DART Plots Love Field Stop

[Mballar]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/030107dnmetdalcouncil.30aa53e.html


Love Field DART site not settled

Miller still wants underground station

09:10 PM CST on Wednesday, February 28, 2007

By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News
dlevinthal@dallasnews.com

As far as Dallas Mayor Laura Miller is concerned, Dallas Love Field should be served directly by an underground light-rail station instead of an above-ground station skirting the airport's perimeter.

And on Wednesday, her City Council colleagues agreed to delay authorizing eminent domain powers allowing the government to obtain land to facilitate construction of an above-ground Dallas Area Rapid Transit rail line and station at Love Field.

In the meantime, Ms. Miller says she'll fight – in Washington, D.C., if necessary – to gain support for the tunnel option she says is necessary to accommodate an expected increase in passenger traffic at Love Field. The airport is no longer governed by the Wright amendment, which limited intrastate commercial traffic into and out of Love Field.

"Since the Wright amendment passed, it's a whole new dynamic," Ms. Miller said. "We think there will be lots of passengers that will get on a DART rail car and go directly to downtown from Love Field."

The transit agency and the city have discussed building a people-mover connection from a rail station just outside airport grounds to the passenger terminal.

The decision to run rail beside Love Field and not under it stems from an exhaustive review of both options by the Federal Transit Administration. FTA leaders determined that a tunnel would dramatically raise the cost of DART's entire light-rail project. Costs would rise so much that it would have jeopardized the transit agency's request for $700 million in federal funds.

"It would be tough if not impossible to go back and do something different now at Love Field without jeopardizing the entire $700 million," said DART President and Executive Director Gary Thomas. "We spent at least a year working on this particular issue."

Said Ms. Miller, "It's a false warning. It's never too late if you have enough willpower. ... DART has not worked in good faith or in unison with the city of Dallas, and they won't do it this time, either. But I think with the Wright amendment as a new tailwind, I think we might be able to get it done."

The agency and the city accepted the FTA's recommendation, and DART submitted a proposal that called for light rail to run beside the airport. Federal officials in July awarded DART $700 million to help build rail lines to Fair Park, Pleasant Grove and northwest Dallas. DART plans to use its own money to continue the rail lines to Farmers Branch, Carrollton and Irving.

The transit agency has received its first installment of the federal funds, and the remainder will be paid over several more years. DART officials are in Washington this week to ensure they get their planned 2008 share of the federal funds.

[PuddinHead]

Wonder if Miller is thinking that if Dart builds an underground station at Love Field that Dallas will not have to pay to build the people mover promised in the Compromise?

[incrediculous]

I hope Laura Miller can pull it off, but I wish she would have started making this push last year.

[mrowl]

Carrollton is already not happy with the current delay. If its delayed anymore, this will start a lawsuit between Dallas, Dart, and Carrollton.

[Mballar]

http://www.dallasblog.com/dallas-blogs/2007/2/28/mayor-miller-leads-charge-to-promote-love-field-dart-tunnel.html

The following was taken from Dallasblog.com:

While discussing the exercise of the right of eminent domain regarding a DART station near Love Field, some Dallas City Council members raised an interesting question. Why is DART not going directly to the airport?

It appears as though the ball was dropped in 2004 when it was learned that the $700 million grant to fund DART would be in jeopardy if the tunnel would be allowed. Councilmember Linda Koop, who is the Chair of the Transportation and Environment Committee and was a DART committee member during the time this was originally discussed, shared some of the blame. However, she said the FTA wouldn’t allow the tunnel, and wasn’t optimistic that the issue could be successfully readdressed.

Mayor Miller and other council members were not ready to let this opportunity pass by like so many others have.

“I want us to try as a unified body -- the way we did it on the Wright Amendment -- to go to Washington and say everything has changed, we love DART, we are not going to jeopardize our $700 million, but we want that tunnel,” Miller said. “At the end of the day, you can’t build a rail line that doesn’t go to your airport. It is stupid.”

Councilmember Angela Hunt agreed with Miller and said having a mass transit system that doesn’t go directly into Love Field doesn’t make any sense and is a poor use of federal money. She also said it was unfortunate that the situation wasn’t better coordinated so that this could have been addressed using bond money.

“It is absolutely unimaginable to me that while we’ve had these long conversations about insuring that we protect our neighborhoods and reduce the amount of car traffic going to Love Field, we’re creating a massively-expensive rail line that bypasses Love Field,” Hunt said. “I heard that it would be very difficult for us to go back and revisit this. What I did not hear is that we cannot do it. It’s a matter of will, and my will is there. I think we ought to do it. I understand it would have implications, but by God, we’re going to look back 10, 20 years from now and we’re going to be kicking ourselves for not doing this.”

Councilmember Pauline Medrano, who oversees the district involved, had harsh criticism for the way DART handled the neighborhood near Love Field.

“I was very disappointed in the way this community was handled. They met with one group, met with another group, and then met with another group. It seemed like it was divide and conquer,” Medrano said. “I hope that no other community has to suffer like this one has.”

Although Councilmember Koop was previously involved with DART, it didn’t stop her from joining Medrano and Councilman Ron Natinsky in calling out DART.
-thumbnail.jpg
Everyone was piling on DART Wednesday“Ya’ll [DART] have got to change your process. If it requires you getting in some specialists or hiring a consultant to see what processes you can change, then I suggest you do it,” Koop said. “The process doesn’t seem to be working and it leaves our homeowners in a terrible situation.”

“DART is not treating the communities anywhere in Dallas the way they need to treat them. You [DART] may believe you can hide behind words like delay and financial responsibility, but I don’t think that is the way you should be running your business,” Natinsky said. “You’ve got vast numbers of people that you’re alienating by your attitude towards them, and these are supporters. These are people that want to have the trains and the buses and take advantage of mass transit.”

Not everyone was on board with the idea of revisiting the tunnel idea. Councilman Leo Chaney voiced concern about the impact any action this would have regarding progress in the southeast. If the northwest plans were to be delayed, it would also delay the southeast rail lines, according to DART officials.

“I’m vehemently opposed to any action that would impede, slow down or negatively impact the southeast rail lines. Folks have been excited about it and we’ve been waiting for it,” Chaney said. “There are transit-oriented development opportunities that this would provide for the southern sector, particularly in one of the most blighted communities in Dallas -- the Fair Park area moving out to Pleasant Grove. We’ve got to move forward because we’ve got too many initiatives that are creating a positive metamorphosis for this community.”

Mayor Miller said every time the council tries to talk about these issues, DART threatens to delay something. She said it’s the “heavy hammer” that gets the council to do the wrong thing.

“What scares everybody is if you try to do the right thing, it will delay the southern line. That is just a hollow, tiresome excuse for not doing the right thing,” Miller said. “They’ve come up with every excuse in the world why we shouldn’t go forward with this tunnel, and look what happened. We moved mountains and we changed the Wright Amendment, which was a heck of a lot harder than this.”

Medrano said hindsight is that DART should have gone directly to Love Field as opposed to going through this community.

The council voted to move one of the right of eminent domain agenda items to March 28 to give Mayor Miller and supportive council members time to take their case to Washington.

“It’s better for neighborhoods, Southwest Airlines, the region, tourism, corporate relocation, and every single thing in the whole world,” Miller said. “If Congress says we’re right, then they’ll help us get it.”
Posted on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at 09:28PM by Registered CommenterSam Merten in City Hall

[UptownDallas]

I hope Laura Miller can pull it off, but I wish she would have started making this push last year.

It would have complicated her Wright Amendment strategy, however. She used inflated traffic counts to justify tearing gates at Love Field... introduce a DART light rail connection into the mix (something her consultant didn't consider) and the justifcation for tearing down gates starts to unwind.

[RobertB]

So why is it that I live(d) in Kaufman and knew all the details about DART's Love Field plans, told them in great detail to everyone on this forum, and now Dallas officials and community activists are whining about being out of the loop? Maybe *they* should move to Kaufman.

I guess it's easy to blame DART, since the DART board members don't have to worry about being voted out of office. They're a safe target for anger, because even if Miller & co were accurate, it wouldn't do much good.

The fact, of course, is that the DART critics are not being accurate. If the Love Field tunnel were part of the plan, the Feds would not pay for it. Period. End of story. If Dallas wants the tunnel, they'll have to pay for it themselves. Whining that "the situation wasn’t better coordinated so that this could have been addressed using bond money" is disingenuous at best -- it's not DART's fault that the city's bond issue planners had their heads so far up the Trinity River's effluent that they didn't pay attention.

I've long thought that Laura Miller was pretty cool, but she is is full of crap, to put it bluntly, when she says that the tunnel vs. southern line facts are "just a hollow, tiresome excuse for not doing the right thing." Doesn't her city have a budget? What happens if you take a hundred million dollars out? What if taking that hundred million loses another $400 million? Does the Funding Fairy magically appear with a half-billion-dollar check?

She's right -- changing the Wright Amendment wasn't easy. But it didn't take any money, either. It's easy to SAY "yeah, we'll build it". It's something else altogether to actually BUILD it. The fact is that the ball is in her court, not DART's. DART would love to put a station under Love Field. All they need is the money. Laura Miller should know that.

[Mballar]

My Take on the situation:

1. The City royally screwed this up about three years ago. . .kind of similar to the Cotton Bowl situation. This funding issue should have been worked out between the City and DART back in 2004. This problem was staring the Dallas City Council right in the face for over a year, and yet, the City didn't show the "will power" back when it would have mattered most. Even we were discussing the issue here far longer than that. Like Robert suggested, if they had any questions, they could have tapped into the conversations here. I don't fault them, however, for trying to put the s*#t back into the horse.

2. IMHO, DART needs to do everything in its power to bring Roger Snoble back. He was the leader of the agency when DART first began construction of first rail lines, and was instrumental in many positive changes that occurred at DART. He seemingly managed to work with City leaders to accomplish goals that were good for everyone. He was a very effective leader and had a demonstrated track record of resolving difficult issues like this. Simply put, he found ways to get things done. I believe had he been at DART during this last FTA funding request, he would have lead the parties involved to find a creative solution for the tunnel option. In short, DART needs more effective leadership. I just hope they don't try to pull this crap when it comes to the second DT line. We don't need another at-grade transit mall clogging up E-W traffic. It is imperative that the agency go underground with that line. No more of this we don't have the money crap. Think like Snoble would have. . .plan the proper system then find a way to fund it.

3. Laura Miller. Get involved in the process earlier. DART plans these lines YEARS in advance. There was plenty of time to get a grasp on this issue. Stop being johnny-come-lately. You can't lead if you're behind! Need I say more?

I could be wrong about all of this. However, I suspect that I'm not. Therefore, I welcome alternative viewpoints/comments.

[Lakewooder]

La Miller doesn't mind using eminent domain to destroy the perfectly good Legend terminal. Perhaps if they would quit wasting money on lawyers and lawsuits to 'buy' and bulldoze a facility that is better than anything at the main terminal, there might be some cash to kick start the tunnel.

[DallasMan]

So, to recap, the plan as is calls for what? I assumed all along that "Love Field Station" would be AT Love Field...is it not? What is this "people-mover connection?" Is this something like the tram thing at DFW?

[RobertB]

So, to recap, the plan as is calls for what? I assumed all along that "Love Field Station" would be AT Love Field...is it not? What is this "people-mover connection?" Is this something like the tram thing at DFW?
Go to this page for an overview: http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/greenline.asp

Go to this page for the technical details: Northwest Corridor Final Environmental Impact Statement (October 2003) (http://www.dart.org/about/expansion/nweis/nwfeis.htm)

Note that until the City of Dallas asked DART to change the station's name in late 2006, it was "Brookhollow Station", not "Love Field Station".

The People Mover concept is pretty new and is still under discussion, primarily in the media.

Here's a key bit from the EIS introduction page above:

Comments: The Draft EIS was made available to the public for a 45-day review and comment period from June 14, 2002 to July 30, 2002. Public hearings were conducted during the review and comment period on July 11 in Dallas, July 15 in Farmers Branch, and July 16 in Carrollton. Following the Draft EIS public comment period, the DART Board of Directors selected the preferred site for the Northwest Rail Operating Facility and the preferred alignments in the Love Field and Medical Center areas.

In early 2003, subsequent coordination in the Medical Center area resulted in alignment and station changes that were not addressed in the DEIS or at the July public hearings. A public hearing was held on April 10, 2003 to obtain comments on the proposed changes. The DART Board subsequently approved those changes on May 13, 2003.
The decision-makers around Parkland Hospital were awake. If everyone who cared about Love Field was asleep that year, it's not DART's fault. And if they were awake, but didn't like DART's answer about the Love Field tunnel, they're about four years too late to whine about it.

[PuddinHead]

It would have complicated her Wright Amendment strategy, however. She used inflated traffic counts to justify tearing gates at Love Field... introduce a DART light rail connection into the mix (something her consultant didn't consider) and the justifcation for tearing down gates starts to unwind.

The DART rail was considered in the Compromise, which was the whole point of the people mover.



So why is it that I live(d) in Kaufman and knew all the details about DART's Love Field plans, told them in great detail to everyone on this forum, and now Dallas officials and community activists are whining about being out of the loop? Maybe *they* should move to Kaufman.........

I guess it's easy to blame DART, since the DART board members don't have to worry about being voted out of office. They're a safe target for anger, because even if Miller & co were accurate, it wouldn't do much good.......

The fact, of course, is that the DART critics are not being accurate. If the Love Field tunnel were part of the plan, the Feds would not pay for it. Period. End of story. If Dallas wants the tunnel, they'll have to pay for it themselves......

I've long thought that Laura Miller was pretty cool, but she is is full of crap,

The Mayor and the City government had to be fully aware of this situation. What probably happened is that Southwest suddenly decided they want a better rail station than DFW and that a promised people mover was not good enough anymore.

[UptownDallas]

The DART rail was considered in the Compromise, which was the whole point of the people mover.

Actually... no. Go read the updated DMJM report which the Mayor used as justification for tearing down the gates, then check back in.

[UptownDallas]

What probably happened is that Southwest suddenly decided they want a better rail station than DFW and that a promised people mover was not good enough anymore.

Actually, Southwest is typically against such grandiose projects... since the costs tend to ultimately be borne by passengers, and Southwest strives to keep all-in air transportation costs as low as possible.

In this case, I've heard repeated concerns from Southwest management that the costs of the Love Field rail station could balloon to an amount which couldn't be economically justified.

[PuddinHead]

Actually... no. Go read the updated DMJM report which the Mayor used as justification for tearing down the gates, then check back in.

The people mover was included in the compromise.

You are welcome to expand on your latest conspiracy theory though!



Actually, Southwest is typically against such grandiose projects... since the costs tend to ultimately be borne by passengers, and Southwest strives to keep all-in air transportation costs as low as possible.

In this case, I've heard repeated concerns from Southwest management that the costs of the Love Field rail station could balloon to an amount which couldn't be economically justified.

If you read the compromise you would know that Southwest is not liable for paying for the people mover or the DART Rail station. The City of Dallas is. PFC's cannot be applied to pay for the people mover either.

Southwest does have to care about the costs since they or their passengers would not be liable for the cost to begin with.

[Mballar]

DARTNeedsLove.com (http://dartneedslove.com/)

[RobertB]

DARTNeedsLove.com (http://dartneedslove.com/)
Cool site and great points, but with no information about who is behind it, I can only view it with a mixture of caution and scepticism. Doing a whois search doesn't reveal anything -- the owners went through domainsbyproxy.com to hide their identity. The domain (as well as .net, .org, AND .info) was bought on Saturday. I think dallasmetropolis.com should get a commission. :)

[jsoto3]

Looks like a creation of Snuggles.

[incrediculous]

I don't blame them for the anonymous registration. I wouldn't claim having made that website, either.

Seriously, though, whoever did that should reveal themselves and get some help on building that site.

[PuddinHead]

Cool site and great points, but with no information about who is behind it, I can only view it with a mixture of caution and scepticism. Doing a whois search doesn't reveal anything -- the owners went through domainsbyproxy.com to hide their identity. The domain (as well as .net, .org, AND .info) was bought on Saturday. I think dallasmetropolis.com should get a commission.

FOLF?

[UptownDallas]

FOLF?

Some of the same folks appear to be involved. The West Love Field Neighborhood Association was a strong supporter of FOLF, and they also appear to be a key factor behind this movement.

[UptownDallas]

Looks like a creation of Snuggles.

I don't think the folks in that neighborhood are exactly rollin' in dough (or website development expertise).

[tamtagon]

If the Love Field Station is moved inside the airport, does that mean there will be one less station accessible by the people in the area? Or would the subway come with an additional station?

[Mballar]

If the Love Field Station is moved inside the airport, does that mean there will be one less station accessible by the people in the area? Or would the subway come with an additional station?
You raise a valid concern. I think it'll be an either/or situation.

[RobertB]

You raise a valid concern. I think it'll be an either/or situation.
I'd have to look at the details again (and I don't have time at the moment), but I believe the subway under Love Field was supposed to emerge *south* of Brookhollow Station, meaning that there would still be a station serving both the neighborhood and Southwest Airlines headquarters.

[PuddinHead]

I'd have to look at the details again (and I don't have time at the moment), but I believe the subway under Love Field was supposed to emerge *south* of Brookhollow Station, meaning that there would still be a station serving both the neighborhood and Southwest Airlines headquarters.


Here is another question, will the Under Love Field station also include Orange Line access to DFW as well?

[Mballar]

I'd have to look at the details again (and I don't have time at the moment), but I believe the subway under Love Field was supposed to emerge *south* of Brookhollow Station, meaning that there would still be a station serving both the neighborhood and Southwest Airlines headquarters.
You are right, again.

http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3868

http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=3869

[dfwcre8tive]

So if the people mover were chosen instead would it follow the same alignment from Brookhollow Station to the terminal? A people mover from the station to directly under the terminal might be less walking (with luggage) than a DART station under the parking garage.

[Dr. Thunder]

Has anyone heard what the plan is for the 2nd line through downtown? Is there still talk of a subway in Downtown?

[UptownDallas]

Here is another question, will the Under Love Field station also include Orange Line access to DFW as well?

Apparently, the Orange Line breaks off north of the Bachman station, so it appears the answer is yes.

[DallasMan]

So if the people mover were chosen instead would it follow the same alignment from Brookhollow Station to the terminal? A people mover from the station to directly under the terminal might be less walking (with luggage) than a DART station under the parking garage.

Thats a good question as well. The graphics in the post above show the option of Brookhollow OR Love Field, but what about if it goes ahead as planned w/ just Brookhollow Station? It looks like either way it goes, the people mover would have to go all the way around the runway to get to the terminal.

Would it be dangerous to have a people mover tram thing like the one at DFW looping around the landing strip like that? Would it be on a raised platform?

I think the Brookhollow Station may be "ok" as long as people can take the Dart there, then get on another train/tram thing (people mover) that takes them directly to the terminal w/in no more than 5-10 minutes.

[psukhu]

I just used the metro rail to get to Reagan National Airport (DCA) from central DC. It was nice to have the train stop almost in the terminal, just yards ways from the AA ticket counter.

DCA has an overhead rail station and you use an elevator to get to the ticket counters, or an escalator to go directly to gates via the security check.

It would be so much nicer if the Dallas LRT stopped inside of Love Field instead of forcing people to take a shuttle.

[DallasMan]

See...there ya go! Why can't we do a raised rail line that goes to the terminal, and people can just take an escalator/elevator/stairs down to the terminal? Portions of the tram are raised at DFW, so why not have a raised DART rail?

[UptownDallas]

See...there ya go! Why can't we do a raised rail line that goes to the terminal, and people can just take an escalator/elevator/stairs down to the terminal? Portions of the tram are raised at DFW, so why not have a raised DART rail?

The problem with a raised line at Love Field is that the primary alignment of the Green Line is separated from the terminal by a runway (a problem which doesn't exist at either Washington National or DFW). The FAA won't allow an above-ground line to cross the extended center line of the western-most runway parallel to Old Denton Drive, so tunneling under is the only solution.

Washington National works because the terminal is on the side of the airport premises, rather than in the center (as is the case at Love Field).

You'll notice that the Orange Line connection to DFW is shown as going pretty far to the north of the runways before reversing course southbound into the area along International Drive... that's why it works there.

[dfwcre8tive]

See...there ya go! Why can't we do a raised rail line that goes to the terminal, and people can just take an escalator/elevator/stairs down to the terminal? Portions of the tram are raised at DFW, so why not have a raised DART rail?

That would make sense if Love Field was the end of the line, but to go any further north the line has to cross the runways... unless it's just a spur alignment like one of the diagrams shows.

[incrediculous]

If you build the overpass high enough, planes could fly underneath it.

jeeze... c'mon people. Think!

[dfwcre8tive]

Thats a good question as well. The graphics in the post above show the option of Brookhollow OR Love Field, but what about if it goes ahead as planned w/ just Brookhollow Station? It looks like either way it goes, the people mover would have to go all the way around the runway to get to the terminal.

Would it be dangerous to have a people mover tram thing like the one at DFW looping around the landing strip like that? Would it be on a raised platform?

I think the Brookhollow Station may be "ok" as long as people can take the Dart there, then get on another train/tram thing (people mover) that takes them directly to the terminal w/in no more than 5-10 minutes.

I was thinking that the people mover would go UNDER the runway from the station to terminal. Get off the train at Brookhollow Station, go down the escalator to the people mover platform, zoom under the runway to a people mover station under the terminal, go up the escalator to ticket counters. That wouldn't be too inconvenient.

Or we can just recreate the old Jetrail (http://www.braniffinternational.org/facilities/jetrail.htm) and make it above-ground around the airport property. Or put the DFW Airtrans car back in service... it's just gathering dust sitting at the Frontiers of Flight museum on the other side of Love Field. Borrow some of the old guideway that will be taken out of DFW when the DART rail goes in, and you have a cheap recycled people mover :)

http://www.braniffinternational.org/images/main/jetrail1.JPG
http://www.lightrailnow.org/images/prt-dfw-airport-airtrans-2-car-trn-elev-gway.jpg

[incrediculous]

If Laura Miller doesn't get her way (which I hope she does), and some sort of spur or people mover is built to Love, it should be called The Love Line.

[dfwcre8tive]

I think these posts need to be moved to this thread:

http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php?t=239&highlight=love+field+tunnel

[tamtagon]

I think these posts need to be moved to this thread:

http://forum.dallasmetropolis.com/showthread.php?t=239&highlight=love+field+tunnel


Thanks!!

[tamtagon]

Here is another question, will the Under Love Field station also include Orange Line access to DFW as well? Apparently, the Orange Line breaks off north of the Bachman station, so it appears the answer is yes.

Airport to airport train access is intriguing - there could actually be a pretty robust group of air travel industry DART users moving back and forth.... makes ya really wonder about potential air passenger/cargo service and management industry innovations and potential DFW marketplace advantages based on the unique climate of competitive engagement between AA and SW. Could be, but who really knows, that the unrivaled connectivity between the two airports (and the two airlines) will bring to the Metroplex a larger share of the airline traffic service industries.

The State of Texas should pay construction costs for the subway underneath Love Field between Inwood and Brookhollow stations. Let LaMiller and DART and whoever else worry about working the Feds to agree to allow the State to fund the subway.

[RobertB]

Airport to airport train access is intriguing - there could actually be a pretty robust group of air travel industry DART users moving back and forth.... makes ya really wonder about potential air passenger/cargo service and management industry innovations and potential DFW marketplace advantages based on the unique climate of competitive engagement between AA and SW. Could be, but who really knows, that the unrivaled connectivity between the two airports (and the two airlines) will bring to the Metroplex a larger share of the airline traffic service industries.

The State of Texas should pay construction costs for the subway underneath Love Field between Inwood and Brookhollow stations. Let LaMiller and DART and whoever else worry about working the Feds to agree to allow the State to fund the subway.
In theory, at least, the Federal funding shouldn't be put in jeapordy if some other agency pays for the Love Field Tunnel. In fact, as I recall, DART set back some amount of cash that it could contribute to a tunnel -- I want to say $20 million, but I don't have a link right off to back that up.

Note that the original plans still included the possibility of a tunnel. DART was all set to dig a 40-foot tunnel under Mockingbird to allow for freight -- that trench is also the beginning of the tunnel to Love. They've only recently looked at building a bridge instead, after that business on the corner got upset about losing their driveway.

It would be great if all the neighborhood uproar kick-starts Dallas into finding a way to pay for a tunnel. That's a big chunk of change, though... and don't forget that AA and DFW are probably working behind the scenes to make sure it's not a priority item. They gain nothing by building a link between Love and DFW -- and as long as there's not a single, regional airport authority, DFW can never support anything that's good for Love, even if it's in the best interests of the region.

[Mballar]

The State of Texas should pay construction costs for the subway underneath Love Field between Inwood and Brookhollow stations. Let LaMiller and DART and whoever else worry about working the Feds to agree to allow the State to fund the subway.

I agree that the state should pay for the shortfall in funds. Unfortunately, the state only appears commited to funding road projects. Sadly, searches on the TXDoT (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/) website for DART, or Light Rail, yielded 1 page which contained links to DART and other cities' transportation organizations. No mention of any state program or fund that has $ for these types of projects. I know that TXDot had previously pledged some funds for this tunnel, but those funds must have been used for something else.

[X Factor]

I agree that the state should pay for the shortfall in funds. Unfortunately, the state only appears commited to funding road projects. Sadly, searches on the TXDoT (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/) website for DART, or Light Rail, yielded 1 page which contained links to DART and other cities' transportation organizations. No mention of any state program or fund that has $ for these types of projects. I know that TXDot had previously pledged some funds for this tunnel, but those funds must have been used for something else.

I believe the state has a $15B surplus this year... they could afford to spend some here.

[tamtagon]

This 2003 DMN article quote is from the 19th post on this thread:


Both sides say hopes high for airport tunnel
01/19/2003

By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/columnists/thartzel/stories/011903dnmetroadrunner.3dd64.html
...
DART has proposed that if Dallas wants the Love Field tunnel, it could choose to have a second surface rail line through downtown instead of a more expensive tunnel. The cost difference would help pay for the Love Field tunnel.

Regional transportation leaders have pledged $35 million to help pay to build Love Field train service, but only if it doesn't harm any other projects – a stance that may have led to Dallas' reversal on its insistence that a Love Field tunnel come before D/FW Airport connections.


So, is the choice between a Love Field tunnel or a CBD tunnel still an option?

What's up with the 'regional transportation leaders' and the $35 million pledge to help build a Love Field tunnel?

News articles from 2002/3 regarding a potential tunnel showed Farmers Market and Carrollton strongly objecting to the Love Field tunnel & station because it could delay service in those communities. That was before the Feds agreed to contribute $700 million to DART expansion and local DART revenue collection was short. Since local DART revenue is no longer short and the Feds came through, potential suburban station delays are dramatically reduced. I'm wondering if Farmers Market and Carrollton folks will now underscore the importance of a Love Field Station to their citizens. Carrollton leaders should be expecially interested in getting the Love Field subway station built since that city will host a transfer station with access to both Love Field and DFW airports.

[tamtagon]

11-20-2004

Here (http://www.dot.state.tx.us/txdotnews/mmprojects.htm) is the URL

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The Texas Metropolitan Mobility Plan Project Acceleration

Thanks to the governor, state legislators, local officials and Texas voters, funds to fight urban congestion in our eight largest metropolitan areas will more than double during the next 12 years (2004-2015). As a result, nearly 90 percent of the metropolitan mobility projects planned for the next 12 years can begin in half the time.
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DALLAS ($4.7 billion)
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Construct a light rail transit connection to Dallas Love Field airport. The use of these funds allows this project to be accelerated by 7 years.

Construct a light rail transit connection to the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. The use of these funds allows this project to be accelerated by 1 year.

So, where's the money from the Texas Metropolitan Mobility Plan Project Acceleration to help with the beneficial Love Field subway station?

[UptownDallas]

So, where's the money from the Texas Metropolitan Mobility Plan Project Acceleration to help with the beneficial Love Field subway station?

I don't know, the press release referenced is no longer on the TxDOT website. Moreover, the only document I could find relating to the plan on the TxDOT website: http://www.nctcog.org/trans/mtp/tmmp/TMMP_Report_2006_000.pdf , makes no mention of a Love Field connection, although it does discuss making light rail connections to DFW Airport a priority.

[PuddinHead]

So, where's the money from the Texas Metropolitan Mobility Plan Project Acceleration to help with the beneficial Love Field subway station?

It is 6 one way 1/2 dozen the other way if as to whether a direct subway station underneath Love Field is any more beneficial to Dallas and the Region than a separate station and a people mover connection. Other than stroking the egos of our Madam Mayor and the chief tenant of Love Field what is the point of building a subway to Love Field when rail service is all ready planned for the airport at a much lower cost?

[tamtagon]

...what is the point of building a subway to Love Field when rail service is all ready planned for the airport at a much lower cost?

A station inside the airport is significantly more efficient than a nearby station/people mover combo.

[UptownDallas]

...what is the point of building a subway to Love Field when rail service is all ready planned for the airport at a much lower cost?

Actually, this very issue has been studied in depth with respect to the rail service between JFK and Manhattan.

The consensus expert opinion seems to be that a the utility of a rail transit connection decreases dramatically (as measured by number of passengers) for each required transfer.

This seems to make sense, as the attractiveness of a the DART connection would be greatly enhanced by needing only a single ride to get to the airport terminal. The introduction of an extra step, disembarking from the DART rail with luggage, navigating the DART platform, an escalator, a "people mover" platform, and, ulimately, the "people mover" itself, significantly increases both journey complexity and time.