Officials at Dallas City Hall are looking into the possibility of a new streetcar line to connect downtown Dallas to the Uptown neighborhood. The line could connect the M-Line trolley system operated by the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority to the Dallas Streetcar system, which is operated by DART for the city of Dallas.
City transportation planners recently told members of the Dallas City Council that connecting the two separate systems could improve mobility for people within Dallas and help promote economic development along the new streetcar line. Some members of the Council were enthusiastic about the possibilities of the project.
“I am a huge fan of this because I think it will connect Uptown, downtown and Oak Cliff in a very unique way. I think there’s economic benefit to gain from that,” said Council Member Kathy Stewart.
“It has my support.”
Other members of the Council had questions about the exact route the streetcar would take, along with concerns about how to pay for the on-going operation and maintenance of the route. Transportation planners have estimated the initial cost to build a new streetcar line could be over $100 million. They’re looking into the possibility of federal grant funding for that portion of the project.
Some Council Members were skeptical of the need for a new streetcar line. They called for devoting more transportation funds to street repair and maintenance instead.
“For where I’m representing, there’s not a real outcry for a streetcar. We don’t have the streets that we can drive our cars on, motorcycles, walkers…and that’s what my constituents keep asking for,” said Council Member Carolyn King Arnold.
Several members of the council urged the city’s transportation staff to study other cities with streetcar systems to learn more about their financing.
“The time is now to move forward with the Central Link expansion of the streetcar,” said Council Member Adam Moreno. “We’ve seen much success with the current streetcar and the economic growth that has happened along the Bishop Arts corridor.”
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