Arlington, Texas is no longer the largest city in the US without a Public Transit System - Polidicks

[img]http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/2013/08/Max-Bus.jpg[/img] [quote]Arlington, Texas has a population of 375,000 people, and up until now, it was the most populous city in the U.S. to lack a comprehensive public transportation system. That’s about to change as the city tentatively tries out a bus service for two years, but Arlington residents shouldn’t sell their cars just yet. The ride could get a bit bumpy. Called [url=http://www.ridethemax.com/#!home/mainPage]Metro Arlington Express[/url] (or MAX, for short), the new service travels from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) campus to a commuter rail station in a business park just south of DFW airport. There are 18 departures between 5:35 a.m. and 9:41 p.m., free Wi-Fi, and $5 will get you an all-day pass — about the same price as what you’d pay for gas to drive across town. It might sound like a good first step in judging local interest for a bus service, but it’s really the opening play in a game of political football. Even though Arlington isn’t a very dense community, regular commuter service seems like a no-brainer: It’s a major population center that’s 12 miles from Fort Worth and 20 miles from Dallas. The highways that connect the three cities are among the most congested in the world and the heat makes biking and walking long distances quite unpleasant. Arlington is also home to a major university, the Texas Rangers, the Dallas Cowboys, and a Six Flags resort. All those assets actually work against Arlington when it comes to transit. First, the city’s proximity to two other transit systems add a degree of political difficulty. Currently, the MAX service is a public-private partnership funded by the city, local businesses, UTA, and the transit systems of Dallas and Fort Worth. But each of those cities is courting Arlington, and the sales tax dollars it would contribute to their existing public transit systems. And that’s the other sticking point. In Texas, public transit is largely financed by sales taxes. In addition to Texas’ 6.25 percent state sales tax, towns and cities can charge an additional 2 percent to fund local initiatives. Lots of places use that money for public transit, but Arlington’s [url=http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/10/arlington_world_series_no_publ.php]spent much of its sales tax dollars to build facilities for the Rangers and the Cowboys.[/url] In order to join Dallas’ public transit system, Arlington would have to dedicate 1 cent of its sales tax to paying for bus service [url=http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/08/17/5088638/a-lots-riding-on-max-arlington.html]to the tune of $50 million a year.[/url] To join the system in Fort Worth, it would cost half that. Each system has pros and cons, but Arlington is so spread out that the city would likely be spending a decent chunk of change for a relatively limited commuter service. Voters would have to be convinced that public transit would benefit them directly, and that sitting on a bus beats sitting in traffic, but that may be a hard sell judging by past opposition to transit initiatives. Amidst the city’s rapid growth, voters defeated transit proposals three times between 1980 and 2013, and [url=http://www.intransitionmag.org/Summer_2008/arlington_new_cowboys_stadium.aspx]some of that opposition got pretty acrimonious.[/url] Some residents feared that transit service would increase crime, and others didn’t want to pay for transit they thought they wouldn’t use. Generally speaking, those who voted against transit feared it would speed Arlington’s growth to the city’s detriment. Today, it’s clear that growth happened anyway, but everyone bought cars. For now, Arlington has a bus. If voters don’t take up the issue of paying for public transit — or if they defeat it at the polls a fourth time — the service will end by 2015, and Arlington will once again be the biggest city in the country without public transit.[/quote] [url]http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/08/arlington-texas-bus/[/url] Shame it's only a $5 limited shuttle bus but hey you gotta start somewhere.

[quote]. Lots of places use that money for public transit, but Arlington’s spent much of its sales tax dollars to build facilities for the Rangers and the Cowboys.[/quote] Great logic, guys! Let's build sports stadiums on TAX DOLLARS! I may be the last motherfucker to even consider getting on a bus, but damnit, you should have built some bus lines. You idiots.

[QUOTE=Political Gamer;41999971][img]http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/autopia/2013/08/Max-Bus.jpg[/img] [/QUOTE] I'd love to be anybody in Arlington named Maxwell right now.

Just from Downtown to DFW Airport? That sucks. I want say, Green Oaks to The Highlands. or Arlington High to the mall. Hopefully they have more local routes [editline]28th August 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=TestECull;42000058]Great logic, guys! Let's build sports stadiums on TAX DOLLARS! I may be the last motherfucker to even consider getting on a bus, but damnit, you should have built some bus lines. You idiots.[/QUOTE] We have Handitran, the closest thing to our system and that's only for disabled or the elderly needing to go somewhere (job, doctor, etc)

[QUOTE=TestECull;42000058]Great logic, guys! Let's build sports stadiums on TAX DOLLARS! I may be the last motherfucker to even consider getting on a bus, but damnit, you should have built some bus lines. You idiots.[/QUOTE] i'd not call them idiots- you seem to be the one not thinking it through all the way. i live in a city immediately adjacent to arlington, and can certainly confirm that the amount of revenue that the cowboys stadium (of course, in addition to the ball park) has generated for its local economy has been so great, that those responsible, in IRVING texas, for having declined to build the stadium in their own city, were very regretful of that decision. i read that in the newspaper a few weeks ago. anyway, during the seasons for their respective sports, football and baseball, those stadiums generate massive amounts of revenue, and i wouldn't be surprised if a significant portion of taxable revenue from those stadiums has even helped pay for this new transportation system.

[QUOTE=OrkO;42000851]i'd not call them idiots- you seem to be the one not thinking it through all the way. i live in a city immediately adjacent to arlington, and can certainly confirm that the amount of revenue that the cowboys stadium (of course, in addition to the ball park) has generated for its local economy has been so great, that those responsible, in IRVING texas, for having declined to build the stadium in their own city, were very regretful of that decision. i read that in the newspaper a few weeks ago. anyway, during the seasons for their respective sports, football and baseball, those stadiums generate massive amounts of revenue, and i wouldn't be surprised if a significant portion of taxable revenue from those stadiums has even helped pay for this new transportation system.[/QUOTE] because of all the money we got from the stadiums, the city was finally able to dig up our roads and repave them. it's great to drive home not feeling like you were in a earthquake.

[QUOTE]Amidst the city’s rapid growth, voters defeated transit proposals three times between 1980 and 2013, and some of that opposition got pretty acrimonious. Some residents feared that transit service would increase crime, and others didn’t want to pay for transit they thought they wouldn’t use[/quote] [editline]28th August 2013[/editline] Unbelievable

[QUOTE=OrkO;42000851]i'd not call them idiots- you seem to be the one not thinking it through all the way. i live in a city immediately adjacent to arlington, and can certainly confirm that the amount of revenue that the cowboys stadium (of course, in addition to the ball park) has generated for its local economy has been so great, that those responsible, in IRVING texas, for having declined to build the stadium in their own city, were very regretful of that decision. i read that in the newspaper a few weeks ago. anyway, during the seasons for their respective sports, football and baseball, those stadiums generate massive amounts of revenue, and i wouldn't be surprised if a significant portion of taxable revenue from those stadiums has even helped pay for this new transportation system.[/QUOTE] Maybe it stems from my massive disinterest in football, but honestly, I see no good to come from funding a sports stadium on tax dollars. It's something only a part of the public will use and it sees precious little use comparatively speaking. Those stadiums are only useful to Giants and Cowboy's fans...and maybe the odd Monster Jam gathering if they're allowed in there at all. But a good bus system? That's useful 24/7/365. To anyone and everyone. And the bus lines directly feed fare money back to the city government operating them rather than indirectly sending a couple pennies of every dollar back. I can't conceivably think of any reason why a sports dome should be built on tax dollars. They may boost the economy a bit when a game's in town but they just don't strike me as a building that's necessary for the town to function properly...especially when said town is plagued with world record levels of traffic congestion.

Football is huge in Texas, and the south in general. I wouldn't mind tax dollars going to a stadium, they would pay for themselves in probably less than five years. And they are used for highschool games, concerts ect. It's not just for like 3 football games a year, theres a lot more money to be made than just that.

[QUOTE=The Baconator;42001142][editline]28th August 2013[/editline] Unbelievable[/QUOTE]Both of those are actually very common complaints leveled against any kind of transit project in the US. Everything from a multi-billion dollar Metro lines to a simple local bus extension brings out the fear-mongers in droves. Just wait till 2015 when the next round of proposals is put to vote and watch how quickly things get ugly.

our stadiums make the city more profit than any public transportation system. oh and for the record arlington only payed for about half of the cowboys stadium.

Awesome, now I can be stuck in traffic on Cooper [I]in a bus[/I].

[QUOTE=laserpanda;42002060]Awesome, now I can be stuck in traffic on Cooper [I]in a bus[/I].[/QUOTE] It's worse to be waiting for the cross light to change at Cooper and Mayfield. I once waited 1 hour for it. At least you'll be in air condition!

Stadiums are massive revenue generators. New football stadiums are almost guaranteed to host an up coming Super Bowl which might as well be the Olympics with the amount of tourism ot brings. New Baseball stadiums will usually get the homerun derby, which will have the same effect. Sports bars will open up around it, restaurants, stores, apartments, hotels, the list goes on. Though when you build a new stadium its good to also build transit or else no one will be able to get there. For example, the Minnesota Twins stadium has a train station built into it.

[QUOTE=TestECull;42000058]Great logic, guys! Let's build sports stadiums on TAX DOLLARS! I may be the last motherfucker to even consider getting on a bus, but damnit, you should have built some bus lines. You idiots.[/QUOTE] You would have to live in Texas to truly understand its stance on sports. Texas is a huge sport state, football and baseball are HUGE here. Even at high school level. Plus it isn't a huge waste, such things are investments in tourism. A lot of people travel and spend money at games. So just because you don't like sports does not mean it is a stupid investment...

[QUOTE=OvB;42003244]Stadiums are massive revenue generators. New football stadiums are almost guaranteed to host an up coming Super Bowl which might as well be the Olympics with the amount of tourism ot brings. New Baseball stadiums will usually get the homerun derby, which will have the same effect. Sports bars will open up around it, restaurants, stores, apartments, hotels, the list goes on.[/quote]If you look at the ones in Arlington there is almost nothing around them, just a sea of parking. Hardly anything I would call tax generating. Yes things could get built out in the future but for now it's just endless parking. [QUOTE=OvB;42003244]Though when you build a new stadium its good to also build transit or else no one will be able to get there. For example, the Minnesota Twins stadium has a train station built into it.[/QUOTE]Actually three out of the four of Minnesota's major teams are within short walking distance LRT station. The fourth being the Minnesota Wild in Saint-Paul that will just so happen to be connected via LRT early next year. However, when it comes to the DFW area both the Rangers and the Cowboys are in Arlington, that has no transit. Only the Mavericks are near a transit station. Not to mention the Six Flags. Now thankfully linking these up to the rest of DFW is fairly easy. First step would naturally be to build a base bus network with a mix of DART (Dallas), T (Fort Worth), and MAX (Arlington) busses. Second phase could be a simple commuter rail line running down existing track/right-of-way from Dallas Union Station with stops at Grand Prairie, Arlington, along with a few suburban stops ending at Fort Worth Intermodal. Now part three is where things get interesting. A new LRT line would branch off from the main downtown Dallas spine following the same right-of-way as the commuter rail with strategically placed stations. Then once it reaches I-30 the line shifts to the freeway with a small detour for a stop at the Lone Star Raceway. After trundling down the freeway the LRT line reaches Six Flags Over Texas landing riders right on top of the ticket counter. Then it's a quick hop, skip, and a jump to stations at Arlington convention center, Rangers Field, and AT&T Stadium. Finally the train comes to a rest at the University of Texas but not before a quick stop in downtown Arlington with an easy interchange with the aforementioned commuter rail line. The final step in linking Arlington to DFW is to link it to DFW; the airport! This one is fairly simple, start off at the soon to be open Orange Line stop at the north end of DFW then take the train south with a stop at the main rental car facility. Following that, the line would head south with an interchange at the Centreport TRE station then continuing down the highway. Finally it would link up with the other line at the Six Flags station where it can continue onward on the same alignment. So thats my more or less on the fly plan for making Arlington a little more sane for those who can't drive/afford a car or don't wish to own a car or don't feel like dealing with the horrible traffic to get to the Cowboys/Rangers game or Six flags. Lastly, if anyone would like a visual representation of this plan I can whip something up but it wouldn't be ready till tomorrow.

[QUOTE=MR-X;42003887]You would have to live in Texas to truly understand its stance on sports. Texas is a huge sport state, football and baseball are HUGE here. Even at high school level. Plus it isn't a huge waste, such things are investments in tourism. A lot of people travel and spend money at games. So just because you don't like sports does not mean it is a stupid investment...[/QUOTE] What Mr-X says really is true. Before I used to think things such as this could get a tad bit ridiculous especially in southern states as Texas, even though I'm a fan of sports myself. I've lived in Houston for about 2 months now and I'm beginning to understand just how big of a scope we're talking about here when it comes to Texas's obsession with football, baseball and to some extent basketball. It's crazy and you just have to live here for awhile to grasp it.