Hipster Trolley

Get an early ride on the new DART Bishop Arts trolley extension

Streetcar action to Bishop Arts is ready to roll.

DART/Facebook

The Dallas Streetcar — the new trolley running from downtown Dallas to Bishop Arts — is about to hit another milestone. On Monday, August 29, the service will officially open two new stops that represent phase two of the route, and it will also step up the frequency.

For those who simply can't wait, the service is offering a sneak peek beginning Monday, August 15.

In preparation for the new expanded service, cars will run every 20 minutes, seven days a week, between Union Station and Beckley; they've currently been running every 30 minutes.

The first trip leaves Union Station at 9:30 am and arrives at Beckley at 9:36 am.

In the other direction, the initial morning trip departs Beckley at 9:53 am and reaches Union Station at 10 am.

The final evening trip times remain unchanged: 11:30 pm outbound from Union Station, and 11:53 pm inbound from Beckley.

These are obviously not commuter trains.

Passenger service to the two new stops — 6th Street and Bishop Arts — will begin with a preview run during regular service hours on Saturday, August 27. The extended route officially launches on August 29, when new Route 723 Bishop Arts Service begins operation over Davis, Polk, Jefferson, and Zang. This will replace that portion of D-Link. The new 723 will be a full-fare local DART bus route.

Although this is a city of Dallas project, the deployment has been overseen by DART. Spokesman Mark Ball calls this sneak peek a trial run to get riders and train operators into the routine.

"The train has been running every 30 minutes, and we've only had one train running," Ball says. "With the shorter schedules, we're increasing the number of trains to two."

One other unique aspect is that the streetcar has a dual power source, in that it runs on both cables and battery. Its source of power comes from cables until it crosses over the bridge, when it reverts to battery power.

"Dallas is one of the first cities in the country to run on dual power," Ball says.

downtown transportation

Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

politics