Dallas, TX
Dallas City Hall’s latest ‘oops’ moment: Sidewalk digital kiosk plan lacks citizen input
It’s another of the too-frequent “oops” moments at Dallas City Hall — shorthand for “Oops, we forgot to ask those pesky taxpayers for their point of view.” This time the culprit is the public works department, which is trying to fast-track fancy digital kiosks onto our sidewalks.
Digging into this mess gave me whiplash back to 2006. That was the year buyer’s remorse flooded the City Council for its purchase of what then the latest and greatest in oversized public kiosks.
“I think we’ve created something we didn’t mean to create,” then-Mayor Laura Miller said after listening to angry residents and business owners. “You don’t want a giant spaceship in the middle of your public sidewalk.”
She was talking about the 100 barrel-shaped advertising kiosks approved the year before by council members high on the revenue they supposedly would generate for the city.
Miller and the council members who joined her in opposing the plan had warned of unintended consequences. They were right. The barrels should never have been installed. Quickly outdated and often vandalized, they became little more than sidewalk clutter the city is stuck with until the contract expires in 2026.
What did Dallas learn from this unforced error? Nothing. Public works staff apparently fell in love with the latest iteration of information kiosks and felt the several letters of concern they received about their plan amounted to sufficient community engagement.
At the last minute, several council members told staff to hit the brakes and, before any vote takes place, schedule public meetings. The one-hour sessions will be April 22 and 29. (You’ll find more details of the meetings at the end of this column.)
I’m not convinced City Hall isn’t just going through the motions. Far more meetings than this took place over regulating neighborhood book-sharing boxes.
The proposed interactive digital kiosks would provide directions, emergency assistance, Wi-Fi and information about city attractions and events. That could make them useful for visitors — folks in town for a convention or the 2026 World Cup. Wouldn’t you figure those guests to our city have a smartphone and data plan?
At 8-and-a-half feet tall, 3-feet wide and 1-foot deep, they take up less sidewalk space than the barrel kiosks. Like the old ones, they cost the city nothing. The vendor’s profit comes from advertising, with Dallas getting a cut.
City Hall needs innovative revenue streams — but not at a cost to residents. With so many efforts underway to make our city more walkable and to address growing concerns about pedestrian safety, installing kiosks requires more serious vetting.
Given how narrow and poorly maintained so many of our sidewalks are, including in downtown and Uptown, I’d just as soon public works focus on those problems.
In recent months, IKE (Interactive Kiosk Experience) Smart City, which has installed the devices from Berkeley to Baltimore, has shown its wares to several large stakeholders, including Downtown Dallas Inc.
IKE recommends deploying up to 150 kiosks, 25 at a time, throughout the city. It pledges to install 20% of them in zip codes with the highest economic and social inequality.
The selected vendor would pick locations based on what’s best for advertiser dollars. The city would have final say. Unsurprisingly, its stated priority, like the vendor’s, is to make the most money possible.
The IKE presentation I reviewed noted its desire to locate the kiosks in densely populated intersections and neighborhoods, the city’s most commercial streets and near cultural institutions, parks and event venues. IKE says its kiosks are ADA-compliant and will maintain a 4-foot unobstructed walkway.
At a recent council committee meeting, Ali Hatefi, director of the public works department, couldn’t provide an estimate of potential city revenue from the digital kiosks. Nor could he say how much money the current ones have generated.
I followed up to request answers to those two questions and to get an interview with Hatefi. A City Hall communications staffer said Hatefi was unavailable, and she was unable to get the revenue questions answered.
The Real Estate Council of Dallas is one of many stakeholders newly awakened to what the city is up to on its sidewalks — and troubled it didn’t already take the proper steps to gauge community feedback.
Linda McMahon, the group’s president and CEO, detailed concerns in a letter to council members: “We believe that the initial proposal was not in the best interests of our community,” she wrote, “and would have had negative impacts on our city’s sidewalks, safety, right of way and overall urban environment.”
Jamee Jolly, the head of Uptown Dallas Inc., told me she’s baffled this plan was kept under the radar for so long, given sidewalks are the lifeblood of neighborhoods, especially the one she represents. “This is going against everything we’ve worked so hard to create in a pedestrian-friendly environment,” Jolly said.
She worries not just about the additional obstacles the kiosks would create but the potential distraction they would cause for drivers. “This would only further endanger pedestrians,” she said.
Jennifer Scripps, who leads Downtown Dallas Inc., said her group has tried to listen with an open mind, but increasingly she’s come to the realization “the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.”
Scripps believes a high bar must be set before approving anything that creates more sidewalk clutter. “Who is clamoring for what might just turn into another graffiti attractor?” she asked. “We felt this was rammed down our throats a little bit.”
Maybe the upside of digital kiosks will win the day, but putting out a formal request for proposals before a robust public discussion is a bad look. Sidewalks are a critical quality-of-life asset, not a mundane commodity to be put up for sale.
The public right of way belongs not to Dallas City Hall or its elected officials but to all of us. As citywide conversations begin, let’s think hard before doing something that might not be in the best interest of the people who actually live and work here.
Kiosk meetings
— 6-7 p.m. April 22, Webex virtual meeting. Register and attend through dal.city/Kiosks
— 6-7 p.m. April 29 at Dallas City Hall, Room L1 FN Auditorium, 1500 Marilla St.
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Tom Dundon is chairman and managing partner of Dallas’ Dundon Capital Partners and owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. He’s also one of the owners of the PPA Pickleball Tour, which recently merged with MLP by Margaritaville. [Photo: Carolina Hurricanes]
Tom Dundon
Owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes
.…The Hurricanes fit both of Dundon’s criteria, says Sports Business Journal.
Dundon, the chairman and managing partner of Dallas-based Dundon Capital, became the majority owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes in 2017, three years after he took Dallas-based auto loan giant Santander Consumer USA public with an IPO that raised $1.8 billion. He’s also a co-owner of the PPA Pickleball Tour—which merged in March with Austin-based MLP by Margaritaville—and an investor in Pickleball.com.
So you’d think he loves to watch his players in action. But that’s not the case, he told Sports Business Journal’s Ben McKeown, for one big reason: “The chance you might lose.”
Losing has become less of a factor for the Hurricanes since he bought them, though (they’re currently leading the New York Islanders 3-1 in the Stanley Cup playoffs). The SBJ’s profile of Dundon credits a lot of that success to the billionaire’s “calculating nature” as a “super competitive” owner who does “whatever it takes to win.”
Now Dundon is stepping up to the plate for something else, the SBJ reports: potentially being a lead investor for a group that wants to bring a Major League Baseball team to North Carolina.
You can read the SBJ story on Dundon here.
For more of who said what about all things North Texas, check out Every Last Word.
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When Dak Prescott is in a pickle, usually it’s because an Eagles defensive lineman is chasing him around the backfield. But now the Dallas Cowboys QB has found a new pickle-related pursuit: He’s become one of the owners of the Frisco Pandas, a Major League Pickleball franchise. The move comes just months after Frisco-based Dude Perfect became investors in the franchise, valuing the team at $5 million.
The Dallas Cowboys 2024 draft saw them prioritize rebuilding their offensive line while completely passing on their other big need, running back.
That seems to point toward them signing Ezekiel Elliott in the next few days as they retool the team that won a division championship last season but then flopped in the playoffs.
Dallas will need several members of this draft class to plug into starting roles next season. Did the Cowboys draft well enough to do that?
Here is the class:
Here are some grades from around the net, and they are all over the place.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter: A-
“Gaining a third-round pick in a move down the board and still landing a starting tackle made for a successful Thursday night for Dallas. Kneeland and Beebe should prove to be excellent values, while Liufau will be a solid addition to the middle of the Cowboys’ defense. The Notre Dame ‘backer was picked a bit early for my taste, though.”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper: B-
“Not bad. The Cowboys were able to trade down five spots in Round 1, pick up an extra third-rounder and still get their guy. Tyler Guyton (29) is going to get a chance to be their starter at left tackle, and from what I see on tape, I think he can make the move over from the right side. He has special ability as a pass-protector and can get to the second level in a hurry in the run game.”
Bleacher report: B-
“Give the Dallas Cowboys credit for trading back in the first round, getting an extra Day 2 pick in the process and still filling a vital need. Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton may need some time to develop, but he has the potential to become Tyron Smith’s long-term replacement at left tackle.”
Fox Sports: B
“For a team that had so many holes to fill after they did nothing in free agency, the Cowboys made some curious choices. They did a great job plugging two key holes on the O-line (Oklahoma LT Tyler Guyton in Round 1 and Kansas State C Cooper Beebe in Round 2). But no running back? No receiver until Round 6? Instead, in Round 2, they took Western Michigan edge rusher Marshawn Kneeland, who could be terrific in 2025, but might not be a huge help now, when they’re supposedly “all-in.”
CBS Sports Chip Trepasso: C
“I, personally, am not sure what the Cowboys are doing. Ok, well I do know they stood by their word and attempted to rebuild the offensive line. I commend that. I loved Beebe in Round 2 and particularly Thomas in Round 7. Guyton is very much a project who doesn’t quite play to his workout. Kneeland is another project-y type who never came close to dominating in the MAC.”
The Ringer: A-
“The Cowboys ate their vegetables in this draft, grabbing a trio of tough and physical trench players with their first three picks. Dallas added a highly athletic offensive tackle in the first round in Tyler Guyton, who’s raw but moves exceptionally well and could emerge as their future blindside stalwart. I loved the Marshawn Kneeland pick; he’s an explosive, long-levered pass rusher with great size and a solid repertoire of pass-rush moves and will complement Micah Parsons well on that defensive front.”
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.
Hobbled by an unspecified right knee injury, Mavericks’ Luka Doncic clearly hasn’t been his usual dominant self in this first-round playoffs series — not up to his standards in past games against the Clippers, regular-season and playoffs.
After Los Angeles’ 116-111 victory on Sunday afternoon in American Airlines Center, tying the series at 2-2, Doncic’s drop-off is most glaringly reflected in his statistics. He shooting 38.6% from the field, including of 13-of-49 (26.5%) on 3-pointers.
It’s clear Doncic’s defensive falloff since he sustained the knee injury during the first quarter of Game 3. Doncic was whistled for two fouls in the first 2:23 of Game 4 as he struggled to stay in front of Clippers attackers, a pattern that continued through the game as Los Angeles hunted him.
“It’s hurting, obviously, but it shouldn’t be an excuse, man,” Doncic said. “We just came out a little sloppy. We’ve got to do way better than that.”
It might seem like quibbling after a game in which Doncic had a triple-double — 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. But anyone who has watched Doncic throughout his career, this season especially, knows he isn’t his usual self.
On Sunday he shot 10-of-24 from the field, including 1-of-9 on 3-pointers.
When asked specifically about his ability to move laterally and how that affects his defense, Doncic acknowledged it’s a problem. He was assigned to guard Amir Coffey, but Clippers star James Harden hunted Doncic in pick-and-rolls.
“I mean, yeah, I was in foul trouble,” Doncic said. “We said we wanted to try to limit Harden’s 3s. I was just trying not to give him 3s. Obviously, it wasn’t good, especially me.”
Doncic not being himself is also reflected in his postgame interviews following Games 3 and 4. Doncic’s voice is raspy and he sounds congested. After Game 4, he was asked whether the congestion makes it harder to breathe during games, thus affecting his energy level.
“It’s nothing,” he said. “We lost the game. Like I said before, for the knee, it shouldn’t be an excuse. I’m out there trying to play, trying to play a lot of minutes, trying to play hard. But sometimes you don’t have the perfect situation. So you’ve just got to go through it and do better.”
As Doncic noted, the Mavericks still not only rallied from a 31-point deficit but took a 105-104 lead on Kyrie Irving’s driving layup with 2:15 left. Irving scored 40 points, all of them after the first quarter.
“I have to help him more,” Doncic said. “I feel like I am letting him down so I have to be there. I have to help him more. He’s giving everything that he has. He’s been amazing for us the whole series.”
Twitter: @townbrad
Photos: Mavericks fall to Clippers in Game 4 in Dallas
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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