DART News Release
Nov 07, 2002 | General
Two New Stations Extend DART Rail Service to Garland
Media Relations Contact: November 7, 2002 DART Eastward November 18 Two New Stations Extend DART Rail Service to Garland
"Every day Garland residents travel to jobs throughout the Metroplex, and people in surrounding cities commute to Garland's major employers," says Gary Thomas, DART president/executive director. "With our expansion, Garland's most popular work, shopping and entertainment destinations are just steps or a short bus ride from our rail stations. And, if you live in Garland, you've got a great new way to get around the region without fighting the traffic." With an expanded light rail system of nearly 41 miles and 31 stations, the new stations are expected to be new economic development generators for Garland, a city that has grown from its agricultural roots to become one of Texas' leading industrial centers. "We're very excited about the arrival of DART Rail," says Garland Mayor Dr. Bob Day. "Not only will Garland at long last have easy access to all of the Metroplex, but this will serve as a major stimulus for the economic growth already underway here." DART Rail trains run from 5:00 a.m. to 12 midnight daily, with departures every 10 minutes during weekday rush hours and every 15-20 minutes midday, evenings and weekends. Travel time from Downtown Garland Station to West End Station in downtown Dallas is 32 minutes.
Super Saturday Set for November 16 Customers are invited to scoot over and get on board early on Saturday, November 16 when DART celebrates its Garland expansion with a sneak peek of the new stations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Festivities at Downtown Garland Station will feature free train rides, live music, exhibitor booths and DART safety presentations. Other activities will include face painting, balloon artists and games for the entire family. Dr Pepper and Deja Blue beverages, barbeque by Red Hot & Blue and passes good for a week of free DART rail and bus service will be available while supplies last. Attendees also may register to win a free six-month DART pass. A DART booth at Forest/Jupiter Station will provide schedule and how-to-ride information. Two Garland Bus Route Changes to Coincide with Station Openings On November 18, bus routes 410 and 486, which now serve the Forest Lane-Jupiter Road intersection, will begin also serving Forest/Jupiter Station. Route 410 will be modified again on December 9 to serve the industrial area south of the station along Miller Park Drive. The route will continue to operate between the South Garland Transit Center and East Plano Transit Center. Route 486 will continue to operate from Downtown Garland Station (the former Garland Central Transit Center) to the Forest Lane Station in North Dallas. Other bus routes in Garland will remain unchanged until December 9, when major systemwide bus route improvements are implemented. Details on these route changes are available in the DART Service Change Brochure effective December 9, 2002, or online at the DART website, DART.org. Garland stations feature unique designs Founded 115 years ago with the merger of the towns of Duck Creek and Embree, Garland has evolved from a sleepy cotton farming community into Texas' 10th largest city. Garland's DART Rail stops pay tribute to the city's rural heritage and 21st century prominence.
DART Rail Rolls On In May, DART opened the LBJ/Skillman Station to serve Northeast Dallas and Garland. In July, rail service was extended to Richardson with the opening of seven Red Line stations, four in North Dallas and three in Richardson. Red Line service will reach Plano December 9 with the opening of Bush Turnpike, Downtown Plano and Parker Road stations, expanding the DART Rail System to 44 miles and 34 stations. To date, the entire system has been completed within budget and on time or ahead of schedule. Each weekday, nearly 60,000 trips are made on DART Rail. In the coming years, rail service will be extended to Deep Ellum, Fair Park, South Dallas and Pleasant Grove to the southeast, and the American Airlines Center, Medical/Market Center area, Farmers Branch, Carrollton, North Irving, Las Colinas Urban Center and DFW International Airport to the northwest. For information about DART services contact the Customer Service Center at 214-979-1111. DART route and schedule information is always available at DART.org. -- 30 -- |
Translate