DALLAS | Public Transport

[dfwcre8tive]

Here are some of the rail construction projects (light rail, streetcar, regional rail) in the DFW area.

___________________________


DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Green Line: constructing a 28-mile light rail line connecting Carrollton/NW Dallas to Pleasant Grove/SE Dallas through downtown Dallas. First segment opens in September 2009 with other stations opening in 2010.

Website: http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/greenline.asp

Map:



Station Designs:






































___________________________


DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Orange Line: constructing a 14-mile light rail line connecting downtown Dallas to DFW Airport through Irving/Las Colinas opening in 2011-2013; groundbreaking on April 13, 2009.

Website: http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/orangeline.asp

Map:



Station Designs:













___________________________


DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Blue Line: constructing a 4.5-mile light rail line extending the Blue Line to Downtown Rowlett in 2012; groundbreaking on April 9, 2009. Also constructing Lake Highlands Station, an infill station opening in 2010.

Website: http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/blueline.asp

Map:






___________________________


DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) D2 Line: constructing a second alignment/subway through downtown Dallas to relieve traffic with the opening of the DART Green Line and Orange Line.

Website: http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/...dallasmaps.asp

Map:



Each of the light rail alternatives:

1. Follow the same route from Victory Station to the West End and follow DART-owned right-of-way through Victory Park
2. Turn south on the east side of Houston Street to a station adjacent to the future Museum of Nature and Science
3. Pass under Woodall Rodgers Freeway, crossing the frontage roads at-grade and descending into a tunnel to become fully underground at Lamar Street
4. Continue south under Lamar Street and the existing transit mall
5. Use a new underground station that facilitates West End Station, West Bus Center, and future Rosa Parks Bus Plaza transfers
6. Converge at a common point south of the Deep Ellum Station on the Southeast Corridor (Green Line).

___________________________


DART SLRV Vehicles:

DART is adding a middle low-floor section to all 115 light rail vehicles. The modified cars are known as Super Light Rail Vehicles (SLRVs) because of the greater length and added passenger capacity. The SLRV will seat approximately 100 passengers compared with 75 on the current vehicles. Standing passengers on the vehicle can nearly double the capacity. It also has dedicated bike areas and the upgrades include automated station announcements. All of DART's station platforms have to be raised 12 inches for level boarding; downtown station platforms were raised in 2008 in anticipation of the Green Line and other stations will be raised in 2009.





___________________________


Downtown Dallas Streetcar Circulator: planning a modern downtown Dallas streetcar circulator system in a partnership between DART and the City of Dallas. The streetcar planning element of the D2 Study began in February 2008. Its focus has been:

1. To consider and recommend a governance and organizational structure for a streetcar system;
2. To consider and recommend a funding strategy for the system; and,
3. To recommend an initial alignment and an operating plan for a streetcar starter system.


Website: http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/...eetcarplanning

Map:












___________________________


OCTA (Oak Cliff Transit Authority) Streetcar Line: planning a modern and vintage PCC streetcar line on restored Oak Cliff streetcar tracks.


Website: http://www.oakcliffta.com/

Map:


___________________________


Fort Worth Streetcar System: planning several modern streetcar lines connecting activity areas within the city of Fort Worth.

Website: http://www.fortworthgov.org/planning....aspx?id=57270


Map:
image hosted on flickr


http://fortworthology.com/lightrail/


___________________________


The T (Fort Worth Transit Authority) SW2NE Line: planning a regional rail line connecting SW Fort Worth to Grapevine and DFW Airport opening in 2012-2013.

Website: http://www.sw2nerail.com/

Map:




___________________________


DCTA (Denton County Transit Authority) A-Train: constructing a 21-mile regional rail line connecting Denton with DART's Green Line Trinity Mills Station in 2010.

Website: http://www.mya-train.com

Map:




Station designs:











Vehicles:

DCTA will be leasing TRE's Budd RDCs through 2010-2012, bringing 12 Stadler GTWs on line after they are built and tested (2011-2012).

[dfwcre8tive]

Here are some recent Green Line construction photos:

MLK Station







Baylor Station







Fair Park Station

[salaverryo]

Will the Green Line be sharing the Pacific Street corridor in downtown Dallas with the Red & Blue Lines? Too many lines for a single set of tracks, it seems to me. The traffic lights will be forever on red for the crossing streets.

[dfwcre8tive]

Originally Posted by salaverryo

Will the Green Line be sharing the Pacific Street corridor in downtown Dallas with the Red & Blue Lines? Too many lines for a single set of tracks, it seems to me. The traffic lights will be forever on red for the crossing streets.

Yes, when the Green Line opens in 6 months it will share the downtown transit mall with the Red and Blue lines. They are updating the signals to give trains priority over other traffic, since there will be a train going through there every 5 minutes. With the Orange Line open congestion will be even worse.

This traffic problem is the main reason for the DART D2 project, which is projected to open in 2014 after the Orange Line opening. The new subway line will keep things moving through downtown and will make the West End station a main transfer point between light rail lines.

[Dallas star]

Great thread! I created one of these in the South East development thread! You should definitely link it too this thread. Also, it's great to have another Dallas member, you should visit the SE forum and post with the rest of us Dallasites

[Ganis]

Originally Posted by salaverryo

Will the Green Line be sharing the Pacific Street corridor in downtown Dallas with the Red & Blue Lines? Too many lines for a single set of tracks, it seems to me. The traffic lights will be forever on red for the crossing streets.

I know! They are working on underground lines through downtown to the south east.

[Ganis]

also, between the 3 of us who care about Dallas on here (4 as soon as Rantonamo finds this) Do you guys think DART needs to start looking at new streamline trains? Like what Houston did?

[dfwcre8tive]

DART paid for their custom designed vehicle and the trains are perfect for the purpose they serve... commuter service up to 65mph on dedicated guideways (except through downtown, for now). The recently modified SLRV cars serve the Dallas region with a high capacity, easy access metro-style system.

The rail systems of Dallas and Houston are quite different; while they may be more "streamlined," Houston's new vehicles will only have a top speed of 43mph since they run primarily in street traffic. DART will most likely use a modern "streamlined" vehicle for their slower modern streetcar service downtown.

So while they aren't the most modern vehicle, they serve DART well, have held up well over 10+ years and I like their unique design.

[hoosier]

Very impressive system!

It is very heartwarming to see a city so often associated with sprawl and highway dependency making such a great investment in rail transit.

Keep building Dallas!

[mrmocha413]

Love to see that Texas is finally rolling on the ball with mass transit, now if only more of its people will lessen their intake of Mexican and Southern food, and attempt to walk a few feet to a light rail stop instead of reaching for the keys and a two step walk to the car.

[Benn]

Originally Posted by Ganis

also, between the 3 of us who care about Dallas on here (4 as soon as Rantonamo finds this) Do you guys think DART needs to start looking at new streamline trains? Like what Houston did?

I think the Modifications with the new center section is probably the most effective option, especially considering the current rolling stock is pretty recent, The latest generaltion of LRVs, like the Avanto trainsets in Houston look better, and may work slightly better in mixed traffic, but I really don't see the need throw down money on new rolling stock for a good 10-15 years. That money would be better spent on stations and commuter service, especially given the size of the Dallas metro area.

And it is really nice to see someone putting in multiple unit commuter service. First Austin, now Dallas and soon to be Denver (their even going all out on EMUs last I heard) I am disappointed with metro transit (Minneapolis/St Paul) going with the monster Bi Level push/pull trains for the Nothstar Corridor.

[Ganis]

Originally Posted by mrmocha413

Love to see that Texas is finally rolling on the ball with mass transit, now if only more of its people will lessen their intake of Mexican and Southern food, and attempt to walk a few feet to a light rail stop instead of reaching for the keys and a two step walk to the car.

This has been going on in Dallas since 95. But rider ship on DART climes at a rate around 5 to 9% a year so soon more people should be ridding Dart then driving.

[salaverryo]

Originally Posted by dfwcre8tive

DART paid for their custom designed vehicle and the trains are perfect for the purpose they serve... commuter service up to 65mph on dedicated guideways (except through downtown, for now). The recently modified SLRV cars serve the Dallas region with a high capacity, easy access metro-style system.

The rail systems of Dallas and Houston are quite different; while they may be more "streamlined," Houston's new vehicles will only have a top speed of 43mph since they run primarily in street traffic. DART will most likely use a modern "streamlined" vehicle for their slower modern streetcar service downtown.

So while they aren't the most modern vehicle, they serve DART well, have held up well over 10+ years and I like their unique design.

The rail "system" of Houston is -for the time being- a glorified streetcar running on a track not even 8 miles long on city streets. The Dallas SYSTEM is a network of commuter/suburban TRAINS which function as trams only when crossing the downtown area.

[Ganis]

DART is the best Light Rail System in the world over the past 15 years. It was planned right and has the proper growth and is one of the heart lines for Dallas.

[dwdwone]

Originally Posted by dfwcre8tive

Yes, when the Green Line opens in 6 months it will share the downtown transit mall with the Red and Blue lines. They are updating the signals to give trains priority over other traffic, since there will be a train going through there every 5 minutes. With the Orange Line open congestion will be even worse.

This traffic problem is the main reason for the DART D2 project, which is projected to open in 2013 soon after the Orange Line opening. The new subway line will keep things moving through downtown and will make the West End station a main transfer point between light rail lines.

What makes you think that D2 will be done by 2013? According to thespecs on DART.org, the alignment won't be selected until after the new lines start running. Subway is only one option, and there are actually several subway options and one or two above ground options.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it open in 2013, but according to DART's service plan, things aren't going to happen that way.

[Jayayess1190]

Dallas is my favorite city in Texas. I visited with my father a few years ago, and we also went to Fort Worth and Houston. We rode the lightrail and the TRE from Dallas to Ft.Worth and back. Great to see such improvements to the area transit while here in Philly Septa struggles to find funding.

[Xusein]

Impressive, I like it, although I'm not a fan of the design of the rolling stock.

The renderings for the stations look great, and IMO, a lot have excellent TOD potential.

[Songoten2554]

man dallas is stepping up alot great job man i hope other cities take a note on dallas for this.

man dallas is lucky.

[dfwcre8tive]

Originally Posted by dwdwone

What makes you think that D2 will be done by 2013? According to thespecs on DART.org, the alignment won't be selected until after the new lines start running. Subway is only one option, and there are actually several subway options and one or two above ground options.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it open in 2013, but according to DART's service plan, things aren't going to happen that way.

I was wrong. DART wants to open the line in 2014, but it could be pushed back if they try to get additional funds or go for a more expensive option, etc. DART made a commitment with the city in the past to have it in service by 2018.

The alignment is going to be chosen by the DART Board between June-August 2009. All four of the options include a subway station at Metro Center and subway tunnel for at least the North-South section of the route.

[dwdwone]

What amazes me is that Dallas is becomming decentralized yet there is a continued focus on the CBD. I understand the system is getting jammed, and I'm pleased they had the foresight to build a subway as opposed to a transit mall. Its just that nothing much goes on in downtown Dallas, especially at night. Compare it with downtown Fort Worth, where there is always something happening, day or night, and I'd say tongue-in-cheek that maybe they should put the subway there instead.

Also, DART's MO seems to be they like to establish a line nearby a main corridor in order to foster development. I dn't know if this is a wise decision. Finally, whether it be roads or rail, central Dallas seems to be ignored in transport scheme of themes. I'm talking about the central area north of downtown, such as Oak Lawn-Turtle Creek, all the way straight up and north through Addison. There is no cross Dallas Expressway. If we want to reroute traffic, maybe a subway under Fitzgugh or Mockingbird connecting East an West.

Fat chance but I do think it makes sense.