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Meetings of Interest: Sunday, May 14, 2023

Meetings of Interest: Sunday, May 14, 2023

Meetings of Interest: 🛣️ I-345 on Agenda

May 14, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Sunday, May 14, 2023

Dear

Happy Mother's Day to all who are celebrating this weekend!

DDI was part of

a forum at Dallas City Hall last Monday night

on the future of Interstate 345, the 1.4-mile highway between Downtown and Deep Ellum.

The fate of the elevated highway has been the subject of debate for more than a decade, with some advocating that we should tear it down and build a boulevard. After years of study, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) last year recommended a "Refined Hybrid" proposal that would trench the highway and allow for possible decking and park opportunities above it. (

DDI believes the hybrid proposal needs a few key refinements

The next two weeks are big for the future of I-345. This week, both the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and the full City Council will be briefed on the project. Next week, the City Council is expected to vote on whether to pursue the "Refined Hybrid" or pause for further study, as

five Council members recently requested

Read on for more about that and everything else the DDI team is tracking this week ...

City of Dallas

📝 First, a memo from Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax of interest to all of us:

The Dallas Police Department (DPD) will soon require online or phone reporting for some non-emergency crimes instead of sending officers out to take reports (see below). The move comes after a briefing to the City Council Public Safety Committee about the plan last week. Council member Jesse Moreno asked police officials to visit with DDI, the Deep Ellum Foundation, and Uptown Dallas, Inc., about the plan and we're working on getting that meeting set. DPD says the change could free up 135,000 patrol hours or the equivalent of 65 full-time sworn officers. Read the details.
Check out all the weekly City Manager Memos here.

Monday, May 15

🚝

Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

, 1 p.m., City Council Chambers

The first of two briefings this week on Interstate 345 includes background on the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) feasibility study completed last year. It also presents an analysis of options for what to do with the highway, and the important note (in red text!) that the only alternative that would not be funded by TxDOT is the "removal boulevard/option," for which the City would be on the hook for $400 million to $1 billion, according to the briefing. TxDOT will also be in attendance to offer a summary of their work up to this point. Read the briefing.
The committee will also review a proposal from a group of five council members to delay a decision on which alternative to pursue and instead commission an independent study on the impact of removing I-345. Read more about that proposal here.
Committee members are being asked to consider transportation regulation changes including increases in taxi fare rates. 🐴 Fun fact: the City Transportation Regulation Division receives about 100 complaints per year, and last year received a grand total of one complaint regarding a horse-drawn carriage.
A Request for Proposals (RFP) will soon be issued for firms to install and operate digital kiosks in the public right-of-way throughout the city. It is unclear from the memo how many such kiosks could end up on Downtown sidewalks.

Wednesday, May 17

🏛

City Council Briefing Agenda

, 9 a.m., City Council Chambers

I-345 is on this agenda too, with much the same briefing planned for the full council as will be given to the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on Monday. We'll be looking to see where the Council is leaning ahead of a critical vote the following Wednesday.
An overview of the 2024 Bond Program scoring criteria and the City's latest needs inventory. Work is well underway on what is estimated to be a $1 billion package that is expected to go to voters for approval in May 2024. Last week, the Community Bond Task Force (on which I serve) and subcommittees met for the first time to begin forming recommendations on the bond for full City Council consideration later this year. See an early breakdown of how the bond money could be allocated below and keep in mind these figures are likely to change in the months to come.
An in-depth update on major 2023 transportation initiatives includes a breakdown of traffic signals updated over the decades by Council district, a look into the future of traffic sign and signal technology; and an overview of pavement markings.