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Big News in the 'Big D'; Dallas' DART Opens Light Rail Extension

Several notable public transit-related events took place in Dallas recently, from the launch of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail Blue Line Extension to an increase in the frequency of the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) (co-operated by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority and DART) and the 100th anniversary of the city’s Union Station. A summary follows.

DART Completes Rail System
With the opening of the three-mile Blue Line Extension and two new stations, DART marks the completion of the entire DART rail system with 93 miles of track and 64 stations.

“This extension goes to a part of our community that is in need of more transportation choices. Now a young person starting out in life can pursue a complete, high-quality college education without the burden of car ownership,” said DART President/Executive Director Gary Thomas.

The new line, with stations at Camp Wisdom and UNT-Dallas, connects an area known as the “Education Corridor” to downtown with service to UNT-Dallas, Paul Quinn College and Cedar Valley College.

Thomas also noted that the improved access to the region provided by the Blue Line Extension, along with enhanced crosstown bus service, “make this area more attractive to potential developers and residents.” Recent media reports state that Centurion American Development Group is planning a massive mixed-use project in the University Hills area that will include retail, townhomes and apartments.

“Southern Dallas is our city’s greatest opportunity for growth,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, noting the inventory of land available for development. “This DART extension is a critical piece of the [city’s] GrowSouth vision as we continue to better serve the people of southern Dallas,” he added.

DART opened the first section of the Blue Line’s southern corridor with the opening of DART Rail in 1996, adding a three-mile extension in 1997. Nearly 20 years later, the extension project completes both the alignment and the entire rail network outlined in DART’s 1995 Transit System Plan—the nation’s longest electric light rail system.

TRE Increases Frequency
Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail, operated jointly by DART and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, recently introduced sweeping schedule changes to increase frequency and respond to customer requests for more regular train headways during peak hours.

TRE trains now operate on a 30-minute frequency during morning and evening rush hours and hourly during other weekday hours.

The agencies also announced that they will extend Friday and Saturday evening service an average of one to two hours to encourage travel for weekend activities, while Saturday service will begin between 5 and 6 a.m., an average of three hours earlier than previously, to accommodate early shift workers.

Union Station Marks Centennial
The city of Dallas commemorated the 100th anniversary of the opening of Union Station with ceremonies that included renaming the station in honor of Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and ranking member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

DART President/Executive Director Thomas, who spoke at the event, recognized Johnson’s influential role in the station’s development and for public transit in the city. “Without her, we would not have been able to build the transit network that connects at this hub. We would not have been able to build the system our region asked us to build.”

Thomas called the station “the passenger transportation hub for North Texas.”

Rail Drives Regional Growth
TOD near DART Rail stations is driving the North Texas economic boom with more than $7 billion in economic impact from new or planned construction within a quarter mile of rail stations, according to The Economic and Fiscal Impacts of Development near DART Stations 2014-2015, released Oct. 25 by the UNT Economics Research Group.

Researchers also determined that this activity in 2014-2015 generated more than 43,000 jobs resulting in nearly $3 billion in wages, salaries and benefits. A previous UNT study identified $5.3 billion in TOD near light rail stations between 1996-2013.

“DART, and the projects around it, will sustain our continued growth,” said researcher Michael Carroll. “This very rapid increase in investment and development activity around DART ­stations reflects the improvement in our regional economy. More important, this proves the wisdom of regional leaders in building a regional transit network like DART.”

The study also reports that TOD projects that are completed or under construction near DART stations have already generated $69 million in state and local tax revenue, while potential spending for planned or proposed developments could produce another $160 million in state and local taxes.

Find the report here.

 

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