CTroyMathis
12-28-2002, 02:49 PM
Parking for light rail less elusive
With new stops offering more spaces, crunch at Arapaho station eases
12/26/2002
By SARAH POST / The Dallas Morning News
About 700 Richardson and North Dallas residents have shaved up to 10 minutes off their daily commute time – the time it took to walk between their cars and the train platform.
They are the people who still catch the Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail at the Arapaho Center Station. They are able to find parking spots closer to their train, and about an acre of outlying parking sits empty after the opening of another station in Richardson and two in Plano this month.
A month ago, every DART space at the Arapaho Center Station was filled, and then some. Although the Galatyn Park Station is north of Arapaho Center Station, it has no parking, making Arapaho Center effectively the end of the line before the recent expansion. Its lot, with 1,100 spaces, caught all the commuters in Plano and other cities to the north.
"When Arapaho [Center Station] was the end of line, it was a mint success for DART – at capacity plus 20 percent," Transportation Director Walter Ragsdale said. "We had to implement programs to encourage people to go to Spring Valley and the LBJ/Central Station."
Now there is ample parking, and parking has dropped off at Spring Valley, too. Commuters this week said they are glad the parking crunch has eased.
"Once the stops in Plano opened, this lot went from being real packed to being just about half full. It makes it a little bit easier," said Ted Chapman, a North Dallas resident who takes the train to work downtown.
"I appreciate that," said Richardson resident Lan Nguyen, who also works downtown. "It saves me a lot of time."
It also saves commuters a long walk in the wind, rain, sun and other elements.
The city's long-range plans for the Arapaho Center Station area include building a multilevel garage and turning the parking lot into a theater, restaurants and shops.
DART has no other stations with garages, but it does have covered parking. At the new Bush Turnpike Station, the parking lots are beneath the turnpike lanes.
"The [State Highway] 190 station is in a terrific location and has really picked up a lot of parking," Mr. Ragsdale said. "You can park your car out of the weather. The access through there is nice and easy and quick, and it's got good access for people in Richardson and Plano."
With new stops offering more spaces, crunch at Arapaho station eases
12/26/2002
By SARAH POST / The Dallas Morning News
About 700 Richardson and North Dallas residents have shaved up to 10 minutes off their daily commute time – the time it took to walk between their cars and the train platform.
They are the people who still catch the Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail at the Arapaho Center Station. They are able to find parking spots closer to their train, and about an acre of outlying parking sits empty after the opening of another station in Richardson and two in Plano this month.
A month ago, every DART space at the Arapaho Center Station was filled, and then some. Although the Galatyn Park Station is north of Arapaho Center Station, it has no parking, making Arapaho Center effectively the end of the line before the recent expansion. Its lot, with 1,100 spaces, caught all the commuters in Plano and other cities to the north.
"When Arapaho [Center Station] was the end of line, it was a mint success for DART – at capacity plus 20 percent," Transportation Director Walter Ragsdale said. "We had to implement programs to encourage people to go to Spring Valley and the LBJ/Central Station."
Now there is ample parking, and parking has dropped off at Spring Valley, too. Commuters this week said they are glad the parking crunch has eased.
"Once the stops in Plano opened, this lot went from being real packed to being just about half full. It makes it a little bit easier," said Ted Chapman, a North Dallas resident who takes the train to work downtown.
"I appreciate that," said Richardson resident Lan Nguyen, who also works downtown. "It saves me a lot of time."
It also saves commuters a long walk in the wind, rain, sun and other elements.
The city's long-range plans for the Arapaho Center Station area include building a multilevel garage and turning the parking lot into a theater, restaurants and shops.
DART has no other stations with garages, but it does have covered parking. At the new Bush Turnpike Station, the parking lots are beneath the turnpike lanes.
"The [State Highway] 190 station is in a terrific location and has really picked up a lot of parking," Mr. Ragsdale said. "You can park your car out of the weather. The access through there is nice and easy and quick, and it's got good access for people in Richardson and Plano."