the offical newsletter of DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT - Summer 2007
Return to www.DART.org It's Been a Great Ride! A letter from the DART Chairman of the Board. Keeping it in Park With temperatures and gas prices boiling over, smart commuters are parking their cars, pocketing their gas cards, and jumping on DART. Summer in the City Keep your cool by riding DART to some of the summer's most exciting destinations. It's a relaxing change of pace, and the most affordable ride around town. Rolling Fast DART Rail has become a fixture in the local culture. Don't look now, but it's about to double in size – and community input is the cornerstone. Open Road to Freedom DART's growing network of HOV lanes gives ride-sharing road warriors the edge in the battle against congestion and pollution. The Sky's the Limit With DART delivering trainloads of economic opportunity, developers and tenants alike are lining up at the stations. Short Trips Track the Green Line online; Victory Park gains EPA laurels; great ride at any price; planning ahead for downtown. DART Board of Directors DART Current and Future Services Map DART: Live, On Tape and Online Contact Webmaster at: eelam@DART.org		Track the New Green Line Online Just as green means go, the new DART Rail Green Line is rapidly taking shape from construction sites from Fair Park and Deep Ellum to the Southwestern Medical District and Love Field area. And this fall, officials are breaking ground for stations in Farmers Branch and Carrollton. Want to track our progress? Our website, www.DART.org, puts a wealth of information at your fingertips, including the latest construction news, special neighborhood alerts, construction photos and video, plus our new online video presentation, "Building and Growing the Green Line." Like what you see? Save our homepage as a favorite, so you can check back whenever you like. From Brown to Green Victory Park – a transit-oriented development emerging on a former downtown brownfield – is a nationally recognized model of cooperation, planning and vision. On Earth Day 2007, the EPA officially recognized the public and private partnerships responsible for the project's success. The $3-billion development flanks American Airlines Center with a new W Hotel and Victory Plaza, the forthcoming Mandarin Oriental Hotel, several designer residences, and a host of shops and restaurants. DART Rail and the Trinity Railway Express currently provide special event service to Victory Station. A Great Ride at Any Price Fares are going up on October 1, but compared to rising gas prices, DART's still the best deal going. A $3 gallon of gas gets you 20 miles of travel, if you're lucky, while DART's new $3 Local Day Pass gets you anywhere in the 13-city DART Service Area – all day long, and without the hassles of traffic and parking. Add DART Express bus and TRE commuter rail to Fort Worth to your service mix for just $2 more with a $5 Premium Pass. Or get seven days worth of service for the price of five with a new Weekly Pass: $15 (Local) and $25 (Premium). Transit fares support the growth of DART's bus and rail network – including construction of the new DART Rail Green Line opening September 2009 thru December 2010. Planning Ahead for Downtown With downtown Dallas booming like never before, DART has launched a comprehensive two-year study – called the Downtown Dallas Transit Study or simply "D2" – to consider future transit needs in the area. Solutions may include a second downtown light rail alignment, as well as modern streetcars and bus improvements. Ernie Martinez, the DART project manager overseeing the study, says a second rail alignment would increase schedule reliability and provide operational flexibility. The starting point for a second light rail alignment is a broad corridor that extends from Victory Park to Deep Ellum. "Significant parts of downtown have no direct rail access," Martinez points out. "It would be great for those areas to get on board." DART will take into account cost-effectiveness, economic development opportunities and input from stakeholders. The latest D2 news is available at www.DART.org/D2, where the public can also offer feedback. Additionally, DART will be conducting public meetings and workshops, as well as creating advisory committees. Straight to the Future The old "S" curve that slows DART Rail trains entering and exiting the downtown portal of the subway under North Central Expressway is being replaced with a straighter rail configuration that will speed train trips and lower maintenance costs. Staged with a series of highway and street improvements on the northeastern edge of the Central Business District, DART's Bryan-Hawkins Project also will make way for a smooth connection to the new Green Line that will link downtown to Deep Ellum, Fair Park, South Dallas and Pleasant Grove. The Green Line, which begins a phased opening in September 2009, also features a Northwest Corridor serving Victory Station, the Dallas Market Center, Southwestern Medical District, Love Field Airport area, Farmers Branch and Carrollton. The Bryan-Hawkins Project began this summer with the removal and reconstruction of the retaining wall extending from the south subway portal. Work in the area is expected to continue through June 2009. Return to the Inmotion front page