International Railway Journal - October 2008 - (Page 44) North America “Our biggest challenge is that we don’t go everywhere our passengers want to go. Giving them the best choice means building the network as quickly as possible.” Gary Thomas voted for the sales tax, and have been paying into Dart for a quarter of a century, want to see light rail serving their area. “People are saying they need transport choices now and they are clamouring for more light rail lines, but Dart is a 12-year-old system with a long way to go,” explains Thomas. “Our biggest challenge is that we don’t go everywhere our passengers want to go. Giving them the best choice means building the network as quickly as possible. There will also be huge cost benefits to bringing these projects forward because of the rising price of construction materials.” “We’re looking at new sources of funding that can pull long-term extensions forward and get them open sooner. Public-private partnerships (PPP) could be an effective way of doing this. A private sector contribution is needed if these projects are going to happen.” The Federal Department of Transportation is currently studying Green Line at Bachman to Las Colinas, and this will be extended to Belt Line Road in 2012 and Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Airport North in 2013. The 7.2km Blue Line extension from Downtown Garland to Rowlett will be completed in December 2012. In addition to the projects listed above, Dart’s 2030 transit system plan envisages the construction of a further 28.1km of light rail lines, including: a 4.7km southern extension from Ledbetter to Bonnie View Road and the I-20 highway a 6.9km branch off the Green Line along Scyene Road to the Masters Drive area a 6.9km extension of the Red Line south to Red Bird Lane, and a 9.6km line in West Dallas along Fort Worth Avenue or Singleton to Loop 12/Jefferson Boulevard. Studies are also underway into a second line through Dallas city centre, which could open by 2014. This ambitious programme requires a higher level of funding than the Dallas local sales tax can support, and the North Carrollton/Frankford need to investigate other sources of funding is made Carrollton more urgent by the increasing demand Farmers Branch for light rail. Those DFW Airport districts which n Gree Line Parker Road Plano Lin e LBJ/Central Blue Line Red Arpacho Center Garland Rowlett LBJ/Skillman Irving Centerpoint DFW Airport West to Fort Irving Worth South Irving Bachman Love Field Airport Medical/ Market Center Union Station Convention Center Re dL ine e Blu e Lin Mockingbird Deep Ellum MLK Lawnview ee Gr nL ine N 8th & Corinth DART LRT Lines open Under construction Planned Trinity Railway Express Line open Westmoreland Buckner Ledbetter IRJ The Dart light rail network is due to double in size by 2013. 44 IRJ October 2008
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