Dallas Streetcar

Dallas Streetcar

A streetcar in the Oak Cliff area in 2016
Overview
Owner City of Dallas
Locale Dallas, Texas, USA
Transit type Streetcar
Number of lines 1
Number of stations 6
Operation
Began operation April 13, 2015
Operator(s) Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Character Street running
Number of vehicles 4 BEC Liberty cars
Train length 1 car
Headway 20 minutes
Technical
System length 2.45 mi (3.94 km)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification Overhead wires and battery power
Route diagram
Legend
TRE and Texas Eagle
Red and Blue Lines
Planned extension

Union Station | Houston

Red and Blue Lines
Texas Eagle

I-35
Trinity River
 Greenbriar
 Oakenwald
 Beckley
 Sixth Street
 Bishop Arts

The Dallas Streetcar is a 2.45-mile (3.94 km) modern streetcar line in Dallas, Texas.[1] It is owned by the city of Dallas and operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit, which also operates Dallas's DART Light Rail system. Construction on the line began in May 2013,[2][3] and it opened for public service on April 13, 2015.[4][5][6]

The streetcar line operates between downtown Dallas and Oak Cliff by way of the Houston Street Viaduct.[7] The streetcar line originally operated from Union Station to Methodist Dallas Medical Center, but an extension to the Bishop Arts District[1][7][8] opened on August 29, 2016.[9][10]

Background

The Dallas Streetcar project is a collaborative endeavor among DART, the City of Dallas, and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).[4][7][11] The project received $23 million in initial funding via a federal TIGER grant awarded to DART in December 2010.[8] An additional $3 million in federal stimulus dollars was later granted to the project.[4] DART reallocated $22 million in local funds to the streetcar project which were originally scheduled for a proposed people-mover between Inwood Love/Field station and the Love Field airport terminal.[8] In January 2013, NCTCOG approved reallocating $31 million in state funds, which were also earmarked for the proposed Love Field people-mover, to the streetcar project.[8] The combined funding would allow for construction of both the first and second phases of the streetcar project.[8]

Service

Phase 1 (Union Station to Dallas Methodist Medical Center)

Phase 1 of the Dallas Streetcar line, running from Union Station to Methodist Dallas Medical Center (the line's "Beckley" stop), opened on April 13, 2015.[4] Service runs at 20-minute intervals on weekdays,[1][7] with no cost to ride.[1] In February 2016, streetcar operating hours will be expanded to between 9:30am and midnight weeknights, and will offer weekend service.[12][13]

Construction on Phase 1 began in May 2013.[2][3] By September 2014, most track construction for Phase 1 had been completed.[14] The first of the two streetcars on order from Brookville was delivered on March 20, 2015.[15] At the time of the phase 1 opening on April 13, 2015, the second streetcar vehicle had yet to be delivered.[6] It was delivered on May 15, 2015.[16]

Phase 2 (Dallas Methodist Medical Center to Bishop Arts District)

A streetcar turning from Zang Blvd. onto Colorado Blvd., outbound on the 2015-opened section of the line

Phase 2 of the Dallas Streetcar line runs south from the line's original southern terminus at Methodist Dallas Medical Center (Beckley stop), to the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff.[1][17] On April 28, 2015, the DART board of directors approved a construction contract for the Bishop Arts extension.[18] On June 17, 2015, the Dallas City Council agreed to fund Phase 2 construction using up to $27.5 million in available grant money.[19]

In preparation for the Phase 2 opening, DART said that the frequency of service would increase from 30 minutes to 20 minutes by introducing a second streetcar on the line.[20] The extension opened on August 29, 2016.[9][10]

Future expansion plans

Future plans for the streetcar line include extensions from Union Station to the Dallas Convention Center, and a connection to the McKinney Avenue Trolley via the Main Street District.[1][17]

Rolling stock

Car 302 in 2016

In February 2013, an order was placed with Brookville Equipment Corporation for two low-floor streetcars to provide the service on the line. The Brookville "Liberty" model articulated cars[21] are 67 feet (20 m) long and have limited capability to operate away from overhead trolley lines by operating on battery power.[6][21] This battery-powered operation allows the streetcars to travel across the Houston Street viaduct, which does not have overhead lines installed.[17] The first car (No. 302) was delivered on March 20, 2015,[15] and at the time of the line's opening in mid-April it was the only car in the fleet.[6] The second car, No. 301, was delivered on May 15, 2015.[16] Dallas ordered two more streetcars in July 2015.[22] The third and fourth cars (Nos. 303–304) were delivered in summer 2016.[23]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Dallas Streetcar". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  2. 1 2 Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, July 2013, p. 311.
  3. 1 2 "Ground Breaking for Dallas Streetcar Project". Passenger Transport. American Public Transportation Association. May 17, 2013. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Appleton, Roy (April 14, 2015). "Downtown-Oak Cliff streetcar debuts with speeches, curious riders". The Dallas Morning News. p. 1B. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
  5. ↑ Vantuono, William C. (April 15, 2015). "Streetcars return to Dallas". Railway Age website. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Dallas Streetcar opens". Railway Gazette website. April 14, 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Fact Sheet: Downtown Dallas-Oak Cliff Streetcar" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-05-03.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Benning, Tom (January 10, 2013). "Funding approved to expand Dallas streetcar line, link Bishop Arts and convention center". The Dallas Morning News Transportation Blog. Retrieved 2015-04-09.
  9. 1 2 Formby, Brandon (August 9, 2016). "Bishop Arts District 'officially' gets streetcars Aug. 29 (but you can test the line out two days earlier)". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  10. 1 2 "Expanded Bishop Arts District Streetcar Service Begins". KTVT. August 29, 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  11. ↑ "Union Station to Oak Cliff Dallas Streetcar (TIGER Project)". DART. 2012. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
  12. ↑ Formby, Brandon (January 3, 2016). "DART streetcar, D-Link changes are prelude to expansions". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  13. ↑ "News bits: Changes coming in 2016 to Dallas Streetcar, D-Link". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. January 5, 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  14. ↑ Tramways & Urban Transit magazine, October 2014, p. 440.
  15. 1 2 "Brookville delivers first off-wire capable Liberty modern streetcar to DART for Dallas downtown-to-Oak Cliff line" (Press release). Brookville Equipment Corporation. March 25, 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-16.
  16. 1 2 "Worldwide Review" (regular news section). Tramways & Urban Transit, July 2015, p. 288.
  17. 1 2 3 Appleton, Roy (April 13, 2015). "Dallas' new streetcar begins service between downtown, Oak Cliff". The Dallas Morning News Transportation Blog. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
  18. ↑ "April 28, 2015 Board of Directors' Minutes" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit. April 28, 2015. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  19. ↑ Formby, Brandon (June 18, 2015). "Dallas City Council OKs extension of streetcar to Bishop Arts". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2015-07-01.
  20. ↑ "Dallas Streetcar schedule starting Monday: extension opens August 29". Mass Transit Magazine. August 10, 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
  21. 1 2 "Dallas signs Liberty deal". Tramways & Urban Transit, May 2013, p. 166.
  22. ↑ "Dallas orders more catenary-free trams". Railway Gazette website. July 20, 2015. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
  23. ↑ "Worldwide Review" (regular news section). Tramways & Urban Transit, October 2016, p. 399.

Route map: Bing / Google

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