After months of reviewing and researching possibilities, TREC calls on Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) officials to revise its current D2 light-rail alignment plan for downtown Dallas, instead making the entire new line fully underground.
“We believe that complete underground alignment of the new downtown DART line is the best option for our city because it will create greater cohesion and connectivity among our communities and facilitate the ongoing flow of street and pedestrian traffic,” said Linda McMahon, TREC president and CEO. “An underground alignment will enable our city to attract new economic development opportunities by promoting a quality of life that will retain and expand a well-trained workforce and further develop downtown’s vibrant urban core.”
At present, DART’s light-rail lines intersect in downtown Dallas on one alignment so that all four lines operate on a single set of tracks throughout its 90-mile network. Robust growth across the North Texas region and line extensions have fueled increased use of the rail system. However, as DART and Dallas City Officials already recognize, accommodating this growth is becoming more difficult due to limitations on the number of trains and operating frequency associated with the single track system currently in place.
Development of a second light-rail line will provide more consistent and reliable service for customers, as well as relieve congestion along the existing alignment. It will also increase the system’s connectivity and increase the transit agency’s ability to respond to incidents that impede service without impacting the entire system.