Dallas, TX
Dallas is installing digital kiosks on sidewalks. What could go wrong?
If you live or work in Dallas, you spend your days dodging potholes on the road and maneuvering wretched sidewalks on foot.
And soon enough, you may awaken to find monoliths on city sidewalks reminiscent of the ones from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Except these will have a touchscreen! What a time to be alive.
People in this city want smooth streets and safe sidewalks. Some of us will settle for enough clearance between the poles or the signs and the curb to walk by without brushing traffic. No one was clamoring for as many as 150 digital kiosks on what little real estate pedestrians have. But Dallas, that’s what we’re getting.
You can thank the City Council. Yes, the council that has vowed for years to make this a more walkable city. On Wednesday, the body voted 11-4 to approve IKE Smart City as the preferred vendor to install and maintain 8-foot digital kiosks all over, even though civic groups and developers have said they don’t want them.
The hook is that the city will get an estimated $29 million in revenue for the agreement over the 10-year contract. Each kiosk — a display for ads and “wayfinding,” plus a Wi-Fi hotspot — is expected to generate $20,000 in annual revenue.
There are two five-year renewal options. According to city staff, the estimated revenue over the entire 20 years is $67 million.
Council members are looking for cash in a tough budget year. But we shouldn’t sacrifice our city to make a quick buck. We know from experience — Fair Park, anyone? — that deals that sound too good to be true usually are.
We entered into a contract for static kiosks 20 years ago, and look how that turned out for us. Monstrous cylinders protruding from sidewalks, making the streets hostile to pedestrians, all so City Hall can collect $637,500 a year, a drop in a $5 billion budget.
Sure, the new kiosks are sleeker, and city staff said the license agreement, which goes to the council in August, will have better protections. For example, kiosks can only be installed in rights of way that are at least 8 feet wide.
If you’re near a sidewalk that wide, why would you want to share it with a giant smartphone? You have one in your pocket already.
Local chambers of commerce have supported the kiosks, and we can see the appeal for them. Visit Dallas paid for ads that showed in an IKE digital kiosk next to Houston City Hall. That didn’t go over well in Houston. Perhaps we’ll see ads for H-town here soon.
We also read reports of a digital kiosk in Houston displaying a Chevy ad feet from a light-rail line, marketing a truck as “Houston’s massive transit system.” Same in Atlanta.
That would be awkward here in Dallas. Randall Bryant, vice chair of the board of Dallas Area Rapid Transit, is registered as a lobbyist for IKE Smart City.
We don’t understand why Dallas wants to commit to a 10-year deal. Who knows what the future will look like then? We could all be hooked up to the Matrix.
Would that be so terrible? Maybe in our simulated worlds, council members listen to their constituents and our sidewalks are free from clutter.
DALLAS – Slow-moving thunderstorms brought localized flash flooding to parts of North Texas on Tuesday evening, blocking highways near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and dropping several inches of rain in portions of Tarrant and Parker counties.
Flash Flood Warnings
Local perspective:
Flash flood warnings are in effect for Hopkins, Hunt, Rains and Van Zandt counties until 7:45 p.m.
Flooding was reported along Texas 183 near Valley View Lane south of DFW Airport, where stranded vehicles and water-covered roadways created hazardous travel conditions.
A flash flood warning remained in effect near the airport, although rainfall rates had begun to diminish as the storm weakened.
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings
The National Weather Service also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for northern Hood County, citing the potential for gusty winds and small hail. Forecasters reported hail ranging from pea-sized to marble-sized in parts of Hood, Parker and Denton counties.
Forecasters attributed the weakening storms in Denton County to an outflow boundary, a meteorological feature that can disrupt thunderstorm development.
The warning area was reduced as the storm weakened near sunset.
LIVE RADAR
What they’re saying:
FOX 4’s Kylie Capps said the storms moved unusually slowly from east to west, allowing heavy rain to accumulate over the same areas for several hours.
Rainfall estimates showed some locations in eastern Parker County and western Tarrant County received nearly 5 inches of rain during a six-hour period, while areas near DFW Airport recorded more than 2 inches.
Elsewhere in North Texas, northern Rains County received nearly 5 inches of rain.
7-Day Forecast
What’s next:
Forecasters expect a quieter overnight period, with only isolated showers lingering into the evening. Additional thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon, though coverage and the threat of severe weather are expected to remain limited.
Temperatures are forecast to reach about 90 degrees Wednesday.
Rain chances are expected to continue through the remainder of the workweek and into the weekend as an upper-level low-pressure system sends multiple disturbances across North Texas.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4’s Weather Team
Monday was a wild day for the NFL with two blockbuster trades. First was Myles Garrett, who both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were rumored to have interest in.
Cowboys fans never bought into these rumors, knowing that Jerry Jones was unlikely to make such an investment. The Eagles, however, have been known to get aggressive. Thankfully for Dallas fans, they didn’t make the move as the Cleveland Browns sent Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse and a package of picks.
Not long after that trade was finalized, the Eagles did wind up making a trade. After months of speculation surrounding A.J. Brown and the New England Patriots, the two sides made it official as Brown was reunited with Mike Vrabel in exchange for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder.
Dallas Cowboys could take the NFC East crown in 2026
The writing has been on the wall all offseason regarding Brown, who has been unhappy with the Eagles for a while. His departure seemed confirmed when they traded up with Dallas in the 2026 NFL draft for USC receiver Makai Lemon.
While Lemon has the tools to be a difference-maker, he won’t be able to perform at the same level as Brown during his rookie season. The Eagles do still have DeVonta Smith at receiver as well as running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
That said, there’s no denying that they’re weaker this season than they were with Brown. Just as important, however, is the fact that general manager Howie Roseman didn’t pull off a shocking move for Garrett, which would have made them the overwhelming favorites in the division.
Cowboys chances hinge on defensive changes
Another reason the Cowboys are confident they can hang with Philadelphia this season is the presence of Christian Parker, who they hired as their defensive coordinator after he spent the past two seasons as the passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach with the Eagles.
Parker brings in a new scheme and plenty of confidence, but more importantly, he has several new weapons at his disposal. Dallas traded for veterans Rashan Gary and Dee Winters, signed Jalen Thompson and Cobie Durant, and selected Caleb Downs and Malachi Lawrence in the draft.
Those are just some of the moves they made on defense, and they’re banking on that to be enough to help propel them past the team that has won the division the past two seasons.
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