City to Spread Gospel of Complete Streets Far and Wide, With Workshops and Pilot Projects

By Robert Wilonsky Fri., Oct. 28 2011 at 9:00 AM

The poster at right is for what could be the best Better Block event yet, scheduled to take place in and around the parking lot of R.L.'s Blues Palace No. 2 in the shadow of Fair Park -- an institution. Jason Roberts, QB for Team Better Block, says there are several choirs lined up to perform -- "pretty massive" ones too, "and it should be pretty awesome." Among those confirmed: the Cornerstone Baptist Church and the Men of Nehemiah. Providing the barbecue will be Eva's House of BBQ. He and his crew will prep the area by ridding the surrounding medians of weeds and doing some graffiti remediation; says Roberts, "Carolyn Davis wants Grand to be her Complete Street."

But so happens it's only one of nine Complete Steets events scheduled to take place between November 8 and December 3 scattered all over the city -- from Northwest (at the Wilshire State Bank Training Building on Royal, near Stemmons) to South to East (at the Lake Highlands Freshman Center on White Rock Trail) to West (in Oak Cliff, site of the W. Davis Street Community Walk, and on Fort Worth Avenue, separate events at the end of the run). There will also be an event November 14 at the Nasher Sculpture Center, and another one in Far North Dallas at Brentfield Elemenary. Come one, come all.

These are the so-called pilot programs abut which Peer Chacko, second-in-command at Sustainable Development, spoke to Unfair Park about back in June. These spots were chosen, he told us then, because these are the "streets and locations where we have reason to believe we can implement physical changes, either because there's bond money available or it's going to be part of a future bond program or there's some TIF project associated." So it's not willy or nilly.

Says Theresa O'Donnell, director of Sustainable Development and Construction, each event will feature a workshop providing further info about Complete Streets, and at the Grand and Davis events, "we will be taking the workshop to the street, so people can experience street activity and tell us what they think in a real world environment. We want people to show us how to make our streets work better."

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Travis Rex

No doubt that Jason Roberts doing this it will be a success. He and the Better Block Team do great work. Not a big fan of giving churches bond money if that is what will happen in the long run though.

Wylie H.

Keep Halff & Associates as far away from this stuff as possible.

Oak Cliff Townie

Sorry I read it as,

KEEP HALF & Associates and thought that was a play on a JWP South Dallas Law Firm

J. Erik Jonsson

Did no one at the City think this might be a First Amendment violation?

Thurgood Marshall

As long as you're not declaring a statement of religious belief, no conflicts occur. When it's to honor a religions place in America's legal and/or social history it's allowed. (Van Orden vs. Perry)

J. Erik Jonsson

Establishment is way broader than you suggest. I don't think we can assume what the facts will be or how the money will get spent. Better practice is for City staff to just steer clear.

Thurgood Marshall

I still don't think it comes close to "establishment of religion". Google "Cultural Center" and "Gospel music". You instantly pull up hundreds of city sponsored events with gospel choirs. Again, you have to look at the "social history" element. Gospel music is one of the most traditional American art forms we have. It's the foundation for blues, rock, r&b, soul, et cetera, with everyone from Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, to Beyonce and the Polyphonic Spree referencing its influence.

You'd have a better argument with removing "In God We Trust" or the "under God" reference from the pledge of allegiance than you would this, honestly.