SKevin's Rant

Yes, its me-on the road with you. I get up as many of you do and I get ready to drive in from Lake Dallas to Carrollton to teach. I usually head out around 5:55AM as many of you do too. I wanted to let you know that I have a wife as many of you do. We don't have kids, though, except our students. We have 2 dogs, and both of our extended families are pretty big. Why do I tell you all of this?

I do, because just like you I have to get from point A to point B. Its like a battle zone, though on I-35. The large pickups, luxury SUV's, and luxury sedans, and just cars coming from Corinth and Denton love to ride up on people. The speed limit is still 60, though. Just for them I'll do 63 or 64 but no more. Yes, I know you will ride up on me and don't worry, I won't slam my brakes on. I quit that years ago. It just makes you more irritating that you already are. I just let off the gas now so be wary.

That Interstate Battery pickup truck (a company vehicle)-I seem to see you most mornings weaving in and nout of traffic. It would be nice if you would slow down too.

And then the big rigs. The entrance ramps near Denton are short-very short. Its kind of scary with you in the right lane as we try to get on via those short ramps. You tend to not care and would rather see us run into the shoulder and grass. It would be nice if you would plan accordingly.

My point of all of this is we all have our lives and part of those lives is spent driving. No one's life-their breath, hearbeat, feelings-their life is no more or less important than yours. When you put yourself ahead of everyone else by speeding, weaving, riding up on people, not yielding, not stopping or slowing and not being courteous to other drivers you are saying your life is more valuable than those around you. Reality check-its not true.

Slow down Denton county.

Now that we have made it through this really neat snow storm, I have to ask drivers in Denton county a question. I drove in yesterday in the snow and I got out and drove to my middle school this morning. Those of you who flew past me in your oversized trucks and SUV's-did you make it to where you were going? Did you make it without hurting anyone or causing an accident?

I guess its a DFW (especially Dallas) thing and I am Dallas born and raised. I also was fortunate to have had a career at UPS in the early 90's where I got to go through their driver training program and learn all kinds of essential driving skills. Anyway, is it a Dallas thing to really think that your huge pickup or or luxury SUV is well suited to fly on ice/snow/slush covered roads? I live in Lake Dallas and one thing I hate about it is it is almost like battling the roads in Plano. I would have never thought that but here I am seeing it.

I hope you all made it where you needed to go in such a hurry and I hope you did so without hurting anyone. The point is simple-snow, rain, or sun just slow down. There is no reason for you to put your hurry in front of our safety on the road.

 

A couple of days ago I went to a DCTA meeting regarding the rail they want to build connecting Denton to an end station at Trinity Mills in Carrollton. I went because part of this rail line is planned for 200 feet from our back door. What was interesting is that as people spoke, the board seemed disinterested. Some of them looked up and around, others down at their papers and clipboards. All the speakers I saw were opposed to this project though I have not been to every meeting-a few but not every. The concerns are the same:

- There seems to be little interest from those who will ride it. If there are interested people they are not showing up to show support for this.

- The DCTA has budget issues so it is not proposing a light rail rain but a loud, polluting DIESEL train. Budget problems making the DCTA cut corners before the project has even moved forward is a red flag.

-The diesel train will pollute not only with diesel exhaust but also noise. It will also be potentially harmful to the wildlife throughout the area along the rail trail as well as harmful to those of us right at the proposed track.

-There is a nature trail that will be moved "next" to the rail line. It has to be because the DCTA wants to put the rails on the nature trail. There is a cost to this and some of us wonder how much it will cost to move the 8 mile plus nature trail and for the DCTA to alter the Corinth Street exit (bridge) that just got repaired after a month of nightly construction. The current nature trail that bikers, joggers, and walkers use (the one that the DCTA wants to build the rail line on) has a tunnel that runs under Corinth street on the east side. This street and the exit will have to be drastically altered for the rail to come through. That can't be cheap.

-The DCTA will NOT consider a noise reduction wall to shield the homes from the noise the diesel train will create. They base this decision on the fact that the horn will not sound at the Swisher crossing (low noise zone) and the fact we as homeowners can by a "lining" for our windows that will shield noise. Yeah, right and the diesel train will still rumble and cause vibrations.

So with this all said, are there others in this area who see the benefit of the diesel passenger train? Am I missing it? And is there any chance the Street Squad may consider some fact finding on this story? I just can't believe a transit agency can march forward with plans that have so many problems-far more problems than any benefit that this rail will create.

There is one last thought. A few feet from the proposed rail is a nice 4000 square feet home for sale. Its is relatively new. I want to know this. If this home was given to any of the DCTA board members with the condition that they just live there (forever) would they be ok living next to the same rail line they are proposing? even in a free home. Answer us that...