Media Relations Contact:
Morgan Lyons
26 de enero de 2004
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) cumple 20 años En más de un billón de ocasiones desde 1984, los texanos del norte se han montado a un tren o un autobús de DART, han tomado un tren Trinity Railway Express o han compartido un viaje en un carril para vehículos de más de un pasajero (HOV).
Para agradecerles a los usuarios estas dos décadas de apoyo, DART ha organizado un concurso especial con grandes premios, incluyendo unas vacaciones para esquiar por cortesía de Durango Mountain Resort.
Además, durante 20 días a partir del 2 de febrero, los usuarios recibirán descuentos del 20% en aquellas tiendas y restaurantes que participan en el popular programa destination deals de DART. Lanzado durante el pasado invierno, el programa trabaja con negocios asociados a lo largo de las vías del tren para ofrecer descuentos exclusivos a los usuarios de DART.
Los usuarios podrán disfrutar de las celebraciones que tendrán lugar en las estaciones de DART Rail en febrero. Personalidades de la radio y de los negocios asociados con DART a través del programa destination deals estarán presentes para entregar los premios. El programa de celebraciones está publicado en la página DART.org.
Los detalles del concurso y de las ofertas del programa destination deals aparecen en la página DART.org y en el boletín de noticias a bordo, Rider Insider.
Los votantes aprobaron el establecimiento de la agencia regional de transporte el 13 de agosto de 1983. El 1° de enero de 1984, DART asumió las operaciones del Dallas Transit System y empezó a trabajar en los planes para autobuses suburbanos, transporte en tren, carriles para vehículos de más de un pasajero (HOV), transporte en vehículos compartidos (carpooling) y transporte para personas con incapacidad de movimiento. Hoy en día, DART opera uno de los sistemas de transporte multimodal más grandes y exitosos de la nación, sirviendo a 13 ciudades que abarcan más de 700 millas cuadradas, con una flota de más de 1,000 autobuses, trenes y vehículos paratransit, así como una red de carriles para vehículos de más de un pasajero (HOV) de 31 millas. Cada día de la semana, los usuarios hacen más de 300,000 viajes en el sistema DART.
DART ha dado un gran impacto en la economía del Norte de Texas, generando miles de puestos de trabajo e invirtiendo billones de dólares en infraestructura. Además, desde el lanzamiento de DART Rail en 1996, se han invertido fondos privados por más de 1.3 billones de dólares, utilizados a lo largo de las 44 millas del sistema en el desarrollo de proyectos de uso mixto orientados al transporte.
Highlights of DART's "20 years on a roll"
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August 13, 1983 - Voters create Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to develop and operate a multimodal regional transit system |
Bus
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1984 - New nonstop express bus service begins between downtown Dallas and Addison, Carrollton, Coppell, Farmers Branch, Flower Mound, Glenn Heights, Irving, Richardson, Plano and Rowlett |
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1985 - New local bus routes open in suburban cities |
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1986 - Lift-equipped paratransit van service expands to all DART member cities |
Rail
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1984 - DART Board selects light rail mode for the future DART Rail System |
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1988 - Dallas Transit System merges with DART |
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1989 - DART Board approves a new DART Transit System Plan |
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1990 - First transit police officers go on duty |
Bus
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1988 - North Carrollton and South Irving bus transit centers open |
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1989 - West Plano, Red Bird and Richardson bus transit centers open |
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1992 - East Plano Transit Center opens |
Rail
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1988 - DART purchases 34.5 miles of railroad right-of-way |
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1988 - Voters reject long-term bonds for rail construction |
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1989 - DART acquires almost 80% of the right-of-way needed for planned rail operations |
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1990 - Light rail construction begins |
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1991 - DART acquires 54 more miles of needed railroad right-of-way |
HOV
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1991 - First high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane opens on I-30, east of downtown Dallas |
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1997 - DART is named the American Public Transportation Association's Transit Agency of the Year |
Bus
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1993 - Garland Central, Hampton, Illinois and North Irving transit centers open |
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1996 - Downtown Dallas West Bus Transfer Center opens |
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1997 - Downtown Dallas East Bus Transfer Center opens |
Rail
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1993 - DART receives $82.6 million in federal funding for the South Oak Cliff light rail project |
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1994 - Construction crews break through on two light rail tunnels under North Central Expressway |
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1994 - RAILTRAN Interlocal Cooperative Agreement clears the way for commuter rail service linking Dallas and Fort Worth |
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1995 - The first light rail vehicle arrives for testing |
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1996 - The first phase of DART's 20-mile light rail transit starter system opens |
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1996 - The first 10-mile segment of the Trinity Railway Express commuter service links Dallas and Irving with a stop at Dallas' Medical/Market Center |
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1997 - DART extends light rail north to Park Lane with a 3.5-mile subway |
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1997 - A 3-mile extension of the South Oak Cliff Line completes the 20-mile starter system |
HOV
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1996 - HOV lanes open on I-35E |
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1997 - HOV lanes open on I-635 |
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1999 - DART enters into a $333 million Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) with the Federal Transit Administration - the first FFGA approved under the Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) |
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2001 - The American Public Transportation Association names DART Board Chairman Jesse Oliver "Outstanding Transit Agency Board Member of the Year" |
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2002 - DART System achieves 100% accessibility |
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2004 - DART finalizes plans for a 49-mile expansion of the light rail system that will more than double the existing system and connect downtown Dallas with DFW International Airport, Irving, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, and Love Field to the northwest; Fair Park and Pleasant Grove to the southeast. It will also extend rail from Garland east to Rowlett and from Ledbetter Station south to I-20 in Dallas. |
Bus
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1998 - First high-tech NOVA buses go into service, including buses powered by liquefied natural gas, and clean-burning diesel vehicles are acquired |
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1998 - Nostalgic trolley-buses begin serving downtown Dallas and other business centers |
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1999 - Addison Transit Center opens |
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2000 - The Rowlett Park & Ride opens on the site of a future light rail station |
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2000 - Cockrell Hill and Bernal/Singleton passenger transfer locations open |
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2002 - Lake June Transit Center opens on the site of a future light rail station |
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2002 - New bus patron facility opens at 912 Commerce Street in downtown Dallas |
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2003 - DART breaks ground for MLK, Jr. Transit Center construction on the site of a future light rail station |
Rail
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2000 - Voters approve $2.9 billion in long-term bonds to accelerate future light rail line construction |
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2001 - DART and the Fort Worth T complete the 34-mile Trinity Railway Express linking Dallas, Fort Worth, the Mid-Cities and DFW International Airport |
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2001 - Light rail expands northeast with new White Rock Station |
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2002 - DART completes one of the largest rail expansion projects in North America with extensions to North Dallas, Garland, Richardson and Plano. The expansion brings DART Rail to 44 miles and 34 stations |
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2002 - Construction begins on the first segment of the Northwest Light Rail Corridor extension between downtown Dallas and Victory Station at American Airlines Center |
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2003 - DART finalizes long-range plans for its Northwest Light Rail Corridor extension to Farmers Branch, Carrollton, North Irving and DFW Airport, and its Southeast Light Rail Corridor extension to Deep Ellum, Fair Park, South Dallas and Pleasant Grove |
HOV
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2002 - HOV lanes open on I-35E and U.S. 67 south of downtown Dallas |
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