Dallas

[Plutonic Panda]

I read something somewhere, maybe you posted it, that the standards for commuter rail or heavy rail train cars have changed and now allow for lighter commuter rail cars or something like that.

If that is the case, im guessing these will be the newer commuter rail cars that fall in the new standards?

I figured the TRE trains went by the old standards. I like the TRE trains a lot actually. Very smooth ride for the most part.

[okatty]

Pretty amazing stats on growth in DFW metro...

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/...rowth-62539169

[Rover]

Pretty amazing stats on growth in DFW metro...

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/...rowth-62539169

So, To put things in perspective, just since 2010, Texas has increased population by almost the total population of Oklahoma. Increase in DFW over past 7 years equals 2/3 of the entire OKC metro.

[jonny d]

So, To put things in perspective, just since 2010, Texas has increased population by almost the total population of Oklahoma. Increase in DFW over past 7 years equals 2/3 of the entire OKC metro.

I don't see how OK can compete with the economic machine to the south. Just need to tread water and not sink until the momentum there boils over.

[BG918]

I don't see how OK can compete with the economic machine to the south. Just need to tread water and not sink until the momentum there boils over.

Texas isn’t for everyone and not every business wants to or needs to be there. They have a lot of advantages but so does Oklahoma.

[jonny d]

Texas isn’t for everyone and not every business wants to or needs to be there. They have a lot of advantages but so does Oklahoma.

OK is too busy with stupid laws like banning cities from banning plastic bags to take advantage of those advantages. I would love, in my lifetime, to see one Fortune 500 move their HQ to OKC. We have a couple, but they didn't move here.

[ChrisHayes]

OK is too busy with stupid laws like banning cities from banning plastic bags to take advantage of those advantages. I would love, in my lifetime, to see one Fortune 500 move their HQ to OKC. We have a couple, but they didn't move here.

I get tired of this argument. Every state has stupid laws. In the end, businesses care about what kind of business environment they'll be working in, and the labor force.

[jonny d]

I get tired of this argument. Every state has stupid laws. In the end, businesses care about what kind of business environment they'll be working in, and the labor force.

And OK does nothing to increase the attractiveness of either to white-collar businesses. My point stands. It is about priorities. Texas attracts them, OK does not.

[Rover]

Texas isn’t for everyone and not every business wants to or needs to be there. They have a lot of advantages but so does Oklahoma.

Texas has a huge advantages with education, air infrastructure, seaports, and most of all CAPITAL.

[OKC Guy]

And OK does nothing to increase the attractiveness of either to white-collar businesses. My point stands. It is about priorities. Texas attracts them, OK does not.

I disagree. OK is growing just fine. The Dallas growth is not sustainable over the long term and such fast growth puts a strain on services and overcrowding. I like that we have sustainable growth here and are not packed in so tight. My take is if a person likes Dallas so much they will move. OKC is a perfectly sized city with good growth. We are attracting business too. We have enough problems with less growth just imagine how much more they have in Dallas.

I never understand this wanting to be Dallas sized or trying to compare us to them. We are us and most like it that way. We are growing yet not over growing. I say we are “right sized”. Can always drive to Dallas on weekends if needing something more. Then leave the overcrowding and come back here Sun.

[bchris02]

I get tired of this argument. Every state has stupid laws. In the end, businesses care about what kind of business environment they'll be working in, and the labor force.

Oklahoma takes the cake though. But, this is a one-party state and in one party states, government becomes dysfunctional as it tends to pander to the extremists to everyone else's detriment. Government functions best when there's a left and a right and there can be some kind of compromise. More and more though that's becoming a thing of the past, not just in Oklahoma but in many other states as well.

Surprisingly, 2019 is a lot worse for Texas when it comes to stupid draconian right-wing laws than its been for Oklahoma. I never thought I would see the day.

[OKC Guy]

Oklahoma takes the cake though. But, this is a one-party state and in one party states, government becomes dysfunctional as it tends to pander to the extremists to everyone else's detriment. Government functions best when there's a left and a right and there can be some kind of compromise. More and more though that's becoming a thing of the past, not just in Oklahoma but in many other states as well.

Surprisingly, 2019 is a lot worse for Texas when it comes to stupid draconian right-wing laws than its been for Oklahoma. I never thought I would see the day.

Spare me the politics this is Dallas thread not politics thread

[progressiveboy]

I have to agree. OKC has not landed a Fortune 500 or 1000 company in decades. OKC has the mentality of the boom and bust cycle with O&G. No long term stability. OKC has diversified "somewhat", however it still lacks the high income jobs and increased wealth. The mindset of "some" of its residents and government officials completely baffle me.

[BG918]

I have to agree. OKC has not landed a Fortune 500 or 1000 company in decades. OKC has the mentality of the boom and bust cycle with O&G. No long term stability. OKC has diversified "somewhat", however it still lacks the high income jobs and increased wealth. The mindset of "some" of its residents and government officials completely baffle me.

How many F500 or 1000 companies have relocated to other similarly-sized cities? I would think the list is pretty small. Most companies move from smaller cities to larger ones, or from expensive cities in CA and the NE to cheaper large cities in the Sunbelt.

[Plutonic Panda]

How many F500 or 1000 companies have relocated to other similarly-sized cities? I would think the list is pretty small. Most companies move from smaller cities to larger ones, or from expensive cities in CA and the NE to cheaper large cities in the Sunbelt.

I understand what you’re saying and this isn’t directed at you, but I really dislike it when people defend bad things like this by saying “other cities and states have this problem too.”

[progressiveboy]

This looks promising for Dallas! Major hub outside of San Francisco! 3,000 jobs and the pay scale looks pretty darn good!!


https://www.dallasnews.com/business/...-san-francisco

[progressiveboy]

It's official! Dallas lands major hub for Uber! 3,000 jobs.


https://hosted.ap.org/journalrecord/...ting-3000-jobs

[Plutonic Panda]

Good get for Dallas. Would be a true game changer for OKC. For Dallas just another indicator of the norm.

[HOT ROD]

wow, that would be an insane get if OKC were to get that. $400M per year and 3K jobs and in TECH. Wow!

OKC really needs to see what Dallas and other cities are doing and step it up, no way should OKC have been left out if they ended up choosing the trendy area of Dallas (of which OKC does have equal).

[jonny d]

wow, that would be an insane get if OKC were to get that. $400M per year and 3K jobs and in TECH. Wow!

OKC really needs to see what Dallas and other cities are doing and step it up, no way should OKC have been left out if they ended up choosing the trendy area of Dallas (of which OKC does have equal).

We do? They have 2x the population of Oklahoma in an area roughly the size of OKC (slight exaggeration, but still).

Also, we have plenty of people on this board totally against incentives of any kind. Texas cities throw them around like candy. OK can't compete with that, when Dallas has a bigger budget that the entire state, almost (probably not, but the point still stands OKC is not at all equal with DFW, strictly on size and human capital alone).

[josh]

wow, that would be an insane get if OKC were to get that. $400M per year and 3K jobs and in TECH. Wow!

OKC really needs to see what Dallas and other cities are doing and step it up, no way should OKC have been left out if they ended up choosing the trendy area of Dallas (of which OKC does have equal).

[bchris02]

Oklahoma, being a state that has spoken loud and clear that it isn't interested in prioritizing education at any level, is always going to have a hard time landing stuff like this until something changes at 23rd and Lincoln. Plus, OKC will probably always be somewhat cursed by it's proximity to Dallas. There's a lot of momentum in Dallas and in Austin that is lacking in OKC, especially in the tech sector. If I was the CEO of a company trying to relocate out of California and was choosing between Dallas and OKC it would be a no-brainer. Dallas offers most of the advantages of OKC like a low cost of living and business-friendly economic climate but also has a hub airport, much larger and more diverse workforce, and a more positive national perception. OKC has more of an advantage when it comes to developments where a lot of land is needed at the lowest possible price, such as that Amazon distribution center.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ I think OKC’s proximity to Dallas is more of blessing than a curse with few exceptions.

[ChrisHayes]

I think there's starting to be an uptick in the number of people actually relocating from DFW to Oklahoma City. It's not a LOT, but it's starting to increase. I go to the Citydata forums and am a member of a OKC area FB group and I'm starting to see people moving here from Dallas. They're citing the cost of living as being the main driver. The cost of living is starting to go up quite a bit there because of the rapid growth. They're building large apartment complexes and sprawling subdivisions, but it can't keep up.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ I am seeing tons of Texas plates in OKC. Much more than I remember years ago.