I will contradict you

The Dart's rail line has recieved over a billion dollars over the years, as much Dallas would like this grant of one billion dollars it does not need it. Also the Dart does not need a rapid development at once but rather small step development because it already has done an all at once development. The Metro is a new train line and needs a full all out major development all at once before it can secure the baby step pace. I'm not sure if this makes sense I'm only 14 after all. Yet I'm trying to say Dallas does not need a billion dollars all at once because it has already built half of its rail plan. Metro on the other hand has only built a small portion of it master plan and needs to do a major expansion of its rail, just like Dart did in 2002.

NO transit agency is profitable...period. They are not designed to be, nor are they expected to be. A well run transit system may cover 25% of it's expenses through fare revenue. Further, both DART and METRO rely on a one cent sales tax to subsidize their operations. Even that is not enough. They rely on federal grants to purchase busses, rail cars and build track. Both DART and METRO have passed bond referendums to help build their systems as well.

Houston's METRO was created by the voters in 1978. DART voters did not approve DART until 1983, so DART is not older. DART did however, begin their rail system several years sooner. They also are farther along in planning for the extensions that the FTA pledged to support. Houston's North ans Southeast sections are not far enough along in design to warrant funding.

Neither the age of DART, nor it's "profitability" had anything to do with it's funding pledge. The advanced stage of engineering and design had everything to do with it.

You really don't want to make peace, if you want to go on the offense, I'll give you some 1995 Cowboy's defense and you can use your crappy Texan's defense.

If Houston's Metro rail was approved in 1978 as you said, they must be really bad at planning i mean thats pretty embarrassing to take 26 years to build light rail system. That doesn't sound to planned out to me. Also the age of the Dart's rail can be factored into the pledge because age can you tell how much has been done and how much experience something might have. Also by profitability I meant the development the Dart spurred, some 3.3 billion. I haven't heard how much the Metro's rail has spurred. Once again the Dart Rail is older the Metro Rail like I said in my previous post which you were not paying attention to. Dart Rail was completed in 1996, while the Houston Metro was completed in 2004. Unless you can't do math it seems to me the Dart Rail is 8 years older than the Houston Metro. Also Dart 43 miles compared to Metro's 12 miles.

Once again I am willing to declare peace and set aside differences, but If your not willing keep obeying your violent mind.

Umm...would any of you Houston/Metro bashers change your minds if you realized that this $700 million was only a "pledge"? If Houston sucks for not getting a "pledge" this year, are they great for getting a $1 Billion "pledge" last year?

DART is getting $80 million this year. METRO got $245 million in July, plus an additional $10 million in November. Does this make Houston and METRO 3 times as "VISIONARY" as Dallas and DART?

I am glad DART is getting some federal dollars to add onto their system. But, to say that shows Houston and METRO failed because they did not get any money this year, shows more ignorance on the part of the posters than lack of planning on the part of METRO.

Read the article before you jump to conclusions.

First of all Red I'd like to declare a truce(I know we started out bad). Second Dart has been around much longer than the Houston Metro, meaning it got its start up funding just like the Metro. Also the DArt is more profitable as of this moment, once again because it as been around longer and has lines that are as of this moment more available for use than the Metro. Dart getting this pledge of 700 million dollars proves that the Federal Government believes that Dart is a profitable and a good light rail system. Now I'm not saying the Metro is bad, but it has some catching up to do. Also once again Dart does not need a billion dollars because they're profitable for the time being.

Post deleted

Yeah and Houston's highrises are in a more condensed area.

Post deleted. See reminder at top of page.

If Dallas is included in this list of where the "high rise market have not caught on" how come they have a possible Trump Tower in the works. Also, knowing the way Trump's egotistical mind works, he will probably make this building the tallest one in Texas. And if he makes it any similar to his building he's building in Chicago it will have high class retail at the bottom and an amazing architecture. Also I truely believe Trump will build in Dallas this time due to the fact that Trump already believes he has found a great location. Evidence to back this up is when Trump said to the Dallas Business Journal, "The land that we'll purchase will be terrific, if we decide to do this." This proves Trump already believes he has found a good location which is one of the most important things in the real estate world. The only reason Trump is using these "ifs" is because he doesn't want everybody to know that a high-profile developer like him thinks the Dallas real estate economy is amazing(which it is). If he lets people know he believes that, land in Dallas will be purchased like crazy causing prices to go up.

I would also like to tell you shouldn't be bragging about how great Houston is when it faces the same problems Dallas does and in many ways worse problems. Such as in 2003 The New York Times Reported that the HISD is hiding its problems such as gang violence. They even found evidence that the school district was not reporting this violence to the police. Also in 2001 it was found that administrators in Houston reported that the dropout rate was much lower than it was. Because of this, there was recommedation that the school district should be labeled "unacceptable." True there has been improvements since then but there is no way it can be great now after being bad 3 years ago. Here are some true bragging rights for you from Men's Fitness:

In the comprehensive Superstudy of Sports Participation, only Miami and New Orleans residents participated less in sport activities than did people in Houston.

Houston ranked in the 10 markets where people watched the most TV, according to by Nielsen ratings.

What does Houston share in common with Los Angeles? Some of the worst air in the country . they're both in the bottom of the rankings, according to EPA indicators.

Whats even sadder is that Texas Medical Center is headquartered in Houston.

(gastric bypass must be 90% of the surgeries there or open heart surgery)

Even if Dallas is on the list, its not the fattest

Men's Fitness

Whats even more sad there's probably more problems , probably much more than Dallas