Click on the videos and scroll down to see what the Mayor and Dallas City Council, City Council Member Mitch Rasansky and others say about the Trinity River Corridor Project:

The Mayor and 13 City Council members are solidly against the petition drive. (read more)

Council fiscal watchdog Mitch Rasansky say the Trinity Balanced Vision Plan is the best option. "For the past six years I have worn the hat as the fiscal conservative - the taxpayer's watchdog - on the Dallas City Council. I take great pride in making sure every dime the city spends is a good value for the taxpayer..." (read more)

   

EDITORIAL: Don't Delay the Trinity Project
The referendum on the Trinity Tollway wastes time and money

Mitchell Rasansky

For the past six years I have worn the hat as the fiscal conservative - the taxpayer's watchdog - on the Dallas City Council. I take great pride in making sure every dime the city spends is a good value for the taxpayer.

I have spent countless hours looking at every detail and every component associated with the Trinity River Corridor Project. The Trinity Parkway is needed, the location is the best and most appropriate option, and the plans have been thoroughly scrutinized at all levels of government.

It is critical that the city of Dallas move forward with the Trinity Parkway. The city council spent two years researching options for the toll road. It was exhaustively vetted and scrubbed. All of the tough questions have already been asked by me and my colleagues past and present. This project must commence without any further delay.

We owe it to the taxpayers who voted for it. The city will only spend the amount voters approved in the 1998 bond program. Other transportation agencies will pick up the difference.

The cornerstone of the Trinity River Corridor Project is flood control. It is our most important and most immediate concern. The Trinity Parkway will be protected from the 100-year flood while the heart of the city is protected from the 800-year flood. The parks, soccer fields, lakes, one-of-a-kind bridges, and the Trinity Parkway, which will relieve traffic congestion, are all icing on the cake.

Each and every component of the project is essential to transforming the Trinity River from a backdoor alley that has been more of a nuisance than a natural beauty into our City's front door - a spectacular showcase of nature, recreation, and innovation. It will not only enhance our skyline but it will also enrich the soul of our city.

This project as a whole is our greatest opportunity ever in this city to create an environment which will spark an enormous amount of sustainable economic development - on both sides of the river - for the betterment of our entire city.

My friend and colleague on the city council, Angela Hunt, is attempting to garner support for a referendum on the Trinity Parkway/toll road. Her statements are misleading, and the result could seriously put this project in jeopardy. To date, Ms. Hunt has not publicly proposed an alternate route. While Industrial Boulevard has been studied as an alternative, its cost would be greater and its disruption to development activities substantial.

We have been marching towards our grand vision for several years, and work is being done every day to reach our goals. Wetlands are being constructed, lakes are being designed, and the groundbreaking for the new Audubon center is just days away.

Ms. Hunt's effort will not only continue to delay the project but it will also expend approximately $750,000 in taxpayers' money to administer the referendum - money that could be spent to hire about 10-15 additional police officers. We need more officers. We don’t need to waste taxpayers’ money.

My wife and I both grew up in Dallas. We've lived here almost 70 years. Our city is undergoing a renaissance not seen in decades. Once the Trinity River Project is complete, it will forever be the showcase of our city. The parkway is an important part of the recipe. A delay would simply be disastrous.

Mitchell Rasansky serves on the Dallas City Council as the representative from District 13.