Archives > Lewisville Leader > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
DCTA breaks ground on new rail station
Heather M. Smith
hsmith@acnpapers.com
The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) broke ground Friday on the Highland Village Lewisville Lake Station.
“I thought the ground breaking went very well,” said Tom LeBeau, vice president of rail development and capital projects for DCTA. “I was quite pleased with the event. Quite a few people came out and we had good representation from Denton, Lewisville and Highland Village. There was also representation from some of our largest stakeholders.”
The event included State Senator Jane Nelson as the keynote speaker and State Representative Tan Parker as an additional speaker.
“This is an exciting milestone on the journey to bring rail service to Denton County,” Nelson said. “I look forward to the day when our residents can use the A-Train to commute to work or visit the region's many attractions.”
“I am very excited about the long-term positive impact the Highland Village/Lewisville Lake Station will have on our local economies,” Parker said. “This safe, affordable and environmentally sound transportation alternative will go great lengths to connect north Texas residents with the fine shopping, dining and other recreational destinations home to Denton County.”
The A-train project includes construction of 21 miles of regional rail, five rail stations, a bicycle/pedestrian trail and a regional rail operating and maintenance facility. The Highland Village Lewisville Lake station is the fourth station to break ground this year. The station will be located at the southeast corner of I-35E and Garden Ridge.
“The station is scheduled for completion by December 2010; that’s when initial service will be open,” LeBeau said. “We’re committed to trying to make it happen. We’ve been phasing the project in order to resolve a few design features, and I think we’ve come a long way in working through the plans.”
LeBeau said the responsibilities for the project fall under his authority for DCTA. He is one of the people in charge of the design, engineering and construction of the project.
“I’m not the only person in charge,” LeBeau said. “There’s quite a bit of support from staff.”
The eventual intent of the project is to break ground in south Denton by April 2011 and downtown Denton in June 2011. The project is rounded out by the old town Lewisville station and the Hebron station in Lewisville.
“The rapid progress of DCTA regional rail shows that there is still tremendous need and support for transportation options in Southern Denton County. Rail will be a significant boost for our local economy plus, with three rail stations in Lewisville, residents and workers in this area will have the advantage of being connected to the rest of North Texas for business and leisure,” said Lewisville Mayor Dean Ueckert. “We're all excited to see this project moving along so quickly, and can hardly wait for the first train to roll out of the station.”
According to LeBeau, the rail project will open up “a world of opportunities” for commuters and will give them an alternative in transportation. He said DCTA is confident that the services will be used and be good for people.
“We’re very excited about the alternative that it gives for transportation for the public,” LeBeau said. “We’re also excited about the economic development. I see an opportunity for economic growth in Denton and Lewisville as a result of the project.”
The immediate objective of the A-train project is to have service between Denton and Carrollton to interface with Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s light rail system and complete a 50-mile segment of regional passenger rail. Once completed, LeBeau said residents in the Denton County area will be able to take public transportation as far as downtown Dallas.
“This has been a very smooth partnership with DART,” LeBeau said. “DART has been great to deal with. It has been an advocate of ours and helped us with this project.”
Highland Village Mayor Dianne Costa, who also attended the event, said the ground breaking united Lewisville and Highland Village. She said the event “will forever be recorded in the history of our community.”
“This demonstrates the positive impact that a few leaders, with the support of their constituents, can have on the future of our region. The citizens of these two cities, along with the residents of Denton, understood the importance of alternative transportation. This is a step in the right direction for transportation alternatives that guarantees our children and grandchildren can continue to enjoy all the benefits of North Texas,” Costa said. “I look forward to the day when I can board the train with my family and fellow neighbors and ride with pride in what we've been able to accomplish.”
For more information call 972-221-4600 or visit www.dcta.net.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
