Plan Your Route Wisely

Avoid these downtown Dallas streets during the JFK 50th anniversary

The 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy will provide an opportunity for somber reflection on Friday. But for anyone traveling through the west side of downtown Dallas, it will also provide some traffic headaches.

That's because city officials will close down a slew of streets in and around Dealey Plaza to ensure the ceremony there, which starts at 11:30 am, is as secure as possible. Dealey Plaza itself will closed to foot traffic except for those with tickets to the ceremony.

Anyone traveling near that area should be aware of the following closures, most of which occur on Friday:

Main Street between the triple railroad underpass and Houston Street has been closed since Tuesday and will also be closed between Houston and Market Street starting Thursday.
Elm Street between Lamar Street and Riverfront Boulevard, one of the longest stretches as Elm is a direct westbound route to Dealey Plaza.
Commerce Street between Market Street and Riverfront Boulevard.
Houston Street between Ross Avenue and Wood Street, another long stretch providing a secure two-block radius on either side of Dealey Plaza.
The Commerce Street exit ramp off of northbound I-35E.
The frontage road between Reunion Boulevard and Commerce Street.
Jackson Street, which is one block south of Dealey Plaza, between Houston Street and Market Street.
Record Street between Ross and Elm, and between Jackson and Wood.

Anyone who relies on DART and TRE will also be affected; check that link for more specifics.

14 different bus routes will be rerouted due to the road closures from 4 am to 4 pm on Friday.
The Red and Blue train lines will not go from the West End Station to Union Station between 12:10 and 1:10 pm; shuttle buses will be available to transport passengers between the two stations during that time. Orange and Green Lines may also experience some delays due to those closures.
TRE departures and arrivals between 12:10 and 1:10 will also be affected, with one Fort Worth-bound train leaving early and one Dallas-bound train arriving late.

All the closures mean especially bad news for anyone who was planning to do any official business with Dallas County on Friday, as the Dallas County Records Building, located directly across from Dealey Plaza, will be closed.

Every road closure except for Main Street in Dealey Plaza will reopen by 4 pm on Friday. That portion of Main Street will reopen by 2 pm on Saturday.

All of the roads within a two to seven block radius of the Sixth Floor Museum and Dealey Plaza will be closed on Friday, November 22.

Photo courtesy of Sixth Floor Museum

All of the roads within a two to seven block radius of the Sixth Floor Museum and Dealey Plaza will be closed on Friday, November 22.

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

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Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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