DALLAS - FORT WORTH | Rail Transportation

[alexjon]

Another reason to love BNSF -- they are far more eager to play ball than UP ever was.

They're giving away slots for Sound Transit up in Seattle so the Sounder can run *TWELVE* new trips on its commuter rail to Tacoma in the future, and they're allowing them to run 8 car trains!

Everyone give BNSF a pat on the back

[TexasBoi]

Go Fort Worth and Go North Texas. North Texas really really wants rail. to North Texas.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by njjeppson

DART's Green Line and Orange Line construction...

Watch the Building and Growing the Green Line video here:

http://www.dart.org/video/flashvideo...ejune2007.html

www.dart.org

When did the Orange Line go under construction?

Originally Posted by Wattleigh

The 5 lines were approved last October. METRO is starting to open offices at one point along each of the corridors to do the design work from within the neighborhoods. Designs and Funding are the next hurtles to cross and will be resolved in time.

I think the cool maps nj posted made him jealous. METRO's maps are boring to look at and are all PDF files and not JPGs.

Oh, and I hate UP. I wish BNSR built more lines around Houston than UP did. UP sucks.

[Wattleigh]

Originally Posted by Trae

When did the Orange Line go under construction?


I think the cool maps nj posted made him jealous. METRO's maps are boring to look at and are all PDF files and not JPGs.

Oh, and I hate UP. I wish BNSR built more lines around Houston than UP did. UP sucks.

Made me jealous or that other dude? I was just answering a question.

[dfwcr8tive]

Originally Posted by Trae

When did the Orange Line go under construction?

Here's a recent article from DART's Spring 2008 Newsletter:
http://www.dart.org/about/inmotion/spring08/3.htm

Orange Line construction hasn't started yet, and costs have risen. But they are still aiming for opening in stages between 2011 and 2013.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by Wattleigh

Made me jealous or that other dude? I was just answering a question.

The other guy.

[dfwcr8tive]

These are the alignment options for the 2nd DART line through downtown. B5 and B7 seem to be the top choices.

[Trae]

Originally Posted by njjeppson

These are the alignment options for the 2nd DART line through downtown. B5 and B7 seem to be the top choices.

Did DART make this?

I think the one on the far south is the best option, since subways are pretty expensive, so a small section is all that is needed.

[dfwcr8tive]

^ Yes, this was part of the presentation on April 24. You can view the full presentation here: http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/downtowndallas.asp

Here's a better map:

[themapman]

To me the Young St. at-grade alignment makes more sense since it would spread the wealth a bit more and maybe inject some life into the government district. It's also cheaper than tunneling under Commerce St. I can't even imagine the mess that the construction on that would be like. With Pacific you still get a major congestion point. I think linking Victory to the convention center is a huge plus no matter how you look at it.

[dfwcr8tive]

DART is marking the 25th anniversary of the August 13, 1983 election establishing the transit agency.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWbXeKHPVU0

[dfwcr8tive]

The latest progress on the 2nd rail alignment through downtown puts the alignment under Lamar with a station at Victory, West End, Griffin/Young, and Farmers Market. It would run underground in a cut & cover or bored tunnel roughly between Lamar/Munger to St. Paul. It was recently discovered that there is an empty tunnel (built during construction in the 1970s for future rail service) under City Hall's parking garage that could be utilized if the alignment is shifted to Marilla. City officials want a station under the future convention center hotel (located at Lamar/Young), but transit officials prefer the station near Griffin/Young for better service to City Hall, Library, and AT&T buildings.

http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/downtowndallas.asp

Here's a map:

http://www.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF...,0.019226&z=16

[Trae]

That stuff is old right? I saw it months ago.

[electricron]

Orange Line plans.
Dart still plans to build it, although prices for construction materials have increased significantly. One has to remember that the Orange Line isn't following a pre-existing railroad right of way, so it's cost is going to have to be higher than the rest of Dart's rail lines.
Besides borrowing more money and more debt, Dart is also seeking Federal financing with it, which they hadn't planned to do through Irving.

Future Rail Projects in active planning
As for future plans for rail transit in the DFW area, check out the NCTCOG web site. That organization holds the purse strings for all Federal transportation dollars in the COG area. They have approved financing of Phase 1 studies for extending Dart LRT to McKinney, for extending Regional Rail between Irving and Frisco (BNSF), for extending Regional Rail between DFWIA and Plano (Cotton Belt), and approved the financing of DCTA regional rail between Carrollton and Denton. The T with NCTOG support, was already in the midst of studies and has financing approved to build Tarrant County's Cotton Belt link from Fort Worth and DFWIA. So the DFW area should look forward to more rail soon after the present round of construction is completed.

Funding Transportation Projects
The NCTCOG would like to see much more Regional Rail projects built, if financing can be found. They're debating and planning what additional taxes the area should ask the next State Legislature for. Did you know that Texas ranks 49th in using Gas Taxes for transportation. Less than a third of the State's gas taxes are actually used for highways or other transportation projects? Until the State stops stealing gas taxes from TXDOT, TXDOT will have to find other taxes to finance projects. Personally, I would prefer that gas taxes be returned to TXDOT than see TXDOT get a share of increased property and sale taxes. The Legislature should return gas taxes to TXDOT, and increase property and other taxes to finance the rest of State Government.

DCTA
DCTA has placed RFP to build it's Regional Rail from Carrollton to Denton. In the next few months, we should learn what trainsets they plan to buy, and who will build and operate their trains. I can't wait much longer without going crazy to see more trains in the DFW area.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by alexjon

Another reason to love BNSF -- they are far more eager to play ball than UP ever was.

They're giving away slots for Sound Transit up in Seattle so the Sounder can run *TWELVE* new trips on its commuter rail to Tacoma in the future, and they're allowing them to run 8 car trains!

Everyone give BNSF a pat on the back

Yes, the BNSF tracks will be easier to run passenger trains on. The T's SWFW to DFWIA Preferred Alternative uses the UP lines north of FWIC to the Cotton Belt at the Stockyards, but don't be surprised to see the T switch to BNSF tracks. Although both railroads tracks are adjacent to one another, the UP tracks allow smoother operations, but the BNSF tracks are acceptable.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by njjeppson

These are the alignment options for the 2nd DART line through downtown. B5 and B7 seem to be the top choices.

Looking at both alternatives, I prefer the entire subway plans through downtown Dallas better. But, neither route works well with the existing Blue and Red lines, starting at Victory Center on the west side.

Since neither the Red or Blue line is likely to use the second downtown corridor, that means the new Green and/or Orange Lines are designated for the second route. Well, the Green Line would bypass the Deep Ellum Station, while the Orange Line could visit it if a Wye is built on the east side, so it could turn north to the North Central tunnel and visit the Deep Ellum Station. I don't think Dart will send half the Green and Orange Lines through the old route and half through the new route through downtown Dallas.
Either one Line will use one or the other route.

[donclark]

Originally Posted by njjeppson

The Fort Worth T's SW to NE rail corridor (http://www.sw2nerail.com/).

I wanted to add that both the T and DART rail lines will have stations with DFW airport's people mover serving all the terminals at DFW airport. The people mover has already been built, although the two northern stations, or is it one large station, will have to be built. Its going to be a fantastic way getting to the airport.

[dfwcr8tive]

Originally Posted by electricron

Looking at both alternatives, I prefer the entire subway plans through downtown Dallas better. But, neither route works well with the existing Blue and Red lines, starting at Victory Center on the west side.

Since neither the Red or Blue line is likely to use the second downtown corridor, that means the new Green and/or Orange Lines are designated for the second route. Well, the Green Line would bypass the Deep Ellum Station, while the Orange Line could visit it if a Wye is built on the east side, so it could turn north to the North Central tunnel and visit the Deep Ellum Station. I don't think Dart will send half the Green and Orange Lines through the old route and half through the new route through downtown Dallas.
Either one Line will use one or the other route.

A wye could be built just south of Victory Station allowing trains from the south to use the new route through downtown. One problem is that DART only built a single wye just west of West End station. Servicing Deep Ellum Station is an issue that DART will need to work out. They mentioned that special service trains could service this station or extra trains could terminate there. The Orange line in a recent presentation still showed the route terminating at LBJ/Central. My suggestion is splitting the lines so that the Red/Green lines use the current transit mall and the Blue/Orange lines use the new subway route. This would service all stations downtown and distribute traffic well.

[travelinmiles]

I know I have seen a DART plan that puts the current transit mall into a subway as well. Regardless this is much needed considering that the Light Rail slows to a crawl while downtown. However, I do look forward to the NE2SW line opening up in Fort Worth, I wish the frequencies were better but you have to start somewhere.

[dollaztx]

Denton County Transportation Authority gets $191 million for rail-system link to DART

08:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
By LOWELL BROWN / Denton Record-Chronicle
lmbrown@dentonrc.com

Money from the State Highway 121 tolling agreement is boosting multiple Denton-area transportation projects, including a planned commuter rail line to Carrollton.

The Regional Transportation Council last week approved the allocation of $2.5 billion for transportation projects in Denton, Collin, Dallas and Tarrant counties. The projects are the latest to receive funding from the North Texas Tollway Authority's $3.3 billion payment for the right to build and operate State Highway 121 as a toll road.

Denton County projects received about $825.5 million in the latest payout, which will occur in phases.

The total includes $191 million for the Denton County Transportation Authority's 21-mile regional rail system, which will link Denton to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system in Carrollton.

"That completes the funding that's required for us to open the line from Denton to Carrollton," said Scott Neeley, DCTA's executive vice president of rail development. "We're really excited about it."

DCTA is working to bring rail service to Denton by December 2010.

The transportation council previously approved $57 million from the Highway 121 deal to help DCTA buy 12 rail cars for the project.

The funding approved Thursday requires a local match of 20 percent and will help widen parts of U.S. Highway 377, Bonnie Brae Street and Mayhill Road in Denton. It will also provide money for the planned extension of Loop 288 to the northwest part of the city, among other projects.

"Clearly, it allowed the local governments here to advance mobility projects on a much more expedited schedule," said Mark Nelson, the city's chief transportation officer.

"You're looking at a great opportunity to leverage local funds on an 80-20 match to get desperately needed transportation projects on the ground."

The council approved the division of the $3.3 billion among the four counties last year. Denton County received the largest share, $1.56 billion, based largely on estimates of how much traffic State Highway 121 would handle in each county. The money the council approved Thursday was part of that $1.56 billion.