• Rowlett over coffee
  • About Ron
  • Contact
  • Poll
  • Notes
ROWLETT RAMBLINGS

Bye Bye Blacklands Corridor

10/23/2014

1 Comment

 
Well, if the proposed Blacklands Corridor is not dead, it is certainly on life support.  It looks like only TxDot can save it, and I think that is unlikely. 

It's failure is pretty understandable.  First, the developers made absolutely deplorable assumptions about the Texas people.  Their attitude seemed to be that they were wanting the citizens to support giving up their land for the tollway, help the developer's profit motives,  and not need give anything in return.   They further  brandished around the Imminent Domain hammer in a form of threat.   They offered to give absolutely nothing in return for the confiscated land.  You know, I wasn't born in Texas, but I've been here over 50 years.  I know this.  Only a fool would attempt to take something from a Texan and offer nothing in return; particularly when a threat is "hinted."  That is a receipe for at least a fist fight.  The turnpike executives should have been smarter than that.  They weren't. 

However, only the small problem was fixed.  The big one was not. 

In order for we in North Central Texas to continue to enjoy the fruits of prosperity, the metroplex must continue to prosper.   It must not stagnate, or worse, reverse it's plight, such as Detroit.   It must continue to grow and create well paying jobs.  It must develop a superb lifestyle.  Most people don't live in the whole city, but just part of it.  The Murphys, the Wylies, the Rockwalls, and the Rowletts can create their own personalities, depending on the ingredients available to them.  This growth and prosperity would most assuredly produce another 200,000 residents in the northeast corner of the metroplex over the next 20 years.  That is where the vacant land is.  When this land fills up with homes, the traffic situation will be horrendous unless some planning is done now.  Highways #78 and #544 are inundated to the north.  I-30 is like LBJ during rush hours.  Rowlett is a joke on Lakeshore Parkway during rush hours just before entering the Bush Tollway.  The stop light salesman made a fortune selling stoplights on Lakeshore Parkway........then forgot how to time them.  These bottlenecks are just a preview of what's to come. 

The Blacklands Corridor apparently has been defeated.  There were circumstances under which I think the toll way would have been acceptable.  Unfortunately, the developers did not come forward with the right conditions to properly  allow  the communities they needed to participate in the rewards.  They didn't bring anything of value to the table.  They didn't have anything to trade.  Understandably, they got beat down.     

But, the real problem did not go away.  In fact, I know nothing on the horizon that attempts to mitigate the coming logjam. 
1 Comment
Mike Lancaster
10/24/2014 09:30:22 am

Ron,

Thanks for the kind words. There are a great many other people in Rowlett who deserve them more than I ever will, so I accept your thanks for them.

Your mention of the word "logjam" brings to mind another thing that was wrong with the Blacklands Corridor, at least for the majority of people in Rowlett. That road would simply make things worse for us by allowing greater numbers of vehicles (especially trucks) to get from points east & north to the PGBT. Where were the plans to effectively move those vehicles from there to the rest of the metro area, or beyond? Traffic planning for the DFW area has to include complete solutions, not half-baked ones like this.

As to the back-and-forth between Rick and you concerning the "math," I think you're both right. He is correct in saying he didn't make up the numbers, and dividing the larger by the smaller does give a result of approximately 11. I should not have made fun of that estimate or the manner in which it was presented. Rick is a good guy and he was trying to make his point that he believes the deal is good for the city, and therefore for the taxpayers. While I don't agree with his appraisal of the deal, I feel I owe him an apology.

As Rick is entitled to his opinion of the deal, so are you. I happen to agree with your position on this and thank you for continuing to work for the citizens of our community in an unofficial capacity through your blog. I hope your readership continues to increase so greater numbers in our community will inquire deeper into the business of the city.

While I question some of the recent decisions of the council, I respect them individually and as a whole for their efforts on our behalf. I know they are privy to information that I am not, and so, once decisions have been made, even those that I don't like, I believe they are representing us to the best of their ability and hope events work out to prove me wrong and them right.

Keep up the good fight!

Mike Lancaster

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.