DART Does It Again -- 4 Months Ahead of Schedule.

Texans should be proud of their state government projects. Especially, the transportation sectors. The Dallas High 5 Project was about a 7-year project and finished a year early. The LBJ-I35 remake was another multi-year project and it is nearly finished and still running ahead of schedule. But, the still amazing project of connecting DFW International Airport to the DART Rail System, already the largest light rail system in the country, finished 4-months early with Inaugural Service direct to Terminal A at DFW International that began on August 18th, just two weeks ago today.

I rode the Blue line from LBJ-Central on TI Boulevard to the west end station in downtown Dallas where I got off to catch the Orange Line to DFW. I could have ridden the Orange line from LBJ-Central and not had to change trains, but I am a people watcher and I like the hustle-bustle of downtown, the sounds, the smells, the muted train whistle. Generally, a crowd of people like to talk, but the train stations are different. People are in their own little worlds with their ear buds in their ears.  It seems every one has them. Except me. I use a pair at home when the cat sleeps and I want to listen to a pod cast or catch an episode of Comedy Central. But when I am out shooting, the last thing I want is to have wires hanging from my ear canals.Besides, waiting for the train to arrive at LBJ-Central or waiting for the same train downtown for DFW is elementary. In fact, it gives me 10-15 minutes of people watching and breaks up the train ride.

After catching the Orange Line it was just another train ride until after the stop at the Beltline station. I had ridden Orange line that far once before after the Beltline station opened. Although it is located on DFW International Airport property, the connection route on to Terminal A is about a 4-mile run through scrub brush until it comes out at the connector to 114 Carpenter Freeway and Royal Lane briefly before turning south and heading on the east side of the traffic cross-overs  and the bridge taxiway from Terminal A to runways 18L and 18R. Runways 17L,17C and 17R are located east of the Dart tracks. There is also two cross-wind runways; one on the far east and one on the far west edges of the airport.  The connection switch to the future Cotton Belt Line is already in place and ready to go. Let's all hope the money can be found and construction begins earlier than expected finishing earlier than the completion date in the future, once the future construction begins. I ask the question if there was any shuttle service to Founder's Plaza where watching the big heavys come in on 18R is done but there is not one currently. That is the one bad part of service to DFW. Riding the Dart to DFW to watch the planes from Founder's Plaza cannot be done via Dart.

Pulling into the new Terminal A station was exciting. Finally, getting to DFW without the parking and doing it with no-stress travel, it was easy to see why anyone would ever want to drive to DFW again unless you were picking up a rental car, but you can have those delivered to your hotel, so that problem is also eliminated. It just makes sense to ride the DART! It's a no-brainer.

I was talking to a TSA

Walkway from DART train platform to Terminal A-14 entry

Inspector that was on the platform talking with people as he was doing his check-list of how the service was going on Inaugural Day. He stated to  me that inside Terminal A, "you can get a drink and a candy bar at the newsstands, but if you want real food, you must go through security". It makes sense. So those of you that want to ride the DART to DFW just to test it out, it's a fun trip and you can get a candy bar and a cold drink before you catch your ride back to where ever you got on board. The TSA Inspector was nice but still doing his job. 

Terminal A Platform at DFW International Airport.

Next Stop: Terminal A DFW International

Today, as a strong cold front was passing overhead, but before the temperatures dropped the 40 degrees the weather boys were advertising, I boarded the Red/Orange Line at the Central/LBJ station in North Dallas and headed to the new Belt Line Station that opened December 3rd. This summer saw the orange line open from Bachman Lake to the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. Now, another 4 miles of extension is added  and reaches a critical mass area.

On December 03, the North Lake Station Opened at Cottonwood. Golfers would recognize the area as the Four Seasons Resort. And...the Belt Line Station, while Westward sounds rather conservative, the actual surprise,grand trump, what ever adjective one would use, that makes this different for the largest light rail system in the whole of the United States, is  this: it's sitting on airport property at DFW International. That's inside the fence. That's different rules and regulation for building. But, it's the final leg that will end at Terminal A at DFW in December 2014 with the last extension. There are few airports in this nation that have  a direct rail link into a terminal. That means that in 2014, you will be able to deplane,get your luggage, use the airport system to transport you to terminal A from any terminal  and ride to downtown Ft. Worth,Denton,Dallas,Garland,Rowlett, and Plano, or get off in Addison or Carrollton and take a cab to those area hotels. The details will come forth, most likely as the time nears the completion date, but the point being made here is that the connections from DFW International to area cities in the metroplex will be most unique for  transportation connections. That's a big deal.

It took just over an hour each way.

The New Belt Line Station on DFW Property.Overnight parking,
750 car lot.

Belt Line Name Placard

Westward to Terminal A at DFW.Note that the tracks are laid but the overhead power lines need to be placed, but 24 months is not a long time to wait for this transportation  link.