Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

 Mandalay Place This single family neighborhood, which was constructed in the mid-1980’s, is located directly north of North Lake College between Brangus Drive and Walnut Hill Lane.

 Las Colinas This neighborhood encompasses several apartment complexes north of North Lake College, surrounding a creek, ponds and greenbelts. The neighborhood includes the Hidden Ridge, Jefferson Park, Jefferson Ridge, Knightsbridge, Rancho Mirage, Archstone at MacArthur (previously Rosemont Apartments), and Villas at Beaver Creek apartments.

3.3 TRANSPORTATION The proposed extension of light rail to Irving within the Northwest Corridor will have to interface with the existing transportation system of roadways, highways, railroads, pedestrian/bicycle facilities, bus routes, and transit centers. This section documents the existing conditions of that transportation system and lays the groundwork for determining what changes will have to be made to accommodate light rail and what impacts that will have. As such, this section focuses on the proposed alignment of the light rail extension and the transportation facilities that parallel or cross it. This study area extends from northwest Dallas westward through Irving towards Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

The existing conditions of the transportation system within the Irving/DFW LRT corridor were documented by collecting existing data from various transportation agencies and taking inventory of conditions within the corridor itself. This documentation includes a summary of regional traffic patterns and traffic volumes, intersection conditions, parking usage, bus service, and freight railroad operations.

Existing daily and peak hour traffic volumes at most locations were collected from TxDOT, NCTCOG, and the municipal agencies within the corridor. Traffic volumes at certain locations were collected manually in the field. Year 2030 traffic volume projections were obtained from the NCTCOG Mobility 2025 Plan (Amended April 2005) as modeled by DART. The existing configuration of transportation facilities was inventoried in the field. Roadway, rail, and transit facilities projected to exist in the year 2030 were estimated based upon committed and proposed changes to the transportation system as specified by and agreed to by the agencies involved.

Transit operation and ridership data were collected from DART. Data concerning bicycle and pedestrian facilities were collected from the cities in the corridor. Finally, any policies governing the use of or interaction between transportation facilities in the corridor were collected from the various government agencies within the corridor.

3.3.1 Transportation Infrastructure This section describes the existing conditions of the transportation infrastructure within the Irving/DFW LRT corridor. This includes transit infrastructure, roads and highways, and railroads.

Transit Infrastructure The Project Corridor is served by a network of 14 DART bus routes. Bus transit services operate in mixed traffic on city streets, SH 114, and IH 35E south of IH 635 (Figure 3-10). Just outside the Project Corridor, buses utilize high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on IH 35E north of IH 635, and on IH 635 east of IH 35E. There are two express, eight circulator, one rail-feeder, and three cross- town routes in the corridor. The “circulator” routes operate between transit centers in outer Dallas and in the suburbs. Typically, express routes provide service to downtown Dallas, but one of the express routes is a cross-town route that provides east-west service on IH 635. The corridor bus network generally is oriented in a pattern radiating from downtown Dallas, which is located beyond the southeast edge of the Study Area. In addition, there are several circulator routes within Irving.

Final Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 28 Chapter 3 Affected Environment C ab N el l D r M

E A Legend

K C P B T A E

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L S

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RIDGE D R D R R N R E CarY rollton-Farmers Branch D CARBON RD D H H I I ! North Las Colinas Dallas LRTN Line ! E S

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183 i VU v e r W IR O V R IN L G A G BL GRAUWYLER RD E VD R Source: DART, 2005 Figure 3-10 Existing Bus Routes NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW 0 2,000 4,000 8,000 Environmental Impact Statement Feet ´ Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

Cross-town service into Dallas, Farmers Branch, and Carrollton is available, but cross-town service to the other cities surrounding Irving does not exist as they are not DART member cities.

There is one transit center within the corridor providing park-and-ride facilities at a major bus transfer center. The North Irving Transit Center provides 715 parking spaces and is served by two express bus routes and five circulator bus routes on weekdays, and five different circulator bus routes during the weekend. On weekdays, one express bus route provides service to downtown Dallas (Route 202) and the other provides express cross-town service to Parker Road Station in Plano (Route 234).

In addition to bus service, there is a commuter rail line operated by DART that travels just south of the corridor. The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) rail line links downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth. The first ten miles of the service between downtown Dallas and South Irving opened in 1996, with stations at Union Station, the Medical/Market Center, and South Irving. The second 17 miles extended the service into Richland Hills in September 2000. Service to downtown Fort Worth opened in December 2001. Located south of SH 183 on O’Connor Road, the closest TRE station to the Project Corridor is the South Irving Station, which also contains a bus transfer center served by eight bus routes on weekdays.

Finally, within the Las Colinas Urban Center there is a 1.4-mile elevated people-mover system that connects several office buildings. The Las Colinas Area Personal Transit (APT) System is operated and maintained by the Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District. More commonly known as the Las Colinas People-mover, the APT operates between 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM on weekdays and serves four stations in area office buildings. Most traffic consists of office building employees traveling to and from restaurants in other buildings. Rides on the APT System are free.

Roads and Highways The existing highway system in the corridor includes several freeways, a tollway, and a network of arterial roadways and local streets (Figure 3-11). In the eastern portion of the corridor, the proposed alignment runs along several highways and arterial roadways, including Spur 482, SH 114, Teleport Boulevard, Las Colinas Boulevard, and Northwest Highway. As the proposed alignment proceeds west of the Las Colinas Urban Center, it no longer follows a particular roadway, but crosses multiple arterial roadways on its way to DFW Airport (such as Hidden Ridge Drive, MacArthur Boulevard, and Walnut Hill Lane).

Spur 482 is a short highway that connects Northwest Highway in Dallas to the confluence of freeways surrounding Texas Stadium. SH 114 is a freeway that extends northwest from Texas Stadium to the north end of DFW Airport and continues northwestward into the suburbs north of Fort Worth. Teleport Boulevard is a minor arterial on the south end of the Las Colinas Urban Center, Las Colinas Boulevard is a four-lane arterial on the east edge of the Las Colinas Urban Center, and Northwest Highway is a major arterial in Dallas and extends northwestward into Irving where it becomes Spur 348 and merges with SH 114.

After following Spur 482 from the Farmers Branch/Carrollton LRT Line to Texas Stadium, the proposed alignment generally follows the principal freeway in the area, SH 114 (John Carpenter Freeway). SH 114 is part of a system of highways that radiates from the Dallas CBD freeway loop. SH 114 runs in a general northwest-southeast direction and carries an average of 86,000 to 100,000 vehicles per day.

Several other freeways interconnect within the Project Corridor. Texas Stadium serves as a focal point of the confluence of four freeways (SH 114, Loop 12, SH 183, and Spur 482). In addition, IH 35E crosses the eastern end of the alignment and SH 161 (the President George Bush Turnpike) crosses the western end of the alignment.

Final Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 30 Chapter 3 Affected Environment C ab N el l D r M Legend E A

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183 i VU v e r W IR O V R IN L G A G BL GRAUWYLER RD E VD R Source: Parsons, 2005 Figure 3-11 Existing Road Network NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW 0 2,000 4,000 8,000 Environmental Impact Statement Feet ´ Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

Although IH 35E carries much more traffic north of the Project Corridor, the busiest freeway within the Project Corridor is SH 183 (Airport Freeway). SH 183 is a freeway that connects north Dallas with north Fort Worth and provides access to the south entrance of DFW Airport. The freeway carries an average of 177,000 vehicles per day in the vicinity of Texas Stadium. Plans are being prepared to widen SH 183 and construct HOV lanes starting in about ten years.

At the eastern end of the Irving/DFW LRT corridor, there are few arterial roadways due to the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. As the alignment extends into Irving, it encounters more and more arterial roadways. However, a regular, grid street pattern does not exist within the corridor. Along many of these major arterial roadways, high traffic volumes contribute to congestion delays. The high volume-to-capacity ratios on many of these arterials result in unacceptable traffic operating conditions as defined by local and national standards (as detailed below in Section 3.3.2).

Railroads There are two active freight rail lines operating within the Project Corridor as shown in Figure 3-12. One of these rail lines is now owned by DART and the other is owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF RR). Currently there are active freight operations on both of these rail lines.

The primary rail line along the eastern edge of the corridor is the DART-owned UPRR line, along which it is proposed to construct the new light rail line to Farmers Branch and Carrollton. The UPRR line runs from north of downtown Dallas to the northwest, past Love Field, to Farmers Branch, Carrollton, and Lewisville. The line generally parallels IH 35E and has multiple sidings and spurs that serve individual customer sites on both sides of the alignment. The Brookhollow Lead provides a connection between the UPRR line and the Mockingbird Yard on the TRE line south of the Project Corridor.

The BNSF RR is a major north-south rail line that runs through the corridor. It runs through Irving and into Dallas and eventually Farmers Branch and Carrollton where it intersects with the UPRR line. Within the Project Corridor, the BNSF RR line has relatively few active sidings or spurs as it primarily carries long-haul freight.

3.3.2 Traffic Volumes and Trends Traffic volumes in the Dallas urbanized area are considered some of the highest in Texas. As previously stated, the Project Corridor is bounded on the east by IH-35E, which carries an average of 226,000 vehicles per day north of the corridor. In addition, the Project Corridor is just south of IH-635 (LBJ Freeway) which, when it travels through north Dallas, carries the highest volumes of traffic in the Dallas urbanized area with approximately 300,000 vehicles per day. As previously stated, the busiest freeway in the Project Corridor is SH 183 which carries an average of 170,000 vehicles per day near Texas Stadium. Traffic volumes on most of the arterial roadways in the study corridor are also high, with some carrying over 30,000 vehicles per day.

Selected characteristics of the streets serving the study area were shown in Figure 3-11. As can be seen, the proposed alignment crosses and parallels major roadways at irregular intervals due to the curvilinear nature of the roadways and the alignment itself. The existing traffic volumes on all of the freeways and arterial roadways within the study corridor are shown in Figure 3-13. The traffic volume statistics for the major roadways paralleling the corridor are listed in Table 3-15. These statistics include the existing traffic volumes, existing levels of service, projected 2030 traffic volumes, and their projected 2030 levels of service. The traffic volume statistics for the major roadways crossing the alignment are shown in Table 3-16. The level of service is a measure of the relative delay and congestion experienced on a roadway, with level of service A being the best, and anything worse than level of service D being unacceptable.

Final Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 32 Chapter 3 Affected Environment C ab N el l D r M

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183 i VU v o e h r k W O IR o V R IN o L G A r G BL GRAUWYLER RD B E VD R Source: Parsons, 2005 Figure 3-12 Existing Railroads NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW 0 2,000 4,000 8,000 Environmental Impact Statement Feet ´ N

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177 i B t ! y AIRPORT FWY ! E !! R 183 i VU v e r W IR O V !! R IN 136 L G ! A G BL GRAUWYLER RD E VD R Source: Parsons, 2005 Figure 3-13 Existing Traffic Volumes NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW 0 2,000 4,000 8,000 Environmental Impact Statement Feet ´ Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

TABLE 3-15 MAJOR ROADWAYS PARALLELING THE PROPOSED ALIGNMENT Existing Existing 2030 2030 Roadway Section 1 3 ADT LOS2 ADT LOS2 (1,000’s) (1,000’s) Spur 482 (Storey Lane) East of IH 35E 54 C 72 C 4 4 SH 114 North of Spur 348 100 D 191 E (John Carpenter Freeway) South of Spur 348 914 E 1814 F Teleport to O’Connor 6 B 11 B Riverside Drive O’Connor to Spur 348 21 C 27 D Spur 348 Loop 12 to Luna Road 36 E 54 F (Northwest Highway) O’Connor to SH 114 28 E 38 F Hidden Ridge Dr. West of SH 114 9 B 18 C SH 114 to MacArthur 15 B 18 C Walnut Hill Lane East of Belt Line Rd. 22 C 27 D West of Belt Line Rd. 16 B 37 E 1 Average daily traffic (ADT) in both directions. Traffic counts were collected in 2003 or2004. All freeway traffic counts were collected in 2003, all arterial traffic counts were collected in 2003 or 2004. 2 Level of Service determined by NCTCOG. 3 Average daily traffic in both directions. Projections provided by NCTCOG. 4 Includes traffic on main lanes and frontage roads. Source: Parsons Transportation Group, NCTCOG; 2006

TABLE 3-16 MAJOR ROADWAYS CROSSING THE PROPOSED ALIGNMENT

Lanes at the Existing Existing 2030 2030 Roadway 2 4 Crossing1 ADT LOS3 ADT LOS3 (1,000’s) (1,000’s) Harry Hines Blvd. 6 34 E 37 E IH 35E(Stemmons Freeway) 2-Lane Frontage Roads 1345 E 1705 E Loop 12(Walton Walker Freeway) 2-Lane Frontage Roads 1305 E 1945 F Tom Braniff Drive 4 7 B 9 B Riverside Drive 6 6 A 23 D California Crossing 4 3 A 5 A O’Connor Boulevard 6 25 D 13 B Colwell Boulevard 2 4 B 10 B SH 114(John Carpenter Freeway) 2-Lane Frontage Roads 915 E 1815 F Hidden Ridge Drive 6 11 B 15 B MacArthur Boulevard 6 27 E 35 E Walnut Hill Lane 6 16 B 38 E SH 161/Bush Turnpike 2-Lane Frontage Roads 475 B 2075 F Belt Line Road 6 32 E 41 F 1 Includes lanes in both directions on two-way streets unless noted otherwise. 2 Average daily traffic in both directions. Traffic counts were collected in 2003 or 2004. 3 Level of Service determined by NCTCOG. 4 Average daily traffic in both directions. Projections provided by NCTCOG. 5 Includes traffic on main lanes and frontage roads. Source: Parsons Transportation Group; NCTCOG; 2006

Final Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 35 Chapter 3 Affected Environment Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

The primary flow of traffic within the corridor is north and south along the major arterials within Irving (Belt Line Road, MacArthur Boulevard, and O’Connor Boulevard), and northwest and southeast along the central freeway of the corridor, SH 114, as well as Spur 348 (Northwest Highway). SH 114 and Spur 348 exhibit traditional commuter traffic patterns in that most traffic is traveling southeast towards Dallas during the AM peak, and most is traveling northwest away from Dallas during the PM peak. However, the Las Colinas Urban Center is a center of employment within the corridor which causes some reverse commuting on SH 114 between Las Colinas and Dallas.

Considering the corridor as a whole, peak period congestion is widespread on the freeways and the major roadways and the length of the peak period has been increasing. Tables 3-15 and 3-16 show that most of the freeway segments in the study corridor currently operate with unacceptable levels of service on a typical weekday, as well as Belt Line Road on the west end of the corridor, MacArthur Boulevard in the middle, and Harry Hines Boulevard on the east end. In addition, many of the roadways are at their ultimate build-out conditions, so reconstruction cannot mitigate current conditions or handle the growth of traffic that is projected to occur in the future. For example, there is more vacant land to build upon, both in the Las Colinas Urban Center and in the residential areas of the corridor. As a result, there will be more jobs within the corridor as well as residents, translating into more commuter trips into and out of the corridor.

Historically, traffic volumes on Dallas freeways have increased five to ten percent per year between 1995 and 2000. Growth slowed in the first years of this decade, but is expected to increase again through the year 2030. Within the Project Corridor, traffic volumes on the mature freeways (IH 35E, Loop 12, and Spur 482) are projected to grow at about one percent per year, while traffic volumes on SH 114 are projected to grow at about four percent per year. Traffic volumes on SH 161 are projected to grow at about ten percent per year due in large part to the new connection with the President George Bush Turnpike which opened in September 2005.

Increases in traffic volumes on major arterial roadways within the corridor between 1995 and 2000 have historically averaged around three percent per year with one location increasing as much as 14 percent per year. As with the freeways, growth slowed between 2000 and 2004, but is expected to increase through the year 2030. As previously described, Tables 3-15 and 3-16 show the traffic volumes that are projected for the year 2030, and the levels of service that are projected to occur on those roadways after certain programmed improvements are made. As shown in the tables, traffic volumes on most of the roadway segments are projected to increase, with a corresponding degradation in level of service.

3.3.3 Transit Operations and Ridership The Irving/DFW LRT corridor is served by a network of 14 bus routes (Figure 3-10), many of which will need to be restructured when light rail service is extended into the corridor. The average ridership on the bus routes currently operating in the corridor is summarized in Table 3-17. Service descriptions and headways for each of the routes are summarized in Table 3-18. The bus routes traveling through the study corridor have a total average ridership of more than 220,000 passengers each month and almost 91 percent of this monthly ridership occurs on weekdays. These routes account for about seven percent of DART’s total system-wide bus ridership. The two highest ridership routes travel between the North Irving Transit Center and the City of Garland. One of these routes (428) travels through Dallas along Northwest Highway and the other (400) along Belt Line Road.

Several types of transit use occur within the corridor. Some transit users drive to a park-and-ride lot and board a bus bound for downtown Dallas, a cross-town destination, or destinations within the corridor.

Final Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 36 Chapter 3 Affected Environment Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

TABLE 3-17 EXISTING IRVING/DFW LRT CORRIDOR BUS RIDERSHIP Average Month Route Average Weekday Average Saturday Average Sunday End Passengers Express Routes 202 901 No Service No Service 19,822 234 51 No Service No Service 1,122 Circulator (Suburban) Routes 301 841 No Service No Service 18,502 302 313 No Service No Service 6,886 303 345 No Service No Service 7,590 305 650 No Service No Service 14,300 306 174 No Service No Service 3,828 310 451 13 41 10,138 311 113 No Service No Service 2,486 314 No Service 569 311 3,520 Cross-Town Routes 400 1,849 850 542 46,246 428 3,205 1,738 867 80,930 438 No Service 27 No Service 108 Rail Feeder Routes 507 245 116 No Service 5,854 Source: Parsons Transportation Group, DART; August 2005

TABLE 3-18 BUS OPERATIONS SUMMARY Service Frequency Route Description (minutes) Peak Off-Peak Express Routes 202 Downtown Dallas to N Irving Transit Center to Valley Ranch to DFW Remote North 30 120 234 Parker Road Station to North Irving Transit Center 60 N/A Circulator (Suburban) Routes 301 North Irving Transit Center to South Irving Station 30 60 39 AM 302 South Irving Station to North Irving Transit Center 60 30 PM 30 AM 303 South Irving Station to North Irving Transit Center 60 22 PM 305 North Irving Transit Center to Irving Mall to South Irving Station 30 60 50 AM 306 South Irving Station to Texas Stadium to Century Center 60 55 PM 310 North Irving Transit Center to Royal & Colwell to Freeport 30 60 311 DeVry Institute of Technology to West Irving Station 45 N/A 314 North Irving Transit Center to South Irving Station N/A 60 Cross-Town Routes Downtown Garland Station to Arapaho Center Station to Addison Transit Center to 400 30 60 North Irving Transit Center South Garland Transit Center to Park Lane Station to Webb Chapel to North Irving 428 10 40 Transit Center 438 AGEIS Communication to Illinois Station N/A N/A Rail Feeder Routes 507 North Irving Transit Center to South Irving Station 42 60 Source: Parsons Transportation Group, DART; August 2005

Other transit users walk to bus stops near their homes and board the bus bound for their place of employment. Depending on their destination, some of these latter transit users may use the transit center to transfer from one bus route to another in order to reach their final destination. Finally, Final Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 37 Chapter 3 Affected Environment Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport some transit users use the commuter rail that travels just south of the corridor. These users are primarily long-haul commuters who drive to the park-and-ride lot in south Irving and ride the train into downtown Dallas or downtown Fort Worth. The first two types of transit users described above will be the ones most impacted by the extension of light rail into the corridor.

The first type of transit user described above is usually a resident of the northwestern suburbs of Dallas who would prefer to drive just part of the way towards their employment destination and use the transit system for the remainder of it. These transit users are likely using the system to reach employment centers in and around downtown Dallas. The North Irving Transit Center is the outermost transit center in the Northwest Corridor and therefore has a large parking lot. However, this parking lot is currently not well utilized (see Section 3.3.6). As residential development increases within the corridor and to the northwest and as employment opportunities increase in and around downtown Dallas, more and more long-haul commuters will likely choose the park-and- ride option rather than driving in the increasing traffic congestion that will likely occur on highways leading into Dallas. Additionally, TxDOT plans reconstruction of SH 114. This roadway reconstruction may also influence transit mode choice.

The second type of transit user described above is usually a “transit-dependent” person who does not have access to an automobile. DART’s transit system enables these people to work at employment centers all over the Dallas area that would normally be accessible only to someone with an automobile. This allows transit-dependent people living in the corridor to work outside the corridor, and vice versa. Considering the large amount of employment within the study corridor, DART’s transit system is very important to the economic vitality of the corridor. It provides job opportunities for people from all areas and demographics, and it provides employers with a wider range of the labor pool. As employment opportunities increase within the corridor and transit- dependent residential development increases, the transit system will become even more important to employers and employees alike.

There are two transit pass programs that DART provides to promote transit usage through large employers. The Silver/Bronze Annual Pass program allows employers to provide select employees with annual DART transit passes. The Gold Annual Pass program is an annual DART pass provided by the company to all employees. It provides unlimited transportation on all DART fixed- route bus and rail service, and free emergency taxi rides home. Each of the passes also provides discounts at certain retail businesses. These programs, especially the Gold Pass, become an additional company benefit and can help attract employees. Employers benefit from tax incentives by offering the passes.

3.3.4 Movement of Freight Due to the concentration of manufacturers, warehouses, and large employers in portions of the Irving/DFW LRT corridor, the movement of freight is important to the economic vitality of the corridor. Consequently, freight is transported into, out of, and within the corridor every day by truck and by rail. In addition, IH 35E serves as a major NAFTA trucking route between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Freight Transported by Truck Most of the freight transported within the corridor is transported by truck. The primary roadway facilities for truck movements are illustrated in Figure 3-14. Compared to the Dallas area as a whole, there is a higher amount of local truck traffic at the eastern edge of the corridor due to the commercial and industrial land uses there.

Final Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 38 Chapter 3 Affected Environment C ab N el l D r M Legend E A

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183 i VU v e r W IR O V R IN L G A G BL GRAUWYLER RD E VD R Source: Parsons, 2005 Figure 3-14 Existing Truck Routes NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW 0 2,000 4,000 8,000 Environmental Impact Statement Feet ´ Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

In addition, there is a higher number of trucks on IH 35E (compared to other north-south freeways) due not only to the land uses along its length, but also to its international NAFTA designation. Within the Project Corridor, there is a concentration of local truck traffic near the western end of the alignment on Belt Line Road and Gateway Drive. Otherwise, through truck traffic uses SH 114 and Northwest Highway.

Some of the freight transported through the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex by truck is categorized as hazardous materials, and is therefore restricted to certain routes within urbanized areas. The primary hazardous materials routes in the study area are identified in Figure 3-15. Within the corridor, the transportation of hazardous materials is allowed on a north-south combination of IH 35E and Loop 12 (Walton Walker Boulevard) as well as the portion of Northwest Highway between IH 35E and the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. These regional route restrictions are extensions of ordinances adopted by the City of Dallas and the Texas Department of Transportation to control the transportation of hazardous materials.

Freight Transported by Rail Although trucks transport the majority of freight, a large amount of freight is transported by rail within the corridor. There are two active freight rail lines operating within the corridor (as shown in Figure 3-12). The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) rail line transports freight across the corridor, and the DART-owned UPRR line is primarily used to pick up and deliver freight to customers along the eastern edge of the corridor. Deliveries to customers on the UPRR line are provided by the Dallas, Garland, and Northeastern Railroad (DGNO). The Brookhollow Lead provides a connection between the UPRR and the Mockingbird Yard on the TRE line south of the Project Corridor.

3.3.5 Non-Motorized Circulation Pedestrian circulation facilities in the study area are essentially provided as part of the roadway facility cross-section. This typically includes sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and pedestrian signals. Within the Project Corridor, the Las Colinas Urban Center has the most pedestrian activity due to its plazas surrounded by office buildings. In contrast, there are large sections along the proposed alignment where no pedestrian facilities are provided, especially along highways and frontage roads.

Beyond sidewalk construction, the City of Irving has a master plan to create a 22-mile system of interconnected trails along the two forks of the Trinity River, the Elm and West Forks. This master plan is called the Campion Trails Project. Currently, there are five miles completed on the north end of the system and three miles completed on the south end. The completed northern portion is within the Project Corridor, starting near the Las Colinas Urban Center and extending northward along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River, roughly paralleling Riverside Drive. The Campion Trails Project is planned to connect to a future regional trail system which will link all cities within the Metroplex.

There is no official on-street bicycle route network in the City of Irving. However, The City of Dallas developed the Greater Dallas Bike Plan Map in 1992, and updated it in 1995, 1997, and 2004. This plan identifies bicycle facilities in Dallas and the surrounding suburbs, including signed and unsigned on-street routes, paved paths, and unpaved off-road trails. The plan shows two unsigned on-street bike routes that extend from Dallas into Irving. Route 7 runs on Luna Road and Wildwood Drive and crosses the Elm Fork of the Trinity River into Irving next to the University of Dallas. Route 300 runs on Royal Lane into Irving and terminates at Valley View Lane. In addition, there is an unpaved off-road bike trail in the L.B. Houston Park in Dallas, just across the river from the Las Colinas Urban Center. Finally, the Campion Trails Project is identified by NCTCOG as a future component of the 2025 Veloweb, a future planned regional network of bicycle trails.

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183 i VU v e r W IR O V R IN L G A G BL GRAUWYLER RD E VD R Source: Parsons, 2005 Figure 3-15 Existing Hazardous Material Routes NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW 0 2,000 4,000 8,000 Environmental Impact Statement Feet ´ Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

3.3.6 Parking The supply of parking in the Irving/DFW LRT corridor generally meets or exceeds current demands. Small and large activity centers provide adequate parking in off-street facilities for patrons and employees. While parking is not permitted on principal arterials, free parking is generally allowed on most minor arterials, collectors, and local streets in the corridor.

The vast majority of parking within the corridor is off-street parking that serves specific uses (parking lots and parking garages). Most businesses and institutions along the corridor provide adequate parking capacity for their employees, customers, and suppliers with their own parking lots on their property. In addition, DART provides off-street parking for transit users at the North Irving Transit Center Park-and-Ride.

As Table 3-19 shows, the North Irving Transit Center is only 15 percent occupied on a typical weekday with about 100 parked cars. The largest concentration of parking exists in the area surrounding Texas Stadium where several large surface lots are located near the proposed alignment. These lots provide 16,500 parking spaces for passenger cars and 500 for buses. These fee-based parking lots are only used on Dallas Cowboys game days, or on days when the stadium hosts other special events. However, it should be noted that a new stadium is being built for the Dallas Cowboys in the city of Arlington, Texas, which will open in 2009. Therefore, the use of Texas Stadium and these parking lots beyond 2009 is unclear.

TABLE 3-19 PARKING FACILITIES AT EXISTING TRANSIT CENTERS Transit Center Parking Spaces Utilization Rate1 North Irving 715 15% 1 Based on a count of occupied spaces during periods of peak parking. Source: Parsons Transportation Group; Sept. 2005

The second largest concentration of parking exists within the Las Colinas Urban Center where several surface lots and parking garages are located near the proposed alignment. These parking facilities serve the daily demand of the office buildings in the area. Some of these parking facilities are generally free for employees and visitors, while others charge a fee ranging from $5 to $16 a day.

3.3.7 Regional Transportation Improvement Plans Mobility 2025: The Metropolitan Transportation Plan is a 25-year plan to guide the implementation of roadway and transit improvements in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. The Mobility 2025 Plan has served as the regional transportation plan since its adoption in 1990 and has been updated periodically. The original plan was developed as Mobility 2010 in 1990 and was updated in 1993. In 1997 the plan was updated and renamed the Mobility 2020 Plan. In 2000 the plan was updated again and became the Mobility 2025 Plan. The Mobility 2025 Plan Update was adopted in May 2001, and the Mobility 2025 Plan (2004 Update) was adopted in January 2004. The most recent version of the plan is the Mobility 2025 Plan (Amended April 2005). Similar to previous versions of the plan, the current plan recommends an extension of DART’s light rail system in the corridor. The plan also recommends additional transit-related improvements in the corridor including high occupancy vehicle (HOV) facilities on SH 114; managed HOV facilities on SH 161/Bush Turnpike; express buses serving the HOV facilities; expanded cross-town bus service; circulator service in high density employment areas; and local feeder buses to serve proposed rail lines and park-and-ride lots.

The Mobility 2025 Plan (Amended April 2005) also includes recommendations for Congestion Management System (CMS) strategies throughout the region. These CMS strategies are short- range, relatively non-capital intensive measures focusing on transportation system management (TSM) and travel demand management (TDM) strategies such as: Final Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 42 Chapter 3 Affected Environment Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

 Traffic Signal Improvements and Intersection Improvements;  Incident Detection and Response Systems including motorist assistance patrols;  Advanced Traffic Management Systems relaying real-time travel information;  Employer Trip Reduction Programs at large employers; and  Vanpool Programs.

The 2006-2008 Transportation Improvement Plan for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area (TIP) identifies all of the roadway and transit improvements programmed for construction within the next two years. The projects presented within the 2006-2008 TIP were chosen to implement improvements consistent with the Mobility 2025 Plan. Roadway improvement plans for the study corridor identified within the 2006-2008 TIP will provide some additional traffic-carrying capability to respond to the projected population and employment growth. Despite the existing transportation infrastructure and planned improvements, significant traffic congestion is anticipated to occur in the study corridor between now and the year 2025. Unacceptable volume-to-capacity ratios are expected to occur on most major arterial roadways in the study corridor. In addition, increases in congestion are anticipated on many of the arterial roadways in the study corridor.

The 2006-2008 TIP identifies extensions of DART's LRT system into the Project Corridor and HOV facilities on SH 114 as the principal transit projects for improving mobility within the study corridor. Additional transit-related programs include: “Ozone Alert” fare programs, the acquisition of more transit vehicles to expand service and the CMS strategies discussed above. No other improvements directly related to transit currently are committed for implementation in the Project Corridor. A summary of other anticipated improvements in the corridor is shown below. The roadway improvements that will affect the proposed alignment the most are the proposed new roadways and widening of other roads in and around the Las Colinas Urban Center:

 Add eastbound travel lane on SH 114 from Spur 348 to Freeport Parkway (2006)  Intersection improvements at SH 114 and Walnut Hill Lane (2007)  Construct new roadway of Las Colinas Boulevard form Lake Carolyn Parkway to Colwell Boulevard (2007)  Add travel lanes on Denton Drive from Webb Chapel Extension to Farmers Branch city limits (2007)  Add travel lanes on O’Connor Road from SH 183 to Columbia Street (2007)  Intersection improvements at SH 114 and SH 161 (2007)  Grade separate Spur 348 (Northwest Highway) at Las Colinas Boulevard (2008)  Interchange reconstruction at SH 114 and SH 183 (2010)  Interchange reconstruction at Loop 12 and SH 183 (2010)

DART’s Transit System Plan is the agency's long range plan of services and facilities for meeting its mission "...to build and operate an efficient and effective transportation system within the DART Service Area..." The purpose of the Transit System Plan is to support the mobility needs of the residents in, and visitors to, the DART Service Area by providing an integrated, affordable and cost-effective alternative to the single occupant passenger vehicle. Its development was closely coordinated with each version of the NCTCOG Mobility Plan.

DART’s Transit System Plan includes consideration of bus service, general mobility, HOV lanes, and rail service. As such, the Transit System Plan contains recommendations for the SH 114 Corridor from all four major components. Along with the extension of light rail within the Project Corridor to DFW Airport, the existing Transit System Plan shows HOV lanes along SH 114 and SH 161 as well as a future park-and-ride transit center at the end of the Irving/DFW LRT extension. The transit system plan has been updated to the forecast year 2030.

Final Environmental Impact Statement 3 - 43 Chapter 3 Affected Environment Preliminary Engineering / Environmental Impact Statement Northwest Corridor LRT Line to Irving and DFW Airport

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) developed the Mobility 2030 Plan (January 2007) using demographic projections for the year 2030. Mobility 2030 describes the Northwest/Irving Rail Corridor as a light rail system from Northwest Highway (Bachman Lake) to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the same as the one Build Alternative considered in this FEIS.

In a letter dated March 18, 2008, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) concluded that the build alternative is consistent in design concept and scope with the recommendations for the Northwest/Irving Rail Corridor included in Mobility 2030. The build alternative is also consistent with NCTCOG’s 2006-2008 Transportation Program (TIP), as well as the 2008-2011 TIP.

3.4 AIR QUALITY This section provides an overview of the airborne pollutants of interest; air quality standards and the regulatory setting; existing air quality and National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) compliance; regional attainment and conformity status; and transit air quality criteria along the DART Northwest Corridor Light Rail Line to Irving/DFW.

3.4.1 Air Quality Standards and Regulatory Setting

Airborne Pollutants Ambient air quality is influenced by a number of factors, including climate, topography, wind conditions, and the production of airborne pollutants by natural or artificial sources. Tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks produce almost a third of the air pollution in the United States. Vehicles are major sources of carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen/nitrogen dioxide (NOx/NO2) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). CO is the primary component of vehicle exhaust gas and contributes about 60 percent of all CO emission in the United States. Particulate matters (PM10 and PM2.5) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are also emitted from vehicular traffic; however, the emissions are not as significant as CO and NOx emissions. Ozone (O3), which is not directly emitted from automobiles (or other sources) is formed in the atmosphere by chemical reactions involving VOCs, NOx, and sunlight. The following is a summary of major airborne pollutants in the study area and their health effects:

Carbon Monoxide (CO) – Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas formed by the burning of fuels containing carbon. Motor vehicles are the principal source of CO emissions in urban areas. Maximum concentrations usually occur near intersections and other areas of traffic congestion, and they decrease rapidly with distance from the source. It can cause dizziness and fatigue and can impair central nervous system functions. Exposure to high levels of CO can cause immediate death.

Particulate Matter (PM2.5 & PM10) – Particulate matter enters the air from industrial operations, vehicular traffic and other sources, including fireplaces. Most of the particulate matter generated by motor vehicles consists of resuspended road dust. Measurements of particulate matter concentrations include TSP (total suspended particulates), PM10 (particles with a diameter less than or equal to 10 micrometers), and PM2.5 (particles with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 micrometers). Particles of this size can be inhaled, irritating the human respiratory tract and aggravating pre-existing respiratory diseases. Certain populations, such as children, the elderly, exercising adults, and those suffering from asthma or bronchitis, are especially vulnerable. Very small particles of substances such as Pb, sulfates, and nitrates can cause lung damage directly, can be adsorbed into the blood stream and cause damage elsewhere in the body, and can transport adsorbed gases, such as chlorides or ammonium into the lungs and cause injury.

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