railroad tracks in richardson

[aceplace]

I did see that in the paper about the station, but that was a maintenance and cleanliness issue. It was also part of the general complaining that Southern Dallas does not get its fair share of funding and support. I don't recall any news about other southern stations creating criminal activity in the immediate neighborhoods. I have seen some news about unruly students at stations when school lets out, if that is the sort of crime we are talking about. The DART police have that under control, however.

I haven't seen any statistics that prove a relationship between the presence or absence of a rail station and increased property or violent crime in the neighboring blocks. I have heard of statistics that show increased property values in the immediate neighborhood compared to neighborhoods farther away.

[galore]

Originally Posted by aceplace

Crime spiking near rail stations? Is that true? Where are the statistics that prove such a thing?

Just an anecdote: The only times that I've been victim of a crime were at the Galatyn Park DART station.

The first time, someone stole my bicycle.
The second time, someone slashed the tires of my replacement bicycle (which I secured with an extra strong U-lock bar).

[GayleTX]

The one and only time my son and his wife road the DART was just for the 'experience' of riding it.....they went to a hockey game downtown. There was nothing on the train but gangbangers and they leered at my DIL and made lewd remarks the whole trip. My son has worked enough with that type of person that he knew how to handle it...........but they called a cab to go home.

[aceplace]

Well, GayleTx, that has never happened to me, nor have I ever seen that. You'd think that a DART train picking up people after a hockey game would be packed full of hockey fans. So I have a hard time accepting the factual nature of the story. I think that you just had two upset, frightened people going through a paranoid fit. And the longer they tell their story, or even think about it, the more horrible it gets.

I don't think that one or two isolated incidents mean anything, since over 60,000 people ride those trains every day. A couple of individuals who have a horror story to tell does not make a trend.

[rozinante]

Canyon Creek is a great area by railroad tracks just south of Plano. One trains a night is soothing. This is near UTD.

[Grainraiser]

Originally Posted by GayleTX

The one and only time my son and his wife road the DART was just for the 'experience' of riding it.....they went to a hockey game downtown. There was nothing on the train but gangbangers and they leered at my DIL and made lewd remarks the whole trip. My son has worked enough with that type of person that he knew how to handle it...........but they called a cab to go home.

I have caught the train plenty of times from all over Dallas and I will say this. The train during peak hours is pretty safe. They are packed full of commuters and the crowds are pretty calm. Catching the train during off peak times is a different story. It's full of teenagers and having to deal with vulgar language is tiresome. I have never felt unsafe on a train but I do feel like I have to hear things that I really don't want to hear. I would be more fearfull of the parking lots at night than the train itself. I catch one of the big coach buses from the Garland transit center and it is a much better ride than the train since it 99% of the passengers are either going to work or coming home.

[Canine*Castle]

There one goes again defending the great cities of Texas. I doubt GayleTX's family is fabricating the story and making it more "scary" each time it is told. True, one bad apple doesn't upset the whole cart, but one bad experience would make me not ride the dang thing again.

I have never ridden it and don't plan to do so, so I'm probably not the one who should make any comments at all, but why be so defensive about someone's story and make it look like the person is lying? It's just makes no sense to me.

I have wanted to ride it just for the experience but am certain now I won't. Even if the worst that happened is vulgar language coming from the mouth of teen-age idiots, it would be enough stress to make me want to slap the living daylights out of the brats.

Maybe the following links will shed a little light on the subject.


DART Crime Stats Have Arrived - Dallas.Org: Dallas News and Information

New Meaning for DART - Dallas.Org: Dallas News and Information (http://www.mayorkirk.com/node/363 - broken link)

[rhwalt]

I've been in the process of moving in on Royal Crest (which is right by the non-DART train tracks)
Each time I've been at the house at various times of the day, I've not noticed the train go by yet.
My assumption is it's not that busy of a track.
FYI.