Media Relations Contact:
Morgan Lyons
Mark A. Ball

November 3, 2010

Fifteen new Green Line stations to open

Major DART service changes start December 6

Completion of the 28-mile Green Line, the longest light rail construction project in North America, heralds a new era of choices for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) passengers on Monday, December 6.

Completion of the Green Line from Buckner Boulevard and Elam Road in southeast Dallas to Frankford Road in Carrollton brings new opportunities and destinations, but also requires numerous bus and rail changes to avoid duplication of service. Details of the changes can be found in the service change brochures available on DART vehicles, inside transit centers, by visiting www.DART.org, or by calling 214-979-1111.

New stations open, rail schedules being adjusted
The debut of 15 new stations along the $1.8 billion, 28-mile Green Line is the most prominent part of the service change. The new stations on the southeast corridor in Dallas are Hatcher, Lawnview, Lake June and Buckner stations. Market Center, Southwestern Medical District/Parkland, Inwood/Love Field, Burbank, Bachman, Walnut Hill/Denton, Royal Lane, Farmers Branch, Downtown Carrollton, Trinity Mills, and North Carrollton/Frankford stations open on the northwest corridor of the Green Line.

The Lake Highlands Station makes its debut between White Rock and LBJ/Skillman stations on the Blue Line. This is DART's first infill station.

Red, Blue and Green line trains will run every 15 minutes during rush hours instead of every 10 minutes. Extra trains on the Red Line between Downtown Dallas and Parker Road, and on the Green Line between Bachman Station and Downtown Dallas, will produce a 7 1/2-minute frequency during the heaviest a.m. and p.m. ridership periods and new, through service between Bachman and Parker Road stations. Designated as Orange Line trains, they will be extended to Irving when Orange Line operations begin in 2012. Midday, evening and weekend frequencies will remain unchanged, although specific departure and arrival times on all three lines may vary.

» View more information regarding DART Rail schedules.

Look for bus schedule changes too
Major bus service changes on December 6 affect more than half of the 130 routes in the system. These changes are designed to complement the new rail network while eliminating costly duplication of service. Most routes in Pleasant Grove, the Stemmons Corridor, Medical District, and Northwest Dallas will see significant changes. Several northeast Dallas bus routes will be modified to reflect ridership patterns, while routes along the Jefferson Boulevard corridor through Oak Cliff and Cockrell Hill will undergo a major overhaul to streamline service.

Customers using buses along the Green Line will notice a number of changes as eighteen new routes will begin to support the new rail service while routes 8, 44, 185, 204, 247, 26, 37, 42, 50, 539 and 165 will be discontinued.

Other specific bus changes include:

• Route 44 and Route 26 will no longer serve the Southwestern Medical District from downtown Dallas. This area will be connected to two Green Line stations (Southwestern Medical District/Parkland and Inwood/Love Field).
  
  • Bus routes connecting hospital facilities along Harry Hines to Southwestern Medical/District Parkland Station include 405, 408, 409, 453 and 544.
  • Bus routes connecting medical district facilities along Inwood to Inwood/Love Field Station include 526 and 527.
  • Children's Medical Center has bus service on routes 49, 525 and 822/823.
• Route 165 connecting Pleasant Grove to downtown Dallas will no longer operate but downtown passengers will be able to access two new Green Line stations, Buckner and Lake June via new and revised bus routes 466, 467, 475, 591, 592, 594, 595, 597 and 842.