK YOU. AND THANKS FOR YOUR CREATIVITY IN DISTRICT FIVE, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE STREETS IN D11 THAT ARE WAITING FOR A SPEED CUSHION, SO THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. I WANT TO TURN THE NUMBER, TURN THE CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT MORE TO I THINK IT'S TO DPD.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS VISION ZERO.
BUT AS YOU COME DOWN, IF I'M CORRECT IN THE IN IN THE NUMBERS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE 28,000 CRASHES, IF I READ IT RIGHT, ARE DUE TO CRIME BREAKING IT'S CRIMINAL.
I MEAN, IT'S ILLEGAL, RIGHT? LIKE THE SPEEDING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT SPEEDING IN AND OF ITSELF. REALLY, WHAT I'M ASKING IS WHAT YOU SEE AS DPD'S RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD VISION ZERO? SO THIS IS JUST GOING TO BE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SUPPORT VISION ZERO AND ONE OF IT.
SO THERE'S MANY LEGS AND MANY PILLARS OF IT. OURS IS BASICALLY THE ENFORCEMENT PORTION.
AND THERE'S ALSO THE EDUCATION PIECE. SO YOU'LL SEE THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES THAT WE DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY, I'M SORRY, COMMUNITY OUTREACH THROUGH OUR MPO PROGRAM AND OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH IN THAT PERSPECTIVE.
AND THEN ALSO THE ENFORCEMENT THAT WOULD BE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY.
SO WE'RE NOT JUST WANT TO GO OUT THERE AND JUST HAMMER ON THE PUBLIC AND STUFF OF THAT NATURE, BUT WE DO WANT TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND WHAT THEY CAN DO REGARDING SAFETY AND TRAFFIC SAFETY AS IT GOES FORWARD.
WELL, SO WHAT IS THE BUDGET FOR VISION, PLEASE STAY.
SO BUT WE HAD IF I GOT THIS RIGHT, 210 FATAL CRASHES.
WE HAD 66 HOMICIDES. ARE MY NUMBERS RIGHT? SO WE HAVE ABOUT THREE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE DIE IN CRASHES THAN THEY DO THROUGH MURDER. SO, WELL, I CAN TELL YOU SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE DATA FOR LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS.
BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS SO VISION ZERO DATA PULLS FROM CHRIS.
SO IF WE HAVE THREE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE DYING BECAUSE OF CAR ACCIDENTS.
YES, MA'AM. THEN I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO MY QUESTION IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING FROM A DPD PERSPECTIVE, AND ESPECIALLY IF 7% OF OUR OF OUR OF THE IN THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK IS 50% OF THE PROBLEM.
IT REMINDS ME VERY MUCH OF SOME OF HOW WE'VE LEARNED TO ADOPT THE GRID SYSTEM.
AND SO I'M WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT, AGAIN, GIVING THOSE DATA POINTS, HOW WE COULD CREATE FROM A TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, SINCE THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PROBLEMS WITH VISION ZERO ARE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ISSUES, THEY'RE TRAFFIC RELATED.
THEY'RE NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, I FORGOT WHAT YOU USED THE WORD IMPROPER MOVEMENT, RIGHT? SO COULD A GRID PERSPECTIVE BE EFFECTIVE? HOW IS DPD TACKLING IN ADDITION TO JUST A PUBLIC AWARENESS, THE ENFORCEMENT ISSUES THAT ARE CAUSING THREE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE TO DIE AS MURDERS?
[01:40:03]
SO A COUPLE A COUPLE OF THINGS, AND I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.SO YOU KIND OF KNOW HOW WE WORK AND HOW WE OPERATE WITHIN THE TRAFFIC UNIT.
CORRECT. AND WHAT WE DO, WE TAKE COUNCIL COMPLAINTS.
WE TAKE COMPLAINTS AS WELL. BUT THEN OUR MAJOR FROM A TRAFFIC PERSPECTIVE DPD, WE GO OUT THERE AND WE UTILIZE BASED UPON WHERE WE'RE HAVING THESE HIGH INJURY NETWORK LOCATIONS.
WE WILL GO OUT THERE AND WE'LL PERFORM SPEED OPERATIONS.
WE ALSO DO MONTHLY ROAD RAGE OPERATIONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE TRY TO TRY TO DO THOSE AS WELL. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO ANSWERING THE FROM A JUST TRAFFIC UNIT, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE SOME OF THE MORE MAJOR ACCIDENTS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY NOW, YOU EACH, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALSO HAVE YOUR INDIVIDUAL PATROL STATIONS.
SO YOU HAVE OFFICERS RESPONDING TO CALLS FOR SERVICE, BUT THEN THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO DO SOME INTERMEDIATE, SOME PATROLLING IN TERMS OF JUST TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT.
SO EACH DIVISION HAS WHAT'S CALLED A STAR CAR.
AND THAT CAR GOES OUT THERE AND GOES AND SUPPORTS WHAT TRAFFIC DOES AS WELL.
SO YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR PATROL RESOURCES, OUR PRIMARY FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS DEFINITELY VIOLENT CRIME, RIGHT. BUT THEN THE SECOND PART IS US TO TURN AROUND AND SUPPORT THE TRAFFIC SAFETY AS IT'S COMING JUST THROUGH OUR CITY.
THESE ARE VERY VIOLENT CRIMES, ALTHOUGH MAYBE NOT QUITE INTENTIONAL.
THE CAUSE OF THE HIGHEST DEATH RATE IN THE CITY AS MUCH AS WE HAVE.
AND SO WHAT I WONDER IS MOVING FORWARD. AND I WANT TO LET MY COLLEAGUES HAVE A CHANCE.
TO LOOK AT VISION ZERO AS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, NOT JUST A ROAD ISSUE, A PUBLIC WORKS ISSUE.
MAYBE WE LOOK AT THIS MONTHLY. WE NEED DETAILED ACTION PLANS.
WE NEED DEDICATED STAFF TO THIS. AND WE REALLY MAY THINK ABOUT TRULY MOVING THIS TO A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE RATHER THAN JUST A PUBLIC WORKS, AND THEN LET PUBLIC SAFETY LET DPD TURN TO PUBLIC WORKS AND SAY, WOW, IF YOU ALL WOULD INSTALL BETTER LIGHTS, SPEED BUMPS, WHATEVER IT IS, WE THEN COULD REDUCE THE, THAT PROBLEM.
SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE, ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES MOVING FORWARD TO LOOK AT THIS THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS BECAUSE AGAIN, THREE PEOPLE, THREE TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE DIE THIS WAY THAN ANY OTHER WAY IN THE CITY.
THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER SCHULTZ.
I'M GOING TO ECHO THAT, BUT IT'S LIKE IT'S ONE OF THESE THINGS. I KNOW IT'S LIKE, WHAT DO WE FOCUS ON, RIGHT? AND I'M GOING TO JUST REPEAT WHAT I SAID WHEN WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO GO AFTER VIOLENT CRIME.
I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY YEARS AGO IT WAS. AND I SAID, WHEN WE PUT ALL THE FOCUS ON VIOLENT CRIME, IT'S GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND THANK YOU, DPD, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL.
SO ALL OF OUR COMMAND AND ALL OF OUR OFFICERS.
BUT I SAID, WHAT'S GOING TO END UP GOING UP OR GET NEGLECTED IS GOING TO BE THE OTHER TYPES OF CRIMES, THE PETTY CRIMES, THE SMALLER CRIMES. AND THAT'S ALL I HEAR ABOUT.
I DON'T HEAR ABOUT MURDERS AND NOT SAYING THAT MURDERS ARE LIKE, OH, LET'S IGNORE IT.
RIGHT? IT'S IN THEIR HOME OR OUTSIDE OR WHATEVER.
CAR CRASHES. AND AGAIN, YOU CAN'T PREVENT EVERY CAR CRASH.
BUT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF ENFORCEMENT HERE AND THERE. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER. MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING WE DO NEED TO WORK ON TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME RESOURCES, BUT IT'S LIKE. BUT LIKE, I ALWAYS TELL MY COMMUNITY, THEY ALWAYS ASKING FOR ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT? SPEEDING ENFORCEMENT. BUT NOW ON SINGLETON HAMPTON ON WESTMORELAND ON, I MEAN, I CAN NAME ALL THE STREETS OVER AND OVER AND OVER, AND I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO NORTHWEST DALLAS. AND IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, LOMBARDI AND, YOU KNOW, NORTHWEST HIGHWAY AND IT'S LIKE JUST GONE AND ON AND ON.
BUT THEN THE ISSUE IS THEN IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL, DO YOU WANT THEM ALL DOING TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT OR DO YOU WANT THEM TO, YOU KNOW, COME INVESTIGATE THIS OR THAT OR THE OTHER? IT'S LIKE IT'S HARD TO PULL BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PLACES TO PULL YOU GUYS.
CORRECT. AND IT'S LIKE Y'ALL ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB BECAUSE WITH THE SHORTAGE OF OFFICERS, IT'S LIKE CRIME HAS GONE DOWN FOUR YEARS IN A ROW IN THE CITY.
I MEAN, IT CANNOT I MEAN, THE DATA IS THE DATA, BUT IT'S LIKE, WHERE DO WE GO? SO BUT I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF MAYBE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT COUNCILMEMBER SCHULTZ SAID ABOUT,
[01:45:03]
YOU KNOW, MAYBE BRINGING IN, YOU KNOW, DPD WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND TRAFFIC SO THAT WE CAN, LIKE YOU, ALL COME UP WITH SOME REALLY GREAT IDEAS. I DON'T KNOW WHOSE IDEA IT WAS WHEN WE HAD THAT ISSUE.IT WAS A SPEED RACING WHEN WE WERE FIRST NOT SURE WHAT WAS GOING ON DOWNTOWN AT THE AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER, AND WE STUCK THOSE BIG OLD GIANT ORANGE AND WHITE BARRIERS IN THE MIDDLE.
IT WAS SCARY AS ANYTHING TO DRIVE THROUGH IT.
BUT GUESS WHAT? EVERYBODY WAS GOING SUPER SLOW AND BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS TO CRASH THEIR CAR.
AND SO IT WAS LIKE, THAT WAS AN INGENIOUS IDEA, BUT WE KNEW IT WASN'T GOING TO LAST FOREVER.
BUT THEN A BETTER IDEA CAME ALONG IN ORDER TO MAKE IMPROVEMENT, WHICH WAS THE ENFORCEMENT.
SO YOU CAN CHASE THOSE, THOSE HOOLIGANS OUT OF OUR CITY.
RIGHT. AND SO AND YOU HAVE DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB. AND THAT'S THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER RESENDEZ, WHO ALSO GOT THAT DRAG RACING AND SPEED RACING AND DONUTING TASK FORCE GOING, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR DPD OFFICERS. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. SO BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THIS IS TO SAY LIKE, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU ALL? IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN ALSO HELP THESE FOLKS.
IT'S LIKE BECAUSE IT IS TRUE. IF IT'S THREE TIMES MORE, IT'S LIKE, HOW CAN WE? AND I DO AGREE WITH WHAT COUNCILMEMBER SCHULTZ SAID DEV AND GUS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING READY TO BE GONE OUT OF HERE.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE ONE MORE COMMITTEE MEETING, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'LL NEVER HAVE TO HEAR FROM ME AGAIN AS FAR AS THIS GOES. AND I'LL BE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, AFTER MY ONE YEAR BAN. BUT IS DEFINITELY HOW DO WE INCORPORATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ALSO WORK WITH US? BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO KNOW WHERE A LOT OF STUFF'S GOING ON THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS SEE OR HEAR UNTIL ONE OF THEM TELLS US.
BUT I DO THINK A REPORT, MAYBE MONTHLY OF SOME KIND, I MEAN, NOT I DON'T THINK IT'S A EVERY MONTH WE GET A BIG UPDATE OR SOMETHING, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THEY DO IN PUBLIC SAFETY JUST SO WE CAN SEE THE VISION ZERO PORTION. GUS, LIKE, HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO THAT BECAUSE WE'RE DOING THIS ANNUALLY AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE UPDATE, THE UPDATE, I THINK IS FINE. EVERY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE EVERY THREE MONTHS OR FOUR MONTHS, I MEAN, THREE TIMES A YEAR. BUT THE BECAUSE WE CAN'T REACT IN ONE YEAR AND, YOU KNOW, ANNUAL UPDATE.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO REACT TO ONE YEAR, BUT IF WE START SEEING THESE NUMBERS ON A MONTHLY BASIS, MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU ALL. JUST SO WE CAN SEE IT.
BUT THEN ON THE UPDATES, IT'S LIKE MAYBE EVERY FOUR MONTHS AND AGAIN I WON'T BE THE CHAIR.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY OF THIS. BUT YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHOEVER WHOMEVER IS THE NEXT CHAIR IF THEY'RE HERE AT THIS, YOU KNOW, HORSESHOE RIGHT NOW OR IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, COMING INTO THE INTO COUNCIL OR NOT ON THIS COMMITTEE, MAYBE THEY WOULD CONSIDER THAT BECAUSE THIS IS 2030 IS LIKE IT'S HERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AWAY.
SO WE WANT TO GET TO THOSE WE WANT TO GET TO ZERO FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.
WE DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET BECAUSE 1.6 MILLION IS NOT GOING TO GET US THERE.
SO HOW CAN WE AMEND THAT INSTEAD OF. SO IT WAS A LOT, BUT HOWEVER YOU WANT TO RESPOND, IF I ALLOW ME, I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT POINT. AND FIRST OF ALL, I MEAN, AGAIN, CREDIT TO OUR DATA ANALYTICS FOLKS.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE DAILY INFORMATION THAT IS UPDATED DAILY.
AND THEN CERTAINLY THIS IS A YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU OR THE PREFERENCE IS FOR US TO DO A QUARTERLY REPORT SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WE CAN DO SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR, STREAMLINED, KIND OF TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE STUFF. CERTAINLY WE CAN DO THAT.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S JUST I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE ANSWER IS, BUT THAT'S IF I MEAN, I'M NOT SAYING DO IT FOR NEXT MONTH, BUT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S TOO MUCH TO DO THAT QUICK.
BUT SOME OF THESE FOLKS MIGHT BE AND THEY MAY WANT TO THEY MIGHT BRING IT BACK UP AFTER THE SUMMER.
SO BUT THANK YOU. THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM SO FAR.
AS FAR AS STARTING, WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE, AND IT WAS A LOT TO GET TO HAVING A PLAN AND DPD, THANK YOU, BECAUSE Y'ALL ARE GOING TO BE HELPING GET US TO YOU'RE GOING TO I MEAN, WE HAVE TO BE PARTNERS IN THIS, RIGHT? AND YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN GREAT PARTNERS. SO HOW DO WE DO ALL THE LAYERS.
JUST A COUPLE OF FOLLOW UPS. MAJOR ROMAN, YOU CAME TO OUR ABRAMS MEETING OR OUR COMMUNITY MEETING ABOUT ABRAMS WHEN WE HAD THE TERRIBLE ACCIDENT.
EXCUSE ME. AT WHITEHURST AND ABRAMS. AND IF I RECALL THERE WERE LOTS OF QUESTIONS ASKED, BUT ONE OF THEM WAS ASK ABOUT HOW MANY TRAFFIC DPD OFFICERS WE HAVE, HOW MANY ARE IN YOUR DIVISION AND IS 77 COMES TO MIND? IS THAT CORRECT, OR WAS IT MORE OR LESS SO? WE'VE HAD A LOT OF MOVEMENT HERE RECENTLY.
OH YOU'VE GOT MORE RECENTLY. SO WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING RIGHT NOW MY, MY NUMBER IS RIGHT ABOUT 65, BUT WE DO HAVE A GOOD NUMBER OF OF ENFORCEMENT SIDE, WHICH IS OUR BIGGEST PORTION SUPPORT AND HAVING THAT AND ENCOURAGING US TO GO OUT THERE.
BUT. YES, MA'AM. SO WE HAVE 65 AND THAT'S AN IMPROVEMENT OVER.
SO IT FLUX RIGHT IN AND OUT. SO I RECEIVED OR ACTUALLY WAS BROUGHT INTO THIS POSITION.
[01:50:01]
VALENTINE'S 2024. SO WE'VE HAD A FEW PEOPLE COME IN AND FEW PEOPLE MOVE.JUST LIKE ANY, ANYWHERE ELSE, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH.
BUT I TRY TO MAKE DO, AND I'M ONLY SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK HARD EVERY DAY TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE OUT THERE AND DOING THAT ENFORCEMENT. SO YES, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE.
AND SO GUESTS CAN DESIGN THE MOST PERFECT, MOST SAFE STREETS.
BUT IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO DECIDES TO COME THROUGH THAT STREET AT 95 MILES AN HOUR, IT'S IT DOESN'T MATTER, YOU KNOW, ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS POTENTIALLY NOT HELPING US AT THAT POINT.
SO I DO THINK ENFORCEMENT IS CRITICAL. AND IF WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT, I KNOW WE'RE PROBABLY HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET AT SOME POINT, MAYBE TODAY. SO WE COULD DO THAT.
BUT ALSO THEN I GUESS IN TERMS OF THE VISION ZERO BUDGET, IT SEEMS TO ME I'M HEARING 1.6 MILLION SEEMS LOW, SEEMS SO. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WHAT THE REACH NUMBER WOULD BE OR WHAT ELSE YOU MIGHT RECOMMEND.
BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WHAT COUNCILMEMBER SCHULTZ HAS IDENTIFIED IS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SO MANY MORE DEATHS HAPPENING AS A RESULT OF THE CRASHES VERSUS THE MURDERS. AND WE WE'VE THANKFULLY MADE GOOD PROGRESS ON THE MURDERS, BUT WE NEED TO IT WOULD BE TERRIBLY NEGLIGENT OF US NOT TO FOCUS ON THE DEATHS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AS YOU KNOW, I CAN SAY ONE SECOND. ONE THING IS WE'RE CURRENTLY DOWN.
TOTAL NUMBER OF 24 DEATHS STREET DEATHS, IF YOU WILL COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
SO WE'RE MAKING A LOT OF GOOD PROGRESS THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
BUT THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT THE VISION ZERO STUFF IS WORKING.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU, SUMMER IS COMING. MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING HERE AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN BECAUSE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS THERE'S GOING TO BE MILLIONS, LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE COMING TO VISIT OUR CITY.
SO WE ARE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN NOW SO WE CAN PREEMPT THAT TO PREPARE FOR THAT.
YES, MA'AM. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CHAIR.
THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR TELLING US ABOUT THE PREPARATION ON NEXT FOR NEXT YEAR.
YOU CAN'T GET THAT READY TWO DAYS BEFORE. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE ON THE WORLD STAGE IN A FEW MONTHS.
SO COUNCIL MEMBER MORENO, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
THANK YOU, MR. WEST. THANK YOU. CHAIR, IT'S GREAT TO HAVE BOTH OF Y'ALL UP THERE. IT'S GOING TO TAKE AS MANY A TEAM EFFORT TO CONTINUE MAKING DALLAS ONE OF THE SAFEST CITIES FOR OUR FAMILIES THROUGH DESIGN, THROUGH SPEED ENFORCEMENT, AND THROUGH EDUCATION AND CHANGING THAT CULTURE.
BEFORE THAT DATA IS SO CRITICAL AS WE MAKE THESE DETERMINATIONS AND SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DATA ON THE DASHBOARD VERSUS THE DATA THAT'S IN THIS SLIDE PRESENTATION. DO YOU WANT TO.
I'VE GOT FOLKS FROM THE DATA ANALYTICS TEAM THAT I CAN DISCUSS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
MALINI BANERJEE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF DATA ANALYTICS AND BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE.
OKAY. SO GUS CAN YOU WHICH NUMBER IS ACCURATE? SO THE DIFFERENCE IS THE DATA THAT WE DRAW FROM OR PULL FROM THE CRIS SYSTEM ACCOUNTS FOR ALL AGENCIES THAT ARE WORKING WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS. THAT INCLUDES THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE DART, DISD, DPS RIGHT. WHEREAS THE DATA THAT THAT WE GET FROM THE DPD IS ONLY THE ACCIDENTS OR THE AREAS THAT DPD WORKS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, AN EXAMPLE IS LIKE THE FREEWAYS, I-35, WE DON'T I MEAN, DPD DOES NOT HANDLE I-35, FOR EXAMPLE. OKAY. SO I MEAN, I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING ON AND REFLECTING ON DATA THAT'S ACCURATE.
AND SO I'M NOT DISPUTING THAT THE ACCURATE THAT THE DATA THAT Y'ALL ARE USING IS INCORRECT.
SO WHY ARE WE USING THAT SOURCE ONLY? ONLY THE DPD SOURCE.
[01:55:02]
WE'RE I'M SORRY, BUT I THINK WE'RE USING THE DATA FROM THE SYSTEM.THAT IS WHAT IS ON OUR DASHBOARD. AND THE DATA IS ACCURATE FROM THE SYSTEM.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST WHICH AGENCY IS REPORTING.
SO THE CHRIS AS I SAID, IT REPORTS FOR ALL AGENCIES THAT ARE OPERATING WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
AND THAT IS THE THAT GIVES US THE OVERALL PICTURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
DPD HAS THEIR OWN DATA FOR ONLY THE AREAS THAT THEY OPERATE.
SO BOTH AGAIN, BOTH DATA IS ACCURATE. OKAY. WE'LL CONNECT ON THAT ONE.
OFFLINE. BUT USING THAT DATA IS GETTING IS A REALLY GOOD IDEA OF WHERE THOSE HOT SPOTS ARE.
SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM GOALS.
BECAUSE YOU'VE IDENTIFIED SOME, SOME GREAT STREETS THAT NEED TO BE REDESIGNED.
BUT WHAT DO WE DO IN THE INTERIM? AS IT TAKES CONCEPTUAL FROM A CONCEPTUAL PLAN, RIGHT.
AND IN THAT TIME, WE'RE STILL HAVING ACCIDENTS.
WE'RE STILL HAVING DEATHS. SO WHAT CAN WE DO IN AN INTERIM ON SOME PILOT PROGRAM PROJECTS IN ORDER TO BRING SOME SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS DOWN? SO WE HAVE DONE AN INTERIM OR IMPLEMENTED INTERIM.
MEASURES, IF YOU WILL. EXAMPLE COULD BE IS WHAT WE DID SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, IN IN DISTRICT ONE AT ONE POINT BACK WHEN WE DID JEFFERSON BEFORE WE PUT JEFFERSON IN THE 2024 BOND, WE DID PUT IT ON A LANE REDUCTION FOR THREE MONTHS, TESTED IT, AND WE DID THE YOU KNOW, AGAIN, BASE STUDY, IF YOU WILL, BEFORE WE DID IT.
AND THEN AFTER WE DID IT ALSO ANALYZED IT AND SO ON.
AND NOW WHAT WE HAVE IN THE 2024 BOND IS THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS OF THE ROADWAY.
WE'RE DOING SOME VERY SIMILAR TAKEN, VERY SIMILAR APPROACHES.
SAY FOR EXAMPLE, NOW FERGUSON. FERGUSON ROAD, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO, WE'RE LOOKING AT 14 MILLION, $15 MILLION. HOWEVER, WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE HAVE A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS WHERE WE'RE DOING THE PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON BY THE SCHOOL TO GET IT GOING.
SO ALL TO SAY IS WE HAVE DONE INTERIM CONDITIONS AROUND THE CITY.
AND WHAT I THINK ONE OF THE GREATEST ADVANTAGES OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE DOING IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE'RE TESTING IT, PROVING THE CONCEPT, AND THEN COMING BACK AND ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING IT BEFORE SPENDING MONEY ON IT, AND THEN COMING TO FIND OUT THAT IT'S NOT HAVING THE INTENDED IMPACT AND SO ON SO.
OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER WEST AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE STREET DESIGN MANUAL.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MANUAL ITSELF AND HOW LONG? IT'S ACCEPTED BY, BY STAFF, HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO PUT INTO DESIGN.
WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT. BUT AS YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT IS A YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO SAY IT'S A IT'S A BIG DOCUMENT, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER CHANGES WE MAKE, IT IS ACROSS THE BOARD AND UNDERSTAND BASICALLY WHAT IT IMPACTS.
SO THAT IS DONE. WE'RE FINISHING UP THE OR WORKING ON THE BIKE LANE COMPONENT BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE WERE AWAITING THE COMPLETION OF THE BIKE PLAN, AND IT HAS THE STANDARDS AND SO ON.
SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
YOU KNOW, I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU BASICALLY WITH ESTIMATED TIMELINE.
BUT LIKE I SAID, IT'S A IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD AS IT MIGHT MAY APPEAR.
THE FINISH LINE IS SOMETIMES LONGER THAN WHAT WE ALL WISH FOR.
WHAT PART OF THE PROCESS TAKES THE LONGEST TO IMPLEMENT A NEW REDESIGN?
[02:00:02]
I MEAN, IT'S A COMBINATION OF THINGS. IT'S NOT THE ONLY ONE ITEM.FOR EXAMPLE. WHAT? WE'RE DONE, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS LEVERAGE OUR FUNDS.
RIGHT? SO, LIKE MR. MORRIS LIKES TO SAY, IS THE GOOD NEWS.
YOU HAVE FEDERAL FUNDS, THE BAD NEWS, YOU HAVE FEDERAL FUNDS.
AND WE HAVE SEVERAL SEVERAL PROJECTS WITH WITH FEDERAL FUNDS AND THOSE WE'RE IF WE'RE INCLUDING ENGINEERING IN THEM, WE'RE AVERAGING A GOOD 15 MONTHS TO TWO YEARS BEFORE WE LAY OUR HANDS ON THE ON THE MONEY.
SO PART OF IT IS THE PROCESS DEPENDING ON WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM THE OTHER ONES ARE INTERNAL PROCESSES. AND CREDIT TO OUR CITY MANAGER THAT HAS DONE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT HAS APPOINTED SEVERAL WHAT WE CALL THEM, STRIKE TEAM LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE DOING THE PROCUREMENT AND OTHER THINGS.
SO WE'RE AGAIN, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS. BUT THERE ARE SO MANY COMPONENTS IN THE PROCESS THAT SO YOU'VE ALSO TAKEN ON ADDITIONAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET, IS YOUR PRIORITY GOING TO BE TO FUND PROJECTS OR TO FUND MORE STAFFING IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH MORE? WELL, IT'S A IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH.
AT THIS POINT BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS OUR ABILITY AND THE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE SOME OF THE FUNDS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO POTENTIALLY GET ON CALL CONSULTANTS AND SO ON, THAT WOULD HELP US AS A EXTENSION TO OUR STAFF.
THANK YOU, MR. WEST. THANK YOU, CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR CONTINUING TO MAKE THIS A PRIORITY.
GOOD JOB ON THE BRIEFING. ALSO WANT TO ECHO MY COLLEAGUES SENTIMENTS THAT I LOVE SEEING PUBLIC SAFETY UP HERE, ESPECIALLY MAJOR ROMAN, WHO USED TO BE DOWN IN SOUTHWEST.
GLAD TO HAVE YOU UP HERE. AND JUST HAVING DPD AS A PRESENCE WITH TRANSPORTATION IN GENERAL IS GOOD.
ALL RIGHT. SO I SHARE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES CONFUSION ON THE DATA HERE.
I THINK IT'S PROBABLY ACCURATE. IT'S JUST DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT REPORTS.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE DATA ANALYTICS COMING UP HERE.
SO WE HAVE A LITTLE ICON ON MY, ON MY WHITEBOARD THAT MY STAFF HAD PULLED TWO MONTHS AGO THAT SAID THERE WERE 210 FATALITIES. NOW I'M HEARING THE DASHBOARD HAS 208 TRAFFIC FATALITIES FROM 2024.
WHY WOULD THAT CHANGE OVER A COUPLE OF MONTHS? I THINK WE WOULD DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE WHAT THE WHAT THE CAUSE OF THE CHANGE IS.
THE SOURCE OF THE DATA IS EXACTLY THE SAME. IT COMES FROM THE CRIS SYSTEM.
AND SO WE PROBABLY WE WOULD DEFINITELY GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT IF SOMETHING CHANGED IN THE SOURCE SYSTEM, FOR SOME REASON, IF SOME CHANGE HAPPENED, IT'S PROBABLY IMPACTING THE DASHBOARD BECAUSE WE PULL IT DIRECTLY FROM THE SOURCE SYSTEM.
SO MAYBE ONE OF THE SOURCE SYSTEMS REALIZED THEY HAD MADE AN ERROR CHANGE AND THEN YOU UPDATE IT.
YES, BECAUSE THERE IS A TIME LAG BETWEEN WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENS AND WHEN THE DATA IS UPDATED.
OKAY. NOW I WANT TO GO TO SLIDE SEVEN. THIS IS A QUESTION FOR MR. DOCTOR KHANKARLI. SO ON SLIDE SEVEN, IT SAYS THERE'S 157 DEATHS.
AND THIS SLIDE IDENTIFIES NON-ACCESS CONTROLLED ROADWAYS.
SO I ASSUME TO MAKE UP THE DELTA TO GET US TO 208 FATALITIES.
WHERE ARE THOSE ADDITIONAL 51 FATALITIES IS THAT ON ACCESS CONTROLLED ROADWAYS LIKE THE TOLLWAY OR SOMETHING? I'M SORRY. YOU'RE ON SLIDE SEVEN. I'M ON SLIDE SEVEN.
I'M LOOKING AT THE YEAR 2024. TOTAL FATALITIES.
IT SAYS 157. AND ON THE DASHBOARD RIGHT NOW, IT SAYS THERE'S 208 FATALITIES.
COUNCIL MEMBER THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IS THE DELTA WOULD BE ON THE HIGHWAYS.
SO ACCESS CONTROLLED. OKAY. BUT THEN ON SLIDE NINE, ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS DON'T THOSE INCLUDE THE HIGHWAYS AS WELL BECAUSE IT'S GOT TXDOT'S NUMBERS ON HERE.
SLIDE NINE YOUR CRASH DATA BEHAVIOR. THE POINT I'M GETTING TO IS DO WE KIND OF MIX NUMBERS THROUGHOUT SOME OF THIS, THIS REPORTING WHERE WE ARE REPORTING HIGHWAYS AND THEN IN OTHER SLIDES WE'RE NOT.
COUNCIL MEMBER. SLIDE NINE REFLECTS FATAL CRASHES.
SO FATALITIES REFLECTS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED IN A CRASH.
ONE FATAL CRASH CAN HAVE MULTIPLE FATALITIES.
SO THEY ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT. BUT MY, THANK YOU, BUT MY QUESTION IS DO SOME OF YOUR SLIDES HERE REFLECT HIGHWAY CRASHES AND INJURIES AS WELL WHILE OTHERS DO NOT? YEAH. COUNCIL MEMBER WEST, YES.
[02:05:05]
YES, THAT IS CORRECT. SOME OF THE DATA WILL REFLECT WHAT IS ON THE CITY STREETS, AND SOME OF THE DATA WILL REFLECT WHAT EVERY, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER TXDOT REPORTS WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS.AND SO CLEARLY WE'VE GOT SOME CHALLENGES IN THE WAY WE'RE CONVEYING THIS DATA.
SO LET US GO BACK AND LOOK AT HOW WE CAN BETTER PROVIDE THE DATA IN A MANNER THAT'S CONSISTENT.
I THINK SOME OF THE SNAPSHOTS OR OLDER SNAPSHOTS, AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE CONSISTENT IN HOW WE SHOW WHERE THE DATA IS AND WHAT THE DATA REFLECTS. SO WE APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK. AND YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE TRANSPARENCY AS YOU POINTED OUT.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU. AND I THOUGHT I WAS JUST LOSING MY MIND FOR A MINUTE.
SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR I WASN'T. CAN YOU EXPLAIN ON THE BASELINE DATA WHICH WE PULLED OUR DATA TO BEGIN VISION 0 IN 2019, RIGHT? WASN'T THAT WHEN WE STARTED TRACKING OUR PROGRESS? I BELIEVE SO, YES. HOW ARE WE JUST DOING GENERALLY COMPARING OUR BASELINE OF WHERE WE STARTED TO WHERE WE ARE NOW? ARE WE ON TRACK. AND THIS COULD BE FOR ANYBODY UP THERE.
ARE WE ON TRACK TO MEET OUR 2030 GOALS? I WOULD DEFER THAT TO DOCTOR KHANKARLI.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE INTENT IS TO MEET THE GOAL. SO WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
OBVIOUSLY, IT IS PROBABLY SLOWER THAN WE ALL WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE MOVING FORWARD.
AND I DON'T THINK WE SET MILESTONES WITHIN THE TIME FRAME FROM WHEN WE STARTED.
BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AND SHARE AGAIN WITH OUR OUR UPDATE THE, YOU KNOW, THE LEVEL OF PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE AND WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE TO, TO IMPROVE MEETING THAT ASPIRATIONAL GOAL AS PART OF OUR BUDGET, AS PART OF THE BUDGET FOR THIS NEXT FALL, WILL STAFF BE PROPOSING A DEDICATED INDIVIDUAL FOR VISION ZERO? WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING THROUGH A NEW PROCESS WITH PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING.
SO WE EXPECT TO HAVE TRANSPARENCY FOR COUNCIL ON THIS PROGRAM AS WELL AS OTHER PROGRAMS. SO AND I KNOW WE SPOKE ABOUT MISS RUSH AND WE'RE SAD TO SEE HER GO.
SHE WAS SHE WAS EXCELLENT. IS SHE THAT ROLE WILL CONTINUE ON JUST WITH A NEW PERSON.
RIGHT? THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. GOT IT. OKAY.
LET'S SEE, I. GUS, THANKS FOR THE EXAMPLE OF JEFFERSON BOULEVARD.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF STAFF IDENTIFYING A PROBLEM ALONG WITH NEIGHBORS.
I THINK WITH JUST FIVE UPDATES BETWEEN NOW AND 2030, IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR US TO ACTUALLY PIVOT IF WE NEED TO, AND TO GIVE YOU GUYS THE SUPPORT YOU NEED WITH THE BUDGET AND WITH PERSONNEL.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE TO THE ACTION PLAN, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE'VE ACTUALLY SEEN OR BEEN BRIEFED ON THAT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, SO WE'D LOVE TO SEE LIKE THIS APPENDICES ACTION PLAN REALLY A DEEP DIVE FOR FULL COUNCIL ON THAT.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU CHAIR. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IT IS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT PRIORITY. GUS AND HIS TEAM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DPD AS WE SHARED AT THE BEGINNING, HAS MADE PROGRESS. THE NUMBERS ARE IMPROVING, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY VERY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE WE CONTINUE TOWARDS THAT GOAL OF ZERO DEATHS BY 2030. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. VERY GOOD.
THANK YOU. AND I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, AS WE, AS YOU ALL GO INTO THE NEXT BUDGET, IF THE PRIORITIES ARE THERE, THEY'RE THERE. IF THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT. SO IT'S, IT'S THIS BODY WHO DECIDES THE BUDGET.
AND IF WE DIDN'T PUT THE MONEY INTO VISION ZERO, THEN WE DIDN'T PUT IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THREE YEARS IN A ROW THAT WE FULLY FUNDED. AND THEN LAST YEAR WE CUT FROM IT.
SO IT'S LIKE WE'RE NEVER GOING TO GET THINGS FIXED IF WE DON'T FULLY FUND.
SO BUT THEN THAT MEANS WHERE DO YOU CUT BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE IT ALL.
[02:10:05]
I'LL BE BANNED FOR A YEAR, SO THAT'S ALL FOR THAT.THANK YOU SO MUCH TO BOTH OF YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL SAID.
WE REALLY GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. AND WE'RE NOW ON LETTER D, WHICH IS A BRIEFING BY MEMO, IF YOU HAVE ANY, BECAUSE WE'RE BASICALLY AT A TIME, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE GET WITH DIRECTOR WHEDON AND ASK THOSE IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THAT ITEM, UNLESS IT'S JUST PRESSING FOR RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE THE FORECAST. IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE FORECAST? I GOT ONE MONTH LEFT. I KNOW I KEEP SAYING IT, BUT IT'S LIKE I GOT ONE MONTH LEFT.
OKAY. SO THAT MEANS I HAVE ONE MORE COMMITTEE MEETING IF YOU WANT IT ON THE AGENDA BEFORE I LEAVE.
NEXT MONTH, IT'S OR IT'S A GAME OVER. AND THEN WE HAVE ITEMS, UPCOMING AGENDA ITEMS, ACTION ITEMS THAT WE'LL BE VOTING ON THE 28TH, ITEMS F THROUGH S, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE.
IF NOT, WE CAN GET YOU CAN ALWAYS GET WITH STAFF AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS INDIVIDUALLY.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR ANYBODY. ALL RIGHT, WITH THAT SAID, THE TIME IS NOW 3:14 P.M.
THANK YOU EVERYONE. HAVE A GOOD ONE. WELL DONE.
ONLY 15 MINUTES LATE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.