Commute from Las Colinas to Uptown (Dallas, Plano: fit in, 2014, apartment)

[1SweetWorld]

My boyfriend and I have just recently moved to Texas from Chicago. We are both 23, very athletic, and love to go out for a good time. We signed a short term lease on an apartment in Valley Ranch and are currently in the process of looking for an apartment somewhere else. We love our apartment but feel we don't really "fit in" and are looking for somewhere to live that is more exciting.

I have read and heard a lot of good things about Uptown and was wondering how long the commute to Las Colinas (where I work) from Uptown would take every day. Also, how about the way back to Uptown around 5pm? Would this be worth the drive or should we just look for something in the Las Colinas area.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[FarNorthDallas]

Yeah, I think it would be worth the drive. The commute wouldn't be that bad.

[panacea82]

The commute should be around 30 minutes depending on which part of uptown you will be living. I lived in uptown but moved to Las Colinas. Love it here since it's really convenient.

[aceplace]

It shouldn't be bad at all. The Google trip router shows the distance from McKinney at Fairmount to 500 Decker Drive in Las Colinas to be 9.8 miles. They estimate 15 minutes without traffic, 30 minutes with.

I'd go with the 15 or 20 minute number. The morning traffic would be against your direction of travel, as would the evening.

In a couple of years, you will be able to take a train from the CityPlace subway station in Uptown all the way to Las Colinas. It may involve a transfer in downtown Dallas, or it may be a single train, if DART extends the new Orange line along the existing Red line trackage as far as the PGBT station.

Currently, within a given 10 minute period during peak travel time, there are 4 trains running through the downtown transit mall... one Green line train, one Blue line train, and two Red line trains. The DART will quite possibly take one of the Red line trains, rebrand it as an Orange line train, and run it to from the PGBT station to Las Colinas instead of south to Oak Cliff. There is a massive number of commuters traveling from Plano and Richardson south to downtown Dallas in the morning, but many fewer commuters traveling north to downtown on the southern leg of the Red line.

This is important since it will provide one train service from North Dallas/Plano to such destinations as Victory, the UC Medical hospital complex, the many Market Center/Infomart sites, Love Field, and finally Las Colinas. In transit, forcing passengers to transfer is basically the "kiss of death" for ridership.

Why don't they just add a 5th train? Putting 4 trains on the same track is already making the line very congested. Plus, the Las Colinas leg is not enough of a draw to justify a new dedicated train, but can be justified as an extension of one of the Red line trains. When the line is extended to DFW airport sometime in late 2013, maybe that will change. Or maybe they will wait until the 2nd downtown rail line is ready after 2014.

But for right now, you will have to drive to Las Colinas, or take an express bus from downtown. It shouldn't be that bad of a drive, though, and living in Uptown is pretty good, compared to Valley Ranch.

[dfwcre8tive]

Since you'd be going the opposite direction of most traffic, it shouldn't be bad. SH 114 is starting a major reconstruction project that will create traffic headaches for a few years, but part of that project is construction for the DART Orange line, which opens to Las Colinas in 2011.

[r_shuey]

I live in uptown and my company just transferred from downtown to Las Colinas.

Whenever the radio says northbound IH35 is slow or the traffic indicates there is a jam ahead, I take Harry Hines to either Regal Row or to Northwest Hwy.

If you take Regal Row, go under IH 35 and turn right at 183 (John W Carpenter) and turn left at the old Cowboy stadium being demolished until you reach Las Colinas and you'll be there in less than 20-30 minutes depending on lights.

if you take Northwest Hwy, go under both 183 and John W Carpenter and stay on Northwest Hwy until it comes into the back side of Las Colinas.

[aceplace]

If your car is in the shop or you need to take public transportation for any reason, the route is simple.

Take the #36 bus (Preston) to the corner of Preston road and Northwest Highway.

Cross over to the bus stop at the northeast corner of the intersection.

Take bus #428 to the Las Colinas/North Irving bus transfer center.

Catch a local bus to your destination in Las Colinas, or, walk if the distance is not too great.

There are alternate routes available. You can enter the DART website for transit information at www.dart.org. They have a trip routing set of screens that will calculate the buses/trains and times that will get you there and back.

[GreyDay]

Depending on what part of Uptown you're in you can take Lemmon to Mockingbird then hit i-35. Should be about 15-20 minutes, mostly against traffic.

And once you're home in Uptown and 23, you'll have EVERYTHING you need, bars, clubs, restaurants, shopping, movies.

I commute to Bedford which is a bit more of a hike, but once I'm back in the West Village I can walk to everything I need.

It's not quite as walkable as Chicago, but it's one of the few places in Dallas where you see some foot traffic and lots of patio restaurants.