Honkin' Mad

Saggy pants ban on Fort Worth buses is working

The Star-Telegram's Bob Ray Sanders wrote this column updating the Fort Worth Transportation Authority's policy that prohibits the saggy pants look on T buses.

'America's Highways from Hell' - Loop 820 ranks No. 5 on the list (Enjoy your summer, commuters)

Fort Worth-area commuters who spend time on Northeast Tarrant County roads are going through hell right now, figuratively speaking. The latest proof comes from The Daily Beast, which included a three-mile stretch of Northeast Loop 820 between Grapevine Highway and Denton Highway on its list of "America's Highways From Hell."

A car that runs on air - Why didn't I think of that?

Check out this Discovery story about development of a car that runs on air. Future generations may wonder why it took us so long to figure out how to use this fuel.

Traffic jams a good thing at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

Texas Rangers players, who are playing in front of massive crowds this year, don't mind getting stuck in a little traffic after work.

Photo: dfw.cbslocal.com

 

Keller Old Town railroad car scrapped for parts during Memorial Day weekend - merchants who wanted it restored cry foul

Updated at 2:40 p.m. with comments from the Keller mayor:

"It's a shame to destroy a vintage car." -- Keller Mayor Pat McGrail, who toured the scene Tuesday (photo above)

A handful of Old Town Keller merchants is livid that a vintage passenger railroad car the group had hoped to restore was instead partly scrapped for salvage parts during the long Memorial Day weekend. This afternoon the group is standing guard over the old rail car, saying they're willing to go to jail to stop any further scrapping of the car, and are seeking a court injunction.

"We have been railroaded in Keller," said Terry Thomas, who owns Memories and Treasures Antique Mall in Keller. "Over the weekend, somebody came out and decided to start cutting it up."

But Edward Kirkwood, a Keller insurance agent and president of the Old Town Keller Merchants Association, said the decision to scrap the rail car was reached by a majority vote during a meeting in May. A majority of members, he said, believed restoring the car wasn't a wise use of funds.

"It's obvious this car has already been scrapped," Kirkwood said. "It's an eyesore. It's a hazard."

A contractor was hired to remove metal and other parts from the car, Kirkwood said in a phone interview. The work was done over the holiday weekend simply because that's when the contractor could do it, he said.

On Tuesday afternoon, advocates of restoring the car showed pictures of the car's condition before someone entered it over the weekend and began removing parts. They said ceiling fan motors had been taken, metal chunks had been removed -- apparently with industrial tools -- and duct work had been ripped out.

The group posted flyers on the rail car windows warning others not to enter the car, and saying they would seek a cease and desist order to prevent further salvaging.

The vintage rail car, which was believed to be in operation until the 1930s, was bought and moved to the city's historical center last year year using proceeds from five years worth of Crawfish Krawl events in Keller, Thomas said. The total cost was about $18,000.

However, Kirkwood said, other merchants want no further crawfish event funds used on the project.

But the leadership of the merchants association is even now in question. Thomas and association secretary Pat Fisher said Kirkwood was removed as president during an emergency meeting Monday night. They said vice president Mike Lloyd had been voted in as new president. But on Tuesday Kirkwood maintained he was still president, saying only he could call such a meeting.

The city authorized the merchants association to display the rail car on city-owned land along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, just a block west of Main Street - also known as U.S. 377 or Denton Highway. That part of Keller has become a popular evening and weekend destination, with restaurants, bars and other retailers creating a bit of a parking shortage. Some members of the merchants association have talked about the need for additional parking near the railroad tracks.

But the city also has supported promoting Keller's railroad history, and gone along with the merchant association's plans to create a train-watching area along the line. The city owns a diesel locomotive and two other rail cars that are displayed on the same spur as the scrapped rail car.

On Tuesday afternoon, Keller Mayor Pat McGrail toured the scrapped rail car and shook his head.

"It's a shame to destroy a vintage car," McGrail said. "We can't allow the city to be in the middle of this. But if nothing else, if this car can't be restored here, it needs to be sold and relocated, not destroyed."

@gdickson

 

Texas not ready for bigger ships coming through Panama Canal

Texas and other Gulf states are scrambling to take advantage of a potential increase in freight shipments across their borders after a Panama Canal expansion is completed in 2014.

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Two Airport Freeway ramps in Hurst will close for a month

North Tarrant Express construction will close the Norwood Drive on ramp to westbound Texas 121/183 and the Precinct Line Road off ramp from westbound Texas 121/183. Both ramps will be closed at 10 p.m. Wednesday and remain closed for about a month, so crews can build new ramps in the area.

Traffic entering westbound Texas 121/183 from Norwood will use a new frontage road to the on-ramp at Precinct Line Road. Drivers who want to reach Precinct Line Road must use the Norwood Drive exit.

The work is part of a $2.5 billion project scheduled for completion in 2015. It includes reconstruction of frontage lanes and main lanes on Northeast Loop 820 and Airport Freeway, and the addition of managed toll lanes, between Interstate 35W in Fort Worth and Industrial Boulevard in Euless.

For more details on this an other closures, see northtarrantexpress.com..

Fort Worth Dallas trains, buses a bit harder to find during long Memorial Day weekend

Buses and transit for people with disabilities will operate Monday, but on a reduced schedule. Here are some details about public transportation in the Fort Worth area during the elongated Memorial Day weekend:

On Monday, the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (the T) will operate its fixed bus routes and door-to-door services for people with disabilities on a reduced, Sunday-style schedule.

Molly the Trolley downtown rubber-tire streetcar service will run on a regular schedule Monday, with 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. service.

The Trinity Railway Express will not operate on Memorial Day.

The T’s administrative offices will be closed, but customer service phones will be answered 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 817-215-8600.

For more information, visit the T online.

@gdickson

Texas police crack down on seat belt violations during Memorial Day weekend

Buckle up if you're driving through Texas this weekend. At any given moment, there are probably several hundred officers on the street peeking into cars and aiming to pull over vehicles with an occupant not strapped in. That includes everybody in the front and back seats.

@gdickson

Road trip! See roadside America on somebody else's dime - Motel 6 seeks 'correspondents' to travel the U.S. this summer

Anyone out there itching to see roadside America -- on somebody else's dime?

Motel 6 is putting out the call for three "open road correspondents," who would travel one of three classic routes July 16 to Sept. 3 - using social media to document the journey.

The hotel company's 50th anniversary contest also has a green angle; 'correspondents' will use environmentally-friendly vehicles and digital map applications, and will stay at Motel 6 locations that have been updated with recycled flooring, low-flow toilets and energy-efficient lighting.

The Carrollton-based Accor North America is accepting contest entries on its Facebook page.

Winners and one companion each will travel one of these three routes:

• Route 66 (Amarillo, Texas, to Santa Monica, Calif.)
• The Pacific Coast Highway (Tumwater, Wash., to Santa Barbara, Calif.)
• Southern Route (Austin, Texas, to Destin, Fla.)

Each prize package is valued at $6,000 and includes two third generation, 64GB, Wi-Fi enabled iPads, according to a Motel 6 press release.

Candidates are asked to submit a two-minute video by June 15, explaining what would make them a good correspondent.

Facebook fans will vote on finalists, then winners will be notified by July 6.

Candidates must be U.S. residents and at least 21 years old, with a valid driver's license.

@gdickson

Drive-by shooting on Interstate 35W kills two, wounds two in Fort Worth

A driver and front-seat passenger were killed, and two back-seat passengers were hurt in a drive-by shooting Sunday night on Interstate 35W in southwest Fort Worth. And, a fifth person in the car who wasn't injured isn't saying much to police.

NTE work closes ramp to Iron Horse Boulevard this week; bridge next week

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS – The westbound Northeast Loop 820 off ramp to Iron Horse Boulevard will be closed at 9 p.m. Wednesday, and will remain closed through the end of the year, as contractors work on the westbound frontage road between Rufe Snow Drive and Iron Horse Boulevard. At least one lane of the frontage road will remain open during construction. Westbound traffic will exit at Rufe Snow Drive to reach the frontage road.Iron Horse bridge will be closed for demolition at 9 p.m. May 30 and won’t open again until its replacement is finished around September 2013.Traffic north and south of the bridge will be directed to Rufe Snow Drive.All lanes of the Rufe Snow Drive bridge will be open for the duration of the Iron Horse Boulevard construction. — Terry Evans

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Main Street Daze! Big freeway shift in Grapevine Southlake this weekend - Texas 114 diverting to new pavement, near DFW Airport north end

Motorists traveling through Grapevine and Southlake should expect the unexpected this weekend, especially if their journey includes a jaunt on Texas 114 north of Dallas Fort Worth Airport.

The main lanes of Texas 114 will be shifted onto new pavement between Southlake's Farm Road 1709 and Grapevine's Main Street, officials said. The work begins at 8 p.m. Friday and could last until 6 a.m. Monday, although contractors are hopeful they can get the shift completed by Saturday night.

To make room for the hefty switch, the main lanes will be shut down between FM 1709 (aka Southlake Boulevard) and Texan Trail, just west of the DFW north entrance, spokeswoman Selma Stockstill said in an email. Traffic will be detoured to frontage roads.

The move is part of the $1 billion DFW Connector project, which includes the massive reconstruction and expansion of the eight-mile Texas 114/121 corridor, and the addition of toll lanes.

The main contractor, NorthGate Constructors, is working closely with the city of Grapevine to ensure visitors have access to the Main Street Days festival, Stockstill said.

@gdickson

 

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Yikes! Interstate 35W shrinking to ONE LANE in each direction this weekend in Fort Worth

Interstate 35W is rarely a smooth-flowing highway, and it certainly won't be this weekend. Both directions will be reduced to one lane noon Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday at Northside Drive, just north of downtown Fort Worth.

The closure is needed so crews can make pavement repairs, Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Val Lopez said.

The closure is "weather permitting," but it looks like Mother Nature is all too willing to cooperate. The forecast for Sunday is sunny, hot and dry.

@gdickson

 

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Chisholm Trail Parkway is a Fort Worth traffic headache, but the North Texas Tollway Authority is workin' on it - side road opens for Colonial golf tourney

Motorists are still experiencing delays because of construction of the 28-mile Chisholm Trail Parkway toll road from Fort Worth to Cleburne, but the North Texas Tollway Authority gets a bit of credit for responding to complaints.

@gdickson

How are we gonna get to North East Mall? Precinct Line Road closing in Hurst; Bedford Road closing, too

HURST – Getting to North East Mall could be a tricky trip for Northeast Tarrant County residents this weekend.

All lanes of Precinct Line Road under Texas 121/183 will be closed from 9 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Sunday, so Bluebonnet Contractors can set beams for new Airport Freeway westbound lanes.

Northbound Precinct Line traffic will detour east along the frontage road to Norwood Drive, and southbound Precinct Line traffic will detour west along the frontage road to Bedford Euless Road.

Also, in Bedford, all lanes of Bedford Road under Texas 121/183 will be closed 9 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday, as the contractor pours a concrete deck on the new bridge.

The work is part of the $2.6 billion North Tarrant Express project.

 @fwstevans, @gdickson

 

 

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Bus, train riders in Fort Worth, Dallas & Denton use Google for transit directions

It's now easier than even to get good directions for trip-planning using Google's transit search function. The Fort Worth Transportation Authority is the latest agency to share its data with the powerful online navigational aide.

@gdickson

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Seamless transportation in Leipzig, Germany -- by train, tram, bike, car or your dang feet

How can people and goods move so seamlessly in some places, such as Leipzig, Germany, but not others?

Leipzig, Germany mayor explains how traffic moves seamlessly in his city during International Transport Forum

@gdickson

Here's my interview with Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung about seamless traffic in his city:

 

Ahh, Bach! Riding a tram in Leipzig, Germany - Multimodal city hosts International Transport Forum

Last week I covered the International Transport Forum in Leipzig, Germany. It's a truly multimodal city, and I'll have a story coming out on that soon (hopefully this weekend). Meanwhile, I thought I'd share some of the video I took while I was there. I'll post these as quickly I can get them edited.

This first one shows a ride on Leipzig's tram, from the Congress Center where the forum was held back to the city's old downtown, or Zentrum.

Since Leipzig is the home of composer J.S. Bach, I put a little music bed on there, too.

@gdickson

Bullet trains from Dallas Fort Worth to Houston: Once riders arrive, they'll need a car - not enough mass transit here

@gdickson

ARLINGTON – If high-speed rail comes to North Texas by 2020, the bullet trains initially will rely on the area’s road system - not public transportation - to get most of its riders from the end of the line to their final destination, an official said.

“We do think that for the first few years the system is in operation, the collector-distributor system will largely be highways,” said Robert Eckels, president of Texas Central Railway, which wants to use private investment to build a line featuring 200 mph trains running every 15 to 20 minutes from Dallas-Fort Worth to Houston. “The mass transit systems aren’t built out to handle the kind of transit they have in Tokyo, but that will come in time.”

Eckels on Thursday briefed the Regional Transportation Council about its plans to bring 200 mph trains to North Texas possibly by 2020, in a partnership with Central Japan Railway Co., which operates bullet trains connecting Toyko, Nagoya and Osaka. The company is seeking roughly $10 billion in private investment to build the estimated 240-mile line, and would not seek federal or state money. Eckels stressed that the $10 billion is a very early estimate, and depending upon factors such as where the Dallas-Fort Worth station is located the cost could be much higher, or even lower.

But once the train stops in Dallas-Fort Worth, lots of public money may be needed to get riders from the high-speed rail station – a precise location hasn’t been identified – to their final destination within the region, planners say.

Texas Central Railway’s proposal could vault Texas to the forefront of the nation’s effort to build high-speed rail lines comparable to what’s already available in Europe and Asia. But the momentum is catching Metroplex planners a bit off guard, as they now realize they need to speed up preparations of the Dallas-Fort Worth area transportation system.

“If we’re going to keep up with our partners, we need to get more skin in the game and make sure we’re not sitting at the curb,” said Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. He said he will ask the RTC next month to set aside $1 million in federal transportation funds so his staff can accelerate the planning for high-speed rail. Precise station locations haven’t been identified. The tracks would likely be built on existing rail corridors and possibly some highway right-of-way, running roughly parallel to Interstate 45.

Trains would run on exclusive tracks, and would have no crossings or other interactions with automobiles or freight trains.

The region does have a long-term goal to build a mass transit system that reaches most area cities by a combination of buses, commuter rail and light-rail.

There are many other options for connecting to high-speed rail, including bicyles, walking and, of course, automobiles. Cities also could benefit tremendously from development around high-speed rail. Morris described three revenue sources associated with bullet trains: “Fares, parking and economic development.”

At the state level, planners are juggling several different proposals for high-speed rail, said Bill Glavin, Texas Department of Transportation rail division director. Federal funds have been awarded to study a proposed high-speed rail line from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, roughly running along a corridor already used by Amtrak.

Within the Metroplex, it’s still not clear where a high-speed rail station should be located – although many elected officials favor putting a high-speed rail hub in or near Dallas Fort Worth Airport, or CentrePort development just south of the airport. Other rail supporters are working to take smaller steps, including the expansion and modernization of Amtrak service to Fort Worth.

Texas Central Railway wants to be a good neighbor and build a bullet train line that blends in nicely with the rest of the North Texas region’s transportation system, Eckels said, but its current business model doesn’t incorporate services beyond a direct Dallas-Fort Worth-to-Houston line. “The system we are working on is a city pairing,” he told RTC. “We are not working on a national rail plan.”

As for the bigger picture, that’s up to the mayors, county commissioners and other public officials that make up the RTC.

Bullet trains from Dallas Fort Worth to Houston possible by 2020 - Japan/U.S. group seeks $10 billion private investment

Texas will never have bullet trains, right? Think again ...

Free bicycle rentals for guest at Omni hotel in downtown Fort Worth

Cycling culture certainly is catching on in Fort Worth, where officials at the Omni downtown say they're just about ready to supply guests with free bicycles.

National Train Day in Fort Worth - Kids can meet real-life railroad operators, check out vintage equipment, model railroads

Saturday is National Train Day, and people looking for some fun, free stuff to do may want to wander over to downtown Fort Worth.

The event will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Intermodal Transportation Center, 1001 Jones St. in downtown Fort Worth.

Highlights include: an up-close look at freight and passenger equipment, including some "heritage train equipment" that's pretty old; drawings for free Amtrak train travel; a chance to talk with railroad operators; model railroad displayers, balloon artists, face-painters and music.

A similar event is taking place simultaneously in downtown Dallas.

“It’s a great opportunity to get up close to track-side operating freight locomotives, passenger cars and heritage trains, and watch some operating trains in action,” said Peter LeCody of Texas Rail Advocates.

@gdickson

North Texas Tollway Authority apologizes for 'incontinence'

Check out this hilarious item on D Magazine's Front Burner blog. Somebody at NTTA needs to turn off automatic spell check ;-)

Amtrak riders go paperless with eTickets on smartphones from Fort Worth to Oklahoma City - National rollout this summer

FORT WORTH - Riders on the Amtrak Heartland Flyer can go paperless beginning today.

Riders can now buy eTickets for the daily service between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.

Customers who buy tickets online will be emailed a ticket, which they can either print at home or the office or show to the conductor on their smartphone. Conductors are trained to scan the barcode from riders' smartphones.

For now, customers wishing to travel beyond the Heartland Flyer route will still have to obtain an old-fashioned paper ticket. However, Amtrak plans to roll out eTicketing to many other routes this summer, spokesman Marc Magliari said.

The new service "is a welcome innovation that will make rail travel easier, more convenient and customer friendly," said Bill Glavin, Texas Department of Transportation rail division director.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation rail programs manager Joe Kyle added, "Oklahoma DOT and our partners in Texas are honored to be one of the first Amtrak state-partner routes to implement this new technology.  Our customers will appreciate both the simplified printing and the ability to use their smartphones as a ticket."

Amtrak's eTicketing project began in November 2011 on the Downeaster service in Boston, and later was rolled out on the City of New Orleans, Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin routes.

Nationally, 1,700 conductors are being trained to accept eTickets.

@gdickson

Big traffic problems in the world -- China, Chile join group of countries committed to fighting congestion

LEIPZIG, Germany - Chile and China have been accepted as members of the International Transport Forum, joining 52 other countries that have pledged to work together to reduce gridlock, pollution and other traffic-related problems.

Chile officials celebrated their entrance Thursday, during the second day of the International Transport Forum's annual summit in Leipzig, Germany. China actually joined in November, but its delegation was officially welcomed during the event, which was attended by hundreds of international dignitaries, transportation experts and industry entrepreneurs.

The group also approved a position paper calling for governments to put aside their cross-border differences and push for policies that make it a more seamless endeavor for people and goods to move across jurisdictions.

"Connectivity is a 21st century megatrend," said Michael Kloth, acting secretary general of the forum. "Enabling transport to become more seamless between modes and systems, across borders, regulatory frameworks and ownership structures will stimulate creativity, set free resources (and) help economic growth."

Chile is the first South American nation to join the policy think tank. In North America, the United States, Mexico and Canada are already members.

José Manuel Viegas of Portugal was chosen secretary-general.

@gdickson

Photos: East Japan Railway president Satoshi Seino addresses the group; An attendee checks out Next Bikes that can be used for rental in cities; Attendees gather at a display outside the Leipzig, Germany conference center; Ministers from 54 countries speak about the importance of seamlessness.

Someday, no one will die in a car crash - really

At least 1.3 million people worldwide were killed in car crashes, and another 50 million were injured, according to a report released during the International Transport Forum in Leipzig, Germany.

The report was assembled by a group known as the International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group, which cobbles numbers together from whatever sources it can to get a complete picture of road safety.

While the number of fatalities seems gruesomely high, researchers are encouraged by progress made in the 32 countries included in the research.

Check out this video from International Transport Forum head researcher Stephen Perkins, who answered the question: Is it realistic to think that someday we'll have zero road deaths?

The United States' car safety record usually ranks up there with the best industrialized countries, often when comparing accident rates per miles traveled.

However, when you look at deaths based purely on population, the United States fares poorly compared to other nations of means. (See chart below)

@gdickson

Guten Tag from Leipzig, Germany -- International Transport Forum underway

I'm in Leipzig, Germany, covering the International Transport Forum. Dignitaries and transportation experts from dozens of countries are here. I shot some video during a layover in Amsterdam. Check it out below.

I'll update the Honkin' Mad blog as I can to give you a sense of the discussions going on. The theme of this year's summit is seamlessness - how to move people and goods across great distances, with minimal disruption.

I experienced that challenge of seamless just getting here. I left DFW Airport at 3:45 p.m. Monday on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and arrived at Amsterdam at 8 a.m. Tuesday (It's a 9-hour flight, but there's also a seven-hour time zone difference). I had a seven-hour layover in Amsterdam, so took a train to the city center. Then, I flew to Berlin, arriving at 5:45 p.m. and took a bus from the Berlin Airport to the train station and then took a German high-speed train (Deutsche Bahn) to Leipzig, and got here at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday.

@gdickson

 

Grapevine-Southlake bridge closing for weekend

Here's a traffic alert if you're heading to Southlake's Art in the Square this weekend. 

The Northwest Highway bridge will be closed this weekend, starting at 8 p.m. Friday, in preparation for more work on the new bridge that will connect Grapevine with Southlake. The bridge will not reopen until 6 a.m. Monday, according to NorthGate Constructors.

That's not all.

Also closed during this period will be the eastbound State Highway 114 frontage road from east of Nolen Drive in Southlake to just past Gateway Drive. Grapevine's Northwest Highway runs into Gateway Drive on the Southlake side.

"This traffic switch is necessary to place asphalt paving at the eastbound SH 114 frontage road between Northwest Highway and FM 1709 bridges," NorthGate officials said in a statement. "The work will help with construction of the new Southlake Boulevard bridge over SH 114."

While the westbound only bridge is closed, traffic will be detoured along the westbound SH 114 frontage road to Kimball Avenue in Southlake then down to Southlake Boulevard (FM 1709) to go east back to 114.

-- Steve Norder