DART reconfigures new D2 subway to lessen impact to Deep Ellum area

DART has come up with a solution to its new D2 line.

DART

To the average citizen it probably makes sense not to surface a new subway system at a place called Deep Ellum.

Dallas officials and DART have come up with an alternative for the surface point, and it has nothing to do with the name. Original plans called for the D2 subway to come up for air along Good Latimer before traveling a few blocks north to Swiss Avenue. At Swiss Avenue DART wanted to construct a Y-shaped confluence of the rail lines, called a “wye” junction. The junction would require the acquisition of a large amount of land and could damage one of the main routes in and out of Deep Ellum.

The Deep Ellum Foundation and other area stakeholders balked at the plans, and city officials asked DART to come up with a new configuration.

Seventeen alignments were considered, and 16 came with problems. In the end, DART decided to create a subway station just west of IH-345 above Pacific Avenue.

Now the issue is how the existing Green Line will work with the D2 track now that it does not go through Deep Ellum. The change will impact about 20% of riders.

DART hopes to improve service to those impacted riders by increasing frequency on Green Line trains that serve as direct lines north to Bachman Lake, but doing so would cost about $8 million annually.

DART also is hoping to receive a federal grant for D2 work.

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