the offical newsletter of DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT - Fall 2006
Return to www.DART.org We're Going Green A letter from the DART Chairman of the Board. Growth Spurt The seeds of change have been sown. Now comes the real work of growing the 45-mile DART Rail System to more than twice its size, starting with the Green Line. Keeping the Lines Open As rail construction begins, DART is ramping up its safety education and public outreach programs to help keep resident families, schools and business owners in the know. Winning Combination World-class modern architecture, inviting public spaces and dramatic streetscapes make Victory Park a slam dunk and the epicenter of the real estate boom at Victory Station on the Green Line. Two-Wheelin' Time Fall is the perfect time to add some exercise to your daily commute and pedal your trusty two-wheeler from home to the nearest rail station or bus stop. Short Trips Baylor employees get a healthy commute; PassPlus brings transit home; DART Police rev up with Hemis; thousands enjoy Free Fare Day; Mavericks give ridership a bounce; passengers go green. 10 Great Years North Texans cheered the past and hailed the future as DART celebrated the 10th anniversary of DART Rail with special events up and down the rail lines. DART Board of Directors DART Current and Future Services Map DART: Live, On Tape and Online Contact Webmaster at: [email protected]		Keeping the Lines Open Through safety education and community outreach, DART lays the groundwork for its expansion Transit educator Bonnie Lindley teaches students from B.H. Macon Elementary School how to "DART Safely." It's no accident that DART Rail has driven a dramatic change in the public perception of public transit. Today's 45-mile system – as well as the expansion now getting under way – has been shaped by plenty of public input gathered at hundreds of public meetings. With the start of construction in the Deep Ellum district, on the eastern edge of downtown Dallas, DART is ramping up its public outreach and safety education programs to help keep resident families, schools and business owners in the know. DART Safely As construction began this summer, DART rolled out a new safety education program for schools and recreation centers up and down the new rail corridors. "Wherever there's a construction site, kids are tempted to play around it," says Jessica Lennon, DART's supervisor of Educational Outreach. "Our safety message is 'stay away from railroad tracks and construction areas' – but we try to put it out there in a way that's engaging and entertaining." Accordingly, parts of the safety program include trivia quizzes and other game-like components. Each session, Lennon notes, is tailored specifically for the group to which it's presented. However, the core information is the same – kids learn which part of the neighborhood construction will be in; where they'll be able to go on the new line once it's running; and basic transit etiquette. "The DART Safely education program gives children critical exposure to skills that can serve them well for a long time to come," says Nanette Week-Watt, principal of the Phyllis Wheatley Learning Center. "It arms them with the knowledge they need to be self-sufficient and make smart decisions when they're around a construction site or using transit in general." DART is also reaching local kids through the media. The agency has used radio ads placed during kids' programming – and featuring the voice of Radio Disney personality Jay Benson – to put out the DART Safely message. The ads also promote more in-depth events, such as a recent series of safety presentations at the Juanita J. Craft, Larry Johnson and Exline recreation centers. Community Affairs Representative Willene Watson, left, shows residents plans for the new Deep Ellum Station on the Green Line. An ongoing process As construction takes place over the next several years, DART Community Affairs staff will keep the lines of communication open in the affected neighborhoods. Agency representatives will be attending PTA meetings, senior health fairs, homeowners' and business association meetings, as well as neighborhood carnivals and the like, to maintain a community presence, to provide periodic updates and to get feedback about construction activities, traffic disruptions and other issues. DART conducted more than 125 community meetings in preparation for the expansion – an interactive process that helped determine everything from station alignments to the art and design elements that make each station a unique neighborhood asset. Community Affairs staff has also undertaken informal outreach efforts, as when DART representatives recently went from store to store, visiting merchants in Carrollton's town square – the site of a DART Rail station on the Green Line. Interactive Experience Station artist Julie Cohn is creating unique art from Deep Ellum's colorful history. "I loved the experiences I had interacting with the Deep Ellum community," says Julie Cohn, design artist for Deep Ellum Station, which in 2009 will be among the first stations to open on the new Green Line. DART's Station Art & Design Program brings the community in on the design process, ensuring that stations become one-of-a-kind sources of community pride. Over the course of several months, Cohn met with merchants, residents and other civic-minded types to hone her vision of the station. "Everybody was very supportive, and they really helped my best ideas crystallize," she says. "As a result of that energy, it's going to be a fabulous station." The central motif of the station will be based on a palimpsest – an ancient manuscript that has been written on, scraped off, and used again, creating a layered effect – with several references to the area's varied cultural background. "I was very impressed with the whole process," Cohn says. Return to the Inmotion front page