Plano officials have moved forward with the Collin County Connects Committee, a citizen-led group to identify the city’s alternative local transit system.

At their Nov. 24 meeting, Plano City Council members appointed 12 members to the committee, which will be chaired by former Plano Mayor Phil Dyer.

Some context: Plano residents will vote on whether the city should stay with Dallas Area Rapid Transit on May 2, 2026, unless an agreement between the city and agency is met prior to March 18. After calling the election at a special meeting Nov. 5, Plano officials formally asked DART to consider a six-year, rail-focused transit agreement as an alternative to the looming election.

What you need to know: The committee members will “evaluate factors like accessibility, safety, cost, wait times, connectivity and cleanliness” and share their recommendation with City Council on Dec. 16, according to the city's website. Plano City Council appointed 12 members in total representing those with disabilities, seniors, transit riders, business owners, downtown Plano and underrepresented groups.

Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe is slated to open in December in Plano, a company representative said.

On the menu: The eatery serves sandwiches, pizzas, mac and cheese bowls, soups, salads and more.

• 8448 Parkwood Blvd., Ste. 300, Plano

Medical City Healthcare officials and local law enforcement agencies recovered over 1,500 pounds of unused medication in Dallas-Fort Worth as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Oct. 25, according to a news release from the hospital system.

Medical City hospitals in Arlington, Dallas, Decatur, Denton, Frisco and McKinney participated and accepted unused prescription and over-the-counter medications.

By the numbers: McKinney led the area in drug returns, with 644 pounds of unused medication returned to Medical City McKinney at the city's police department, according to data from the hospital system. Collections for other participating hospitals took place at the respective hospital sites.

Waymo is gearing up to roll out fully autonomous driving in Houston and Dallas.

The gist: The move comes as Waymo begins driverless operations in Miami, with launches planned in four additional cities—Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Orlando—over the next several weeks, according to a Nov. 18 news release.

Waymo leaders said expanding to new markets has become increasingly streamlined thanks to its “generalizable” Waymo Driver and a consistent operational playbook.

According to the company, the shift to fully autonomous driving—once viewed as a major technological leap—has become routine as its safety systems and deployment strategy mature.

Diving in deeper: The company reports its vehicles have already shown strong safety performance, with 11 times fewer serious-injury collisions compared with human drivers in its current operating areas.