 the offical newsletter of DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT - Fall 2009 |
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History, entertainment, jobs, services - they're all connected when the new Green Line glides through downtown and into South Dallas this fall.
 Dr. Irving Prengler (top) will be among the thousands of medical staff, patients and visitors benefiting from the Green Line’s Baylor University Medical Center Station. Children, parents and artists can get off at Deep Ellum Station for activities at the Latino Cultural Center (above). |
There'll be lots to celebrate, so DART - together with its Green Line partners - is hosting Super Saturday station parties at each of its newest stops on Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bringing business
DART Rail service will be a boon for people living and working near the new stations, as well as those visiting the neighborhoods for dining, entertainment, business and services.
"The Deep Ellum Station provides the perfect opportunity for people to experience the Latino Cultural Center as well as the other galleries in the neighborhood," says Irasema Romero, media relations and development coordinator for the city-owned facility that hosts exhibits and events year round. "People can spend an hour at the center before going to dinner or Fair Park or wherever they are going."
The Latino Cultural Center's landmark purple tower has been joined by the monumental "Traveling Man" sculpture at Deep Ellum Station."The Traveling Man piece is going to draw attention to the artistic life of the Deep Ellum area and help attract people who are interested in the arts to the Latino Cultural Center and to other galleries," says Romero.
A short distance away, at the Baylor University Medical Center Station, residents and retailers at the new Ambrose development have been ready to "go green" for a while. In fact, the project was 81% leased before DART even began testing trains.
"DART has been a selling point," says Nancy Trejo, business manager for the Ambrose. "A lot of people like the trains for going downtown. It's definitely going to help when you have to pay $50 to $100 a month for downtown parking."
Down on the platform, expectations are running high among fledgling retailers like Nick Smith, area manager for Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches. While his Ambrose location has been drawing from new apartment residents and the medical center for some time, he's anxious for the trains to bring in new customers. "Business is going to pick up when the trains start running - that's the main reason we picked this location for a store," he says.
"We believe DART Rail will revitalize the area. We're going to be heavily dependent on that traffic."
Joe Chung, manager
It's A Grind Coffee House
Joe Chung, manager of It's A Grind Coffee House, is counting on commuters to linger at his shop for expresso drinks and snacks before hopping on the trains or walking to work at the medical center. "We believe DART Rail will revitalize the area. We're going to be heavily dependent on that traffic," he says.
That traffic will include people like Dr. Irving Prengler, chief medical officer at Baylor University Medical Center, and some of the 1,280 physicians he supervises. He'll ride the Red Line from Arapaho Center Station and transfer to the Green Line downtown.
"Personally, I'm interested in having the luxury to relax as I travel to and from the medical center. I won't have to fight traffic but instead can read, listen to music, or relax in an air-conditioned environment," he says.
"Our goal is for Fair Park to be a year-round destination for family fun, and clearly the DART Green Line will be a huge part of that."
Craig Holcomb, director
Friends of Fair Park
Until now, Baylor's 6,500 employees could park at the medical center, ride a DART bus, or catch a shuttle from Bryan Tower near St. Paul Station. "Getting off DART Rail just down the street from the medical center is very exciting," says Prengler. "The Green Line provides better access to the hospital for our employees and our patients." He adds that having more employees riding DART will help clear more parking spaces for patients and visitors.
All Aboard for the Beginning Friday, Sept. 25, it's all aboard the first urban trains to the State Fair of Texas in more than five decades. Just as streetcars did in the years before 1956, the Green Line will pick up and deliver fair-goers at the front gates on Parry Avenue where a new station has been designed to complement the distinctive art deco character of the surrounding architecture. Passengers riding DART Rail and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) can transfer easily to the Green Line and ride to the Fair Park and MLK, Jr. stations: • Southbound Red and Blue Line passengers transfer to the Green Line at Pearl Station. • Northbound Red and Blue Line passengers transfer to the Green Line at Akard Station. • TRE passengers transfer to the Green Line at Victory Station. |
"Our goal is for Fair Park to be a year-round destination for family fun, and clearly the DART Green Line will be a huge part of that," says Craig Holcomb, director of the Friends of Fair Park. "In fact, the new station will be the biggest thing to happen to Fair Park in decades. I believe light rail could increase State Fair attendance by as much as 30 percent, judging by the effect it had on the Dallas Zoo."
A block from the fairgrounds, the galleries, eateries and clubs of Exposition Park are gearing up for a new day and new waves of people.
"We've been excited every time we see them testing the trains. We think it will be good for the neighborhood," says Jay Witkowski, co-owner of the self-named Wit Gallery.
Most visitors to the gallery come for shows and special events such as Last Thursday Night gallery openings. Parking has been a problem in the neighborhood, but the advent of rail service will provide easy access. "People can come, hang out, and take the train home," Witkowski says.
Witkowski and his business partner, Nathan Jones, are transplanted New Yorkers and true believers in the convenience of public transit. "I leased a Volkswagen, and when it came time to buy it, I let it go," says Witkowski. "We've been biking and riding public transit. That's earth-friendly with less emissions."
Newcomers like Witkowski and Jones will rub shoulders on the Green Line with longtime residents such as Willie Mae Coleman. The South Dallas community leader helped plan the MLK, Jr. Station that opens on Sept. 14, and the Hatcher Station that will open with the rest of the Green Line in December 2010.
"The MLK, Jr. Station is going to do a lot for this area. Hopefully it will help bring in some new business," she says. "The economy in this area has been a little down and the station may give us the push up that we need. It's really going to be great for people going to the State Fair. That will make it so nice."
 The MLK, Jr. Station is expected to be a new economic engine in South Dallas - attracting new businesses and connecting residents to jobs, services and activities throughout the greater Dallas area. |
 Green Line Opening EventsSuper Saturday The public is invited to preview the new Green Line stations on Sept. 12. DART and its partners will host food, fun and entertainment from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at each of the four new stations. At MLK, Jr. Station, J.B. Jackson Jr. Boulevard and Trunk Avenue, DART will have a community-oriented event for the entire family. Fair Park Station, Parry and Exposition avenues, will offer four hours of Fair Park fun! Baylor University Medical Center Station, Hall and Junius streets, will feature a health and fitness fair with screenings, demonstrations and much more. Deep Ellum Station, at Good-Latimer Expressway and Gaston Avenue, will celebrate the colorful art, music and history of Deep Ellum. Victory Park Celebrates Full-Time Service DART will celebrate full-time service at Victory Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 19 with fun and food provided by the Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks, Katy Trail, Hard Rock Cafe and WFAA-TV. |
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