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July 30 is the big day. That's when the first section of the Orange Line to Irving, Las Colinas and DFW Airport opens, serving the University of Dallas, Las Colinas Urban Center and Irving Convention Center stations. Not only will DART riders have access to all that Irving has to offer, but Irving residents will be connected to the entire DART Rail System – the largest light rail network in North America.

• DART Rail Orange Line schedules

Branching off at Bachman Station, this section of the Orange Line is the first part of a 9.2-mile, $1.2-billion project that will take DART customers all the way into the airport in December 2014. The second segment, with stops at North Lake College and Belt Line Road, will open on December 3, 2012. The Orange Line has already offered morning and evening rush hour service from Parker Road Station in Plano, through downtown Dallas to Bachman Station since December 2010.

To help prepare for new adventures that await you in Irving, here is a snapshot of some of the fun and interesting destinations you can visit both on Super Saturday (July 28) and once revenue service begins on July 30.

University of Dallas Station
Founded in 1956, the University of Dallas (UD) is a private, Catholic, co-educational, liberal arts university. It is one of only 16 Catholic universities nationally to earn a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Approximately 1,300 undergraduate students from 49 states and 15 countries attend UD, in addition to 1,500 graduate students. The university describes its mission as being an "institution that seeks to educate its students, to develop intellectual and moral virtues, to prepare themselves for life and work, and to become leaders in the community." Now UD students can explore DART's 700-square-mile "campus" from the foot of their own campus.

Las Colinas Urban Center Station
The Urban Center, built around the 126-acre Lake Carolyn, is home to five Fortune 500 global headquarters and serves as one of North Texas' premier corporate locations. The highly anticipated arrival of DART's Orange Line has spurred construction of upscale living with more than 7,000 units existing or planned, creating a work/live atmosphere.

With the recently completed Lake Carolyn Promenade, residents and visitors can experience the serene side to the Urban Center as they stroll around the lake enjoying a cool breeze off the water. No discussion of the Urban Center is complete without Williams Square, home of the world renowned "Mustangs of Las Colinas," a larger-than-life bronze sculpture of nine wild mustangs galloping through a live stream.

Irving Convention Center Station
The $133 million, 275,000-square-foot Irving Convention Center has been up and running since February 2011. It has rooms for all occasions, including a 50,000-squarefoot, column-free exhibit hall; a 20,000-square-foot ballroom; and 20 meeting rooms with approximately 1,000 square feet each. The "green" facility is registered for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and uses several unique sustainability features. Its state-of-the-art, modern design – the 130-foothigh structure is clad entirely in natural copper – has won a Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects.

The Orange Line will change life forever in Irving and Las Colinas, redefining how people get around for work and play, as well as making the going easier for visitors staying at Irving-area hotels.

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