DTX-KRN: Impact 10/31/2025

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Roanoke City Council approved the site plan for a parking garage on US 377 between Main Street and Bowie Street at the Oct. 28 council meeting. 

The overview: The five story parking garage is on 0.902 acres and includes 430 parking spaces, Roanoke Development Services Administrator JR Hames said. 

“It’s a beautiful structure,” Mayor Scooter Gierisch said. “You’re always concerned when you think of a parking garage, but this thing is something really good. We’re excited about it.” 

The cost for the garage is $22 million and will be paid for with a certificate of obligations bond, which city officials approved the issuance of on Oct. 14.  

The construction is anticipated to start in 2026 and is expected to take 18 months, city officials said. 

WheelCraft Studio, a community-based creative space, is opening soon in Fort Worth.

What they offer: The studio offers a space for people of all ages and abilities to explore their artistic potential, owner Megan Jacobsen said.

• 5771 Park Vista Circle, Fort Worth

University of North Texas President Harrison Keller announced the Texas Talent Accelerator, a program designed to better develop and match workforce talent with employers, during a Sept. 4 panel event at UNT’s Frisco Campus.

In a nutshell: The Accelerator aims to optimize education and job training to meet labor demands in the growing North Texas economy, Keller said.

“We have rising sectors in financial services, supply chain and logistics, healthcare, film and entertainment,” Keller said. “We have the most top-tier higher education institutions of any of the metro areas. ... We have all the pieces of the puzzle, but we need to connect them more strategically.”

Since Nov. 7, 2000, at least one person has died on Texas roads every day, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. As the Lone Star State nears 25 years of daily traffic deaths, officials at all levels of government are investing in new roadway safety projects and encouraging Texas drivers to do their part to curb deadly crashes.

The big picture: In the past 25 years, over 91,000 people have died on Texas roads. That is enough people to fill Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, according to TxDOT.

On average, 11 people died daily on Texas roads last year. In 2025, an average of 10 people had died per day as of Sept. 24.

Zooming in: State and local leaders found that the top factors in severe crashes include:

• Impaired driving
• High speeds
• Distracted driving
• Pedestrian and cyclist safety
• Lack of seatbelt use
• Roadway or lane departures
• Wrong-way driving