#DCTA #Denton County Transportation Authority sent out digital flyers for #GoZone by #Via encouraging students to ride with the service. D2 rode the other day and it took almost an hour to get a ride. Luckily, she had a place to wait inside. Plus, GoZone doesn’t service all of #Denton. Schools outside the Loop are in a bind, even if in city limits.

Just found out that #DCTA #GoZone does not go to LaGrone Academy. 😡 #Denton transit just stinks.

Council member Watts doing his own math on how much sales tax #DCTA collects in #Denton and what the city deserves for that.

He's asking about vans dedicated to people with mobility issues so that people don't get stranded by GoZone. Hello?

Watts was on DCTA board that chose GoZone over buses, as the entire executive staff quit over the decision because they knew the system would collapse in Denton.

Dear Denton City Council, you are not the DCTA board. Stop already.

#LocalNews

#Denton's Committee on Persons with Disabilities met with #DCTA yesterday to discuss how VIA's GoZone does not, and may never, serve basic needs.

As well as I understood this, some of the discussion still surprised me. We'll air that on Weekend Edition, 4 p.m. Sat. on KUZU-FM92.9.

Pro tip: committees don't "manage" discussions the way elected officials sometimes do, which can create room for real progress.

The fix starts with seeing public transit as a SYSTEM, one that serves all riders.

#Denton reporter Christian McPhate should get extra pay for watching this part of the meeting and trying to help fellow citizens make sense of the unraveling.

I'm still glad I voted with my feet and opted to report the parts of the meeting where our government still functions.

This #DCTA madness has to stop. We need transit.

#LocalNews

https://dentonrc.com/news/denton/denton_city_council/denton-council-meeting-unravels-after-mayor-s-behavior-which-one-attendee-calls-rude-and-disrespectful/article_41937e12-d35b-5b79-8c92-872995b74464.html

The city council is finally getting an update from Alison Maguire, who they tried to remove as #Denton's representative to #DCTA.

The mayor is prohibiting her from making the full presentation so council members can ask questions first.

This is backwards from the council's standing practice to hear presentations first and then ask questions, which saves time and limits posturing.

So, you know, this is going to get seriously belabored.

#Denton mayor denies his pitch for the ordinance to prohibit people with active lawsuits from serving on boards and commissions is an oblique effort to remove Maguire from #DCTA board, but he gets only lukewarm support from Davis, Watts, who are concerned the ordinance could have unintended effects.

And from Beck, Byrd and McGee's chairs, one hears only crickets.

This means mayor's pitch for the ordinance goes nowhere.

#Denton mayor denies his pitch for the ordinance to prohibit people with active lawsuits from serving on boards and commissions is an oblique effort to remove Maguire from #DCTA board, but he gets only lukewarm support from Davis, Watts, who are concerned the ordinance could have unintended effects.

And from Beck, Byrd and McGee's chairs, one hears only crickets.

This means mayor's pitch for the ordinance goes nowhere.

In a few minutes, we'll hear the second swing at an effort to remove Alison Maguire as the city's rep to #DentonCounty United Way's behavioral health team and #DCTA, although it is being couched as an ordinance prohibiting people who are suing the city to serve on boards and commissions.

ICYMI Maguire and several voters have an active case against her recall.

In a few minutes, we'll hear the second swing at an effort to remove Alison Maguire as the city's rep to #DentonCounty United Way's behavioral health team and #DCTA, although it is being couched as an ordinance prohibiting people who are suing the city to serve on boards and commissions.

ICYMI Maguire and several voters have an active case against her recall.

Poor #Denton city manager. There is no consensus among council members about how to move forward with #DCTA.

There's what a 3-3 body gets you, Denton.

But, good news for DCTA. They get their chance to get strong enough to resist continued micromanaging of the bus and GoZone system by Denton.

Poor #Denton city manager. There is no consensus among council members about how to move forward with #DCTA.

There's what a 3-3 body gets you, Denton.

But, good news for DCTA. They get their chance to get strong enough to resist continued micromanaging of the bus and GoZone system by Denton.

#Denton city manager is trying again to get clarity from mayor on what the city council #DCTA discussion will be.

Mayor seems to think that there will be a new direction coming from Denton, with this 3-3 body.

McGee pressing again for clarity, pointing out mayor's call is leaning toward micromanaging DCTA

"No other body has that kind of money unchecked," the mayor tells him.

Now it's a chicken-and-egg discussion. DCTA report first, or policy fight first.

Buckle up, #Denton

#Denton city manager is trying again to get clarity from mayor on what the city council #DCTA discussion will be.

Mayor seems to think that there will be a new direction coming from Denton, with this 3-3 body.

McGee pressing again for clarity, pointing out mayor's call is leaning toward micromanaging DCTA

"No other body has that kind of money unchecked," the mayor tells him.

Now it's a chicken-and-egg discussion. DCTA report first, or policy fight first.

Buckle up, #Denton

Watts continues to think about #Denton and #DCTA as a segregated transit system, one that serves UNT separate from the rest of the community.

Which is fatal for the system, imho

Denton, keep an eye on Davis, Watts, Mayor Hudspeth. They see DCTA's $$ and question their spending.

There is accountability and then there is micromanaging. DCTA isn't strong enough yet to resist micromanaging.

Watts continues to think about #Denton and #DCTA as a segregated transit system, one that serves UNT separate from the rest of the community.

Which is fatal for the system, imho

Denton, keep an eye on Davis, Watts, Mayor Hudspeth. They see DCTA's $$ and question their spending.

There is accountability and then there is micromanaging. DCTA isn't strong enough yet to resist micromanaging.

#Denton mayor, Davis, Watts are making this about personal politics, which Beck, Byrd now trying to redirect away from Maguire.

Byrd says she wants better context for #DCTA ridership data, as does Beck. Byrd says data has not been apples-to-apples comparisons.

Watts trying to say council has changed (it's a 3-3 body) and they need a DCTA policy discussion.

Cuts to bus routes came from Watts. And now, he acknowledges, UNT students are flooding GoZone because of those cuts

Duh.

#Denton mayor, Davis, Watts are making this about personal politics, which Beck, Byrd now trying to redirect away from Maguire.

Byrd says she wants better context for #DCTA ridership data, as does Beck. Byrd says data has not been apples-to-apples comparisons.

Watts trying to say council has changed (it's a 3-3 body) and they need a DCTA policy discussion.

Cuts to bus routes came from Watts. And now, he acknowledges, UNT students are flooding GoZone because of those cuts

Duh.

#Denton fails to remove Alison Maguire from #DCTA board in a 3-3 vote.

Whiskey drinking has begun.

Now the #Denton mayor is on a rant about a former council member. He is off-topic.

They don't have the votes to remove Maguire from #DCTA, so why the scorched earth?

Remember this when you vote, Denton.