June 27, 2000

6:47 AM

Oh this is lovely. Sydney, Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, and now... Somebody remind me to move outta Dallas within 12 years, before the gone and forgotten Izzy makes its appearance in my hometown. Sheesh. We need this like we need another DART bus. Or a pipe bomb, for that matter...
posted by ZachsMind (7 comments total)

What's wrong with having the Olympics in Dallas? Not only does it bring millions of people to the area and focus world attention there for a few weeks, it sparks improvements to athletic facilities, mass transit and other services all over town.
posted by rcade at 8:53 AM on June 27, 2000

If L.A. could survive holding the Olympics (and make a buck), Dallas will have no problem. With warnings of imminent gridlock, most of the people in town who weren't interested went on vacation, and the freeways were LESS congested than usual. I didn't attend any of the official venues, but Opening Day was one of the wackiest days of my life. First, I participated in a "non-official non-VIP torch run" promoted by an L.A. disc jockey (we ran carrying unlit backyard tiki torches through the streets of the suburban valley), then during the Opening Ceremonies, I sat in with several radio crazies at KROQ ad-libbing "alternative commentary" for the events on the TV (we insulted more countries in 45 minutes than Madeline Albright has done in 7 years). It is possible to enjoy the Olympics coming to town; that's why I'm looking forward to Neale's Sydney "Schmolympics".

posted by wendell at 9:31 AM on June 27, 2000

This is completely off-topic, but you brought it up.

We need this like we need another DART bus

From my point of view, Dallas needs a lot more DART service. My wife and I are traveling to Dallas in September for a weekend to visit some friends, family, and just to look around. Easy-to-use, convenient light-rail and bus service would make Dallas a much more attractive place to visit. We were disappointed to find out that the rail system doesn't yet extend to Plano, close to where my uncle lives, or to Fair Park, where we'll be seeing Dave Matthews in concert. As for taking a bus, I've been unable to decipher what maps are provided online, so I may have to wait till we get there to know.

When I'm on vacation, I don't want to have to be stressed out trying to drive around an unfamiliar city. Chicago and New York have been wonderful places to visit for us because of their transit systems. I can't see how transit systems could possibly be a detriment to living there.

But that's just me. ;)

And if they're serious about the Olympics, beefing up the transit system is a far better investment than widening all the highways. Atlanta tried that and traffic congestion is worse than ever.
posted by daveadams at 10:27 AM on June 27, 2000

traffic during the Atlanta Olympics was much as wendell describes LA's: the media succeeded in scaring *all* the residents off the roads or out of town and as a result, road conditions were better than they've been before or since.

however, MARTA transit was backed up, packed in, and completely miserable. Commuting sardines in July, and if someone squeezes your ass, good luck figuring out who to slap. in retrospect... more buses == good :>
posted by Sapphireblue at 11:04 AM on June 27, 2000

If you don't want the Olympics in Dallas, then pray that Toronto gets 2008. If we get that, there will be zero chance that Dallas will get 2012, being in the same continent and all.
posted by mkn at 11:09 AM on June 27, 2000

No, no, it's time for a small midwest city. I give you Cincinnati2012!
posted by Mick at 12:08 PM on June 27, 2000

I've personally found the whole DART thing laughable for years. As far back as 1996 in fact. Yes, Dallas will be more like a real cosmopolitan city if they actually constructed a functional and efficient transit system that improved the environmental concerns of this area, but that's not what they've built. And the designs and plans four years ago weren't going to be functional or efficient or even environmentally friendly and I knew that then.

Okay, maybe in another 12 years they'll get it hammered out, but I bet you they will still be rebuilding Central Expressway.

If they want to make Dallas more appealing to people from all over the world, they need to figure out what makes it smell so awful. The Trinity River smells like a toilet, and Deep Ellum needs one gigantic air freshener placed in the middle of Elm Street.

I love my city, but our City Planners have run it into the ground and never fail to make poor decisions, and DART is just one of them.
posted by ZachsMind at 12:36 AM on July 2, 2000