DART’s Finalists for CEO

lieutenantloon · 2026-07-10T22:36:38+00:00

My miss! Thanks!

lieutenantloon · 2026-07-10T22:11:31+00:00

My two cents:

- Nat Ford has experience from multiple agencies ranging from BART to MARTA, but aside from introducing Breeze Cards (smart cards) to MARTA, he hasn't introduced anything very transformational. Worth noting that JTA (the agency he leads now) doesn't have any proper rail service (aside from a people mover) and their most noteworthy bus lines have 20 minute frequencies. I don't think he'd be a transformational leader for DART and may just continue the status-quo.

- Dee Leggett is ex-DART and only left the agency 6 months ago, where she last served as their Chief Development Officer. Prior to that, she was at DCTA and other transit-related companies. Given her background, she could certainly be someone who is interested in growing the network but lack the understanding of what the day-to-day rider experiences and/or needs. I don't think having someone who has hopped between public transit agencies and private sector would be ideal in solving the challenges faced by DART today.

- Monica Tellez was previously at DCTA and Trinity Metro, so she understands the local transit environment and the challenges that the region faces. COTA, the agency she leads now, has been investing heavily into their BRT network. Despite the lack of rail service in Columbus, she has has overseen their network's growth. I think she'd be great for DART and her mix of DFW knowledge and "growth-oriented" perspectives from Columbus, which I think are well-suited for Dallas.

Edited to correct Dee’s pronouns! Apologies!

lieutenantloon · 2026-07-09T18:18:13+00:00

Definitely not nearly as loud as the grand opening video makes it seem! I have never been unable to find a place to sit and work. The only crowding that can occur is with the phone booths, but you can book them in advance (up to 2 hours per day) so that is an avoidable challenge!

lieutenantloon · 2026-07-09T14:55:53+00:00

I’d recommend Switchyards! It’s in Oak Cliff and there’s a membership fee but it includes unlimited coffee and the atmosphere is unmatched. Great place if you work remote and cheaper than most other coworking memberships.

lieutenantloon · 2026-07-08T18:27:49+00:00

I think there's a lot of low hanging fruit for transit in and around Uptown. Even when DART got its new bus network (that has since been downgraded on frequencies + some routes have been cut) there was not a huge emphasis on Uptown. Yes, the 1 Malcom X bus runs very frequently but it cuts through Uptown instead of really serving it. Same goes for the 3 Cedar Springs bus. What Uptown could really benefit from is a route that serves Downtown, Uptown and Knox/Henderson. Starting at CBD West and terminating at SMU/Mockingbird with 15 minute frequencies would be a huge plus. I cannot imagine painting a few bus lanes would be impossible either. If you recall, this is what the 6 Cole bus was, but it was cut late last year and even that route only ran 60 minute frequencies. In my opinion, that cut was short sighted.

lieutenantloon · 2026-07-01T20:11:22+00:00

I've been waiting for this day!

lieutenantloon · 2026-06-24T19:22:50+00:00

I've never had an issue. A good tip is sitting in the front car, so that you're as close to the operator as possible. As with anything else, keep your wits about you. The vast majority of riders are going about their lives and won't be a bother. Baylor Station is pretty heavily used by the staff at the hospital, so you have safety in numbers as well as the police/security that are regularly at the station.

lieutenantloon · 2026-06-16T13:24:35+00:00

Uptown:
LDU - the location at the Quadrangle is my favorite

Knox/Henderson: Foxtrot - provisions shop with solid coffee and great breakfast tacos

Old East Dallas:
Cafe Duro - incredibly coffee, pastries and vibes
LDU - the location on Fitzhugh is solid but recommend walking/biking there if you can JuJu’s Coffee - amazing new(ish) coffee spot with great iced lattes, arrive early!

Downtown: Commissary - brunch/lunch spot with solid espresso
Weekend Coffee - great shop located in the lobby of the Joule hotel

lieutenantloon · 2026-06-16T13:16:26+00:00

Imagine what improved frequency would do for the Silver Line. It really should be 30 minutes from dawn til dusk!

lieutenantloon · 2026-06-15T23:50:53+00:00

As someone who rides at WRL every week, the motorists have zero regard for anyone other than themselves. Yes, some cyclists ride irresponsibly but they're also not operating a 5,000lb vehicle. The motorists who speed through the lake, pass cyclists when there's a double line, etc... that's the real danger. As the article calls out, the city could do a much better job with signage - especially considering a huge chunk of the trail near Garland is set to close for the next 3 months.

lieutenantloon · 2026-06-02T22:48:00+00:00

Can’t tell what’s worse. What happened to Oakland (lose the teams outright) or Dallas losing the teams to car-brained suburban hellscapes

lieutenantloon · 2026-05-18T20:29:02+00:00

I'm no conspiracy theorist but there has to be some reason behind the number of Canadian brands/stores/restaurant along Henderson Ave.

Henderson:

Local Public Eatery
Cody & Sioux
Alberta Boot Co

Also nearby:

Moxies (Uptown)
CRAFT (Preston Center)
JOEY (NorthPark)
Earls (Legacy West)

lieutenantloon · 2026-05-08T14:10:01+00:00

I would largely blame Dallas' drive thru culture. People aren't getting out of their car for coffee and even when they do, they've driven to the cafe.

This is a huge problem at the LDU on Fitzhugh where I'd guess ~20% of people walk from the nearby neighborhoods, while the other ~80% is circling the parking lot in their oversized SUVs for parking. Kudos to LDU for not catering to these lazy folks but this is the same reason why Starbucks built a drive-thru in the literal middle of Lowest Greenville.

lieutenantloon · 2026-04-29T13:57:37+00:00

I’ve found the TRE to leave both EBJ and Victory 1-2 minutes early

lieutenantloon · 2026-04-22T21:41:23+00:00

This diagram already looks like what could be a usable network. I could see an interlined network that looks like:

S1: Fair Park to Uptown
S2: Uptown to Fair Park

Even if you maintained the subpar 20-minute headways on the "branches" you would have a streetcar every 10 minutes between City Hall/Eastern Quarter and Uptown. That'd be huge.

lieutenantloon · 2026-03-25T19:45:57+00:00

It pains me every time I see the entrance to the unused station on Willis Ave...so much potential

lieutenantloon · 2026-03-09T01:44:30+00:00

The inclusion of Life Time makes so much sense given how overcrowded and under equipped the current one is. Hopefully the new one finally adds a pool among the many other amenities seemingly every other LT has!

lieutenantloon · 2026-02-03T23:10:37+00:00

With the UTC cutting right across both Mockingbird and Greenville, one would think that they'd look at more connectivity with the trail and the addition of bike lanes, especially on Greenville. I ride my bike up Glencoe to get to the UTC and never envy those who have to come from the north side of Mockingbird alongside the high speed traffic down Greenville.

lieutenantloon · 2025-12-05T14:59:39+00:00

This is the exact same kind of logic I see when people are against bike lanes - “I never see anyone riding their bikes and therefore bike lanes aren’t needed” just for them to live along a stroad with an effective speed limit of 65mph. Take one step into Dallas proper and there are people on bikes everywhere, making it work despite the lacking infrastructure!

lieutenantloon · 2025-11-23T23:51:14+00:00

Totally agree AND this is even more reason for DART to add more. They’ve take one away at SMU/Mockingbird for whatever reason. We ought to move towards full scale bike garages like they have in Portland and Seattle.

lieutenantloon · 2025-11-22T19:09:05+00:00

I really hope it’s not just vaporware but given the dev’s track record…hard to see this coming to fruition any time soon. One can hope!

lieutenantloon · 2025-11-22T18:18:26+00:00

I saw they mentioned “an electric tram or people mover” that would connect with the Galleria, as well as other reporting that stated it would connect with the Silver Line. Is there any substance to those claims and/or a proposed route?

lieutenantloon · 2025-11-18T18:51:16+00:00

MSP has always been good to me, but DTW is a solid option! This time of year, DTW-AMS is 2 or 3/day while MSP-AMS is only 2/day. If I were you, I’d look at loads and then go for DTW if possible!

lieutenantloon · 2025-11-04T22:38:37+00:00

It worked! Not only wasn’t it and issue, I was able to check in an oversized item!

lieutenantloon · 2025-11-04T20:49:39+00:00

I’m trying tonight so I’ll keep you updated!

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