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Media Relations Contact:
Morgan Lyons
October 24, 2006
DART Board approves 2030 Transit System Plan
The blueprint for the next generation of bus, rail and high occupancy vehicle services in North Texas has been unanimously approved by the DART Board of Directors with the passage of the 2030 Transit System Plan. The plan covers projects to be undertaken by the transit agency through 2030 in the 13-city DART Service Area.
"The vote to approve the plan is the culmination of years of hard work by the DART Board, staff and our member cities. It marks the start of an exciting new era of transit options," said DART Board Chairman Mark Enoch.
DART's current long-range Transit System Plan, adopted in 1995, includes the ongoing doubling of the DART Rail System to serve Pleasant Grove, Fair Park, Northwest Dallas, Love Field, Farmers Branch, Carrollton, Irving and DFW International Airport. Working from the 1995 plan, DART has built a multimodal transportation network providing more than 300,000 trips each weekday. Components of the network include:
- A fleet of more than 700 ultra-low emission buses, serving 120 routes in 13 cities
- 45 miles of light rail with 48 more miles scheduled to open by 2013
- 35 miles of Trinity Railway Express commuter rail connecting Dallas and Fort Worth
- 31 miles of high occupancy vehicle lanes in four corridors
- Paratransit curb-to-curb van service for customers with disabilities
2030 Plan is designed to meet fast-growing, fast-changing region
The North Texas region is on pace to double in population - to approximately 8 million - by 2030 and the impact of that growth will be significant.
- Jobs will grow from 3 to 4.9 million.
- Traffic congestion will slow average freeway speeds from 43 mph to 27 mph.
- Time lost in traffic delays will increase from 1 million to 5.1 million hours annually.
The 2030 DART Transit System Plan approved by the board identifies, schedules and budgets system improvement projects that will more precisely respond to changing regional land use and development patterns. The projects will be funded primarily by revenues from the one-cent sales tax levied in DART's 13 member cities.
The plan also extends DART's reach with rail service to the outlying areas of the DART Service Area, paving the way for potential new member cities.
Plan vote represents years of public input
DART's 2030 Transit System Plan was developed with extensive public input and regular meetings with DART's 13 member-city councils. Meetings with staff from the cities and interested groups along various transit corridors began in 1999. Public meetings began in 2004 and more than 24 have been conducted throughout the area. A draft version of the plan was released in July. The latest round of public meetings concluded in September 2006.
The 2030 Transit System Plan
The 2030 Plan builds on the success of today's system and ongoing expansion and updates the draft system plan. Key elements include:
- Approximately 43 miles of additional rail service, including:
- A 2.9-mile extension of the Blue Line to UNT-Dallas
- A nearly 26-mile express rail line in the east-west Cotton Belt corridor from the Red Line to DFW International Airport. The Board resolution approving the plan also helps define system characteristics for the corridor with regard to rail technology, noise, vibration and emissions.
- A Lake Highlands Station on the existing Blue Line
- A 4.3-mile light rail branch off the forthcoming Green Line along Scyene Road to approximately Masters Drive
- A 4.3-mile light rail extension of the Red Line south to Red Bird Lane
- A 6-mile rail line in West Dallas along Fort Worth Avenue or Singleton to Loop 12/Jefferson Boulevard
- A comprehensive network of enhanced and rapid bus corridors consisting of:
- 77 miles of enhanced bus service corridors
- 20 miles of rapid bus service corridors
- Strengthened and new express bus service
- A total of 116 miles of permanent managed HOV lanes - six more than the 1995 plan
- A continued high level of Paratransit service, while improving cost-effectiveness through targeted technological and operational changes and transitioning customers to fixed-route where feasible
- Strengthening of key systemwide mobility programs to support improved operations and system efficiencies, enhanced customer information, access and comfort, strengthened safety and security, and increased transit ridership
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