What's Happening in Dallas, TX…

A significant grant was received by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to assist with the funding to extend key rail station platforms.

DART has undertaken an ongoing project to extend platforms to enable the accommodation of the longer trains needed to transport more riders. The project’s goal is to extend those stations along the Blue and Red light rail lines that can only accommodate two car trains. The lengthening of 28 station platforms will result in all the cars on these lines being able to efficiently serve three-car trains.

A recent release explains that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has agreed to provide a $60.76m grant that will be used to construct platform extensions for the Blue and Red lines. According to U.S. Transportation Secretary Chao the grant will make traveling easier for thousands of people throughout the Dallas metropolitan area.

The Downtown Plano DART station was the location chosen for the grant’s announcement. The location was selected because Plano shows how economic opportunities can be created by effective public transportation. Surrounding the Plato station are homes, retail establishments, restaurants and a rejuvenated downtown.

Stations along the Blue and Red light rail lines will likely experience a boost in business development and an accompanying demand for a variety of services, including printing services.

The cost to extend all platforms on the Blue and Red lines that cannot currently accommodate three-car trains is projected to be $128.74m