Rowlett celebrates DART blue line extension

It'll be a blue Christmas, in a good way.

Rowlett Mayor Todd Gottrel, City Manager Lynda Humble and council member Donna Davis greeted riders during the opening of the DART expansion.

ROWLETT — Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail service to Downtown Rowlett began Monday with the opening of the 4.5 mile Blue Line extension from Garland.

Area residents are now able by rail to access all points of DART’s 700-sq. mile rail and bus service system from the Downtown Rowlett Station at 5000 Martin Dr. (at Industrial St.). The trip to Downtown Dallas will take about 40 minutes.

According to DART, there are 750 parking spaces at the station. A spokesman said about two-thirds of the spaces were full at 9 am Monday.

Rowlett Mayor Todd Gottel, City Manager Lynda Humble and Council member Donna Davis were on hand to greet riders early in the morning.

“What a great day for the Citizens of Rowlett,” said Mayor Gottel. “The citizens have waited for almost 30 years for this event. Rowlett will never be the same. In the past 12 months we have opened the President George Bush Turnpike and DART. Rowlett is really “On the Move!”

The opening of the DART station has indeed been a long time coming for Rowlett, which has paid $73.6 million into the system since 1984, when residents voted to become a DART member city.

The new station boasts 750 parking spaces, and a trip to downtown Dallas will take about 40 minutes.

The population of Rowlett has grown five-fold to more than 56,000 during its tenure in DART. The transit system membership was initially approved by less than 1,000 voters.

All Day Passes valid for unlimited rides on the date of purchase only through 3 am the following day are $7 for LOCAL ridership, including all trains and buses all the way to DFW Airport via Trinity Express Railway.

Monthly LOCAL passes are $80. There are also a variety of other passes for different times and places.

Passes may be purchased from vending machines at the DART rail stations or on all buses.

For DART info, visit DART.org or call 214-979-1111.