Blue Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)

Last updated

Blue Line
DART Blue Line bullet.svg
Downtown Rowlett Station July 2015 11.jpg
Blue Line train at Downtown Rowlett
Overview
Owner DART
Locale Dallas, Texas
Termini
Stations23
Service
Type Light rail
System DART Light Rail
Operator(s)DART
History
OpenedJune 1996
Technical
Line length26.8 mi (43.1 km)
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification Overhead catenary
Highest elevationAt grade, elevated, underground
Route map
Blue Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) Blue Line highlighted in blue
BSicon KHSTa cerulean.svg
Downtown Rowlett Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
Downtown Garland Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
Forest/Jupiter Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
LBJ/Skillman Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon SKRZ-G4u cerulean.svg
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
Lake Highlands
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
White Rock Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon tCONTgq red.svg
BSicon CONTgq carrot.svg
BSicon STR+r carrot.svg
BSicon tSTR+r red.svg
BSicon tSTR cerulean.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
BSicon tSTR black.svg
BSicon lHST cerulean.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
SMU/Mockingbird
Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon tINTae cerulean.svg
Cityplace/Uptown
M-Line Trolley logo.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
BSicon ftSTR+l.svg
BSicon tSTR black.svg
BSicon fSTR+l.svg
BSicon fCONTfq.svg
BSicon tINT black.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
Pearl/Arts District
BSicon BUS2.svg
BSicon tINT black.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
St. Paul
M-Line Trolley logo.svg
BSicon tSTR black.svg
BSicon lHST cerulean.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
Akard
BSicon tINT black.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
West End
BSicon BUS2.svg
BSicon ftCONTgq.svg
BSicon CONTgq carrot.svg
BSicon tSTR red.svg
BSicon STRr carrot.svg
BSicon ftSTRr.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
BSicon CONTr+f.svg
BSicon tSTR red.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
BSicon KINTe-L.svg
BSicon tINT-R red.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
BSicon uKHSTa.svg
Union Station Dallas Streetcar Icon.png TRE logo.png BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon uCONTgq.svg
BSicon mKRZu cerulean+u.svg
BSicon uSTRr.svg
Dallas Streetcar
to Bishop Arts
BSicon tSTR red.svg
BSicon lHST cerulean.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
Convention Center
BSicon tSTR red.svg
BSicon SKRZ-G4o cerulean.svg
BSicon tSTR red.svg
BSicon lHST cerulean.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
Cedars
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
BSicon tSTR red.svg
BSicon uABZl+l.svg
BSicon uKDSTeq.svg
Central Rail Operating Facility
BSicon tbSTR red.svg
BSicon hbKRZWae cerulean.svg
BSicon tSTR red.svg
BSicon lHST cerulean.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
8th & Corinth
Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon CONTgq red.svg
BSicon STR cerulean.svg
BSicon tSTRr red.svg
BSicon STRr red.svg
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
Morrell
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
Illinois Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
Kiest Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
VA Medical Center
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
Ledbetter Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon HST cerulean.svg
Camp Wisdom Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon KHSTe cerulean.svg
UNT Dallas Centro other car parking large.svg
BSicon tSTRq red.svg
BSicon STRq cerulean.svg
Other service sharing track
BSicon tSTRq black.svg
BSicon STRq cerulean.svg
Multiple services sharing track with Blue Line

Wheelchair symbol.svg All stations are accessible
§ Special events only

The Blue Line is a light rail line in the system of mass transit in Dallas, Texas (USA), operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. Along with the Red Line, it is one of the original modern rail lines in Dallas.

Contents

Route

The southern terminus of the line is currently at UNT Dallas in south Dallas at University Hills Blvd. just south of Camp Wisdom Rd. The line runs north, under the Dallas Convention Center and through downtown Dallas. After leaving Mockingbird, the line diverts to the northeast towards White Rock Lake. The line then goes north and then east into Garland, finally ending in Rowlett.

History

The rail line was part of the initial launch of DART's light rail service in 1996. At the time, the line only ran from Illinois to Pearl in the northeast corner of downtown. In May 1997, the Blue Line was extended south to Ledbetter and was extended along the Red Line to Mockingbird in September 1999, in preparation for the future extension to Garland.

On September 24, 2001, the Blue Line extended to White Rock, just northwest of White Rock Lake. On May 6, 2002, the Blue Line was extended to the LBJ/Skillman, just beyond LBJ Freeway (Interstate 635). It was extended to Downtown Garland on November 18, 2002, and to its current northern terminus, Downtown Rowlett, on December 3, 2012. [1]

DART's 2030 Transit System Plan, approved in October 2006, calls for the Blue Line to be extended south beyond Ledbetter to the University of North Texas at Dallas, as well as a branch along Bonnie View road to Interstate 20 and the SouthPort Intermodal Terminal. The plan also includes a new Lake Highlands station near Skillman Street and Walnut Hill Lane, which opened as DART's second infill station in December 2010. [2]

In October 2014, construction began for a 2.6-mile extension south from Ledbetter station to the University of North Texas at Dallas, adding two new stations to the line: Camp Wisdom and UNT Dallas. The extension opened for service on October 24, 2016. [3] [4]

Future plans

The D2 Subway is planned to be implemented in 2028 and will reroute the Blue Line off of the downtown transit corridor and over the former Green Line's western segment to terminate at North Carrollton/Frankford station.

Stations

Daily Service

Listed from north to south
StationOther linesOpenedNotes
Downtown Rowlett December 3, 2012Northern terminus
Downtown Garland November 18, 2002
Forest/Jupiter
LBJ/Skillman
Lake Highlands December 6, 2010
White Rock September 24, 2001
SMU/Mockingbird         January 10, 1997Northernmost transfer for Red and Orange Lines
Cityplace/Uptown December 18, 2000Transfer to M-Line Trolley logo.svg M-Line Trolley
Pearl/Arts District             June 14, 1996Easternmost transfer for Green Line
St. Paul Transfer to M-Line Trolley logo.svg M-Line Trolley (one block north)
Akard
West End Westernmost transfer station for Orange and Green Lines
EBJ Union Station     Transfer to Dallas Streetcar Icon.png Dallas Streetcar, TRE logo.png Trinity Railway Express, and BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak
Convention Center
Cedars
8th & Corinth Southernmost transfer for Red Line
Morrell
Illinois
Kiest May 31, 1997
VA Medical Center
Ledbetter
Camp Wisdom October 24, 2016
UNT Dallas Southern terminus

Special Event Service

Deferred

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References

  1. DART Blue Line launches long-awaited rail service in Rowlett Archived September 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  2. The Dallas Morning News - DART green-lights 40 miles of new rail. Originally published October 25, 2006. Retrieved November 5, 2006.
  3. Railway Track & Structures (October 21, 2016). "DART readies to open Blue Line extension to South Oak Cliff area". Simmons-Boardman Publishing Inc. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  4. Barrow, Keith (October 20, 2016). "Dallas inaugurates LRT Blue Line extension". International Railway Journal.
  5. "Northeast Corridor: Final Local Environmental Assessment (Final LEA)" [report]. DART Historical Archive, pp. 1-25, 1-26. The Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas.
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