City News Roundup

Santa's naughty-and-nice list and Sam's Club protest top this week's city news

It's not Christmas yet, but Dallas City Council member Philip "Santa" Kingston has already created a naughty-and-nice list of who's for the Trinity toll road and who's against. Another high-speed train is being considered in North Texas, and there was a protest in the streets over Sam's Club.

These are some of the biggest things that happened in Dallas this week:

Naughty and nice
Dallas City Council member Philip Kingston put together a list of who is for and against the controversial Trinity toll road, broken down into who's "naughty" (for the road) and "nice" (against). The naughty include Mayor Mike Rawlings; former city manager Mary Suhm; Craig Holcomb of the Trinity Commons Foundation; Greater Dallas Regional Chamber; Dallas Citizens Council; city council members Jerry Allen, Rick Callahan, Monica Alonzo, Lee Kleinman, Vonciel Hill; and more.

The nice include Angela Hunt; city council members Scott Griggs, Adam Medrano and Sandy Greyson; architects Larry Good and Robert Meckfessel; architecture critic Mark Lamster; Patrick "Walkable DFW" Kennedy; and many more.

Just say no
Architecture critic Mark Lamster offers advice to the design experts drafted by Mayor Mike Rawlings to reexamine the proposed Trinity toll road: "Don't come. Please. There is only one legitimate answer to the question you will be asked, 'What should we do about this road.' That answer is 'Kill it.'" He warns them that they are pawns in a political game and recommends they "just say no."

Sam's Club protest
Neighbors opposed to the Sam's Club near CityPlace held a protest on November 19 during rush hour to make the point that, once it's built, rush hour traffic will only get worse. Protesters say that any kind of megastore will destroy the heavily residential area — one that also has two schools, including the Lighthouse for the Blind. Despite Trammell Crow's lead-footed intractability, residents in the neighborhood are determined not to give up.

More high-speed trains
The Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration hosted a series of public meetings to solicit input on a high-speed rail line under consideration between Dallas and Fort Worth, including a stop in Arlington. Proposed routes include alongside I-30 or alongside the Trinity Railway Express. TxDOT got a federal grant to conduct an environmental impact study. Michael Morris, director of Transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, says that there's a private sector entity interested in building it.

Horse pucky
Assistant city manager Jill Jordan has cleared River Ranch Educational Charities, the company that will operate the Texas Horse Park, of violations that included clearing land and erecting a barbed wire fence. River Ranch is the Plano outfit headed up by Wayne Kirk, who has previously been accused of cruelty to animals. The company has yet to finalize its insurance requirements, however.

Transportation officials are considering a high-speed train between Dallas and Fort Worth.

4 Texas Central Rail high-speed bullet train rail

Photo of the N700 courtesy of © JR Central

Transportation officials are considering a high-speed train between Dallas and Fort Worth.

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Time Change

Senator files bill to let Texans vote on canceling daylight savings

The Dwell Store

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A Texas state senator has filed a bill to allow Texas to vote on killing daylight savings.

Senator Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) filed Senate Bill 2029 (SB 2029) and Senate Joint Resolution 67 (SJR 67), giving Texans the opportunity to decide whether to observe Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time (DST) year-round through a statewide referendum in the November 4, 2025, General Election.

“For years, Texans and Americans have debated clock changes, questioning their impact on health, safety, and the economy,” Bettencourt says in a release. “This bill puts the decision in Texans' hands, just like Arizona and Hawaii, allowing them to choose the time standard that best suits our state's unique needs.”

His timing is right on, since Daylight Savings time is on March 9 — a day when all Texans will lose an hour of sleep and have difficulty readjusting to their new brutal workday hours come Monday moning.

Key Provisions of SB 2029, SJR 67:

• Statewide Referendum: Texans will vote on November 4, 2025, to indicate their preference for either, observing Standard Time year-round, or DST year-round.

• Implementation Based on Majority Vote:

• If the majority votes for standard time, Texas will exempt itself from federal DST requirements.

• If the majority votes for year-round DST, Texas will adopt DST only if Congress passes a law allowing states to make this change.

• Applicability: The decision will apply to all portions of Texas that currently observe either Central Standard Time (CST) or Mountain Standard Time (MST).

• Constitutional Amendment Requirement: This bill takes effect only if the 89th Texas Legislature passes a constitutional amendment authorizing the referendum.

“Texas families and businesses deserve the opportunity to voice their preference on this matter,” Bettencourt says. “SB 2029, SJR 67 ensures Texas’ approach to time observation follows the will of its people, because I for one, would like to have one time a year, regardless what time is chosen.”

SB 2029 will move through the legislative process, where it will be considered by the Texas Senate and House of Representatives. If passed, Texans will see the referendum question on their ballots in the November 2025, General Election. If approved by voters, the chosen time standard would take effect January 1, 2026.

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