A big new transit-oriented development broke ground at the intersection of I-35E and the President George Bush Turnpike in Carrollton. NBC 5’s Ken Kalthoff reports the City of Carrollton has been planning this for many years and shows how other communities may benefit.
Talks are underway about a unified regional transit agency to serve all of North Texas.
It would require funding and legal changes from the state.
A transit-oriented development that broke ground in Carrollton Friday is an example of how other communities might benefit.
The Eviva development is near the intersection of I-35E and the George Bush Turnpike, adjacent to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit agency’s Trinity Mills station.
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A-Trains from the Denton County Transit Authority also stop at Trinity Mills.
“It really represents a focal point of regionalism where DART And DCTA come together to serve common population,” DCTA Chief Executive Officer Paul Cristana said.
If a regional transit agency is created, DART and DCTA could actually merge with Tarrant County’s Trinity Metro.
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“I’m on board with anything that makes things more seamless for the customer,” DART CEO Nadine Lee said.
More transit-oriented development would be a goal of such an arrangement to help serve a booming North Texas population.
Renderings from developers The Integral Group and Koa Partners show the mix of 436 apartments, offices, stores and restaurants. A hotel is also planned.
A 549-space parking garage is already under construction that will be surrounded by the other buildings.
“This is the epitome of a live work and play environment, that urban hub if you will, where you have the green space in the center, restaurants, that hustle and bustle,” Carrollton Mayor Steve Babick said.
A park is already finished on land assembled over the years by the city and DART.
“What we don't want is a big void between the neighborhood and the transit stop because it makes for a place where nothing happens during the day and we think there's a lot better use for that land,” DART CEO Nadine Lee said.
DART has been supporting apartment construction in vast parking lots at other rail stations.
One station south in Carrollton on DART’s Green Line is the old Downtown Carrollton station, where a new stop is under construction for DART’s new Silver Line between Plano and DFW Airport that will cross there.
New apartments have also been constructed near transit in Downtown Carrollton.
Babick said another new transit line is also planned in the future from Downtown Carrollton to Frisco and Sherman, two cities that are not involved with a transit agency now.
The three existing transit North Texas transit agencies are funded with fares and sales taxes collected in member cities.
DART cities contribute a full 1 cent of sales tax. Trinity Metro and DCTA cities contribute ½ a cent.
Other cities like Arlington and Frisco which are not members of a transit authority have committed their sales taxes to other purposes.
“That has to somewhat change, up at the state level. We have to think about new ways to fund our transit,” Babick said.
Carrollton’s mayor serves on the North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Transportation Council which has initiated the study of regional transit consolidation and expansion.
Babick said a new formula for regional transit funding could involve state money instead.
“Why wouldn’t we be looking at funding these regional transit centers right at the top of the state budget from a sales and use tax perspective, because that’s what they’re driving. They’re driving commerce. They’re driving prosperity. And the local economy is all predicated upon that,” Babick said. “So as we sort of reimagine what a transit agency looks like to support the North Texas region, that's what we're talking about there.”
Transportation planners say roads alone can’t handle the millions more people expected to keep moving to North Texas.
“How do people want to travel in the future, if people don’t want to be stuck in traffic,” Lee said.
Encouraging more DFW density with transit-oriented development is a way to support more population and transportation.
“Right now, we have 8 million people. In 20 years we're going to have 11 or 12 million people. If you think about 50% more cars than are on the road right now, people are going to get stuck in traffic,” Lee said.
Her view for transit in the future could also support package delivery to remove some of those vehicles from the road.
The Carrollton Eviva development is expected to open in 2025.
