DFW DART Dude

2011-06-07T10:23:00.001-07:00

Hungry on DART's Green Line? Here's a Big Honkin' List That Might Help

2011-01-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

Dallas Observer Lists Restaurants along the DART Rail Line

DART promotes DFW DART Dude

2010-12-06T04:06:00.000-08:00

Dude Does it the DART Way
(click here to read article at www.dart.org)

Kevin Sharpe – the self-styled "DFW DART Dude" – recently became a public transit superhero of sorts when his video testimonial extolling the virtues of riding won him a luxurious stay at the Hotel Palomar and dinner at Central 214.

Look! There on the train!

It's a businessman. It's a graduate student. It's that DART Dude!

Kevin Sharpe, a.k.a. DFW DART Dude, traveled to Europe with the money he saved taking public transit.

The getaway was a top prize in a contest sponsored by DART, the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T), and the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA). Shonna Walker, an avid rider of The T, won a luxury stay at Fort Worth's Worthington and dinner at Vidalia's, and DCTA commuter Aubra Thomas of Carrollton won a regional transit pass.

It was all part of Stop Talking Out of Your Tailpipe, a joint campaign aimed at curbing the excuses some people use for not taking transit. Commuters were invited to share their reasons for riding on the transit agencies' Facebook pages.

Sharpe's video – starring himself as DFW DART Dude reporting from several European locales – was an instant hit. Why Europe? Sharpe will tell you DART has saved him thousands every year, enough to pay for his overseas excursion last summer.

Back home in Big D, DFW DART Dude – by day disguised as the mild-mannered Newspaper in Education manager for The Dallas Morning News – continues the never-ending battle for car-free commuting, clean air and the DART way at dfwdartdude.blogspot.com.

Great new update promoting this season's expansion!

2010-10-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

Green Line goes live in a few months! What a great way to end the first decade of the new millenium here in Dallas. Four more years to go before we get to DFW!!!

Mo' pub! Mo' pub! Mo' pub!

2010-08-21T05:13:00.000-07:00

Got some digital pub on dallasnews.com for winning the DART contest.

The reporter on his blog refers to the economy as a reason why ridership is down-slash-flat, which --at first-- seemed odd to me...but I get it.

Ya'd think that in a down economy ridership would go UP since public transportation is a way to save money...however, fewer jobs means fewer employees which means fewer commuters...and it's not like unemployeed people are literally driving around looking for work.

Another factor..downtown office buildings are empty...lots of high rises are barren and there's no development going on...so ridership into the central business district is down...

Now...on the flip side...downtown residential space is growing since lots of those empty office buildings are being converted/renovated...but
price points are premium...that's a whole other topic...grrrr!!!!

With more young people moving downtown into the CBD and all those urban styled lofts and nyc-priced condos...ya'd expect to see a tick in ridership OUT of the city and INTO the burbs with all the suburban office parks ...that's where there's a big ol' disconnect...a majority of these suburban office parks are off the beaten path and not connected to the rail system and stations...shuttles to and fro are a reasonable solution to connect DART to these office parks (i'm talking to YOU Addison!)...but riders are turned off by the idea about "transfering"...Here's where you see an example of people hanging on to "cultural memories" that prevents them from embracing change (that's a whole 'nother topic too!)

No clue where I'm going here...so I'll just hafta solve this crisis later...i gotta go walk my dog Kitty...but, this thought just crossed my mind...

Downtown Dallas needs a Bohemian shot in the arm...timing's prime with all the emptiness for the creative class to come in and take over and get some organic development started...they're nearly finished with their Oak Cliff/Bishop Street invasion and it doesn't seem like they're able to commit to Deep Ellum (which I don't blame them because there's just this odd feeling that The Man is lurking somewhere waiting to go all corporate down there at any moment...)

but there just doesn't seem to be authentic creatives occupying downtown space since attitudes about premium pricing is pretty accepting...people are paying for overpriced places because it seems to be the thing to do...the few 20-somethings moving into downtown with their parents' money --- are enablers...

I done did the House of Blues on DART !!!

2010-08-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

And the winner is...DART DUDE!!!!

2010-08-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

That's right! I won...

"Kevin Sharpe, an avid DART rider, won a luxury hotel stay at the Hotel Palomar in Dallas and dinner at Central 214. Sharpe's video can be viewed on YouTube at http://bit.ly/tailpipevideo. "

I knew my trip to Europe would pay off! So, I wonder who I should take on that dinner at Central 214??? hmmmm...

...more about the contest and the promotion...

The North Texas transit agencies' Stop Talking Out of Your Tailpipe contest was designed to promote transit use by inviting customers to share their reasons for riding. It was also an opportunity for employees to thank their employers for helping provide their ride and encourage others to ask their employer to offer Employer Transit Benefits programs.

The contest was part of a national effort to promote transit ridership and encourage support for expanded transit choices. Winning entries have been shared with other transit agencies around the country to help educate commuters and policymakers on the benefits of transit: job creation, helping the environment, energy conservation and improved quality of life.

http://www.dart.org/news/news.asp?id=922

DFW DART Dude does Europe!

2010-08-13T05:10:00.001-07:00

DFW DART Dude explores White Rock Lake

2010-08-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

DFW DART Dude discovers a celebrity on NWHY

2010-07-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

"Mad Men": Stillbirth of the American dream

2010-07-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

This review from Salon does a great job pulling in advertising's impact on our culture and what we value.

The "ah-ha" moment comes near the end regarding how the American ~~consumer~~ citizen shapes their vision of happiness based on advertising. The magic of "Mad Men" is how it's showing the "Cold War Era" is really -- in fact -- shaddowed by the "Advertising Age."

The corporate culture, consumerism, materialism, the nuclear family ...all results from advertising.

A seriously great read!

May the Force Be with You!

2010-07-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

I love flash mobs...love them!!!

Here's one caught on film (HD no less!) that uses a really unique approach that makes for a great for a performance on public transportation. I just find it hard to believe people here in DFW would get a kick out of it as much...we do like our cocoons when we ride on DART.

Now that I think of it, even during rush hour, it's pretty pretty quiet on the DART --- even when it's packed with passengers...

anyway...enjoy!

When you become a super star, evil, bitter enemies are bound to pop up!

2010-07-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

2010-07-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

Unfair Park's posting of an interview with Patrick "Car-Free" Kennedy generated some robust comments back and forth that sounded pretty defensive as they attacked Patrick's answers.

I threw in my two cents with a more philosophical approach and tried to be as empathetic-sounding as possible.

I really strive toward being positive and non-judgmental toward people who refuse to embrace living life without a car. Lots of people tell me they’re impressed and admire me for “standing up to the challenge.” They’ll admit that it’s a good thing to do, but just not them. Their lives are way too complicated to live life without a car. Mothers especially!

I bite my tongue and won’t get all preachy on them. I’ve learned that whenever someone says they “can’t do something,” what they’re really saying is the “don’t know how” to do something. So then the point becomes, whether or not someone is willing to learn…

Here’s what I wrote:

It's not whether or not someone doesn’t want to live a carless life; it's just that they don't know how. Anyone who says they can’t, they just don’t know how. Now, whether or not they want to learn…that’s another story.

There’s got to be less preaching and a lot more teaching! No matter how much infrastructure is put in place, the car culture cannot change overnight. If it gets crammed down anyone’s throats, they’ll react defensively and resist the concepts because they are holding on to cultural memories. Although…when gas prices do go up…you do see a lot more people starting to let loose of their cultural memories.

Seeing is believing: they cannot envision life without a car because that’s all they’ve ever known. It took more than 40 years for people – as well as the government – to embrace the fact that smoking is dangerous and take aggressive steps to erase its impact from our culture.

Living a carless life is a lifestyle that requires a designer to design that “style.” As the younger generation starts designing their lives around alternative dwellings and communities outside the suburban way of life...it will become more mainstream.

The whole “less is more” approach to life is going to take a long time to take hold in our car culture. We’re talking status, comfort, convenience and safety…all of which are ‘perceived.’

It wouldn’t hurt to show how sexy a walkable city can be too!

Totally unscripted and caught by surprise reaction to my new fame!

2010-07-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

DFW DART Dude gets discovered by D Magazine

2010-07-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

The reviews are in folks!!! I can officially say now that I have been reviewed.

"...enjoy a selection of the DART Dude’s work. If you become addicted (like so many of us in the office are) check out his blog and YouTube channel."
Peter Simik
D Magazine

"...the DART Dude gets around this car loving town without a car, and his adventures are both inspiring and curiously humorous."
Peter Simik
D Magazine

DFW DART Dude Celebrates July 4th in the West Village

2010-07-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

See how Dallas is making a new park out of thin air!

2010-06-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

Great entertainment options walking distance from Cedars Station

2010-06-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

Two great entertainment venues are just a block away from Cedars Station on both the Red and Blue lines---the first exit south of the Convention Center in downtown Dallas. You can get to Poor David's Pub and Gilly's on the DART...have a few drinks and hop back on to get home on a Saturday night!

Using the Green Line to get to Katy Trail

2010-06-20T05:25:00.001-07:00

Here's a reason why to ALWAYS carry your DART pass

2010-05-29T06:24:00.001-07:00

See Sexy Suburbanites Slum It!

2010-05-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm a firm believer that if DART's going to go mainstream in Dallas -- where the Car is King -- it's got to get a lot sexier.

Found this vlog of some Suburan Sexies who decide to go on a wild and crazy adventure and slum it on the DART. FAIL!

You'll see for yourself how they're frightened back to Collin County where they're safe and secure. They make it back to their parents' McMansion and do what Suburbanites do best...play board games!

Great kid who does some great work all over the Web and I'm sure I can learn a lot from him. I'll be happy to return the favor and show him a little bit of courage and independence if he ever decides to head south of the Bush Tollway again! I joke! I joke!

dfwDART Dude's Global Coverage...Oh the places I've been on DART!

2010-05-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

Something I learned this semester in my social media class! I'm embedding all my vlogs about DART onto a Google Map I've set up...

View dfwDARTdude's Rail map in a larger map

DART-Venture! How to get a sweet buzz on the DART!

2010-05-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd try a new feature...calling it "DART-Venture," where I do something that's nothing out of the ordinary, but on the DART!

Since I'm on summer break from classes, I hope to keep new ones coming all summer long! At least until I take off for Europe. Oh, did I mention I was going to Europe? :)

A look back to a snowy day in Dallas

2010-05-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Dallas is fix'n to have its third day of 90 degree weather in the middle of May...while surfing around in youtube, I found this guy's great coverage of taking the DART home on a snowy afternoon. My experience on that day was much, much, much worse, but that's because I didn't leave downtown until later that day...these brave troopers took off early...cowards!But great coverage for sure!

DFW DART Dude's 2010 European Vacation

2010-05-21T05:11:00.000-07:00

View Kevin's 2010 NYT's European Vacation in a larger map

What can you do in 2 hours without a car in DFW?

2010-05-13T12:19:00.001-07:00

Dart Dude "Springs" Back with a five mile run

2010-03-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

It's a five mile run from Forest Lane Station to White Rock Station if you use the White Rock Trail!!!! I run one-way and then take the rail home...it's a great way to avoid dealing with "second thought" running. That's when you hold back running further because you dread the run back home....

2010-03-03T14:09:00.001-08:00

The Rain Is Gone by Dub_Fx

Super Apple: An early tribute and a totally healthy hunger

2010-02-18T04:37:00.000-08:00

Back in 2008, I vlogged my training for the White Rock Marathon in Dallas. The hunger pains you feel after an awesome work out can be a rewarding type of sensation...it's like the truest form of hunger you feel that SIMPLE nurishment can fulfill. It's not cravings, it's not boredom...it's totally healthy hunger.

So I'm analyzing my performance while chowing down on an apple. I had learned to "pack a snack" when running so I didn't run off to some fast food place to grab the first thing I see on the menu, or pull of the first packaged snack/junk food sitting on the shelf at a gas station (which I caught myself doing after every run.)

Eating that apple was the best reward you can give yourself! I don't give a shout out to Into The Wild until the very very end...after all the blah-blah-blah self discovery. Super Apple Indeed!

Super Apple from Into The Wild - Tribute to best scene in the movie

2010-02-18T04:20:00.000-08:00

I referenced this scene in an earlier posting about what to pack when traveling on DART.

When I watched "Into The Wild" I had no idea what I was gonna see...what an amazing movie about an amazing life based on....SIMPLICITY.

This scene made a huge impact on me. He hadn't eaten for days...He gets his hands on an apple...and watch the joy....

DART Dude interviews Crazy Texan who loves snow on Snowtime in Dallas 2010

2010-02-18T04:11:00.001-08:00

DART Dude lets Wah Wah Wendy dig into DART on Snowtime in Dallas 2010

2010-02-18T04:10:00.001-08:00

DART Dude on the Day After historic Dallas Snow Day

2010-02-18T04:07:00.000-08:00

DART Dude done for this day on historic snow day in Dallas

2010-02-18T04:04:00.001-08:00

DART Dude starts off on his snow day

2010-02-18T04:03:00.001-08:00

How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century

2010-02-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

How to Bring Our Schools Out of the 20th Century

My salute to Into the Wild from Dallas

2010-02-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite things: DART and Aussies!

2010-02-04T04:01:00.000-08:00

Time Management: Blocking DART Schedule in Outlook

2010-02-04T03:54:00.003-08:00

How grandma raised 7 kids w/o a car

2010-02-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

Podcast -- Getting all philosophical on ya about living life in Dallas without a car. Putting some things into perspective...

Going to workout without a car

2010-01-24T12:44:00.001-08:00

What to do with the money you don't hafta spend on a car

2010-01-24T05:46:00.000-08:00