City Council to Decide Among 4 Downtown Dallas Streetcar Routes

Dallas officials have four good options for a new downtown streetcar route, the CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc. said Monday.Kourtny Garrett told members of the City Council's Mobility Solutions, Infrastructure and Sustainability Committee that a route on Elm and Commerce streets would likely have the biggest economic impact and the highest potential ridership. And a route along Young and Harwood streets could serve 48,000 jobs that don't have nearby rail options.But Garrett said the other two options — one along Griffin Street and Ross Avenue and another along Main Street — have plenty of potential benefits, too. All four would connect the McKinney Avenue trolley and the streetcar that runs between the Union Station area downtown and the Bishop Arts District in North Oak Cliff."You definitely have one of those situations where no decision is a wrong decision," Garrett said.The presentation Monday, which HR&A Advisors helped prepare, was meant to aid the city's decision on a route. The council will likely make that choice in concert with an alignment for Dallas Area Rapid Transit's impending downtown subway project. The committee, which offered little reaction Monday, will be briefed on the subway and streetcar options Aug. 28.Garrett said the streetcar would likely serve a different set of riders than the subway. The subway is meant to help ease the burden on the single track downtown that serves all four rail lines. The streetcar, Garrett said, is for people making short trips across downtown, such as tourists, downtown and Uptown residents and workers during their workday.  Continue reading...