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Old 07-23-2013, 12:27 PM
 
5,673 posts, read 7,382,622 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dollaztx View Post
I agree. Those numbers are going to shoot up once that station opens. With Dallas being a big convention city, the Convention Center Station for one will see more traffic coming in from DFW.
Me too...It just makes too much sense...all of those people with two or three hour layovers would definately take the train into town to look around...if someone flew in on business they would no longer need a cab or car to get around....thats equates to easier business trips and transactions...I cant wait.
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Old 07-23-2013, 12:38 PM
 
5,248 posts, read 6,332,247 times
Reputation: 6216
Quote:
I don't get what's so bad about Galatyn's location. The station is there for general use, not for your personal use to exactly where you want it. The PGBT station is next to State Farm's huge complex that is under construction.
I drive by Galatyn multiple times a day. I can see how much it is used, compared to the farther north and south stations. There are plenty of studies out that tell how far people will walk in different environments, and across a giant empty field rates pretty low. It's also almost completely inaccessible to the west side of 75. I found a single article that said 333 people daily used that station between 2008-2010, which said it was the lowest of any DART or TRE station by far. Of course DART doesn't seem to release any stats on a station basis, so no idea if it's true or not.

State Farm is also doing their station correctly in my opinion, which is impressive for a company that makes a good portion of its money selling car insurance.
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Old 07-23-2013, 01:36 PM
 
92 posts, read 112,522 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOverdog View Post
I drive by Galatyn multiple times a day. I can see how much it is used, compared to the farther north and south stations. There are plenty of studies out that tell how far people will walk in different environments, and across a giant empty field rates pretty low. It's also almost completely inaccessible to the west side of 75. I found a single article that said 333 people daily used that station between 2008-2010, which said it was the lowest of any DART or TRE station by far. Of course DART doesn't seem to release any stats on a station basis, so no idea if it's true or not.

State Farm is also doing their station correctly in my opinion, which is impressive for a company that makes a good portion of its money selling car insurance.
The station was only busy from around 7:30-9 am and then from about 4:30-6 pm so I do see your point. And it is pretty much completely inaccessible from the west side like you stated
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Old 07-23-2013, 02:37 PM
 
Location: Dallas,Texas
6,620 posts, read 9,829,628 times
Reputation: 3386

New Buses and Streetcars - YouTube
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Old 07-23-2013, 03:23 PM
 
581 posts, read 919,017 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOverdog View Post
I don't think you can say it connects to the telcom corridor as dumping you off in a giant empty field doesn't count as 'connecting' in any sense of the word. Galatyn Station is the worst placed rail station in the DFW area. There is a relatively successful new apartment/retail complex just south of Campbell Road; they should mothball Galaytn Station and build a station next to the apartment complex.

DART's connection to Love Field is pretty weak too; who wants to get on a shuttle bus and then a train? It sort of defeats the purpose but the connection to DFW is going to be done right and imo will be enormously successful.
This is like saying Fried Chicken has the imperfection of bones in it.
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Old 07-23-2013, 03:33 PM
 
581 posts, read 919,017 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rantanamo View Post
I don't get what's so bad about Galatyn's location. The station is there for general use, not for your personal use to exactly where you want it. The PGBT station is next to State Farm's huge complex that is under construction. I know people really criticized DART's station approach initially because they emphasized building withing empty lots or slightly away from established development. This is starting to really pay off as a catalyst to new development. Initially though, I think this hurt ridership numbers compared to how Houston's starter line was built. The two Las Colinas stations, for example had nothing in their locations for decades and once the two stations opened, you've seen a huge influx of residential and now two shopping/entertainments areas are about to go up. You also have areas like State Farm at PGBT, Mustang Station, 5th Street Crossing in Garland, Park Lane, Lake Highlands Town Center, Mockingbird Station and the West Village. Of course, in a thriving metro like DFW you likely get those developments, but without nice planning by DART and City, you don't get these more transit oriented type developments if you just go into the heart of older, existing development. With that type of setup, you still have potential huge ridership gains as a place like the Cityplace/West Village area continues to fill in. They still have 3 large empty lots(now 2 since The Richards Group just broke ground on their new HQ. You also have the upcoming ACS complex around that station. I think DART still has its biggest ridership ahead of it.

Also, remember DART is by no means a done system. Now that Tarrant County has declined their part of the Cotton Belt, Dallas and Collin are free to pursue that line themselves. The Orange Line is still under construction. You also have the Oak Cliff streetcar line and the McKinney Ave streetcar extension that will stop one block from St Paul Station. Those represent a ton of additional miles. After those lines, then the next plan has to come online before we know what's in store.
Isn't Houston's system more of a cross between a trolley and light rail? I know the first 7 mile starter line is more along the design of a light rail system. Aren't these new lines being built more like a trolley though? Visiting the area lately, they were testing out one of those trains and the operator was wearing a Mickey Mouse costume.
I'm lying about the last part.
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Old 07-23-2013, 03:39 PM
 
581 posts, read 919,017 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ViolentMimes View Post
The station was only busy from around 7:30-9 am and then from about 4:30-6 pm so I do see your point. And it is pretty much completely inaccessible from the west side like you stated
Indeed, in many ways, the Boy Scouts of America are superior as a unit than Queen Elizabeth's palace guard.
In the Dart system, they didn't build the stations where there is already existing development. Where street corridors were already working fine, Dart didn't come along and run a line down the middle of it mucking them up. DART isn't perfect by any means, but they did establish a lot of precedence. Unfortunately, Metro in Houston didn't put a lot of consideration into that precedence.
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Old 07-23-2013, 03:40 PM
 
5,673 posts, read 7,382,622 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by binkyman View Post
Isn't Houston's system more of a cross between a trolley and light rail? I know the first 7 mile starter line is more along the design of a light rail system. Aren't these new lines being built more like a trolley though? Visiting the area lately, they were testing out one of those trains and the operator was wearing a Mickey Mouse costume.
I'm lying about the last part.
lol...that was funny......actually IMO the whole line is a Street car/trolley system. Our Street car system thats currently being constructed will rival Houstons starter line.

Prototype streetcar being evaluated for use in Dallas - YouTube
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Old 07-23-2013, 04:02 PM
 
Location: C.R. K-T
6,202 posts, read 11,378,031 times
Reputation: 3804
Quote:
Originally Posted by stoneclaw View Post
Instigator, stop instigating. When Houston extends its rail lines, notably the University/Uptown Lines, the ridership will increase because of the way the rail is being built. It will go through the busiest urban clusters of the city. But i still like DART's commuter style rail better.
Actually the Southeast line goes to UH from Downtown, so I would expect a big increase in public transport usage due to more reliable service on that leg. Transferring from Park-and-Ride to rail should be much easier than to local bus since light rail has slightly more frequent service and real-time posted wait times.

I would rather have a real commuter rail system (ex. Chicagoland's Metra) over DART's commuter style light rail. It's basically commuter rail running on light rail speeds--I can't imagine taking METROrail all the way from Katy to Downtown Houston.
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Old 07-23-2013, 04:04 PM
 
581 posts, read 919,017 times
Reputation: 169
Quote:
Originally Posted by dallasboi View Post
lol...that was funny......actually IMO the whole line is a Street car/trolley system. Our Street car system thats currently being constructed will rival Houstons starter line.

Prototype streetcar being evaluated for use in Dallas - YouTube
Indeedily. That is like your A team getting beat up by their B team. No wonder Houstonians are always bragging about the magnificent skyscrapers they are erecting. And, let us not forget the real reason so many people ride the train in Houston. The safest place from a metro train is riding inside of one:

Metro train hits, kills woman on bike in downtown Houston - Houston Chronicle

But we need to wait until these lines are finished.

Concerning running a line to IAH, is there a way to run the line without running it through a ghetto? The most direct route from downtown Houston to IAH is along Hardy and that is nothing but ghetto.
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