DART news

DART's silver line will connect directly to Trinity Metro at DFW Airport

Rendering of Silver line, trucking along beneath a DART rail train.

Courtesy of DART

There's a new public transportation connection in the works that will make travel easier across Dallas-Fort Worth.

At its April 14 meeting, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors authorized a payment of $21.5 million to Trinity Metro for the construction of approximately 2 miles of rail and platform facilities that will link the Cotton Belt line, AKA the Silver line, to Terminal B at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

The reimbursement is associated with the facilities to be shared by the DART Silver Line.

DART will also give Trinity Metro $6 million for access rights to Terminal B for the future DART Silver Line project once it begins service in 2023.

The Trinity Metro Board of Directors approved a similar agreement on April 13.

Paul N. Wageman, chairman of the DART Board of Directors, said in a statement, "we are pleased to finalize the agreement with Trinity Metro. It marks another important right of way segment that DART has secured and is critically needed to complete the construction of the Silver Line."

Wageman said that the Silver Line will address demand by "a growing number of residents and employees in the eastern portion of the region for a convenient and efficient connection to DFW Airport."

The 26-mile Silver Line project will traverse seven cities between DFW Airport, Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson, and Plano, and include 10 new stations. The primary purpose of the Silver Line is to provide rail service to employment, population, and activity centers in the northern part of the DART service area.

When completed, the Silver Line will connect with the Trinity Metro TEXRail commuter rail line at DFW North station and provide access to downtown Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

The Silver Line will also connect with the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) A-train commuter rail line which goes to Denton County; DART's Green Line which goes to Dallas Love Field and downtown Dallas via Downtown Carrollton Station; and DART's Red and Orange Lines at CityLine/Bush Station, which goes to Downtown Plano and the eastern side of the DART network.

The Silver Line can't connect directly to DART's current rail network because they use two different kinds of systems.

DART uses electric-powered light rail vehicles that get their power from overhead electrical cables.

The Silver Line will be a diesel multipler unit, similar to TexRail, with electrical engines that are powered by diesel, and therefore have no overhead lines.

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Very Merry news

Dallas climbs up list of best cities to celebrate Christmas

Dallas Arts District with holiday lights

Photo courtesy of Omni Dallas Hotel

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Dallas is on the nice list this holiday season: The city has clambered up on WalletHub's annual ranking of the best cities for celebrating Christmas.

Very merry Dallas is ranked No. 31 on WalletHub's 2024 list, which ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Dallas ranked No. 34 on WalletHub's 2023 report. That's a 3-point increase. Kudos, Dallas.

Here's how the city performed across the study's five main categories:

No. 16 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 21 – Shopping rank
No. 57 – Generosity rank
No. 74 – Costs rank
No. 75 – Observance rank

Dallas can cheer on its place as the third highest-ranked Texas city thanks to its vast array of holiday happenings, including numerous dazzling light displays and neighborhoods throughout town. From local restaurants and bars creating festive feasts and delightful cocktail experiences, to a number of pop-up ice skating rinks, over-the-top attractions, and tall Christmas trees, there are more ways than ever for Dallasites to celebrate.

Dallas households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Dallas household is expected to spend about $1,406 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $943 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

In a separate report by home services provider Thumbtack, Dallas was named the second most festive U.S. city in 2024.

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include Austin (No. 23), San Antonio (No. 30), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

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