DART coalition touts UTD hub
Proposal would put UTD on Dallas-Fort Worth line
Cristen Perkowski
Issue date: 1/30/06 Section: News
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More than 300 city officials and leaders from across the Metroplex convened at UTD Jan. 24 to show support for the local Smart for DART coalition proposal to convert the Cotton Belt freight line to DART light rail and provide east-west transit for the North Texas region.
President David Daniel was the keynote speaker and is a member of the SMART for DART steering committee, which provides the vision for the coalition.
The Cotton Belt proposal includes using 52-miles of land along the freight railroad, owned by DART since 1990, for east-west transit from Wylie to Fort Worth, also connecting DFW airport, Coppell, Carrollton, Addison, North Dallas, Richardson and UTD, Plano and Rowlett.
Included in the Cotton Belt line proposal is a station on campus. The university has had vacant property along the Cotton Belt line at the north end of the campus planned for a DART light-rail station for the last four years.
"The DART station itself would provide a great anchor point for places of access and interaction between UTD and the community," Daniel said. "So, it's a great location for continuing education, K-12 outreach programs and even restaurants and bookstores - places where UTD people could interface with the rest of the community."
The station could also service traffic to the nearly-complete 92-acre Texas Instruments chip fabrication plant being constructed on Renner Road between Alma and Custer Roads.
Daniel has emphasized since his start at UTD last June that Dallas can not prosper without a Tier-1 university. Adding a major transportation hub on the UTD campus would benefit students, employees and research.
"It's all about connections and accessibility, especially for people that don't have cars. I think that is particularly relevant for a public university because … we have an important role in helping people in the lower economic tier get the education they need to advance their lives," Daniel said.
Richardson city officials planned to deliver a presentation to DART board members following the
President David Daniel was the keynote speaker and is a member of the SMART for DART steering committee, which provides the vision for the coalition.
The Cotton Belt proposal includes using 52-miles of land along the freight railroad, owned by DART since 1990, for east-west transit from Wylie to Fort Worth, also connecting DFW airport, Coppell, Carrollton, Addison, North Dallas, Richardson and UTD, Plano and Rowlett.
Included in the Cotton Belt line proposal is a station on campus. The university has had vacant property along the Cotton Belt line at the north end of the campus planned for a DART light-rail station for the last four years.
"The DART station itself would provide a great anchor point for places of access and interaction between UTD and the community," Daniel said. "So, it's a great location for continuing education, K-12 outreach programs and even restaurants and bookstores - places where UTD people could interface with the rest of the community."
The station could also service traffic to the nearly-complete 92-acre Texas Instruments chip fabrication plant being constructed on Renner Road between Alma and Custer Roads.
Daniel has emphasized since his start at UTD last June that Dallas can not prosper without a Tier-1 university. Adding a major transportation hub on the UTD campus would benefit students, employees and research.
"It's all about connections and accessibility, especially for people that don't have cars. I think that is particularly relevant for a public university because … we have an important role in helping people in the lower economic tier get the education they need to advance their lives," Daniel said.
Richardson city officials planned to deliver a presentation to DART board members following the