Political Power Coalesces around I-345 Teardown Proposal in Dallas

"The grass-roots effort to tear down Interstate 345 between downtown and Deep Ellum is launching a political action committee that backs supportive City Council candidates," reports Brandon Formby.

"Dallas civic leaders and urban planners" comprise the Coalition for a New Dallas, as the new PAC is called, according to Formby. "Its leaders include former state Sen. John Carona, religious outreach director George Battle III, development analyst J. Brandon Hancock and D Magazine co-founder Wick Allison."

Formby also notes that the PAC is the second such group created to influence elected leaders. "A separate PAC was formed last year to support candidates who don’t want to build the Trinity Parkway toll road."

The influence of the group is expected to drive a debate about the roll of highways in urban settings on one of the largest popular stages in the country: "While they aren’t working in tandem, the two groups collectively pave the way for a council campaign season that will pit emerging philosophies about how cities should be planned against established approaches to traffic and congestion relief."