As part of
The Dallas Morning News's "D/FW at 40" special section this past Sunday, Brandon Formby caught up with representative from DART and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport about the upcoming extension of the Orange Line to Terminal A.
"For international travelers who come from Europe or Asia, this is actually a big deal,” airport spokesman David Magaña said. “They are used to flying into airports where you land and catch the train into the city center."
Of course, it’s not just seen as a bragging right. The near-completion of the line through Irving is also viewed as a way to sell North Texans on public transit, provide airport workers an easier way to work and boost economic development at stations along the way.
"As the airport goes, so goes our region," said DART president and CEO Gary Thomas. "As downtown goes, so goes our city. When you connect the two, it’s huge."
Currently, DART
has a few options to reach D/FW Airport via public transit, but most require transfers.
"When you start asking people to transfer, you start losing ridership," Thomas told the
Morning News.
The opening of the Orange Line extension to D/FW Airport is scheduled for December 2014.
Opening of airport’s light-rail link will be landmark [DMN]