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170-616: The DART light rail system serves the metropolitan area of Dallas , Texas . It is owned and operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). The system opened June 14, 1996 and serves 65 stations and four lines, covering 93 miles (149.7 km): the Blue Line , the Red Line , the Green Line , and the Orange Line . In 2023, the system had a ridership of 21,380,900, or about 63,200 per weekday as of

340-661: A Florida East Coast strikebreaking situation, the unions appealed to the FRA and ICC for relief. Despite the fact that Rock Island management had been able to move 80% of pre-strike tonnage, at the behest of the Carter Administration, the ICC declared a transportation emergency, finding that the Rock Island would not be able to move the 1979 grain harvest to market. This decision came despite the railroad's movement of more grain out of Iowa in

510-739: A "low-altitude" crossing of the Continental Divide . The Rock Island did not concede to the Santa Fe's dominance in the Chicago–;Los Angeles travel market and re-equipped the train with new streamlined equipment in 1948. At the same time, the Limited was dropped from the train's name and the train was thereafter known as the Golden State . The local run on this line was known as the Imperial , which had

680-546: A branch operating through the northwestern edge of Mexico. The 1948 modernization of the Golden State occurred with some controversy. In 1947, both the Rock Island and Southern Pacific jointly advertised the coming of a new entry in the Chicago-Los Angeles travel market. The Golden Rocket was scheduled to closely match the Santa Fe's transit time end-to-end and was to have its own dedicated trainsets, one purchased by

850-623: A group of French Socialists established La Réunion , a short-lived community, along the Trinity River in what is now West Dallas. With the construction of railroads, Dallas became a business and trading center and was booming by the end of the 19th century. It became an industrial city, attracting workers from Texas , the South, and the Midwest . The Praetorian Building in Dallas of 15 stories, built in 1909,

1020-540: A long-term "2030 Plan", which included the following proposals for its next round of rail expansion: The final 2030 plan included several changes from the draft plan released in July 2006. Removed from the final plan was a 6.3-mile (10.1 km) branch of the Red Line from Forest Lane Station to the Addison Transit Center , which would have included several miles of subway under Interstate 635 . DART officials cited

1190-703: A plan the lake's neighboring cities oppose. Dallas has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa , Trewartha : Cfhk ) characteristic of the Southern Plains of the United States. It also has both continental and tropical characteristics, characterized by a relatively wide annual temperature range for the latitude. Located at the lower end of Tornado Alley , it is prone to extreme weather, tornadoes, and hailstorms. Summers in Dallas are very hot with high humidity, although extended periods of dry weather often occur. July and August are typically

1360-434: A raised boarding area of 385 feet (117 m). At each end crossings and ramps are built. The Orange and Green Lines had been constructed to that standard from the beginning. However they could not use that length in regular operation. The platform extensions were part of the initial planning of system with reserved space on each station since the 1980s. However, this concept was expecting a possibility of four-car trains with

1530-614: A robot-delivered bomb, killing Johnson inside Dallas College El Centro Campus . The shooting occurred in an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses, and residential apartments only a few blocks away from Dealey Plaza. Dallas is situated in the Southern United States , in North Texas . It is the county seat of Dallas County and portions of the city extend into neighboring Collin , Denton , Kaufman , and Rockwall counties. Many suburbs surround Dallas; three enclaves are within

1700-523: A second rail alignment, and selected four for more detailed consideration. All four proposals provided for an alignment between Victory Station and Deep Ellum Station , indicating the D2 alignment would be used for Green and Orange Line service while the Red and Blue Lines would continue to use the existing alignment. However, on April 27, 2010, DART announced financial problems would prevent it from funding construction of

1870-590: A signature building in Bank of America Plaza which is lit up in neon but falls outside the top two hundred tallest buildings in the world. Although some of Dallas's architecture dates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most of the notable architecture in the city is from the modernist and postmodernist eras. Iconic examples of modernist architecture include Reunion Tower , the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial , I. M. Pei 's Dallas City Hall and

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2040-512: A state that the Union Pacific viewed the expense of bringing it back to viable operating condition to be severely prohibitive. Additionally, the ICC attached conditions for both labor and operating concessions that the UP deemed too excessive for their tastes. These factors led the Union Pacific to walk away from the deal later in 1974. From the vantage point of the 1974 railroad industry, Klitenic's plan

2210-625: A total of 312 residents according to 2019's census estimates, down from 606 in 2017. Hispanic or Latino Americans of any race made up 41.2% of the estimated population in 2019. Among the Hispanic or Latino American population in 2019, 34.6% of Dallas was Mexican , 0.4% Puerto Rican , 0.2% Cuban and 6.0% other Hispanic or Latino American. In 2017's American Community Survey estimates among the demographic 35.5% were Mexican, 0.6% Puerto Rican, 0.4% Cuban, and 5.4% other Hispanic or Latino. By 2020, Hispanic or Latino Americans of any race continued to constitute

2380-832: A variety of named districts, including the West End Historic District , the Arts District , the Main Street District , Farmers Market District , the City Center Business District , the Convention Center District , and the Reunion District . This area includes Uptown, Victory Park , Harwood, Oak Lawn, Dallas Design District , Trinity Groves , Turtle Creek , Cityplace , Knox/Henderson , Greenville , and West Village . East Dallas

2550-407: A week from 4:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. On each individual line, service operates Monday through Friday every 15 minutes during commute periods and every 20 minutes middays and early evening, while operating every 30 minutes after approximately 10 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, service operates every 20 minutes between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., and every 30 minutes early morning and at night. Portions of

2720-404: A white mob of hundreds of people lynched a black man, Allen Brooks , accused of raping a little girl. The mob tortured Brooks, then killed him at the downtown intersection of Main and Akard by hanging him from a decorative archway inscribed with the words "Welcome Visitors". Thousands of Dallasites came to gawk at the torture scene, collecting keepsakes and posing for photographs. In 1921,

2890-451: Is November 12, and the average date of last frost is March 12. January is typically the coldest month, with an average daytime high of 56.8 °F (14 °C) and an average nighttime low of 37.3 °F (3 °C). The normal daily average temperature in January is 47.0 °F (8 °C) but sharp swings in temperature can occur, as strong cold fronts known as " Blue Northers " pass through

3060-539: Is expected for 2022. In March 2018 the contract was awarded to Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam (LAN). Construction started in July 2019 to be finished in August 2022. Apart from capacity the project allows for barrier-free access to trains even on the oldest lines of the network. The platforms will be raised to the 15.5 inches (40 cm) floor height of the low-floor middle section of the SLRV trains. This concept allows to get half of

3230-433: Is home to many areas, neighborhoods, and communities. Dallas can be divided into several geographical areas which include larger geographical sections of territory including many subdivisions or neighborhoods, forming macroneighborhoods. Central Dallas is anchored by Downtown Dallas, the center of the city, along with Oak Lawn and Uptown , areas characterized by dense retail, restaurants, and nightlife. Downtown Dallas has

3400-473: Is surrounded by undeveloped land on all sides. Swampland and wetlands separating it from South Dallas are part of the Great Trinity Forest , a subsection of the city's Trinity River Project , newly appreciated for habitat and flood control . Dallas and its surrounding area are mostly flat. The city lies at elevations ranging from 450 to 550 feet (137 to 168 m) above sea level. The western edge of

3570-423: Is the location of Cedars , and Fair Park , where the annual State Fair of Texas is held from late September through mid-October. Also located here is Exposition Park, Dallas , noted for having artists, art galleries, and bars along tree-lined Exposition Avenue. South Side Dallas is a popular location for nightly entertainment. The neighborhood has undergone extensive development and community integration. What

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3740-526: Is the location of Deep Ellum , an arts area close to Downtown, the Lakewood neighborhood (and adjacent areas, including Lakewood Heights , Wilshire Heights , Lower Greenville , Junius Heights , and Hollywood Heights/Santa Monica ), Vickery Place and Bryan Place , and the architecturally significant neighborhoods of Swiss Avenue and Munger Place . Its historic district has one of the largest collections of Frank Lloyd Wright -inspired prairie-style homes in

3910-749: The Choctaw Rocket (Memphis—Little Rock—Oklahoma City—Amarillo) and the Cherokee (a local counterpart to the Choctaw Rocket , Memphis-Little Rock-Oklahoma City-Amarillo-Tucumcari-Los Angeles). By the time Amtrak was formed in 1971, the once-proud Rock Island was down to just two intercity trains, the Chicago-Peoria Peoria Rocket and the Chicago-Rock Island Quad Cities Rocket, both of which now operated entirely within

4080-483: The Burlington , only over a longer route. The Midwest rail network had been built in the late 19th century to serve that era's traffic. The mechanization of grain hauling gave larger reach to large grain elevators , reducing the need for the tight web of track that crisscrossed the plains states such as Iowa. As for available overhead traffic, in 1958, no less than six Class I carriers were serving as eastern connections for

4250-634: The Chessie System . The Chicago and North Western acquired the line between the Twin Cities and Kansas City. The line between Tucumcari and St. Louis was acquired by the Cotton Belt . The Choctaw Route was sold in pieces. The line between Herington, Kansas and Fort Worth, Texas was sold to the Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad . The line between Peoria, Illinois , Bureau Junction and Omaha, Nebraska

4420-636: The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad in the Chicago-to-Denver market. While the Q fielded its Zephyrs on the route, the Rock Island ran the Rocky Mountain Rocket . The RMR split at Limon, Colorado , with half the train diverting to Colorado Springs , an operation known as the "Limon Shuffle". The Rock Island conceded nothing to its rival, even installing ABS signaling on the route west of Lincoln in an effort to maintain transit speed. The train

4590-560: The Dallas Central Business District , then follows Central Expressway ( US 75 ) through north Dallas , Richardson and Plano . The Green Line runs from Buckner Station , near Loop 12 in southeast Dallas, to North Carrollton/Frankford Station in Carrollton in the northwest. Heading north from Buckner, the line serves Fair Park , Deep Ellum , and the Dallas Central Business District , then turns northwest along

4760-519: The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , the most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the fourth-most populous metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the most populous city in and seat of Dallas County with portions extending into Collin , Denton , Kaufman , and Rockwall counties. With a 2020 census population of 1,304,379, it is the ninth-most populous city in

4930-539: The Downtown Plano station on the Red Line , but DART maps of the 2030 plan indicated that the commuter rail line would run to the nearby Bush Turnpike station, the nearest station to the south of downtown Plano. The Cotton Belt line would run through former DART member city Coppell between Carrollton and DFW Airport; although no station locations are included in the plan, the promise of a future station could entice Coppell, which withdrew from DART in 1989, into rejoining

5100-696: The Interstate 35E (Texas) corridor, serving the American Airlines Center , Parkland Hospital , Love Field , Farmers Branch , and Carrollton , where a transfer is available to the A-train line run by the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA). The Orange Line runs between Parker Road station in Plano and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport . The Orange Line duplicates

5270-685: The LBJ Loop when the LBJ/Skillman Station opened on May 6, 2002. The first extension of the Red Line opened on July 1, 2002, when the line was extended 7 stations north from a newly rebuilt Park Lane Station to Galatyn Parkway . Richardson became the first Dallas suburb to be served by light rail. The Blue Line was completed to Garland on November 18, 2002, making it the second suburb to get light rail service. The two new stations of Forest/Jupiter Station and Downtown Garland Station were opened to

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5440-515: The Las Colinas APT System . DART had preliminary plans for the Orange Line to run concurrently with the Red Line from downtown Dallas to LBJ/Central Station . The line ends at LBJ/Central Station with rush hour service to Parker Road Station . The first Orange Line stations opened on July 30, 2012, while service to Belt Line Station in Irving began on December 3, 2012. An extension of

5610-629: The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center . Good examples of postmodernist skyscrapers are Fountain Place , Bank of America Plaza , Renaissance Tower , JPMorgan Chase Tower , and Comerica Bank Tower . Downtown Dallas also has residential offerings in downtown, some of which are signature skyline buildings. Several smaller structures are fashioned in the Gothic Revival style, such as the Kirby Building , and

5780-446: The Red Line was extended from Pearl Station to Park Lane Station . It includes the tunnel from Pearl Street to Mockingbird Lane , the latter being the site of Dallas's first modern transit village . The northern terminus of the Blue Line remained Pearl Station at that time. The starter line was completed when the Blue Line was extended from Illinois Station to Ledbetter Drive . This came on May 31, 1997, nearly one year after

5950-629: The Union Pacific at Omaha, all seeking a slice of the flood of western traffic that UP interchanged there. Under the ICC revenue rules in place at the time, the Rock Island sought traffic from Omaha, yet preferred to keep the long haul to Denver , where interchange could be made with the Denver and Rio Grande Western , a connection to the Western Pacific for haulage to the West Coast. The only option for

6120-446: The neoclassical style, as seen in the Davis and Wilson Buildings. One architectural "hotbed" in the city is a stretch of historic houses along Swiss Avenue , which has all shades and variants of architecture from Victorian to neoclassical. The Dallas Downtown Historic District protects a cross-section of Dallas commercial architecture from the 1880s to the 1940s. The city of Dallas

6290-475: The southern portion of the city is predominantly black. The west and east sides of the city are predominantly Hispanic or Latino American; Garland also has a large Spanish-speaking population. North Dallas has many enclaves of predominantly white, black and especially Hispanic or Latino American residents. The Dallas area is also a major living destination for Black and African Americans primarily due to its strong and diverse economy. Between 2010 and 2020,

6460-447: The 1920s on, the suburban services were operated using Pacific-type 4-6-2 locomotives and specially designed light-heavyweight coaches that with their late 1920s build dates became known as the " Capone " cars. The suburban service became well known in the diesel era, as the steam power was replaced, first with new EMD FP7s and ALCO RS-3s , with two Fairbanks-Morse units added later. In 1949, Pullman -built 2700-series cars arrived as

6630-414: The 2020 American Community Survey , the median income for a household in the city was $ 54,747; families had a median household income of $ 60,895; married-couple families $ 81,761; and non-families $ 45,658. In 2003–2007's survey, male full-time workers had a median income of $ 32,265 versus $ 32,402 for female full-time workers. The per capita income for the city was $ 25,904. About 18.7% of families and 21.7% of

6800-556: The Austin Chalk Formation, a limestone escarpment (also known as the "White Rock Escarpment"), rises 230 feet (70 m) and runs roughly north–south through Dallas County. South of the Trinity River , the uplift is particularly noticeable in the neighborhoods of Oak Cliff and the adjacent cities of Cockrell Hill, Cedar Hill , Grand Prairie , and Irving . Marked variations in terrain are also found in cities immediately to

6970-680: The Board in 1902. The railroad expanded through construction and acquisitions in the following decades. On March 21, 1910, the Green Mountain train wreck resulted when a Rock Island Railroad passenger train derailed, killing 52 passengers and severely injuring scores of others. The railroad retired its last steam locomotive from service in 1953. The Rock Island stretched across Arkansas , Colorado , Illinois , Iowa , Kansas , Louisiana , Minnesota , Missouri , Nebraska , New Mexico , Oklahoma , South Dakota , and Texas . The easternmost reach of

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7140-570: The City of Dallas voted against the Jackson alignment and instead for the alignment to be in a subway for the majority of its time in downtown. This led DART to have to reconsider the alignment, and also balance funding for the Silver Line , which created tension between supporters of both rail lines, who believed that only one of the two could be built. However, DART eventually voted in favor of eventually funding

7310-499: The City of Dallas, DART agreed to build a second rail alignment through downtown once certain operating or ridership figures were met, and DART projected that it would hit these targets by the early 2010s. As a result, DART commissioned its Downtown Dallas Transit Study, known as the D2 Study , to study the possibility of building a second rail alignment through downtown. In spring 2008, DART announced it had considered 16 possible plans for

7480-555: The Cotton Belt and D2. DART is considering three alignments, all of which are underground for a majority of their routes. A decision was intended to be made by 2018 as to which route will be pitched to the FTA, although city leaders in 2017 had endorsed the Commerce subway route (along with a downtown streetcar design) to move forward into consideration. A preferred alignment was chosen by DART and

7650-523: The D2 Study is being funded by a $ 700,000 grant, the $ 500 million to $ 1 billion alignment is unfunded, and construction is not expected to begin before 2025. In August 2015, the Dallas City Council voted to only recommend an alignment above-ground along Jackson Street, over the objections of DART officials, who requested the addition of a Young Street route as a fallback. The alignment along Young Street

7820-531: The D2 alignment, putting the plan in limbo. After a three-year hiatus, DART announced on February 6, 2013 that it would begin holding public hearings on "Phase II" of the D2 study, to discuss alternatives and refinements to its D2 options since it ended "Phase I" of the D2 study in 2010. At a public hearing on February 13, 2013, DART announced it was expanding to consider eight possible D2 alignments, some of which would connect to Union Station instead of Victory Station and thus provide Red and Blue Line service. While

7990-680: The Dallas area had the second-most new Black and African American residents only behind the Atlanta area and slightly above the Houston area. The notable influx of African Americans is partly due to the New Great Migration . There is a significant number of people from the Horn of Africa , immigrants from Ethiopia , Eritrea and Somalia . The Dallas–Fort-Worth metroplex had an estimated 70,000 Russian-speakers (as of November 6, 2012) mostly immigrants from

8160-521: The Dallas region, forcing temperatures below the 40 °F (4 °C) mark for several days at a time and often between days with high temperatures above 80 °F (27 °C). Snow accumulation is seen in the city in about 70% of winter seasons, and snowfall generally occurs 1–2 days out of the year for a seasonal average of 1.5 inches (4 cm). Some areas in the region, however, receive more than that, while other areas receive negligible snowfall or none at all. The all-time record low temperature within

8330-551: The Federal Bankruptcy Act. William M. Gibbons was selected as receiver and trustee by Judge Frank J. McGarr, with whom Gibbons had practiced law in the early 1960s. With its debts on hold, Rock Island charted a new course as a grain funnel from the Midwest to the port of Galveston, Texas. The Ingram administration estimated that the Rock Island could be rebuilt and re-equipped at a cost of $ 100 million and sought financing for

8500-400: The Green Line. The Green Line's northern end connects with the A-train line run by the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA). This line connects Denton to Carrollton , with stops in Lewisville and Highland Village . The commuter train may stop in other Denton County cities, should they choose to join the DCTA. The second line, the Orange Line originates at LBJ/Central on

8670-467: The LRV type vehicles of the time. The newer SRLV have that length with three-car trains already. The raised and underground stations had been constructed at 400 feet (120 m) from the beginning but it is a higher effort to rebuild them to a raised platform in the first phase due to existing stairs. The Blue Line runs from southwest to northeast, UNT Dallas , in southwest Dallas, to Downtown Rowlett Station in Rowlett . Heading north from UNT Dallas,

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8840-481: The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance Continuum of Care 2022 Homeless Count & Survey Independent Analysis, "approximately 1 of 3 (31%) those experiencing homelessness were found on the streets or in other places not meant for human habitation." The region surrounding Dallas is a habitat for mosquitoes, creating a pest problem for humans. Dallas and the surrounding area is sprayed regularly to control mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus . Dallas's population

9010-458: The Mexican Revolution. Despite the onset of the Great Depression , business in construction was flourishing in 1930. That year, Columbus Marion "Dad" Joiner struck oil 100 miles (160 km) east of Dallas in Kilgore , spawning the East Texas oil boom . Dallas quickly became the financial center for the oil industry in Texas and Oklahoma . During World War II , Dallas was a major manufacturing center for military automobiles and aircraft for

9180-423: The Mexican president Álvaro Obregón along with the former revolutionary general visited Downtown Dallas's Mexican Park in Little Mexico ; the small park was on the corner of Akard and Caruth Street, site of the current Fairmont Hotel. The small neighborhood of Little Mexico was home to a Latin American population that had been drawn to Dallas by factors including the American Dream , better living conditions, and

9350-479: The North collide with warm, humid air streaming in from the Gulf Coast , leading to severe thunderstorms with lightning , torrents of rain, hail , and occasionally, tornadoes . Over time, tornadoes have probably been the most significant natural threat to the city, as it is near the heart of Tornado Alley . A few times each winter in Dallas, warm and humid air from the south will override cold, dry air, resulting in freezing rain or ice and causing disruptions in

9520-410: The Orange Line from Belt Line Station to DFW Airport Station opened on August 18, 2014. In 2007, DART recognized that with Blue and Red Line trains sharing tracks through the Dallas Central Business District corridor, and the Orange and Green Lines also using this trunk segment through downtown, a single alignment would not have the capacity to support all four rail lines. Under a 1990 agreement with

9690-483: The Red Line along the Central Expressway ( US 75 ) corridor from Parker Road to the Dallas Central Business District , then follows the Green Line along the Interstate 35E (Texas) corridor, serving the American Airlines Center , Parkland Hospital , and Love Field , before branching west along the Highway 114 corridor to Irving . The final leg of the Orange Line from Belt Line to DFW Airport opened on August 18, 2014. The DART system operates seven days

9860-415: The Red Line and runs concurrently with the Red Line to downtown, then with the Green Line to northwest of Love Field Airport at Bachman Lake , where it branches off toward Irving , then continuing to DFW International Airport . DART is cooperating with Love Field to link that airport to the Orange Line, but service is currently connected by a bus shuttle. The line runs through Las Colinas and connects to

10030-414: The Rock Island assessed its options. It hired a new president and CEO, John W. Ingram , a former Federal Railway Administration (FRA) official. Ingram quickly sought to improve efficiency and sought FRA loans for the rebuild of the line, but finances caught up with the Rock Island all too quickly. With only $ 300 of cash on hand, on March 17, 1975, Rock Island entered its third bankruptcy under Chapter 77 of

10200-439: The Rock Island elected to add to a subsequent order and took delivery of its first bilevel equipment in 1964. Power for these new cars was provided by orphaned passenger units: three EMD F7s , an EMD E6 , and the two EMD AB6s . The engines were rebuilt with head end power to provide heat, air conditioning, and lighting for the new cars. In 1970, another order, this time for Pullman-built bilevel cars arrived to further supplement

10370-405: The Rock Island introduced diesel power to its passenger service, with the purchase of six lightweight Rocket streamliners . In competition with the Santa Fe Chiefs , the Rock Island jointly operated the Golden State Limited (Chicago—Kansas City—Tucumcari—El Paso—Los Angeles) with the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) from 1902 to 1968. On this route, the Rock Island's train was marketed as

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10540-419: The Rock Island to forsake the Denver gateway in favor of increased interchange at Omaha. Incredibly, the Rock Island refused this, and the UP routed more Omaha traffic over the Chicago and North Western . As a result, by 1974, the Rock Island was no longer the attractive prospect it had once been in the 1950s. The cost-cutting measures enacted to conserve cash for the merger left the Rock Island property in such

10710-405: The Rock Island to grow revenues and absorb costs was to merge with another, perhaps more prosperous railroad. Overtures were made from fellow Midwest granger line C&NW, as well as the granger turned transcon Milwaukee Road. Both of these never advanced much beyond the data gathering and initial study phases. In 1964, its last profitable year, the Rock Island agreed to pursue a merger plan with

10880-418: The Rock Island was handling about 30 percent of its prestrike tonnage with 5 percent of the prestrike onboard train operating personnel. Projections indicated that by the end of November, the company would be handling about half of its prestrike tonnage and earning a profit of about $ 5 million per month. In other words, the company was winning the strike." Seeing the trains rolling despite the strike and fearing

11050-489: The Rock Island was not capable of operating profitably, much less paying its outstanding debts. At the same time, Crown invested as much as he could in Rock Island bonds and other debt at bankruptcy-induced junk status prices. For the previous two years, while the Rock Island invested heavily into its physical plant, the Rock Island brotherhoods had been working under labor agreements that were no longer valid. The front line operating employees had not had an increase in pay since

11220-435: The Rock Island's final plan of reorganization. He simply initiated the shutdown and liquidation of the Rock Island, which was what Henry Crown had advocated for from the very beginning. Not wanting to preside over an asset sale, Rock Island president John W. Ingram resigned, and Gibbons took over as president of the bankrupt railroad. Kansas City Terminal began the process of embargoing in-bound shipments in late February, and

11390-456: The Rock Island, including the Chicago-Omaha main line, would go to the Union Pacific. The Kansas City-Tucumcari Golden State route would be sold to the Southern Pacific. The Memphis-Amarillo Choctaw route would be sold to the Santa Fe. The Rio Grande would have an option to purchase the Denver-Kansas City line. During most of the ensuing merger process, Rock Island operated at a financial loss. In 1965, Rock Island earned its last profit. With

11560-485: The Rock Island, the other by Southern Pacific. As the Rock Island's set of streamlined passenger cars was being finished, the Southern Pacific abruptly withdrew its purchase. The Rock Island's cars were delivered and found their way into the Golden State' s fleet soon after delivery. The Golden State was the last first-class train on the Rock Island, retaining its dining cars and sleeping cars until its last run on February 21, 1968. The Rock Island also competed with

11730-442: The Trinity River southeast of Downtown Dallas. Trails along White Rock Creek are part of the extensive Dallas County Trails System. Bachman Lake , just northwest of Love Field Airport , is a smaller lake also popularly used for recreation. Northeast of the city is Lake Ray Hubbard , a vast 22,745-acre (92 km ) reservoir in an extension of Dallas surrounded by the suburbs of Garland , Rowlett , Rockwall , and Sunnyvale . To

11900-447: The U.S. and the third-most populous city in Texas after Houston and San Antonio . Located in the North Texas region, the city of Dallas is the main core of the largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States and the largest inland metropolitan area in the U.S. that lacks any navigable link to the sea. Dallas and nearby Fort Worth were initially developed as a product of the construction of major railroad lines through

12070-541: The UP, which would form one large "super" railroad stretching from Chicago to the West Coast. Facing the loss of the UP's traffic at the Omaha gateway, virtually every railroad directly and indirectly affected by the potential UP/Rock Island merger immediately filed protests to block it. With these filings began the longest and most complicated merger case in Interstate Commerce Commission history. Faced with failing granger railroads and large Class I railroads seeking to expand, ICC Hearing Examiner Nathan Klitenic, presiding over

12240-713: The United States and Allied forces. Over 94,000 jeeps and over 6,000 military trucks were produced at the Ford plant in East Dallas. North American Aviation manufactured over 18,000 aircraft at their plant in Dallas, including the T-6 Texan trainer, P-51 Mustang fighter, and B-24 Liberator bomber. On November 22, 1963, United States President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Elm Street while his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in Downtown Dallas. The upper two floors of

12410-591: The United States, Plano , the northern suburb of Dallas, has the 6th largest Chinese American population as of 2016. The Plano-Richardson area in particular had an estimated 30,000 Iranian Americans in 2012. With so many immigrant groups, there are often multilingual signs in the linguistic landscape . According to U.S. Census Bureau data released in December 2013, 23 percent of Dallas County residents were foreign-born, while 16 percent of Tarrant County residents were foreign-born. The 2018 census estimates determined that

12580-507: The United States. In the northeast quadrant of the city is Lake Highlands , one of Dallas's most unified middle-class neighborhoods. Southwest of Downtown lies Oak Cliff . Once a separate city founded in the mid-1800s, Oak Cliff was annexed in 1903 by Dallas. As one of the oldest areas in Dallas, the hilly North Oak Cliff is home to 5 of the 13 conservation districts in Dallas including the architecturally significant Kessler Park neighborhood and trendy Bishop Arts District . South Dallas

12750-453: The age of 18 living with them. Approximately 36.2% of households were headed by married couples living together, 57.2% had a single householder male or female with no spouse present, and 35.6% were classified as non-family households with the householder living alone. In 2010, 33.7% of all households had one or more people under 18 years of age, and 17.6% had one or more people who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size in 2020

12920-603: The agency. In 2010, citing deficits and drops in revenue, DART scrapped much of their 2030 plan. On July 3, 2006, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) approved a US$ 700 million Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) — the largest grant ever awarded to DART — to kick-start a US$ 2.5 billion expansion of the light rail system. This phase included two new light rail lines that doubled DART's light rail mileage. Construction began in September 2006. Upon completion of

13090-419: The air pollution in Dallas and the surrounding area comes from a hazardous materials incineration plant in the small town of Midlothian and from cement plants in neighboring Ellis County . The average daily low in Dallas is 57.4 °F (14 °C), and the average daily high is 76.9 °F (25 °C). Dallas receives approximately 39.1 inches (993 mm) of rain per year. The record snowfall for Dallas

13260-515: The area allowing access to cotton , cattle , and later oil in North and East Texas . The construction of the Interstate Highway System reinforced Dallas's prominence as a transportation hub , with four major interstate highways converging in the city and a fifth interstate loop around it. Dallas then developed as a strong industrial and financial center and a major inland port , due to

13430-507: The area was considered part of the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas . In 1836, Texians , with a majority of Anglo-American settlers, gained independence from Mexico and formed the Republic of Texas . Three years after Texas achieved independence, John Neely Bryan surveyed the area around present-day Dallas. In 1839, accompanied by his dog and a Cherokee he called Ned, he planted a stake in

13600-613: The area, most notably the annual Alan Ross Texas Freedom (Pride) Parade and Festival in June which draws approximately 50,000. For decades, the Oak Lawn and Bishop Arts districts have been known as the epicenters of LGBT culture in Dallas. Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad At the end of 1970, it operated 7,183 miles of road on 10,669 miles of track; that year it reported 20,557 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 118 million passenger miles. (Those totals may or may not include

13770-419: The aura from those days waned in the late 1950s, the Rock Island found itself faced with flat traffic, revenues, and increasing costs. Despite this, the property was still in decent shape, making the Rock Island an attractive bride for another line looking to expand the reach of their current system. The Rock Island was known as "one railroad too many" in the plains states, basically serving the same territory as

13940-466: The books to show the precarious financial condition of the road in an effort to get the BRAC in line with the other unions that had already signed agreements. Fred J. Kroll, president of the BRAC, declined the offer to audit the books of the Rock Island. Kroll pulled his BRAC clerks off the job in August, 1979. Picket lines went up at every terminal on the Rock Island's system and the operating brotherhoods honored

14110-475: The borders of Illinois. However, the Rock Island opted against joining Amtrak, in part because the government assessed the Amtrak entrance fee based upon passenger miles operated in 1970. After concluding that the cost of joining would be greater than remaining in the passenger business, the railroad decided to "perform a public service for the state of Illinois" and continue intercity passenger operations. To help manage

14280-540: The building from which the Warren Commission reported assassin Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy have been converted into a historical museum covering the former president's life and accomplishments. Kennedy was pronounced dead at Dallas Parkland Memorial Hospital just over 30 minutes after the shooting. On July 7, 2016, multiple shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter protest in Downtown Dallas , held against

14450-583: The case, sought to balance the opposing forces and completely restructure the railroads west of the Mississippi River. After 10 years of hearings and tens of thousands of pages of testimony and exhibits produced, Klitenic, now an administrative law judge, approved the Rock Island-Union Pacific merger as part of a larger plan for rail service throughout the West. Under Klitenic's proposal, almost all of

14620-578: The cases, Abraham Lincoln , a lawyer at the time, represented the Rock Island. Lincoln argued that not only was the steamboat at fault in striking the bridge, but that bridges across navigable rivers were to the advantage of the country. The M&M was acquired by the C&;RI on July 9, 1866, to form the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company. In 1877 Ransom Reed Cable became a director and in 1883 replaced Hugh Riddle as president, retiring as Chairman of

14790-713: The city boundaries— Cockrell Hill , Highland Park , and University Park . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 385.8 square miles (999.3 km ); 340.5 square miles (881.9 km ) of Dallas is land and 45.3 square miles (117.4 km ) of it (11.75%) is water. Dallas makes up one-fifth of the much larger urbanized area known as the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , in which one quarter of all Texans live. Dallas's skyline has twenty buildings classified as skyscrapers , over 490 feet (150 m) in height. Despite its tallest building not reaching 980 feet (300 m), Dallas does have

14960-682: The city if the roads and highways become slick. Temperatures reaching 70 °F (21 °C) on average occur on at least four days each winter month. Dallas averages 26 annual nights at or below freezing, with the winter of 1999–2000 holding the record for the fewest freezing nights with 14. During this same span of 15 years, the temperature in the region has only twice dropped below 15 °F (−9 °C), though it will generally fall below 20 °F (−7 °C) in most (67%) years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture places Dallas in Plant Hardiness Zone 8b . However, mild winter temperatures in

15130-596: The city is −10 °F (−23 °C), set on February 12, 1899 during the Great Blizzard of 1899 . The temperature at nearby Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport reached −2 °F (−19 °C) on February 16, 2021, during the February 2021 North American winter storm . Spring and autumn are transitional seasons with moderate and pleasant weather. Vibrant wildflowers (such as the bluebonnet , Indian paintbrush and other flora ) bloom in spring and are planted around

15300-417: The city of Dallas had 1,304,379 residents, an increase of 106,563 since the 2010 United States census . However, as of July 1, 2022, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Dallas in first years since the 2020 census lost 4,835 people, leaving the city with a population of 1,299,544. There were 524,498 households at the 2020 estimates, up from 2010's 458,057 households, out of which 137,523 had children under

15470-539: The city of Dallas in 2022; all stakeholders in the project agreed on this preferred alternative for the first time in the project's history. The D2 subway project was quietly removed from DART's long-term financial plan in July 2023. DART will instead use debt capacity intended for the D2 subway to improve the current system, including new trains, signal upgrades, and reliability and cleanliness improvements. The agency intends to explore alternatives to increase capacity in downtown Dallas and methods to increase ridership across

15640-495: The city of Dallas's foreign-born population consisted of 25.4% naturalized citizens and 74.6% non-citizens. Recognized for having one of the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations in the nation, Dallas and the Metroplex are widely noted for being home to a vibrant and diverse LGBT community . Throughout the year there are many well-established but quite small compared to other cities LGBT events held in

15810-741: The city's history: those of France, Spain, and Mexico, the flag of the Republic of Texas, the Confederate flag, and the flag of the United States of America. In 1819, the Adams–Onís Treaty between the United States and Spain defined the Red River as the northern boundary of New Spain, officially placing the future location of Dallas well within Spanish territory. The area remained under Spanish rule until 1821, when Mexico declared independence from Spain , and

15980-491: The city. Interstate 35E parallels its path through Dallas along the Stemmons Corridor , then south alongside the western portion of Downtown and past South Dallas and Pleasant Grove, where the river is paralleled by Interstate 45 until it exits the city and heads southeast towards Houston . The river is flanked on both sides by 50 feet (15 m) tall earthen levees to protect the city from frequent floods. Since it

16150-478: The color green, this line is a symbol of our city on the move." The Green Line began operation on September 14, 2009, with a route from downtown Dallas southeast to Fair Park ; this short route was scheduled to open in time to service the 2009 State Fair of Texas . On December 6, 2010, the line extended further at both ends – to Pleasant Grove , as well as continuing northwest from Victory Station to Farmers Branch and Carrollton ; both extensions, completing

16320-529: The company was acquired by the Maytag Corporation. Ironically, through the megamergers of the 1990s, the Union Pacific ultimately ended up owning and operating more of the Rock Island than it would have acquired in its attempted 1964 merger. The one line it currently does not own (or operate regularly, other than detours) is the Chicago-to-Omaha main line that drove it to merge with the Rock Island in

16490-739: The confines of the state of Illinois and renamed the Quad Cities Rocket . Other trains operated by the Rock Island as part of its Rocket fleet included the Corn Belt Rocket (Chicago—Des Moines—Omaha), the Des Moines-Omaha Limited (Chicago-Des Moines-Omaha), the Twin Star Rocket (Minneapolis—St. Paul—Des Moines—Kansas City—Oklahoma City—Fort Worth—Dallas—Houston), the Zephyr Rocket (Minneapolis—St. Paul—Burlington—St. Louis),

16660-544: The convergence of major railroad lines, interstate highways, and the construction of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport , one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. In addition, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) operates rail and bus transit services throughout the city and its surrounding suburbs. Dominant sectors of its diverse economy include defense , financial services , information technology , telecommunications , and transportation . The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex hosts 23 Fortune 500 companies,

16830-611: The day of the vote on the 2030 plan. DART leaned toward diesel powered commuter rail for the Cotton Belt corridor, similar to the Trinity Railway Express . However, the line would pass through affluent Far North Dallas neighborhoods, which formed the Cotton Belt Concerned Coalition to fight the line in 1990. The group lobbied for electric light rail vehicles on the line to avoid perceived air and noise pollution associated with diesel rail, and also proposed that

17000-513: The early 1960s. Ruth Henning is listed as a co-creator of the show, along with her husband Paul, who also created The Beverly Hillbillies and executive produced Jay Sommers's Green Acres . The Rock Island Line Workshop, located in Silvis, Illinois , is now home to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA), a non-profit railroad preservation organization. Built in 1903, this was

17170-599: The end of that summer, the Illinois Division had no slow orders, and freight velocity was rising. The sale of the Golden State Route to the Southern Pacific had been agreed to. The Rock Island slowly inched towards a financial break-even point, despite the economic malaise that plagued the late 1970s. Creditors, such as Henry Crown , advocated for the shutdown and liquidation of the property. Crown declared that

17340-546: The existing contracts expired yet remained on the job during extensive contract negotiations. By the summer of 1979, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the United Transportation Union had accepted new agreements. The Brotherhood of Railway and Airline Clerks (BRAC) held firm to their demand that pay increases be back dated to the expiration date of the previous agreement. The Rock Island offered to open

17510-474: The extensions of both the Blue Line and the Red Line on January 15, 1999. Later that same year, on September 27, the Blue Line designation was extended to Mockingbird Lane, for its eventual expansion to Garland. The first station since 1997 to open came on September 24, 2001, when the Blue Line was extended from Mockingbird Station to the new White Rock . Later, the Blue Line was further extended east outside

17680-526: The fifth-most diverse city in the United States in 2018. Indigenous tribes in North Texas included the Caddo , Tawakoni , Wichita , Kickapoo and Comanche . Spanish colonists claimed the territory of Texas in the 18th century as a part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain . Later, France also claimed the area but never established much settlement. In all, six flags have flown over the area preceding and during

17850-485: The final train battled three days of snow drifts to arrive in Denver on March 31, 1980. Cars and locomotives were gathered in 'ghost trains' that appeared on otherwise defunct Rock Island lines and accumulated at major terminals and shops and prepared for sale. The railroad's locomotives, rail cars, equipment, tracks, and real estate were sold to other railroads or to scrappers. Gibbons was able to raise more than $ 500 million in

18020-501: The first air-conditioned commuter cars on the line. In the 1960s, the Rock Island tried to upgrade the suburban service with newer equipment at lower cost. Second-hand Aerotrains , while less than successful in intercity service, were purchased to provide further air-conditioned accommodations that had proven popular with the 2700 series cars. When the Milwaukee Road purchased new Budd Company stainless-steel, bilevel cars in 1961,

18190-528: The first part of the starter system opened. The final change to the starter system came on December 18, 2000, when DART opened Cityplace Station (now called Cityplace/Uptown Station ), the system's first subway station, in the tunnel between Pearl and Mockingbird Lane under the Tower at Cityplace skyscraper, providing access to the Tower as well as Cityplace West. It was the system's first in-fill stop. Commuter rail on

18360-575: The first place. This line now prospers under the Iowa Interstate Railroad . The company inspired the song " Rock Island Line ", first written in 1934 and recorded by numerous artists. A spur of the Rock Island Railroad that ran beside a small hotel in Eldon, Missouri , owned by the grandmother of Mrs. Paul (Ruth) Henning also inspired the popular television show Petticoat Junction in

18530-446: The first train to operate in Iowa steamed from Davenport to Muscatine . The Mississippi River bridge between Rock Island and Davenport was completed on April 22, 1856. In 1857, the steamboat Effie Afton ran into the Rock Island's Mississippi River Bridge. The steamboat was overcome by a fire, which also destroyed a span of the bridge. This accident caused a series of court cases. In one of

18700-505: The first train was operated on October 10, 1852, between Chicago and Joliet . Construction continued on through La Salle , and Rock Island was reached on February 22, 1854, becoming the first railroad to connect Chicago with the Mississippi River. In Iowa, the C&RI's incorporators created (on February 5, 1853) the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company (M&M), to run from Davenport to Council Bluffs , and on November 20, 1855,

18870-491: The fleet. To provide the power for these cars, several former Union Pacific EMD E8 and EMD E9 diesels were also rebuilt with head end power and added to the commuter pool. The commuter service was not exempt from the general decline of the Rock Island through the 1970s. Over time, deferred maintenance took its toll on both track and rolling stock. On the Rock Island, the Capone cars were entering their sixth decade of service and

19040-484: The former Burlington-Rock Island Railroad .) The song " Rock Island Line ", a spiritual from the late 1920s first recorded in 1934, was inspired by the railway. Its predecessor, the Rock Island and La Salle Railroad Company, was incorporated in Illinois on February 27, 1847, and an amended charter was approved on February 7, 1851, as the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. Construction began in Chicago on October 1, 1851, and

19210-560: The former Soviet Bloc . Included in this population are Russians , Russian Jews , Ukrainians , Belarusians , Moldavians , Uzbek , Kirghiz , and others. The Russian-speaking population of Dallas has continued to grow in the sector of "American husbands-Russian wives". Russian DFW has its own newspaper, The Dallas Telegraph . In addition, Dallas and its suburbs are home to a large number of Asian Americans including those of Indian , Vietnamese , Chinese , Korean , Filipino , Japanese , and other heritage. Among large-sized cities in

19380-585: The funding from the Teax Mobility Funds. Almost another half of the funding comes from federal resources leaving mostly the planning costs to DART, which is below ten million. The project has accordingly two phases. In the first phase the platforms are raised by 7.5 inches (20 cm) on their existing length. In the second phase the platforms are extended from their original 300 feet (91 m) to accommodate long trains. A common street-level station will have side platforms of 450 feet (140 m) length with

19550-539: The ground on a bluff located near three forks of the Trinity River and left. Two years later, in 1841, he returned to establish a permanent settlement named Dallas. The origin of the name is uncertain. The official historical marker states it was named after Vice President George M. Dallas of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . However, this is disputed. Other potential theories for the origin include his brother, Commodore Alexander James Dallas , as well as brothers Walter R. Dallas and James R. Dallas. A further theory gives

19720-490: The highways throughout Texas. Springtime weather can be quite volatile , but temperatures themselves are mild. Late spring to early summer also tends to be the most humid, with humidity levels frequently exceeding 75%. The weather in Dallas is also generally pleasant from late September to early December and on many winter days. Autumn often brings more storms and tornado threats, but they are usually fewer and less severe than in spring. Each spring, cold fronts moving south from

19890-589: The hottest months, with an average high of 96.0  °F (36  °C ) and an average low of 76.7 °F (25 °C). Heat indices regularly surpass 105 °F (41 °C) due to elevated humidity during the summer months, making the summer heat almost unbearable. The all-time record high is 113 °F (45 °C), set on June 26 and 27, 1980 during the Heat Wave of 1980 at nearby Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport . Winters in Dallas are usually mild, with occasional cold spells. The average date of first frost

20060-486: The largest ethnic group in the city proper, reflecting nationwide demographic trends. The Dallas area is a major living destination for Mexican Americans and other Hispanic and Latino American immigrants. The southwestern portion of the city, particularly Oak Cliff is chiefly inhabited by Hispanic and Latino American residents. The southeastern portion of the city Pleasant Grove is chiefly inhabited by African American and Hispanic or Latino American residents, while

20230-499: The line be placed in a below-ground trench. These proposals were accepted by the City of Dallas in June 2006 in a unanimous resolution. DART, however, balked at the cost of trenching the line, which they estimated at $ 250 million. This set up a confrontation between DART and the city of Dallas, which appoints eight of the board's 15 members. The final plan compromised by promising $ 50 million "to help address neighborhood concerns". The current Cotton Belt freight corridor runs just south of

20400-455: The line provides service to Dallas Convention Center , Union Station , and the Dallas Central Business District , then turns northeast, providing service to White Rock Lake , Garland , and Rowlett . The Red Line runs from southwest to northeast, from Westmoreland Station , in southwest Dallas, to Parker Road Station in Plano . Heading north from Westmoreland, the line provides service to Dallas Convention Center , Union Station , and

20570-487: The line's high cost, US$ 700 million, and lack of strong support from the city of Dallas. The Blue Line extension to the Dallas Southport Center (intermodal terminal) was added after strong pressure from Dallas officials. Also, the proposed light rail line serving West Dallas was not originally considered as a priority for rail service. The Cotton Belt corridor plans continued to generate controversy right up to

20740-459: The liquidation, paying off all the railroad's creditors, bondholders and all other debts in full at face value with interest. Henry Crown was ultimately proven correct, as both he and other bondholders who had purchased Rock Island debt for cents on the dollar during the low ebb in prices did especially well. The line from the end of commuter service in Blue Island to Bureau Junction was leased to

20910-440: The merger with Union Pacific seemingly so close, the Rock Island cut expenses to conserve cash. Expenditures on track maintenance were cut, passenger service was reduced as fast as the ICC would allow, and locomotives received only basic maintenance to keep them running. The Rock Island began to take on a ramshackle appearance and derailments occurred with increasing frequency. In an effort to prop up its future merger mate, UP asked

21080-555: The mud. Rail and tie replacement programs attacked the maintenance backlog. This coincided with a massive campaign beginning in May 1975 to rebrand the railroad as simply “The Rock”, with modern eye-catching livery. However, the FRA-backed loans that Ingram sought were thwarted by the lobbying efforts of competing railroads, which saw a healthy Rock Island as a threat to their own survival. By 1978, main line track improved in quality. For example, at

21250-469: The nearly 30-year-old 2700s suffered from severe corrosion due to the steel used in their construction. LaSalle Street Station , the service's downtown terminal, suffered from neglect and urban decay with the slab roof of the train shed literally falling apart, requiring its removal. By this time, the Rock Island could not afford to replace the clearly worn-out equipment. In 1976, the entire Chicago commuter rail system began to receive financial support from

21420-556: The numerous stations on that route. The Suburban Line served the Beverly area of Chicago as a branch leaving the main line at Gresham and heading due west, paralleling the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad passenger line before turning south. The Suburban Line made stops every four blocks along the way before rejoining the main line at Western Avenue Junction in Blue Island . From

21590-499: The old Rock Island right-of-way began during the series of openings of the light rail starter system. On December 30, 1996, the Trinity Railway Express opened the first segment as the South Irving Transit Center was connected to Union Station in downtown Dallas with a stop in the middle at Medical/Market Center Station . The agency had to lease rail cars due to a delay in the current stock until that March. After

21760-444: The old station. The RTA gradually rebuilt the track and added more new equipment to the service, leaving the property in better shape than it was in the Rock Island's heyday, albeit with less track. The Rock Island District , as the Rock Island's suburban service is now known, now operates as part of Metra , the Chicago commuter rail agency. The Rock Island hit its peak under the presidency of John Dew Farrington, from 1948 to 1955. As

21930-470: The past 15 to 20 years had encouraged the horticulture of more cold-sensitive plants such as Washingtonia filifera and Washingtonia robusta palms , nearly all of which died off during the February 2021 North American winter storm . According to the American Lung Association , Dallas has the 12th highest air pollution among U.S. cities, ranking it behind Los Angeles and Houston . Much of

22100-401: The picket lines. The Rock Island ground to a halt. The Ingram management team operated as much of the Rock Island as they could. Trains slowly began to move, with more traffic being hauled every week of the strike. President Jimmy Carter issued a back-to-work order that BRAC dismissed. Still more traffic flowed on the strikebound Rock Island. According to Ingram, "by the end of the sixth week,

22270-424: The plan. Grain shuttles that had no cabooses at the end of their trains became a cost-effective way to gain market share and help finance the plan internally. Nevertheless, new and rebuilt locomotives arrived on the property in gleaming powder blue and white to replace some of the tired, filthy power. Track rebuild projects covered the system. Main lines that had seen little or no maintenance in years were pulled from

22440-584: The police killings of two black men from other states. The gunman, later identified as Micah Xavier Johnson, began firing at police officers at 8:58 p.m., killing five officers and injuring nine. Two bystanders were also injured. This marked the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the September 11 attacks . Johnson told police during a standoff that he was upset about recent police shootings of black men and wanted to kill whites, especially white officers. After hours of negotiation failed, police resorted to

22610-413: The population were below the poverty line, including 33.6% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those aged 65 or over. Per 2007's survey, the median price for a house was $ 129,600; by 2020, the median price for a house was valued at $ 252,300, with 54.4% of owner-occupied units from $ 50,000 to $ 299,999. The 2022 Point-In-Time Homeless Count found there were 4,410 homeless people in Dallas. According to

22780-508: The project in 2013, the size of DART's light rail system doubled to 90 miles (145 km). In maps before 2006, DART labeled the Pleasant Grove to Carrollton route the "Orange Line", and the Irving route was the "Purple Line". Green was generally used on DART maps to denote the route of the Trinity Railway Express . By the time construction started, DART was using the new Green Line designation as part of its marketing efforts, saying "Like

22950-461: The public. The final stage of north-central and northeast "suburban" light rail expansion opened six months ahead of schedule when the Red Line extension to Downtown Plano and Parker Road opened on December 9, 2002, providing light rail service to Plano for the first time, and completing the current configuration of the Red Line. In October 2006, the DART Board of Directors unanimously approved

23120-506: The rail system, a failed bond election, and nine pull-out votes (two of which were successful), October 1990 was a turning point for the agency, when DART first broke ground on its light rail system. The first sections of track were laid in July 1993. In June 1996, the light rail system began service on time and on budget inaugurating the first light rail system in Texas . Commuter rail service to Irving began in December, after some delays. To

23290-462: The railroad's largest workshop, sitting on a 900-acre site between the railroad's main line and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad ’s Rock Island branch. After the closing in 1980, the workshop was sold to National Railway Equipment , and it remained a maintenance and refurbishment hub for the wider North American railroad industry. NRE sold the facility to the RRHMA in late 2021, and plans call for

23460-401: The refurbishment of the facility to maintain steam, heritage diesel and associated rolling stock, in addition to developing a museum on the site. In 2017, thirty-seven years after the Rock Island folded, a new startup company that owns the rights to the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific name began operating in the southern United States. The new Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad LLC

23630-550: The scrapyard. With the 1980 end of the Rock Island, the RTA purchased the suburban territory and remaining Rock Island commuter equipment from the estate, while the Chicago and North Western Railway took over operations for a year before the RTA began operating it directly in 1981. LaSalle Street Station was torn down and replaced with the Chicago Stock Exchange building, with a smaller commuter station located one block south of

23800-421: The second-most in Texas and fourth-most in the United States, and 11 of those companies are located within Dallas city limits. Over 41 colleges and universities are located within its metropolitan area, which is the most of any metropolitan area in Texas. The city has a population from a myriad of ethnic and religious backgrounds and is one of the largest LGBT communities in the U.S. WalletHub named Dallas

23970-427: The service to keep it running. The track program of 1978 helped with main-line timekeeping, although the Rock Island's management decreed that the two trains were not to delay freight traffic on the route. By this time, both once-proud trains were down to just two coaches, powered by EMD E8 locomotives entering their second decade of service. With the trains frequently running with as many paying passengers as coaches in

24140-410: The service, the Rock Island hired National Association of Railroad Passengers founder Anthony Haswell as managing director of passenger services. The last two trains plied the Rock Island's Illinois Division as the track quality declined from 1971 through 1977. The transit times, once a speedy 2½ hours in the 1950s, had lengthened to a 4½ hour run by 1975. The State of Illinois continued to subsidize

24310-586: The state of Illinois through the Regional Transportation Authority . Operating funds were disbursed to all commuter operators, and the Rock Island was to be provided with new equipment to replace the tired 2700 series and Capone cars. New Budd bilevels that were near copies of the 1961 Milwaukee Road cars arrived in 1978. New EMD F40PH units arrived in late 1977 and, in summer, 1978, briefly could be seen hauling Capone cars. The Rock Island's commuter F and E units were relegated to freight service or

24480-409: The success of the light rail starter system, voters approved DART's request to use long-term bonds to expedite the construction of the regional light rail system. While DART had originally planned single-track extensions of the Blue Line to Garland and the Red Line to Richardson and Plano , the starter system was so popular that the agency made plans to double-track the entire route. Work began on

24650-515: The surprise of critics, the new light rail system was embraced by Dallasites, with ridership exceeding expectations. The suburbs' confidence in DART was also expressed at the ballot box: four cities held highly publicized pullout elections in 1996 (with the financial assistance of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones who wanted DART's half-cent sales tax revenue for Texas Stadium in Irving, the Cowboys' home at

24820-564: The system have headways cut in half where at least two lines share rail tracks, with all four lines which converge in downtown Dallas along the Pacific Avenue/Bryan Street corridor commanding headways of 3.5 minutes at the most to 5–7 minutes at the least. Other transit in the United States: Dallas Dallas ( / ˈ d æ l ə s / ) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in

24990-604: The system was Chicago, and the system also reached Memphis, Tennessee . To the west, it reached Denver, Colorado , and Santa Rosa, New Mexico . Southernmost reaches were to Galveston, Texas , and Eunice, Louisiana , while in a northerly direction, the Rock Island got as far as Minneapolis, Minnesota . Major lines included Minneapolis to Kansas City, Missouri , via Des Moines, Iowa ; St. Louis, Missouri Meta, Missouri , to Santa Rosa via Kansas City; Herington, Kansas , to Galveston, Texas , via Fort Worth, Texas , and Dallas, Texas ; and Santa Rosa to Memphis. The heaviest traffic

25160-431: The system. To allow for more capacity the "platform extensions" will be completed before tunneling on the D2 corridor starts. This project allows for three-car trains during rush hour. There are 28 stations on the red and blue line that will be rebuilt at an estimated cost of $ 129 million. The planning for the platform extensions started in 2014 and the construction was approved in 2017. Regular operation of three-car trains

25330-537: The third quarter of 2024. That makes it the 6th highest ridership of light rail systems in the United States ; however, it was one of the worst financial performers. The system uses the Kinki Sharyo SLRV ("Super Light Rail Vehicle") and the fleet of 163 vehicles was modified in the 2000s to add level boarding and higher passenger capacity. The following lines are active: DART's initial plans called for 160 miles (257.5 km) of commuter rail. The election plan

25500-552: The time), but all four voted to remain in DART (three of them by margins of more than two-to-one). The 20 miles (32 km) starter system opened on June 14, 1996, comprising the Red Line from the Westmoreland Road in West Oak Cliff through downtown Dallas to Pearl Street , and the Blue Line from Pearl Street to Morrell Station and Illinois Avenue . The next stage of the starter line opened on January 10, 1997 when

25670-424: The train, Illinois withdrew its subsidy, and the two trains made their final runs on December 31, 1978. The Rock Island also operated an extensive commuter train service in the Chicago area. The primary route ran from LaSalle Street Station to Joliet along the main line, and a spur line, known as the "Suburban Line" to Blue Island . The main-line trains supplanted the long-distance services that did not stop at

25840-463: The ultimate origin as the village of Dallas, Moray , Scotland, similar to the way Houston , Texas, was named after Sam Houston , whose ancestors came from the Scottish village of Houston, Renfrewshire . The Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845 and Dallas County was established the following year. Dallas was formally incorporated as a city on February 2, 1856. In the mid-1800s,

26010-477: The week immediately preceding the order than during any week in its history. The ICC issued a Directed Service Order authorizing the Kansas City Terminal Railway to take over operations. The Directed Service Order enabled one-time suitors, via KCT management, to basically test operate portions of the Rock Island that had once interested them. On January 24, 1980, Judge McGarr elected to not review

26180-473: The west in Tarrant County surrounding Fort Worth, as well as along Turtle Creek north of Downtown. Dallas, like many other cities, was founded along a river. The city was founded at the location of a "white rock crossing" of the Trinity River, where it was easier for wagons to cross the river in the days before ferries or bridges. The Trinity River, though not usefully navigable, is the major waterway through

26350-578: The west of the city is Mountain Creek Lake , once home to the Naval Air Station Dallas ( Hensley Field ) and a number of defense aircraft manufacturers. North Lake , a small body of water in an extension of the city limits surrounded by Irving and Coppell , initially served as a water source for a nearby power plant but is now being targeted for redevelopment as a recreational lake due to its proximity to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport ,

26520-483: The world. White Rock Lake and Joe Pool Lake are reservoirs that comprise Dallas's other significant water features. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, White Rock Lake Park is a popular destination for boaters, rowers, joggers, and bikers, as well as visitors seeking peaceful respite from the city at the 66-acre (267,000 m ) Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden , on the lake's eastern shore. White Rock Creek feeds into White Rock Lake and then exits into

26690-506: Was 11.2 inches (28 cm) on February 11, 2010. Dallas is the ninth-most-populous city in the United States and third in Texas after the cities of Houston and San Antonio . Its metropolitan area encompasses one-quarter of the population of Texas, and is the largest in the Southern U.S. and Texas followed by the Greater Houston metropolitan area . At the 2020 United States census

26860-484: Was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.41. In 2018, the owner-occupied housing rate was 40.2% and the renter-occupied housing rate was 59.8%. At the 2010 census, the city's age distribution of the population showed 26.5% under the age of 18 and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.8 years. In 2010, 50.0% of the population was male and 50.0% was female. In 2020, the median age 32.9 years; for every 100 females, there were 98.4 males. According to

27030-476: Was Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native , 2.9% Asian, and 2.6% from two or more races ; 42.4% of the total population was of Hispanic or Latino American origin (they may be of any race). At the U.S. Census Bureau 's 2019 estimates, 29.1% were non-Hispanic White 24.3% Black and African American, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, 3.7% Asian, and 1.4% from two or more races. Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders made up

27200-424: Was acquired by the Iowa Interstate Railroad . Gibbons was released from the Rock Island on June 1, 1984, after its estate expired. With all assets sold and all debt retired, the Rock Island found itself with a large infusion of cash. The name of the company was changed to Chicago Pacific Corporation to further distance itself from the defunct railroad. Its first purchase was vacuum maker Hoover Company . In 1988,

27370-500: Was also re-equipped with streamlined equipment in 1948. As the Rocky Mountain Rocket was downgraded due to nonrail competition, the route traveled by the train was gradually shortened from 1966 onward. Its western terminus was cut back first to Omaha, then to Council Bluffs. After briefly running without a name, it was renamed The Cornhusker . Finally, in 1970, the train was cut back to a Chicago-Rock Island run entirely within

27540-588: Was among the first skyscrapers west of the Mississippi and the tallest building in Texas for some time. It marked the prominence of Dallas as a city. A racetrack for thoroughbreds was built and their owners established the Dallas Jockey Club. Trotters raced at a track in Fort Worth, where a similar drivers club was based. The rapid expansion of population increased competition for jobs and housing. In 1910,

27710-415: Was begun in the early 2000s. The project area reaches for over 20 miles (32 km) in length within the city, while the overall geographical land area addressed by the Land Use Plan is approximately 44,000 acres (180 km ) in size—about 20% of the land area in Dallas. Green space along the river encompasses approximately 10,000 acres (40 km ), making it one of the largest and diverse urban parks in

27880-408: Was historically predominantly White (non-Hispanic Whites made up 82.8% of the population in 1930), but its population has diversified due to immigration and white flight over the 20th century. Since then, the non-Hispanic White population has declined to less than one-third of the city's population. According to the 2010 U.S. census, 50.7% of the population was White (28.8% non-Hispanic White), 24.8%

28050-452: Was on the Chicago-to-Rock Island and Rock Island-to-Muscatine lines. In common with most American railroad companies, the Rock Island once operated an extensive passenger service. The primary routes served were: Chicago-Los Angeles, Chicago-Denver, Memphis-Little Rock-Oklahoma City- Tucumcari , and Minneapolis-Dallas. The Rock Island ran both limited and local service on those routes, as well as locals on many other lines on its system. In 1937,

28220-416: Was once an area characterized by high rates of poverty and crime is now one of the city's most attractive social and living destinations. Further east, in the southeast quadrant of the city, is the large neighborhood of Pleasant Grove . Once an independent city, it is a collection of mostly lower-income residential areas stretching to Seagoville in the southeast. Though a city neighborhood, Pleasant Grove

28390-402: Was opposed by the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas , as the light rail would run through its property. However, the church and local residents, along with structural issues (the local library would have to be demolished, and many historic buildings would be close to or within the path of the line), helped to form an opposition to the new Jackson locally preferred alternative (LPA). Due to this,

28560-485: Was pared down to 147 miles (236.6 km) when Duncanville , Grand Prairie and Mesquite , which would have had rail lines, opted out of joining the agency. DART chose light rail transit as its primary mode of rail transportation. The plan was pared down again to 93 miles (149.7 km) after a bond vote. After that vote, the agency again pared down the regional rail system to 84 miles (135.2 km). After years of scandals involving finances, delays in construction of

28730-405: Was rerouted in the late 1920s, the river has been little more than a drainage ditch within a floodplain for several miles above and below Downtown, with a more normal course further upstream and downstream, but as Dallas began shifting towards postindustrial society, public outcry about the lack of aesthetic and recreational use of the river ultimately gave way to the Trinity River Project , which

28900-428: Was viewed as an unmanageable and far too radical solution to both the granger railroad issue and the larger issue of the future of rail freight transportation in general. The visionary plan would not be realized until the megamergers of the 1990s with the BNSF Railway and Union Pacific remaining as the two surviving major rail carriers west of the Mississippi. Now set free and adrift, both operationally and financially,

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