Downtown Dallas Transit Study Dallas CBD Alternatives Analysis/Draft EnvironmentalSTUDY Impact Statement (AA/DEIS) FOUR CANDIDATE ALIGNMENTS MAKE 1ST CUT After screening through 16 possible new transit alignments through Downtown Dallas, the D2 Study Team has identifi ed four candidates for more detailed consideration. Page 2 ISSUE 2, SPRING 2008 STAKEHOLDERS IDENTIFY POTENTIAL TRANSIT ALIGNMENTS The D2 Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) assists the D2 Study Team by meeting at DART Headquarters for a workshop on potential options for a second downtown transit alignment. Page 3 ADVISORY COMMITTEES HELP STEER STUDY As part of its public involvement program for the D2 Study, the technical, stakeholder, community, and policy advisory committees have been providing the study team with valuable guidance throughout the process. Page 3

WHAT IS BRT? BRT means Bus Rapid Transit. BRT is being considered as an element of a bus alternative, which will be evaluated against a Light Rail Transit investment. Page 4 HOW TO STAY INVOLVED For more information on the D2 Study, to submit a comment or to be added to our contact database, go to www.DART.org/D2. If you would like to be involved on the D2 Citizen Advisory Committee, please contact Carlos Huerta at 214-749-2721 or [email protected].

Dallas Area Rapid Transit 1401 Pacifi c Avenue PR SRT STD US POSTAGE PAID DowntownP.O. Dallas Box Transit 660163Study Dallas CBD Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Dallas,Impact Statement (AA/DEIS) Texas 75266-7232 DALLAS TEXAS PERMIT NO 000 Four Candidate Alignments MAKE 1ST ROUND CUT After screening through 16 possible new transit alignments through downtown Dallas, the D2 Study Team has identified four candidates for more detailed consideration. They address the issues raised early in the D2 Study, and offer a range of choices for decision makers and the public.

All of the alignments are roughly 2 to 2.5 West Bus Transfer Center and continues miles long. All start at Victory Station and under the existing transit mall and Pacific use the DART owned surface right-of-way Street past the East Transit Center. It between Victory and Woodall Rodgers returns to the surface near I-45 and Freeway for their first ½ mile section. connects to the Southeast line. However, from Woodall Rodgers all follow different routes (north, central and south) Lamar-Commerce (Map 3) – This all through downtown to a connection with tunnel option goes underground near the the Southeast Line in Deep Ellum. The Dallas World Aquarium and continues north option, San Jacinto is all at surface. south under Lamar Street and turns east The two central options, Victory-Pacific under Commerce Street. It returns to the and Lamar-Commerce, are in tunnel surface near I-45 and connects to the throughout. The south option, Lamar- Southeast line. Young (or Griffin-Young alternative) is half tunnel and half at surface. Lamar-Young (Map 4) – This tunnel and surface option goes underground near All could operate as Light Rail Transit the Dallas World Aquarium and continues (LRT), or bus, or Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). south under Lamar Street, turning east at Each is described further below, and Jackson Street and returning to surface at D2 CANDIDATE ALIGNMENT FACT SHEET shown on a map to the right. Field and Young Streets. It continues at Map Name Configuration Total Tunnel Preliminary surface in Young Street past City Hall and Length Length Capital Cost San Jacinto (Map 1) – This all surface the Farmers market, and under I-45 to a (miles) (miles) Estimate option starts on Lamar Street, continues connection with the Southeast line. (millions 2006 $) to the West Bus Transfer Center and then NORTH 1 F3 San Jacinto Surface 2.5 0 Low turns northeast and follows San Jacinto Griffin-Young (Map 4) – This tunnel and Street to the existing LRT tunnel. A CENTRAL surface option goes underground in North 2 A3 Victory-Pacific Tunnel 1.9 1.3 connection to the Southeast line via Ross Griffin Street and continues south under High Street under I-45 is being considered. Griffin Street instead of under Lamar 3 B7 Lamar-Commerce Tunnel 2.1 1.4 Street. Except for the location of the SOUTH Victory-Pacific (Map 2) – This all tunnel north tunnel entrance, tunnel route and 4 B4 Lamar-Young Tunnel/Surface 2.3 0.7 option goes underground near the Dallas underground station, it is the same as the Medium World Aquarium and turns east under the Lamar-Young option. 4 B5 Griffin-Young Tunnel/Surface 2.2 0.6

SCHEDULE D2 STUDY TIMELINE

Downtown Dallas Transit Study Downtown Dallas Transit Study Downtown Dallas Transit Study Dallas CBD Alternatives Analysis/Draft 2 Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS) ADVISORY COMMITTEES Stakeholders Identify Potential HELP STEER STUDY TRANSIT ALIGNMENTS On September 13, 2007, the D2 Stakeholder Advisory Committee As part of its public involvement program for the D2 Study, DART established four (4) advisory (SAC) met at DART Headquarters for a workshop on potential committees to provide the study team with guidance throughout the process. The program options for a second downtown transit alignment. SAC members includes technical, stakeholder, community, and policy advisory committees, each of whose divided up into seven different groups according to their preferred objectives are listed below. study corridor. Each group used a map and colored markers to Ernie Martinez, DART’s D2 Study project process consisted of establishing criteria and identify an alignment, configuration, and station locations (see manager, has been pleased with the group’s ranking organizations—some aspects of random inset). They also designated the transit alignment as LRT, interest and participation, especially with the selection where appropriate—and, when possible, committee results. “We have a process we selecting individuals that officially represented a streetcar or bus, or a combination, as well as any key issues. At go through on all corridor studies. On each of number of like organizations. the end of the workshop, each group reported their findings to these”, he said, “there are instances when the other SAC members in attendance. other parties—individuals not on the study “Who better to suggest which major transit team—are the ‘experts’. For example, no one corridor alignments we should consider than The SAC workshop resulted in seven potential options for a second knows more about where utility conflicts with representatives of 50 to 70-story office buildings downtown transit alignment. Each of the options was used as a basis potential alternatives are than AT&T, Oncor, that have thousands of employees, parking garage to expand into a list of 16 potential alignments taken forward into and City of Dallas utility staff. We also rely access issues, pedestrian tunnel issues, as well screening. on the City’s Public Works and Transportation as numerous small businesses officing there” Department to tell us which of the City’s stated Martinez. thoroughfares are critically important to them or are ‘off limits’”. The DART D2 Community Advisory Committee serves as a surrogate for the general public, DART Input that is just as vital is that of major riders, and downtown residents. A few of the stakeholders, whose representatives are in many participants are also fairly knowledgeable about cases non-elected, community leaders. These transit issues. “This group has provided us with individuals are typically busy people with time guidance on establishing evaluation criteria for our constraints that limit their ability to participate screening process and a sense for which corridors in regular meetings of a non-critical nature. are preferred by downtown residents. They serve Rather than leave the involvement of these as a barometer for what we can expect to hear organizations to chance, DART established a at public meetings”, said Martinez, “enabling us committee exclusively for these organizations, to develop a much more targeted and effective and sought out their participation. The selection presentation.

Table map and key issues developed by one group at the D2 SAC PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT workshop. ADVISORY COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

Overview of SAC Identified Alignments Stakeholder Policy Of the seven SAC groups, six groups identified alignments that • Building Owners Selected/ • City of Dallas extended east-west across Downtown Dallas on Ross, Wood or Young • Employers Appointed • Dallas County Streets. These alignments started at either Victory or Union Station • Businesses • Member Cities to capitalize on current area assets, as well as serve either the Arts • Land Owners • DART District, or the Convention Center, Government, and Farmers Market • Civic/Cultural Groups • Educational/Institutional Districts. One SAC group decided on a north-south alignment on DART Akard Street. This alignment connects the entertainment venues Study Team of the Cedars with the Arts District and increases transit coverage in downtown. Most of the SAC groups chose LRT alignments, with Community Technical one group choosing at-grade modern streetcar. Three of the LRT • Downtown residents • City of Dallas alignments were underground to minimize traffic conflicts and avoid • Transit riders Volunteers/ • Dallas County infrastructure. Key issues included the ability to leverage new • Business owners Designees • TxDOT development, connection with the existing LRT system and Trinity • Employees • MATA River Project, and coordination with a streetcar circulator. • Citizens • NCTCOG

Downtown Downtown Dallas Transit Study Dallas Transit Study Dallas CBD Alternatives Analysis/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS) 3 WHAT IS BRT? Streetcar Option Explored BRT means Bus Rapid Transit. BRT is being considered as an element of a bus alternative, which will be evaluated against a Light Rail Transit investment. Bus op- tions will be tested against the LRT alternative in terms of environmental impacts, transportation performance, cost effectiveness and other factors. The differences between conventional bus and BRT are compared in the table below.

BUS CHARACTERISTICS CONVENTIONAL BUS RAPID TRANSIT SERVICE LOCAL/REGIONAL REGIONAL

Physical Operate on standard Special roadway Requirements roadways in exclusive to buses mixed-traffic in own right-of-way. Dedicated busway separated from general traffic lanes by barriers, or simply by signage and road markings

Power Source Diesel, electric, hydraulic-mechanical, The streetcar mode is being evaluated as a means of addressing the circulation needs CNG/LNG, or diesel- electric, within and surrounding Downtown Dallas, and to serve as a feeder and distributor fuel cell or electric hybrid of light rail trips within the downtown area. Stay tuned for more information on how various streetcar options evolve and become fully integrated with the D2 Transit Passenger 60-90 persons 110-130 persons Study. Technical activities are underway and workshops are planned in May to more Capacity fully develop the concept for downtown. (per vehicle)

Typical Capital $200,000-$1 million $1-2M at grade Cost per Mile $4-40 M w/ elevated segments & full ITS

Typical Operating 10-12 mph 15-50 mph OTHER DOWNTOWN ACTIVITIES Speed Typical Operating High, medium, & low Medium density, DOWNTOWN RAIL Environment density fixed-routes, line-haul corridors, demand response urban/ suburban IMPROVEMENT Typical Station 1/8 mile 1/2 – 1 mile Spacing PROJECTS CONTINUE

DART has completed work on two of four downtown stations being retrofitted as part of the Level Board Initiative. Construction at the St. Paul Station was completed with the station reopening in February. The Pearl Station was closed in early March and has been re-opened. The next station to be impacted will be the Akard Station where construction began earlier this month with plans for station closure on May 9th. The station is scheduled to re-open around June 16th. The final downtown station to be affected will be the West End Station this summer. There will be alternate bus shuttle service for the Akard Station closure. For more information, please visit DART’s website at www.DART.org or call DART Customer Service at (214) 979-1111.

Downtown Dallas Transit Study Downtown Dallas Transit Study Dallas CBD Alternatives Analysis/Draft 4 Environmental Impact Statement (AA/DEIS)