By Kim Malcolm, KERA 90.1 reporter
Dallas, TX – Frank Turner, assistant City Manager, City of Plano: It's really exciting, you know. We've had opportunities to ride on it during the test period a couple of times. It's really great to come downtown, to know the life and energy it'll bring to the city.
Kim Malcolm, KERA 90.1 reporter: It's hard to miss the satisfaction on Frank Turner's face as he watches a bright yellow DART train pull into the new Downtown Plano station. He's the assistant city manager for Plano, and like many other city residents, he's been waiting almost 20 years for the $500 million Dallas Area Rapid Transit extension to arrive. This morning, their patience pays off. Starting at 5 a.m. today, the trains began regular service from three new stations - Parker Road, downtown Plano, and the Bush Turnpike. Robert Pope is the chairman of the DART board, and represents Plano.
Robert Pope, chairman, DART Board: Remember the line just extended in July to Galatyn Park and the Arapaho Center, to when it got to that point we picked up a lot of riders coming from Plano and the north. But we think with this extension, especially to Parker Road station, we'll pick up about 3-thousand additional riders that hadn't already started riding the system.
Malcolm: Commuters sick of increasing traffic congestion on North Central Expressway and the High Five heading downtown are a key market DART officials plan to reach. The Parker Road station has close to 14-hundred parking spots, and the Bush Turnpike has almost 800. Robert Pope...
Pope: As of today, all of our stations, particularly those with parking lots available, have exceeded everybody's expectations. I think the easiest measure is to look at how full the parking lots are.
Malcolm: It's not just commuters who benefit. Historic downtown Plano is in the midst of a revitalization effort, and DART's arrival with a platform in the heart of the district is a boon to local business owners like Richard and Nikki Tuttle. The Tuttles own Nikki's Gifts, a store on East 15th street. Two years ago, about the time DART started building the downtown platform, the Tuttles decided to sell their west Plano home and build a second story apartment above their shop. They've also expanded the store to 4100-square feet, and business is up 4.5% over this time last year.
Richard Tuttle, co-owner, Nikki's Gifts: I think it's going to be great for us. I think it's going to bring people from all around - people who couldn't get here, who couldn't drive. This is a great opportunity for Plano.
Malcolm: To encourage people to check out the train and consider leaving their cars at home, DART hosted a coming-out party Saturday in Haggard Park, next to the downtown platform. People listened to live music, lined up for barbeque - and for free DART passes, good for unlimited trips this week. Lisa Benson and 4-year-old Gavin live a couple of blocks away from the park. They were riding DART for the first time to check out a special downtown event.
Lisa Benson, Plano resident and DART rider: We're going to the parade, and see all the Barneys and Thomas the Tank, and have a good time. This'll be it, we're going to test it out.
Malcom: DART officials hope to hear of more people like Lisa. Between the new Plano and Garland stations that opened this month, DART officials expect 7-thousand new riders on the rails. For KERA 90.1, I'm Kim Malcolm.
To contact Kim Malcolm, please send emails to kmalcolm@kera.org.