[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6265609,"mediaKeyId","3089724-868056c099a2bcf6ad35e55a39d4a0fc","parentId",3089724,"title","City hears public‑works briefing on congestion, temporary signals at Denton Drive and Valley View Lane","audioSeconds",790,"startMs",389275,"endMs",1179549,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3089724-868056c099a2bcf6ad35e55a39d4a0fc&start=389&end=1179","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3089724-868056c099a2bcf6ad35e55a39d4a0fc/thumbnail_389275.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6265609/Farmers-Branch/Dallas-County/Texas/City-hears-publicworks-briefing-on-congestion-temporary-signals-at-Denton-Drive-and-Valley-View-Lane","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6265609-d9e5a30067b0a8e1969c75081e43d892/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447548&Signature=Ai-z60Af6u9oweM94j6i~hTRsgVtbbILRAnZ-logPsBKpRR793Wi-Q4WlohSLubxVCBxOUL-MIG567pAZv~AE189XHOe4lT26Lia7UelHQHeeV9uJej2qgqFBE3RQZTvJY~1fNkHpWPpqXSqV4nDaa~XVcffyI7oMwnxViqEMiEMB--nIaWvNcgRW4vk3oQaFJb0vYFIH6zMrFgyIENVpub5Q0hNCq07djz3uw6LVEGPWrQqJdNE6KECsy4T78fbu7FRd2Ta2MR7FA448W6g77JIubi2-XmE8KdjmPkaaGAkL1ZuWBAizM2b4hIWEU2riMyBIC4m8smijMr8EbNjRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Framers Branch TX","date","2025-04-23T06:33:58.907Z","article","Ray Silvares, the city’s director of public works, told the Farmers Branch City Council on April 22 that traffic backups at the Denton Drive and Valley View Lane intersection are the result of multiple, overlapping causes.

\"This intersection has been, critical for some of the for the last couple months,\" Silvares said, and he listed recent changes that are constraining traffic flow: Texas Department of Transportation work on I‑35 that has cut off access at Pike Street and abandoned Carrick Street, a reduction from three lanes to two in one approach, a new multisport facility that generates tournament traffic on weekends, nearby restaurants and pedestrian crossings that lengthen signal cycles, plus periodic DART crossings and emergency vehicle interruptions.

The temporary traffic signals at the I‑35/Valley View interchange, Silvares said, operate as \"dummy signals\" that move only a single leg at a time and do not run multiple approaches simultaneously. Those cycles give each active leg about a 45‑second green and, combined with the other constraints, create queues on northbound Denton Drive and westbound Valley View Lane.

Why it matters: the intersection serves event traffic for a new Dallas Stars multisport center, local restaurants and commuter traffic from I‑35. Council members said the backups are most severe on tournament weekends and during peak rail or DART crossings.

Council questions and staff answers

When the mayor asked about the service road at Pike, Silvares said, \"they're saying that towards June late June, early July, they're looking to kinda have that traffic switched over and hopefully open up that connection between Pike And 30 5.\" Councilman Jackson noted that opening Pike would only provide limited relief for cars queued on Valley View Lane, and Silvares agreed that the Pike connection is expected to give some additional egress but not fully solve the backups until the larger I‑35 project is finished.

On the broader TxDOT timeline, Silvares said the agency’s current target for major completion of the I‑35 expansion is December, \"maybe come around January 2026,\" and that he meets monthly with the TxDOT project engineer and is receiving regular updates.

Council members asked about interim or short‑term fixes. Silvares said public works has adjusted signal timing to maximize green time for critical movements, particularly the left turn from Denton onto westbound Valley View, and that staff have \"maximized that green cycle\" based on observations. He also said the city is monitoring grant opportunities via the regional council of governments to fund \"smarter infrastructure\" for traffic signals but that no grant has been secured yet.

Staff emphasized uncertainty and monitoring

Silvares cautioned that some elements are outside city control — chiefly TxDOT construction and the staged signals installed for the I‑35 work — and that the city will continue to monitor traffic patterns and adjust signal timing as data permit. He said staff will try to coordinate future signal timing with the new TxDOT signals when those are activated to avoid consecutive red lights along east‑west movements.

Council members asked staff to keep tracking weekend event impacts and to evaluate the temporary measures during any future construction so pedestrians and motorists both are served safely.

Ending

Council members thanked staff for the briefing and asked for continued monitoring and updates as the TxDOT milestones and the Pike service‑road opening approach.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Study Session April 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Ray Silvares, the city’s director of public works, told the Farmers Branch City Council on April 22 that traffic backups at the Denton Drive and Valley View Lane intersection are the result of multiple, overlapping causes.","taxTitle","Farmers Branch, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",56808,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6265599,"Mayor says Farmers Branch seeks equitable DART realignment after council lowered contribution rate",710,2932225,3642685,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3089724-868056c099a2bcf6ad35e55a39d4a0fc&start=2932&end=3642","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3089724-868056c099a2bcf6ad35e55a39d4a0fc/thumbnail_2932225.jpg","/articles/6265599/Farmers-Branch/Dallas-County/Texas/Mayor-says-Farmers-Branch-seeks-equitable-DART-realignment-after-council-lowered-contribution-rate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6265599-4d874340f94483a877d95d8bc8f14d8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447548&Signature=gmEZo-7vWC2UZEyW8HiKxwoRdqLBsOwoH4xwtW4KuFmAjEUH8X~uQP57T~279L2nxV16zCaiy5VtKMltYKtumDUVXwR~oFBQ-5c427sw3tuVKMfAzZ0Vd-V9AvpJBb5QSpHI-uBUYojPIYMe9StuJY5m6Aiy~~v4SwSVHuN2SkGOwTs0SsybIx5uqXni3FVZV98hKfF5WJz2jEbwxRdyH2R~KGYzD45HW3SPQWuuOeSgkeW-9XOk3pJr64zSOl-0Z1Tj3GXDH025GkmgcOvmjyF1dYpwMJMk1ZDBablVX58L~NLgDXOORmE0qeZ1VEMedUZ1JcBu4ZJvxpIDccuBMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The mayor told the Farmers Branch City Council on April 22 that the city is pursuing a more equitable relationship with Dallas Area Rapid Transit after the council unanimously approved a resolution to reduce its 1‑cent DART sales‑tax contribution to three‑quarters of a cent.

\"That resolution passed unanimously,\" the mayor said, adding that the change is intended to press for improved governance, greater accountability and options to direct some funds toward local economic development. The mayor emphasized the city is not trying to leave DART but seeks \"an equitable solution to the situation that we're paying into.\"

The mayor said Farmers Branch pays about $25,000,000 a year to DART and, citing figures the mayor said are from DART and a consultant, receives about $17,000,000 of service benefit — creating an apparent gap of roughly $8,000,000 under current accounting. \"So thus, we are pay we are overpaying for service by about $8,000,000,\" the mayor said.

He listed concerns driving the resolution cities' actions: shared representation on the DART board (Farmers Branch shares a seat with Plano and does not have an independent vote), low ridership at the Farmers Branch light‑rail station, limited local capture of rail‑station economic benefits, and a regional system that has not expanded service areas even as the region has grown.

The mayor said Farmers Branch joined five other member cities in asking the Regional Transportation Council for a study of regional transportation needs and that the group pursued mediation overseen by the RTC after initial negotiations with DART produced little progress. He said mediator talks were led on behalf of the resolution cities by mayors of Irving, Carrollton and Plano but that \"after the number of mediation meetings, many hours, no progress was made.\"

The mayor said legislative remedies are also in play: \"There are a couple bills that are working their way through the House and Senate this session,\" including legislation introduced by state lawmakers, and he referenced work by Sen. Tan Parker. The mayor said he continues to meet with DART leadership and that a long‑term, compromise‑based solution is the goal.

Why it matters: The mayor framed the change as a tool to secure local economic development funds and more responsive governance rather than an attempt to withdraw from DART. He said the matter affects city budgets and business recruitment because reduced access to economic‑development funding tied to transit stations undermines Farmers Branch’s competitiveness when offering incentives to attract employers.

Next steps: The mayor said he will continue to work with fellow mayors of the resolution cities, the Regional Transportation Council and DART leadership, and that the final outcome may be a mix of legislative change and negotiated adjustments at DART.

Ending

The mayor closed by saying he remains committed to dialogue and to pursuing a durable, equitable realignment that maintains regional transit while addressing what he called funding and governance imbalances.","Mayor reported the council previously approved a resolution cutting the city’s 1¢ DART contribution to three‑quarters of a cent and described ongoing talks, mediation and possible legislative action to secure a more equitable funding and governance arrangement with DART.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6265604,"Fleet manager proposes five‑year replacement schedule; council asks for maintenance and cost history",1177,1189950,2367020,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3089724-868056c099a2bcf6ad35e55a39d4a0fc&start=1189&end=2367","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3089724-868056c099a2bcf6ad35e55a39d4a0fc/thumbnail_1189950.jpg","/articles/6265604/Farmers-Branch/Dallas-County/Texas/Fleet-manager-proposes-fiveyear-replacement-schedule-council-asks-for-maintenance-and-cost-history","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6265604-3e45a8f5507ac8b379b7c4524a08fc3d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447548&Signature=QfNy0yEjOUp9Oq8zhGQoHFWK11DYCbRRA7xugPxUJspzwF6cyylI88mZ6ow9kQyltdcNNPYYJtE8bh3xFkdiaJsO19Akxr9V8f3iVtVJ39PXjILau~CaMkpBzKpL5FwELuZzDFETe~Cqowzgopl9TehVLBQ8J3W4yC8tGu-cgcfhbAPEDpwXW5ZDj13tVGTeuGfxySuq7jcVXGtBOpw4-mbuJT-lC74l5hQUiDquDzz5mNh1hKNEePLftFF3P3m2DNDDy1c6Lyzqvwdf76IEoi4E9OrdGRHtMrcLvCI0xnC1P2F23rIKkm28ehKqIOzu3M04ClgvRNrnWQmPUz5pjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kevin Reinartz, the city’s fleet operations manager, presented a five‑year fleet replacement guideline and schedule to the Farmers Branch City Council on April 22 that sets target replacement intervals for major vehicle classes and aims to reduce downtime and maintenance costs.

\"Basically, when I first started here about 2 years ago, there was a distinct lack of a plan to replace our fleet assets,\" Reinartz said. He described the proposed schedule and its goals: lower maintenance costs, reduced downtime, improved safety, better environmental performance and a steadier, long‑term financial plan.

The guideline assigns replacement intervals by vehicle type: police pursuit vehicles on a three‑year plan; ambulances on five years; frontline fire apparatus on a 10‑year schedule with reserves up to 15 years; specialized equipment on eight years; trailers on 12 years; and general fleet on a 10‑year/100,000‑mile or 10,000‑hour metric, whichever comes first.

Council members pressed for data and financial context. Councilwoman Burton and others asked whether the 10‑year target for apparatus had changed and how much of the upcoming budget will be affected. Reinartz said the schedule is a guideline and will be evaluated during budget preparation: \"At that 10 year mark, when we're preparing for a budget, we can... make some adjustments to that.\" He also said fire apparatus lead times can be long — about four years from order to delivery — and that the city has been accelerating high‑priority purchases.

Council members requested additional detail on maintenance history and major component failures. Reinartz said staff track service records and vehicle condition and that moving to more frequent replacement should reduce large repair expenditures. He reported an immediate operational strain from recent crashes: \"We had 2 police vehicles that were totaled... and we had an animal control vehicle that was crashed and a parks vehicle that was crashed.\"

Why it matters: Reinartz said the plan provides predictable, long‑term budgeting by flagging vehicles that will likely require replacement, and that newer low‑mileage units fetch higher auction resale values. He estimated 25–30 percent of the fleet will be due for replacement under the guidelines in the coming year.

Next steps: Reinartz said staff will continue developing five‑year forecasts, refine replacement priorities with departments during budget season, and present maintenance and major repair histories to council on request.

Ending

Council members thanked Reinartz and asked staff to return with detailed maintenance histories, records of major component failures (transmissions, engines) for non‑public safety vehicles, and clear budget impacts for the next cycle.","Fleet Operations Manager Kevin Reinartz presented a five‑year fleet replacement plan with time‑based guidelines (police 3 years, ambulances 5, fire apparatus 10 frontline/15 reserve, general fleet 10 years or 100,000 miles). Council asked for maintenance history, major repair records and confirmation of budget impacts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City hears public‑works briefing on congestion, temporary signals at Denton Drive and Valley View Lane

Mayor says Farmers Branch seeks equitable DART realignment after council lowered contribution rate

Fleet manager proposes five‑year replacement schedule; council asks for maintenance and cost history