Orange Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)

Overview
Type Light rail
System Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Termini Parker Road (north)
DFW Airport (west)
Stations 29
Operation
Opened December 6, 2010
Technical
Track length 37 miles
Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Construction of the Irving Convention Center near the Irving Convention Center Station

DART Orange Line

All stations have step-free access
Legend
DFW AirportDallas/Fort Worth International Airport
SH 114
DFW North(future)
SH 121
SH 114
Belt Line
Pres. George Bush Tpk.
North Lake College
Las Colinas
Carpenter Ranch
(deferred)
SH 114
Irving Convention Center
Las Colinas
Urban Center
Las Colinas APT System APT
South Las Colinas(deferred)
University of Dallas
Loop 12

Loop 12(deferred)
Trinity River
I-35E
Spur 482

Green Line
to North Carrollton/Frankford
Bachman Parking
Burbank

West Mockingbird Lane
Inwood/Love FieldDallas Love Field Parking
Southwestern Medical
District/Parkland
Parking
Market Center Parking

Trinity Railway Express
to T&P Station

Dallas North Tollway
Victory

Trinity Railway Express
to Union Station
Blue Line to Ledbetter
Red Line to Westmoreland
West EndBus interchange
Akard
St. PaulDART M MATA
Pearl
I-45
Deep Ellum
Baylor Medical Center
I-30
Fair Park
MLK, Jr. Parking
Hatcher
White Rock Creek
Lawnview Parking
Future extension
to Masters Drive
CityplaceDART M MATA
Knox–Henderson(deferred)

Mockingbird Parking
Blue Line
to Downtown Rowlett
Lovers Lane
Park Lane Parking
Walnut Hill Parking
White Rock Creek
Forest Lane Parking
LBJ/Central Parking
I-635
Spring Valley Parking
Arapaho Center Parking
Galatyn Park
CityLine/Bush Parking
Pres. George Bush Tpk.
Downtown Plano
Parker Road Parking

The Orange Line (labeled as the Purple Line on maps prior to 2006) is a 37-mile long light rail line operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system in Dallas, Irving, Richardson and Plano, Texas.


Route

The line's current northwestern terminus is DFW Airport Station, located inside Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.[1] The line proceeds southeast through Irving, providing service to the Irving Convention Center, Las Colinas, and the University of Dallas, before merging with the Green Line north of Bachman Station. The Orange Line shares the rest of its route with existing light rail lines, with stops along the Green Line from Bachman to Victory Station, through downtown Dallas on a corridor shared with the Green Line, Blue Line, and Red Line, and then northward along the Red Line corridor into Richardson and Plano.

Planned future Orange Line stations include a DFW North Station loop[2] and an eastern extension down Scyene Road to Masters Drive (previously planned as a Green Line expansion).[3]

History

Planning and construction

The Orange Line was planned as an extension to the DART Light Rail system at least as early as 2006, when DART's 2030 System Plan described a "Northwest Corridor" route with expected revenue service to both Love Field and DFW Airport by 2013.[3]

On March 12, 2007, the City of Dallas officials and DART made an agreement to make Love Field Station a surface-level facility, concluding a long debate over whether or not to make it an underground station.[4][5]

On December 5, 2007, the Dallas Morning News ran a story reporting that DART President Gary Thomas stated that a previous cost estimate of $988 million was too low. A new cost estimate for the 14 mile project was $1.8 – $1.9 billion.[6] The $900 million overrun in costs has caused considerable outrage amongst political leaders[7] in Irving, Texas, where the line passes on its way to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Irving leaders subsequently made inquiry as to the cost overruns.[8] Texas State Representative Linda Harper Brown sent an official letter [9] to Mr. Thomas also making inquiry into the project's substantial cost overruns.

In February 2010 DART officials warned that the first two phases of the Orange Line may be delayed due to TXDOT problems along State Highway 114, which the Orange Line route follows. Utility relocation and road construction was expected to delay access to portions of the construction area where the rail line and highway intersect. DART estimated that the delay could push the opening of the Las Colinas extension from December 2011 to August 2012; however, DART also advised that it was determined to keep the original schedule and minimize any delays.[10][11]

In June 2010, DART placed new Orange Line construction on indefinite hold due to declining revenue. However, on September 15, 2010, the agency said that due to cost savings and federal funds, the plans for the line have been revived.[12]

On December 13, 2011, DART awarded a contract to design and build the Orange Line extension from Belt Line Road to DFW Airport, valued at about $150 million, with construction to start in early 2012 and an opening date of August 18, 2014, ahead of schedule.[13]

Opening and operation

The Orange Line started operation on December 6, 2010, with weekday peak service from the Parker Road Station to Bachman Station on stations shared with DART's Red and Green lines. The first Orange Line-exclusive stations opened with the extension to Irving Convention Center on July 30, 2012,[14] and two more were added on December 3, 2012.[15] The current northwestern terminus, located at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, opened on August 18, 2014.[1]

Stations

Daily service

Listed from Northeast to Northwest. Peak-hour only service is highlighted
Station Other lines Opened Notes
Parker Road      2002 Terminus for Red (full-time) and Orange Lines (peak-hour)
Downtown Plano      2002
CityLine/Bush      2002 Formerly Bush Turnpike Station until March 14, 2016.
Galatyn Park      2002
Arapaho Center      2002
Spring Valley      2002
LBJ/Central      2002
Forest Lane      2002
Walnut Hill      2002
Park Lane      1997 (rebuilt 2002)
Lovers Lane      1997
Mockingbird           1997 Northernmost transfer for Blue Line
Cityplace           2000
Pearl/Arts District                1996 Easternmost transfer for Green Line
St. Paul                1996 Transfers made to the M-Line (which terminates two blocks north)
Akard                1996
West End                1996 Westernmost transfer station for Red and Blue Lines
Victory      2009 Transfer to      Trinity Railway Express
Market Center      2010
Southwestern Medical District/Parkland      2010
Inwood/Love Center      2010
Burbank      2010
Bachman      2010 Westernmost transfer for Green Line
University of Dallas 2012
Las Colinas Urban Center 2012
Irving Convention Center 2012
North Lake College 2012
Belt Line 2012
DFW Airport 2014 Terminus

Special event service

Listed from East to West


Future/Deferred

References

Route map: Bing / Google

KML is from Wikidata
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 7/28/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.