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Downtown Garland station

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Coordinates: 32°54′58.68″N 96°38′7.12″W / 32.9163000°N 96.6353111°W / 32.9163000; -96.6353111
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Downtown Garland
DART light rail station
General information
Location430 W. Walnut Street[1]
Garland, Texas
Coordinates32°54′58.68″N 96°38′7.12″W / 32.9163000°N 96.6353111°W / 32.9163000; -96.6353111
Owned byDallas Area Rapid Transit
PlatformsIsland platform
ConnectionsBus interchange DART: 22, 200, 202, 203, 224, 238, 250, and 251
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Parking540 spaces[1]
Bicycle facilities6 lockers,[2] 3 racks
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedNovember 3, 1975 (1975-11-03)[3] (bus)
November 18, 2002 (2002-11-18)[4] (rail)
Services
Preceding station Dallas Area Rapid Transit Following station
Forest/Jupiter
toward UNT Dallas
 Blue Line Downtown Rowlett
Terminus
Location
Map

Downtown Garland station (previously North Garland Transit Center and Garland Central Transit Center) is a DART Light Rail station located in Garland, Texas. The station is located at the intersection of Fifth Street and Walnut Street in Garland's historic downtown district, two blocks north of the town square.

The station serves the Blue Line. The station is also a major bus transfer facility for the city, with bus routes connecting to the South Garland and Lake Ray Hubbard transit centers.

History[edit]

North Garland Transit Center/Garland Central Transit Center[edit]

In 1975, the city of Garland announced plans for an express bus service between Garland and Downtown Dallas, which would be operated by the Dallas Transit System. As part of the service, the city built a 312-space park-and-ride lot in downtown Garland at the corner of Fifth and Walnut, which opened on November 3, 1975.[3][5]

The Dallas Transit System was superseded by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in 1985, which named the lot the North Garland Transit Center.[6] In 1988, DART offered the city $355,609 to purchase the purchase the transit center.[7]

In 1993, DART built a new station building, expanded the parking lot to 530 spaces, and renamed the facility to Garland Central Transit Center.[8]

Downtown Garland[edit]

In 1999, DART started construction on a northern extension of the Blue Line, which at the time ended at Mockingbird station. Garland Central Transit Center, which was located near the Missouri–Kansas–Texas right-of-way used for the project, would be the northernmost station on the extension and would open in 2002.[9]

Construction on Garland Central's rail platforms began in 2000.[10] In anticipation of the extension, the city of Garland renovated two performing arts venues in its downtown area.[11]

On November 18, 2002, the Blue Line extension to Garland Central Transit Center was completed, and the station was renamed to Downtown Garland.[4] The station made Garland the second suburb with DART Light Rail service (after Richardson) and the first to have a station in its downtown area. The station served as the northern terminus of the Blue Line until 2012, when the line was extended to Downtown Rowlett.[12]

In 2005, Garland mayor Bob Day proposed moving the station one block west to Sixth Street. The proposal would bring the station closer to downtown retailers, and it would also allow for the creation of a bridge over a Kansas City Southern corridor, which was necessary to expand the line to Rowlett.[13][14] DART eventually determined a bridge design that would not require moving the station.[15]

Proposed Amtrak connection[edit]

In 2001, Amtrak announced plans for the Crescent Star, a daily passenger train between Fort Worth and New York City. The route would pass through Garland using the MKT corridor used by the Blue Line. The city of Garland proposed an Amtrak station at the corner of First and Walnut, approximately 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) east of the DART station, to allow for transfer between the two services.[16][17]

The Crescent Star was originally planned to start service in 2001, but it was delayed due to funding issues.[18] The proposal would remain dormant until 2023, when Amtrak applied for a newer grant.[19] It is unclear if the Amtrak station in Garland is still being considered.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Downtown Garland Station". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  2. ^ "Bicycle Parking". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Traffic and Transit Tips: Transit". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. November 3, 1973. pp. 8C – via NewsBank.
  4. ^ a b Abshire, Richard; Hartzel, Tony (November 17, 2002). "DART pulling into Garland: Rail line to link 2 stations with downtown Dallas on Monday". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 33A – via NewsBank.
  5. ^ Watson, Dan (January 16, 1975). "Garland requests park, ride funding". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 16A – via NewsBank.
  6. ^ Maxon, Terry (September 15, 1985). "DART ready to roll with routes in northern suburbs". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 41A – via NewsBank.
  7. ^ Lodge, Bill (May 12, 1988). "DART delays Garland site purchase: Park-and-ride land is at issue". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 21A – via NewsBank.
  8. ^ "Metro Report: Work under way on new DART center in Garland". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. February 15, 1993. pp. 22A – via NewsBank.
  9. ^ Hartzel, Tony (January 15, 1999). "Work starts on rail lines to suburbs: DART to serve Plano, Richardson, Garland". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 1A – via NewsBank.
  10. ^ Hartzel, Tony (June 30, 2000). "Commute week: Dallas Area Rapid Transit crews are on the fast track toward completion of several light-rail stations and other projects throughout the city and its suburbs". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 38A – via NewsBank.
  11. ^ Brown, Steve (December 14, 2001). "Laying bets on the line: Garland hoping light rail will spur growth". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 1D – via NewsBank.
  12. ^ Leszcynski, Ray (December 4, 2012). "Big day for DART as routes are extended to Rowlett, D/FW Airport". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013.
  13. ^ Abshire, Richard (July 28, 2005). "Hip to be in the square: The old town center isn't the hub anymore, but it's still bustling". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 1R – via NewsBank.
  14. ^ Ladson, LaKisha (July 8, 2005). "DART plans hit a snag: Light-rail extension requires a way around KCS freight tracks". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 1R – via NewsBank.
  15. ^ McCann, Ian (September 22, 2005). "New train of thought on DART expansion: Bridge over freight tracks prevents need to move station". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 1B – via NewsBank.
  16. ^ "Daily train service set to return: City could become hub for DART, Amtrak service". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. February 11, 2011. pp. 1T – via NewsBank.
  17. ^ Abshire, Richard (March 11, 2001). "Just passing through: As Amtrak tests new route, Garland officials lobby for service". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 1Q – via NewsBank.
  18. ^ "Amtrak delays route across N. Louisiana". The Advocate. Capital City Press. May 30, 2001. p. 1 – via NewsBank.
  19. ^ "Amtrak Applies for Federal Grants to Improve Long Distance Network". Amtrak MediaCenter. June 5, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2024.

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