Downtown Dallas Transit Study

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ISSUE 3, SPRING 2009

Downtown Alternatives Brought to Public for Input

The streetcar planning element of the D2 Study began in February 2008. Its focus has been:

1. To consider and recommend a governance and organizational structure for a streetcar system;
2. To consider and recommend a funding strategy for the system; and,
3. To recommend an initial alignment and an operating plan for a streetcar starter system.

After evaluating as many as eleven conceptual alignments, the list of alignments has been reduced to two distinct alternatives. Within these two alternatives are variations and options.

Streetcar examples

The remaining alternatives are shown in the maps below. The two main alignment options are Alignments A and B. Alignment A extends from Cadiz on the south end of downtown north along Harwood and St. Paul, to its terminus on Ross, where it connects with the existing McKinney Avenue Transit Authority (MATA) Streetcar Route (shown with solid yellow line) and with MATA's proposed expansion (shown in dashed yellow line). Alternative A is estimated to cost $38 million.

Alignment B is a predominantly eastwest running option that extends from its western-most point at Houston Street east to Hardwood Street. There are three Alignment B variations, B1, B2 and B3, where each assumes different street alignments between the two end points. The tracks run along Main St. in Alternative B1, along Elm and Main in Alternative B2 and along Commerce and Main in Alternative B3. The construction cost estimate for each of these is $40 million.

All the Alignment B variations have multiple northern extension scenarios from their eastern terminus. Option Z is the base scenario described above. Option Y extends north to Bryan Street and brings the total cost to $54 million. Option X extends to Ross Avenue and brings the total to $60 million.

There is also a potential extension (shown in dashed blue line) for Alternatives A and B that extends to three blocks north of Woodall Rodgers, and includes an upgrade of the existing MATA tracks along St. Paul to modern streetcar standards, which would add $12 million to any of the above alignments.

The two remaining alignments and options are undergoing additional review and screening, and ridership estimates are being prepared. The study team expects to finalize the recommendation of a Locally Preferred Alternative and present findings and recommendations to the City of Dallas and DART Board of Directors late spring or early summer.

Visit www.DART.org/D2 to obtain a complete copy of the Downtown Dallas Streetcar Plan Update when available.

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