Blue Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
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.
Route
The southern terminus of the line is currently at Ledbetter in south Dallas at Lancaster Road, just south of Ledbetter Drive (Loop 12). 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 1997, the Blue Line was extended south to Ledbetter and was extended along the Red Line to Mockingbird, 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 first infill station in December 2010.[2]
Stations
Daily Service
- Listed from north to south
| Station | Other lines | Opened | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Rowlett | 2012 | Northern terminus | |
| Downtown Garland | 2002 | ||
| Forest/Jupiter | 2002 | ||
| LBJ/Skillman | 2002 | ||
| Lake Highlands | 2010 | ||
| White Rock | 2001 | ||
| Mockingbird | 1997 | Northernmost transfer for Red and Orange Lines | |
| Cityplace | 2000 | ||
| Pearl/Arts District | 1996 | Easternmost transfer for Green Line | |
| St. Paul | 1996 | Transfers made to the M-Line (which terminates two blocks north) | |
| Akard | 1996 | ||
| West End | 1996 | Westernmost transfer station for Orange and Green Lines | |
| Union Station | 1996 | Transfer to Trinity Railway Express,  Amtrak, and Dallas Streetcar | |
| Convention Center | 1996 | ||
| Cedars | 1996 | ||
| 8th & Corinth | 1996 | Southernmost transfer for Red Line | |
| Morrell | 1996 | ||
| Illinois | 1996 | ||
| Kiest | 1997 | ||
| VA Medical Center | 1997 | ||
| Ledbetter | 1997 | Southern terminus |
Special Event Service
- Deep Ellum (Also served by Green Line, Orange Line)
- Baylor University Medical Center (Also served by Blue Line, Orange Line)
- Fair Park (Also served by Green Line, Orange Line)
- Victory (Also served by Green Line, Blue Line, Orange Line)
South Oak Cliff extension
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 will open for service in December 2016.[3]
Deferred
- Knox-Henderson Station in Uptown
Gallery
-
Southbound Blue Line train at Akard
-
Passengers at White Rock
References
- ↑ DART Blue Line launches long-awaited rail service in Rowlett. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
- ↑ The Dallas Morning News - DART green-lights 40 miles of new rail. Originally published October 25, 2006. Retrieved November 5, 2006.
- ↑ Formby, Brandon (October 7, 2014). "Construction begins on Blue Line extension". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
External links
- Map of the Blue Line (to scale)
- Full DART System Map
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