[electricron]

Originally Posted by AlpacaObsessor

Ideally I'd like to see a dynamic similar to Chicago's transit agencies, where you have the CTA which focuses on providing high frequency train and bus transit within the city limits and inner ring suburbs, METRA which operates the commuter rail system which seamlessly whisks suburban commuters in and out of the city and acts as an anchor for many suburban town centers, and Pace which provides bus service to the suburbs using METRA stations as nodes. All three of which fall under the purview of the RTA (Regional Transit Authority). Dallas' situation just gives us suburban-like transit planning in the central city, and rail projects in the suburbs that will ultimately end up under-utilized. Again, I'm not opposed to rail in the suburbs, but it's currently being done at the expense of projects in the central city where the same dollars would generate larger marginal effects.

Does it really matter how the trains are divided when everyone is funded by the same RTA? DART shares the costs of the TRE (Chicago's METRA equivalent) with FWTA because the railroad corridor is owned by both. DCTA runs on a DART owned railroad corridor, but pays for its own operations. TexRail runs mostly on a DART owned railroad corridor, but pays for its own operations. DART's Silver Line will also run on a DART owned corridor, and DART will pay for its own operations just like it does all its other rail lines; Red, Blue, Green, and Orange. Oh, by the way, DCTA and FWTA (now Trinity Metro) only levy a half cent sales tax to subsidize their operations, while every DART member city levy a full cent sales tax. The DFW metroplex is far more complicated than RTA because of the different sale tax rates, and the multiple of independent transit systems.

Additionally, while Chicago's transit services are far more frequent than what you will see in Dallas, does it meet its customer's expectations? I read frequently about how unfriendly and run down many of RTA's stations are - that's something you do not read for stations in Dallas. Yet, DART gets criticized by so called experts from other cities, where the trains do not meet customer's expectations, when almost all the DART customer's expectations are met.

Comparing transit services between different cities with different histories and political realities is very unfair. The question to be asking is do the customers, that mean taxpayers, like the services they are getting?

Have you read much from DART's customers demanding they had an all grade separated (elevated or subway) rail system? Have you read much from DART's customers demanding they had more stations along the lines? Have you read much from DART's customers demanding DART move the existing lines blocks in one direction or another? Have you read much from DART's customers wishing they had something else instead of what they have?
I believe you will discover that DART's customers are relativity happy with the trains they have.

Pundits or so called experts are the enemies of what is possible and practical as they propose unrealistic and unsustainable possibilities or alternatives, which thankfully were eliminated during the federally mandated EIS process.

Can the DART system be made better? The answer to that is yes, the planned D2 line mostly under downtown Dallas will allow higher frequency trains on all the light rail lines, which should help ridership climb. Whether it will or not is yet to be seen. Extending or expanding streetcar lines radiating out from downtown Dallas can also be added. Even more light rail or commuter rail lines can be added later. It is a transit system that is growing as the city is growing, who knows how big it will ultimately get?

And the last thing I wish to add, whether the economic growth is higher downtown or in the suburbs (many but not all being DART member cities), the tax revenues will still continue to climb as the economy grows, because it really does not matter where the growth occurs as all member cities levy the same tax. One dollar revenue from the suburbs is the same dollar from Dallas, as far as DART's bank account is concerned.