Dallas DART and the McKinney Avenue trolley.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in downtown Dallas and the McKinney Avenue trolley, filmed on a blisteringly hot day in summer 1998.

A warning note to visitors to Dallas - even though the downtown / city centre streets used by DART look like normal roads there is a bizarre local law which makes it a criminal offence to cross these roads anywhere except designated crossing places.

So, even if you live in a town or city which uses trams / streetcars and are fully aware of any 'dangers' from crossing the roads they use, you must pretend to be a little child and follow the rules. The (transit) police are very enthusiastic to arrest people who cross these streets in the normal way and the punishment is both financial and a period of detention.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Dallas
• DART
• McKinney
• Avenue
• Ave
• train
• light
• rail
• vintage
• trolley
• tram
• streetcar
• railway
• strassenbahn

[BNSFandSP]

The law is for your own saftey. Trains could be coming every other minute, and if your not careful, you know what will happen.

[citytransportinfo]

@BNSFandSP Nope, thats only the official excuse.

It is no more dangerous that crossing any street with cars, buses, etc using them. In many towns and cities there are similar light rail services which use the street, and the same law does not apply in them - indeed, even in Dallas the same law does not apply on the route of the McKinney Avenue trolley.

[barrettreynolds5]

@kevin1086 I know. DART has improved so much since 1995. I still remember my first ride at mockingbird. I wish that they extend the red line to Allen. It should have light rail in that area. Please email dart about that idea. I don't know if Orange line will begin full service when it opens in 2012.

[katyguy50x]

Downtown Dallas is full of 'minorities' that are so utterly stupid that they have to have rules like that to protect the city. And if you just injure one, even if it's their fault they sue the heck out of the city. When there is a bus or tram accident they all pile on the wrecked vehicle so the can sue the city as if they were injured.

[2pacostacos]

@citytransportinfo oh also btw my family and i will be visiting DALLAS and riding DART

[2pacostacos]

@citytransportinfo But i think trains or streetcars take alot longer to stop than a cars, buses, etc, also they cant really steer out of the way cause they are on a fixed route so it probably could be alot more dangerous

[Strangerinasland]

@redmustang03 The new type of train car (& the new humps in the platform) do not allow wheelchairs & handicap scooters to get on easily by a looooong shot. It is usually easier than it wasyet not as easy or safe as it could & should be for handicapped people. DART has a very crappy attitude toward handicapped people.

[taylorb972]

I love the McKinney Avenue Trollies 

[parrot0051]

Do they give out hearing protectors when riding these cars ? damn noisiest trains since the N.Y.C. subways.

[kevin1086]

That is also back when the trains were 90 feet long. Today, the longest trains are 360-370 feet long. Crazy, to think that in 4 years DART Rail will be a 93 mile system. I hope they build a Circle Line in the future in order to connect all the spokes outside of downtown. I also hope they can manage to get the underground second line downtown sometime this decade, at least before 2025. Eventually, I would like to see the original line downtown either elevated or put underground. Anyway, thanks!

[kevin1086]

Wow, what a flashback!!! Thanks for uploading this! DART Rail has changed so much in the 12 years since this footage was shot. Back then it was a small light rail system that functioned more or less as a streetcar/trolley for downtown and areas south of downtown. Today it resembles less a Light Rail system and more a Light Metro system with the Red, Blue and Green Lines and top speeds of 60-65 mph. 65-70 mph when underground. In 2014 the Orange Line will serve DFW International Airport! Awesome!

[redmustang03]

I saw that video and since the 12 years they have added a new type of train car that allows the handicapped to get on easily and room to put your bikes. Then they added a new line called the green which will be greatly expanded running from Carrolton (outside of Dallas) to 8 miles outside Dallas. They added a couple of stops on the blue line. Today the Dart Police doesn't give a damn about about people crossing the stations. They really have become lax except for fare enforcement.