Live Blogging Tracks to the Future, Pt. 3 – Panel Discussions

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Part 4 – Afternoon Session now online.

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Charlie Hales – final word of the streetcar panel: “Let the race begin.”
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Big laughs: Austin rep saying “even Ft Worth and OKC are ahead of us on transit,” then Joel Burns: “I hope you enjoy your final visit.”
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Lots of discussion of streetcar funding – TIF, PID, TIGER, FTA mobility grants, public/private partnerships, etc.
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Councilman Burns talking about extending TIF districts and caps for Downtown and Near Southside streetcar lines. TIF not possible for 7th st funds, looking at Public Improvement District.
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Councilman Burns talking about streetcar making connections – nurse from Bedford connecting from ITC to Near Southside, etc.
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Oklahoma City rep: recently passed tax bill allocating $130 million for OKC streetcar. Not as far in planning as FW, though.
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San Antonio rep: SA is at “very beginning” of a modern streetcar project of their own.
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Austin rep discussing Austin rail plans.
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DART rep: discussing Dallas streetcar plans linking Downtown and Arts District to Uptown M-line Trolley.
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Streetcar panel: FW city councilman Joel Burns speaking. Trip to Seattle and Portland was “game changer” for FW city officials.
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Hales: streetcars are key to Fort Worth’s renaissance, and to creating livable neighborhoods here.
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Hales: cities tha invest in transit and complete streets will be equipped to compete in the new economy. Talent is mobile.
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Hales: streetcars affect the region, making the case for transit and spinning off new lines, commuter/light rail, etc.
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Hales showing before and afters of Pearl and South Waterfront in Portland thanks to streetcar energy.
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Hales: streetcars are pedestrian accelerators, about urban livability.
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Hales: transit is not just about congestion. It’s about placemaking. We have to use transit to create great places.
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Charlie Hales from HDR at the podium for streetcar panel.
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Wait – there’s a lunch panel. On the streetcar.
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The T chair Parmalee: we see the tremendous economic and quality of life benefit that will come from the Fort Worth streetcar project.
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FW Councilman Jordan: we have to find any way we can to build transit right now, not wait to react.
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Mayor of White Settlement (FW in-loop burb) in audience expressing his support and desire for rail transit. Awesome.
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Surprising: mayor of River Oaks (FW burb) makes point in audience about not relying on gas tax because of mode shift from successful transit. Very progressive-minded point.
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McCrory: Feds put transit spending at a disadvantage in funding- ultra-scrutiny for transit, lax oversight on road budgets.
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McCrory: We know that roads don’t pay for themselves, either.
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Jordan: It’s a question of pay now, or pay later. We are realizing that transit is not optional.
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McCrory: How do you pay for transit? Panel: Must be a combination of sources, as in Local Option bill.
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Panelists – Randall Chrisman, DART- Charles Emery, DCTA- Jungus Jordan, FW City Council- Linda Koop, Dal. city council- Bob Parmelee, The T
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Charlotte’s Pat McCrory has taken the mic for the panel discussion.
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Morris: For the first time, we have an integrated transit/land use plan for Downtown Fort Worth and Downtown Dallas, including streetcars.
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Morris: With 10 million people in the region by 2035, can we afford to do it only with cars?
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Morris: Do we wait for someone to guess what we need, or does Fort Worth take control of its own destiny?
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NCTCOG Director of Transportation Michael Morris has taken the podium to introduce our first panel discussion.