Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Socioeconomic Characteristics Existing Conditions Technical Memorandum December 2013 Prepared by URS Corporation Prepared for Dallas Area Rapid Transit General Planning Consultant Managed by URS Corporation Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Socioeconomic Characteristics Existing Conditions Technical Memorandum December 2013 Prepared by URS Corporation Prepared for Dallas Area Rapid Transit General Planning Consultant Managed by URS Corporation Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project Document Revision Record Project/Report Name: Socioeconomic URS Project Number: 2533884 2 Characteristics Technical Memorandum PM: Dan Meyers PIC: Jerry Smiley Revision Number: Date: Version 1 June 6, 2013 Version 2 September 3, 2013 Originator: Name Date: Amber Majefski , AICP, URS May 22, 2013 Comments by: Name, Firm Date: Nancy Stavish , AICP, URS May 29, 2013 Megan Inman June 5, 2013 Andrea Weckmueller -Behringer June 7, 2013 Nancy Stavish, AICP, URS September 7, 2013 Reggie Herman, AICP, URS December 23, 2013 Task Manager Approval: Date: Verified/Approved by: Date: Distribution Name Title Firm Socioeconomic Characteristics Existing Conditions Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................................... i 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 LEGAL AND REGULATORY CONTEXT ................................................................................................. 1 3.0 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................ 1 4.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................................ 2 4.1 Community Facilities ..................................................................................................................... 2 4.2 Neighborhoods.............................................................................................................................. 8 4.3 Community Cohesion .................................................................................................................... 9 4.4 Schools ........................................................................................................................................ 10 4.5 Demographics ............................................................................................................................. 17 4.6 Employment ................................................................................................................................ 22 4.7 Economic Development .............................................................................................................. 24 LIST OF TABLES Table 4-1 Community Facilities Inventory .......................................................................................... 3 Table 4-2 Population for Project Area Counties and Cities (2000 and 2010 Census) ....................... 12 Table 4-3 Race and Hispanic Origin (2010 Census and ACS) ............................................................ 28 Table 4-4 Median Household Income, Individuals Below Poverty Threshold .................................. 20 Table 4-5 Major Employers Near the Proposed Alignment or Stations ........................................... 22 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4-1 Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Sections ....................................................................... 2 Figure 4-2 Community Facilities ........................................................................................................... 6 Figure 4-3 School Overview Map ....................................................................................................... 11 Figure 4-4 Coppell Schools (West of Denton Tap Rd.) ....................................................................... 12 Figure 4-5 Coppell Schools (East of Denton Tap Rd.) ......................................................................... 13 Figure 4-6 Carrollton Schools (East of Dallas North Tollway) ............................................................ 14 Figure 4-7 Dallas Schools ................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 4-8 Plano Schools .................................................................................................................... 17 Socioeconomic Characteristics Existing Conditions i Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project 1.0 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this Technical Memorandum is to identify and document existing socioeconomic characteristics within the project study area of the Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail project (Cotton Belt Project). The 26-mile DART Cotton Belt Project generally stretches between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW Airport) and the DART Red Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) corridor in Plano and Richardson, Texas. The Cotton Belt Project would lie mostly within Cotton Belt Corridor right-of-way (Cotton Belt Corridor), which was purchased by DART in 1990 and designated as a preserved corridor for future passenger rail service. The socioeconomic conditions and impacts in areas where the Cotton Belt Project would leave the existing right-of-way are discussed in more detail in the Socioeconomic Characteristics Impact Assessment Technical Memorandum. The alignment would traverse seven cities, including Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson and Plano. The proposed project would also provide service to DFW Airport and the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). An assessment of the existing socioeconomic characteristics provides insight into the types of people, places and neighborhoods that are found along the Cotton Belt Rail alignment. Since the alignment passes through a variety of different areas across several cities, the existing conditions along the corridor are also varied. During the process of gathering information about the existing or affected environment of the proposed project, it was also important to consider how the surrounding neighborhoods currently interact with the existing Cotton Belt Corridor. 2.0 REGULATORY CONTEXT Although the Cotton Belt Project is not a federally funded project at this time, data collection and analysis efforts were nonetheless guided by National Environmental Policy Act ( NEPA) standards. NEPA guidelines require that adverse effects on environmental resources from a proposed federally funded project be identified and avoided or minimized, including potential impacts to the human environment and social interactions. DART policies also require that the potential impacts of any proposed project (whether federally or locally funded) be assessed, and if adverse effects are found, that these impacts be avoided, or minimized and mitigated. As described in DART’s Environmental Impact Assessment and Mitigation Guidelines for Transit Projects , DART’s three main objectives regarding a proposed transit project’s impact on the human environment, particularly on community character and cohesion, are as follows: 1) Contribute to community cohesion, 2) Contribute to the local economy, where possible, and avoid negative economic impacts, and 3) Provide for an equitable distribution of costs and benefits and ensure that the project does not have a disproportionately high and adverse impact on low-income or minority populations. 3.0 METHODOLOGY For the purposes of this existing conditions analysis, the project study area for socioeconomic characteristics includes one-quarter mile on either side of the proposed Cotton Belt Corridor and a one- half mile radius around each proposed station location. The most recent community data for each city Socioeconomic Characteristics Existing Conditions 1 Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project and independent school district (ISD) were used as a basis for the existing socioeconomic characteristics, and supplemented with data acquired during field reconnaissance and anecdotal information gathered throughout the planning processes. 4.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT This section identifies existing socioeconomic characteristics along the Cotton Belt Corridor, including neighborhoods, schools and other community facilities, demographics, employment and economics. The facilities discussed in this section are located within the project study area described in the previous section. The project study area has been divided into three primary sections, as shown in Figure 4-1. Section 1 begins at DFW Airport, extends through Coppell, and ends at the Elm Fork Branch of the Trinity River. Section 2 begins at the Elm Fork Branch and extends through Downtown Carrollton and the Town of Addison and ends just east of the Dallas North Tollway (DNT) at the southbound frontage road. Section 3 begins at DNT southbound frontage road and terminates near Shiloh Road in Plano, just east of US 75. For display purposes, the three primary sections have been subdivided to show greater detail. Subsections which include more than one alignment alternative are specified with “A,” “B,” or “C.” Figure 4-1 Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Sections 4.1 Community Facilities Currently existing community resources were inventoried, including day care centers, medical facilities, places