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Urbanism

Announcing a Transit Symposium Charting the Future of Dallas Mobility

The Death and Life of Dallas Transit takes over Old Parkland's debate chamber on January 31.
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On January 31, a quite interesting discussion around transit will take over the debate chambers at Old Parkland. It’s headlined by Jarrett Walker, the man charged with overhauling the currently inefficient DART bus system. But there are other heavy hitters here: Michael Rogers, the city’s transportation director, joins West Dallas Councilman Omar Narvaez and the city’s deputy resilience officer, Genesis Gavino, to discuss the forthcoming mobility and climate action plans.

DART Board Member Patrick Kennedy will moderate a panel on how to fund transit projects, which includes assistant city manager Majed Al Ghafry, former TxDOT Commissioner Victor Vandergriff, and McKinsey senior partner Steffen Fuchs. Finally, you’ll hear from folks who actually ride DART, like D contributor Doyle Rader; other DART board members, like Dominique Torres and Jon-Betrell Killen; and another expert who helps visualize data, friend-of-the-magazine Robert Mundinger.

The event, the Death and Life of Dallas Transit, is organized by the Coalition for a New Dallas. That’s the super PAC co-founded by D founder Wick Allison. (D and the Coalition are separate entities.) Learn more about the panels below, and register here. The symposium begins at 8 a.m. on the 31st and runs past lunch.

Approaching the Tipping Point
The State of Dallas’ Bus System

The late U.S. statesman Daniel Patrick Moynihan once quipped that people are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts. While many hold opinions as to whether Dallas’ current approach to bussing works, what do the data and experience of riders suggest? What defines a good system and does Dallas’ fit this definition? The implications of these answers run far and wide including the very destiny of the City proper. New developments indicate a desire for a change from the current model and certain actions imply a new approach to moving people around is taking root. This opening presentation and discussion will peel back the curtain and take a look at the facts and developments.

Presenter: Robert Mundinger
Panel Moderator: Miguel Solis
Panelists: Doyle Rader, Robert Mundiger, Dominique Torres, Jon-Betrell Killen

Policy, Politics, Process
Reforming Transit Systems to Work for Residents

The DART Board recently voted to contract with renowned public transit consultant Jarrett Walker in an effort to draw up a new plan for bus service in the region. His previous work has transformed transit-backward towns into national models by implementing smart, efficient bus service. While these new systems are heralded today, the path to creating them was filled with ebbs and flows. As he begins his work in the city, this keynote will provide an understanding of Walker’s approach to striking a balance between ridership goals (putting service where lots of people will ride) and coverage goals (providing a little service to everyone) while managing the dynamic demands of process and politics.

Presenter: Jarrett Walker, President, Jarrett Walker + Associates

Making Plans:
Executing Dallas’ Strategic Mobility, Vision Zero, and Climate Action Plans

Dallas is known for its plans. Perhaps its most famous, J. Erik Jonnson’s Goals for Dallas, was conceived in 1964 and completed within two years thereby transforming North Texas into the region it is today. There are currently three concepts working their way through the Dallas City Council, all of which hold promise for revolutionary transformation of Dallas’ transit system, its environment, and the North Texas region, but none of which have been finalized. Where do these projects actually stand today and will they ever come to fruition? This panel will convene key decision makers in an attempt to understand the status and future of these plans.

Moderator: Matt Tranchin
Presenters: Michael Rogers, Omar Narvaez, Genesis Gavino

Money Talks:
Financing the Future of Movement

It’s often stated that budgets are moral documents of institutions, that is, what they budget for is an explicit definition of their values. During annual budget cycles, the best ideas often fail to manifest due to the lack of financial support and on the flip-side, funded projects may glitter, but are they truly gold? As Dallas plans its path towards a more equitable and forward-thinking transit system, will it have the money to match the talk? This closing discussion explores current and future funding streams and looks at other cities approaches to financing its transit systems.

Moderator: Patrick Kennedy
Panelists: Victor Vandergriff, Steffen Fuchs, Majed Al-Ghafry

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