DART Station Names

[US75Guy]

Was there ever much debate on the way DART names their stations? Some cities look to a neighborhood, or landmark for the station names, some go for major street crossings, and some, like DART seem to use a weird combo. A station named after a neighborhood seems to give a neighborhood more of an identity. It establishes a center point, a place of destination. In our auto-world, I suppose cross-street station names are useful for placement, but no more easy for tourists to navigate than neighborhood names. If anything , neighborhood names would probably be easier for people to remember and navigate.

For example:

Tyler/Vernon stop should have been called Oak Cliff station. Yes, I know there are other stations in Oak CLiff, but this one is nearest the heart of traditional Oak Cliff, so much so, that the DART designers incorporated Oak leaves and acorns in the station design.

8th and Corinth should be renamed Hord's Ridge station. A bit arcane, I know. Hord's Ridge was the original name for this area of Oak Cliff, and was almost designated the county seat in 1850. It describes this bluff area well and would link the system to our past.

Park Lane could be renamed Vickery station.

Walnut Hill could be Pesbyterian Hospital station if we want to incorporate landmarks as well.

Lovers Lane could be renamed Park Cities station.

This new naming takes on more importance with the new NW DART line using names like Royal Lane station. If we are using cross street names to more easily identify areas, using Royal Lane, which stretches across the entire city, doesnt seem very helpful. And let's face it, calling a station the LBJ/Central station does not endear itself to the surrounding neighborhood....yeccch.

Any other thoughts on this?

[RobertB]

Was there ever much debate on the way DART names their stations? Some cities look to a neighborhood, or landmark for the station names, some go for major street crossings, and some, like DART seem to use a weird combo. A station named after a neighborhood seems to give a neighborhood more of an identity. It establishes a center point, a place of destination. In our auto-world, I suppose cross-street station names are useful for placement, but no more easy for tourists to navigate than neighborhood names. If anything , neighborhood names would probably be easier for people to remember and navigate.

For example:

Tyler/Vernon stop should have been called Oak Cliff station. Yes, I know there are other stations in Oak CLiff, but this one is nearest the heart of traditional Oak Cliff, so much so, that the DART designers incorporated Oak leaves and acorns in the station design.

8th and Corinth should be renamed Hord's Ridge station. A bit arcane, I know. Hord's Ridge was the original name for this area of Oak Cliff, and was almost designated the county seat in 1850. It describes this bluff area well and would link the system to our past.

Park Lane could be renamed Vickery station.

Walnut Hill could be Pesbyterian Hospital station if we want to incorporate landmarks as well.

Lovers Lane could be renamed Park Cities station.

This new naming takes on more importance with the new NW DART line using names like Royal Lane station. If we are using cross street names to more easily identify areas, using Royal Lane, which stretches across the entire city, doesnt seem very helpful. And let's face it, calling a station the LBJ/Central station does not endear itself to the surrounding neighborhood....yeccch.

Any other thoughts on this?
"Hord's Ridge" wouldn't have been a good name for 8th/Corinth, IMHO. Too much opportunity for linguistic mischief. In fact, that could have even been the reason for the more bland, street-based names -- use a name that's already familiar, and it's harder to make fun of it. Not impossible, though... I habitually call the station between Akard and Pearl, "Paint Ball Station".

[Mballar]

I actually agree with the current DART station names. However, I do think that "Hamilton Park Station" would be more appropriate than "LBJ/Central." And don't forget US75 that "Victory" is named after the surrounding development as opposed to a street or some other marker.

[freewaytincan]

In fact, that could have even been the reason for the more bland, street-based names -- use a name that's already familiar, and it's harder to make fun of it. Not impossible, though... I habitually call the station between Akard and Pearl, "Paint Ball Station".

I quite agree, but am I missing something? Painball...what?



I actually agree with the current DART station names. However, I do think that "Hamilton Park Station" would be more appropriate than "LBJ/Central." And don't forget US75 that "Victory" is named after the surrounding development as opposed to a street or some other marker.

I have to agree there. I've never liked the LBJ - Central name, and honestly, it's too far from the interchange to really be called that, I'd say.

[US75Guy]

DART has created a weird mixture of street names and neighborhood names. Victory, Cityplace, Dwntn Garland, West End are all named for landmarks/neighborhoods insteead of streets. I just think that should be the goal, and then exceptions can be made when there is not an identifiable 'hood or landmark.

Hamilton Park would be great as a replacement for "LBJ/Central".