Abram's Street Woes - Part 2

First Abram Street study cost $580. Second unnecessary study inflates to $55,000.

Monday, September 17, 2012
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Before moving on to other issues, we want to make these further comments on the Mayor’s plan to reduce the number of traffic lanes on Abram Street to make room for bicycle lanes.

To that end the City Council voted unanimously on August 21stto pay an out-of-state consultant $55,000 to study the feasibility of reducing Abram between Cooper and Collins to fewer lanes. Yes, we know the Mayor and Jimmy Bennett were absent, but had they been there, they would have voted yes.

There are plenty of problems with paying a consultant $55,000 to do work that a competent city staff (some of these folks have $100,000 range annual salaries) could do.

A bit of history. On 06/14/2011 the City Council approved a Thoroughfare Development Plan (consultant cost $100,000). On 06/28/2011 they approved a $61 million Hike and Bike Plan (consultant cost $250,000).

Arlington has 3,000 lane miles. So for a total of $350,000 (the cost of both plans), Arlington got a traffic pattern flow study and a whole lot more (including a 400 page bike plan) at a cost of $116.00 per mile.

Now consider Abram from Collins to Cooper—a single mile of roadway—with just five lane miles. The new Abram Street study at $55,000 will cost the citizens of Arlington $11,000 per lane mile. That is simply incredible! And remember, this is just a“study.” What if the consultant has more integrity than we think he has and reports that Abram should remain as is? If so, our City Council has squandered $55,000 of our tax dollars.

But now let’s add insult to injury. This new $11,000 per lane mile Abram Street study is just a retread of the original study of Abram Street (again Cooper to Collins) that was part of the original Hike and Bike Plan. That original study said taking Abram down to two lanes, despite a 19,000 daily traffic count, made great sense. Wrongheaded as its conclusion might be, that first study was at least cheap, at $580 for the five lane miles.

What on God’s green earth is at work here?

Creeping cronyism, that’s what.

Arlington risks becoming a city of crony capitalism where the well-connected gain advantage at citizen expense.

Abram Street is a glaring example. There are those who would like to turn Abram Street into a downtown open air mall where cars are no longer welcome. Like the cattle barons of old, these folks want to fence off Abram for their benefit. And if you have the temerity to think the streets belong to you, the citizen, and that you should be free to use Abram to get from west Arlington to 360, then, bub, these folks have got news for you. You’re not welcome to pass through.

Intentionally congesting a street and thereby diverting traffic to other streets that then congest as well, all to benefit special interests, is not good for Arlington, and it is not just.

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Abram's Street Woes - Part 1

Two incoming emails about Abram's in Arlington.  What's it going to cost YOU?  And WHO is trying to take over all Texas roads?  Ponder that.

Avoiding the Road Less Traveled?

Show of hands: how many of you avoid going to Abram Street in downtown Arlington because the sidewalks are too narrow? Anybody? Anybody? Didn’t think so. Let’s try this again: how many of you avoid Abram Street because of the lack of quality landscaping? Anybody at all? Finally, how many of you avoid driving down Abram Street because there are just too dang many lanes (five including the center turn lane!), but that if it were reduced to three, or better yet two, you’d mosey on down there this very instant to grab a Shipley Donut bear claw?

Susan Schrock reports (“Arlington considers future of Abram St.,” Star-Telegram, Sept. 10, 2012) that the Arlington City Council and various public officials believe that these are some of the things that are keeping customers away from downtown businesses.

Which of course begs the question: how dumb do they think we are?

Apparently at least $55,000 dumb, since that is the money that will be spent to study the effects of reducing the lanes (along with wider sidewalks, additional landscaping, adding bike lanes, etc.). The thinking seems to be:

1) Fewer lanes will cause traffic congestion.
2) People love traffic congestion.
3) Therefore: more people will flock to downtown Arlington businesses.

Such stunning logic is supplemented by Public Works and Transportation director Keith Melton, who is quoted as saying, “Everybody agrees it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing roadway.” Well duh. The road itself needs to be repaved. How about we start with that? Old and poorly-kept buildings line much of the street. Refurbishing those would have a huge impact. Abram is a major Arlington street, and its appearance and viability undoubtedly affect the city’s image and quality of life. But replacing automobile lanes with bike lanes and planting a few trees ignore the real issues.

City Hall offers bizarre plans that are disconnected from reality. The current sidewalks could use some repair here and there but are perfectly wide enough unless the city is anticipating an influx of sumo wrestler pedestrians who insist on walking three abreast on their way from eating those Shipley bear claws to catching a concert at the Levitt Pavilion. The city planners talk about the need for additional on-street parking, yet there’s always plenty of parking around. Even during major LevittPavilion concerts, it’s rare to have to walk more than two or three blocks (on those oh-so-narrow-sidewalks!) to get to the event. My guess is that even a convention of sumo wrestlers could manage.

According to Ms. Schrock’s article, the Downtown Arlington Management Corporation “is pushing for Abram to become more pedestrian-friendly.” The group’s executive vice president Tony Rutigliano says people need to feel safer walking around downtown, and he’s not talking about muggings. Apparently those narrow sidewalks are frightening the women and children–a veritable plethora of Bridges of Khazad-Dum, surrounded by Balrogs, with Mr. Rutiglianooffering to be our Gandalf shepherding us to safety.

I can’t believe he’s serious, and that is what’s disconcerting about all this. A debate about the future of Abram Street is needed, but it has to be based on reality, not on some mythical fantasy about an imaginary city. What’s next? How about a place to park landspeeders? What if I want to ride my tauntaunto the library?

The way to get more customers to businesses is to make it easier, not more difficult, to get to these businesses. Clogging up the roads so that we have to park six blocks away and walk or bicycle the rest of the distance just to grab a donut or taco is absurd. We might as well plan for that convention of sumo wrestlers to parachute in by helicopter for some Babe’s chicken.

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Want to get out of dodge?

It will cost YOU.

Did you hear the latest joke?  HOV lanes will be converted to toll lanes. 

Don't think it's funny?  Then you better speak up now, or forever pay the price.

Read about it here. 

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Calling Arlington

Opinion Arlington, a True Voice for the Citizens of Arlington
 
Thursday, September 20, 2012
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
After one false and disappointing web site start, we are moving forward with Opinion Arlington, a web site dedicated to providing the citizens of Arlington with a greater voice in city government.  Such a voice has long been needed. 

We predict that the number of citizens voting in city elections will increase substantially. As that happens, Arlington can and will move beyond the crony crowd that has in the past determined election outcomes and a consequent city policy that too often works to serve glad-handing special interests rather than the citizen.
 
That has to change and Opinion Arlington wants to join with you, our fellow citizens, in making that change happen.
 
Opinion Arlington is not fancy, but it is inexpensive. We can operate indefinitely without asking anyone for financial support.
 
What we do ask for is that you know what your city government is doing and why.  Are the Mayor and City Council working in your interests, or are other interests the priority?  Opinion Arlington ’s goal is to keep you informed so that come election time, you’ll know who has worked for you and who is helping the crony capitalists pick your taxpayer pocket.
 
We really do believe positive change is coming.  Our job here at Opinion Arlington—and we’ll need your help to do it—is to get the following balls rolling:
 
1) Encourage citizen-friendly candidates to run for Mayor and Council seats.
2)  Spread the word about Opinion Arlington. Let friends, neighbors, and business associates know that Opinion Arlington offers invaluable insights into how city government is limiting our freedom and needlessly increasing the cost of government.
3)  Increase the number of voters in Arlington to a point where the crony crowd can no longer deliver re-election to incumbents who put the cronies ahead of the ordinary citizen and taxpayer.
 
We are looking for opinion writers. If you have something to say, we’ll be glad to publish your opinion piece.  Although we make no bones about being a conservative publisher, we nonetheless welcome all views.
 
If you wish to comment on any column, your thoughts are likewise welcome.
 
Opinion Arlington is not a news site.  Our forte is opinion and to that end we hope to be the place to go for lively interchanges on issues that matter to the citizens of Arlington .
 
To get the word out, we are printing thousands of Opinion Arlington business cards.  We’ll be getting these out in various ways. You can help by picking up a stack of cards when you see us at a meeting or by coming by 511 East Abram Street (across from Fuzzy’s Tacos).  Cards will be available next Thursday (Sept. 27th).
 
Opinion Arlington has a link whereby you can email the Mayor and City Council with your comments on an issue.  Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a reply. That is common. But you can be sure they read each email.
 
We are in the process of setting up a “How the Council Voted” page.  For the first time, the citizens of Arlington will be able to review the voting report of incumbents.  We predict that many voters will not like what they see.
 
We’ll be adding a non-partisan community calendar featuring upcoming events that address public issues and concerns.
 
Opinion Arlington remains a work in progress, but we are pleased with the progress thus far.
 
With our nation $16 trillion dollars in debt, and literally creating new debt faster than new dollars can be printed, something very unpleasant is about to hit the fan at every level of government, something that is going to radically alter our way of life. We citizens must get more involved in civic life and find new leaders far better than those we have.  We need to assert ourselves at every level of government, including city.
 
Let’s roll up our sleeves and get started!
 
Sincerely,
Buddy Saunders
Publisher - Opinion Arlington
buddy@opinionarlington.com 
817-860-7827
www.opinionarlington.com

• Please feel free to forward our comments to those on your email list.
• To comment on this column, please go to www.opinionarlington.com
• If you have a tip regarding a current city issue, please email buddy@opinionarlington.com

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Pipeline Hell

How'd you think they were going to get to those wells?

Read the incoming from Don Young.

Then do something before they come to your hood.

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It has to be true.

You saw it on the news...

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Keeping Cowtown in the dark

The Fort Worth Weekly article, Bass Master, about cutting funding for the arts in Fort Worth, brings up the most interesting points we've seen to date. 

Residents of Fort Worth might want to start paying attention, after all, you are paying for it.  Though you don't know what "it" is and Fort Worth's budget falls farther behind each year.  Does this remind anyone of the Trinity River Vision and all it's hidden costs?

The new arena will be located near the Cultural District site of the existing arena, the architecturally significant but badly outdated Will Rogers Coliseum (built in 1936). But no one outside of Bass and his minions knows anything about the proposed project, including its funding source. (In May 2011, Bass, via Fort Worth State Rep. Charlie Geren, tried to get his hands on some taxpayer money by changing state law to allow one certain, unnamed city –– that could have been only Fort Worth –– to raise its hotel tax from the state limit of 15 percent to 18 percent. The plan was scrapped after the Hotel Association of Tarrant County raised holy hell.)

In a long letter sent a few days ago to the city council, Douglas Harman, former head of the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau, lays out a series of concerns, especially about the prospective new arena in relation to the Culture and Tourism Fund.

“The planned new arena appears to fit into [city council members’] budget decisions,” he writes, noting that a Cultural District street, Harley, is being relocated in anticipation of breaking ground on the new arena on nearby Montgomery Street. “Although city council members claim that they have not seen the plans for the new arena, the city council is spending millions of dollars to prepare the area for the new arena through the Harley relocation and stormwater work. It is difficult to believe that city council would spend millions of dollars relocating Harley and doing all of this site improvement work without full knowledge about the planned arena. So much for transparency of government decision making!”

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