#carlessDFW - An Awakening For Me
The challenge was issued from the editorial staff of AIA Dallas’ Columns magazine for readers to set aside February 16 -20 as “No Car Week.” As President of AIA Dallas, I realized that this challenge was “my challenge” and I needed a plan. True confession, I live in the Mid-Cities and cannot survive without my car (or so I thought)... How was I to meet this challenge while being responsive to my family, my employer, and AIA Dallas?
After much deliberation, I decided to set aside one day to explore our great city on DART. A novice in social media, I also committed to tweet my experiences at #carlessdfw. I set out last Thursday morning from the Belt Line Station on the Orange Line to explore the city. My first challenge was to see if I could actually ride DART to my office. As it turns out, it was a snap. It was a great experience as the Orange Line's Burbank Station is just seven blocks from my office!
I rode the Red, Green and Blue Lines to their terminus in southern Dallas. I had great adventures at the zoo, in downtown Dallas, and at Fair Park. I met several new friends along the way and shared their stories on the Twitter. I invite you to spend the day with me by checking out my posts on #carlessdfw.
In the end, I came to have an even greater appreciation for our great city. DART has done an excellent job putting in place the backbone for a great 21st century city. It occurred to me that we just need to grow into the “suit of clothes” that DART has provided us! I realized that the southern sectors of Dallas have a unique character in-unto-themselves and there are many opportunities for transit-oriented development along and around all of the DART stations I visited. I was challenged by the lack of nourishing food opportunities and was uplifted by my visit to Fair Park, the highlight of my day.
Take a ride with me at #carlessdfw!
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