Las Colinas APT System
Encyclopedia
The Las Colinas Area Personal Transit System is a people mover
system that serves the Las Colinas
area of Irving
, a suburb of Dallas
, Texas
. The system has four passenger stations and a maintenance & control center, and is run by two cars, one for each route. The system uses automated guideway transit
technology, although for the moment it is driven manually, and exists primarily for the benefit of office workers and a few local residents.
Although the guideways were in place by 1983, the system was not finalized and opened until 1986, following the purchase of four cars, power and control infrastructure from AEG-Westinghouse
, which has since been purchased by Bombardier Transportation
. Passenger service began three years later on June 18, 1989, with the first five years of operation to be overseen by the vendor. This was part of a deal that cost $45 million. The system initially operated from 7 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays with a fare of 50 cents per ride. In July 1993, the system was closed due to rising expenses and a lack of envisioned development following the Dallas-area real estate crash. The system was mothballed and expansion plans were put on hold.
Las Colinas saw a revival of fortune towards the latter half of the 1990s, and the system reopened accordingly on December 2, 1996. Although the current system still runs only on a limited basis, the arrival of DART's Orange Line
and development in the area has called for expansion.
The Maintenance and Control Center is where all vehicles are stored. Each train starts its first morning journey here. The control center is manned by an overseer during times of operation.
will now follow the route of the planned eastern section. A number of guideway supports without tracks already exist north of the Urban Towers Station. The Track 2/3 guideway has enough space for two lines, although currently only Track 2 is in operation.
In 2009 the Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District began a process to expand the system with the arrival of DART's Orange Line
.
Some of the expansion options include:
. It has also been cited as one of the contributors towards the high rate of taxation in the Las Colinas area. However, the Northwest Corridor Major Investment Study - carried out on behalf of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Board of Directors - has seen the potential to integrate the APT system into the DART public transit network, showing that demand remains for the service's continuation and even expansion.
People mover
A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...
system that serves the Las Colinas
Las Colinas
Las Colinas is an upscale, developed area in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas.Due to its central location between Dallas and Fort Worth and its proximity to DFW Airport, Las Colinas has been a viable place in the Metroplex for corporate and business relocation.As a planned community, it has many...
area of Irving
Irving, Texas
Irving is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within Dallas County. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city population was 216,290. Irving is within the Dallas–Plano–Irving metropolitan division of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, designated...
, a suburb of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The system has four passenger stations and a maintenance & control center, and is run by two cars, one for each route. The system uses automated guideway transit
Automated guideway transit
Automated guideway transit is a fully automated, driverless, grade-separated transit system in which vehicles are automatically guided along a "guideway". The vehicles are often rubber tired, but other systems including steel wheels, air cushion and maglev systems have also been used in experiments...
technology, although for the moment it is driven manually, and exists primarily for the benefit of office workers and a few local residents.
History
The Las Colinas APT was envisioned as an automated circulator system for the developing Las Colinas Urban Center. The long range plan called for a total of 5 miles (8 km) of dual lane guideway and 20 stations. The system was to contain 3 inner loops and one outer loop, with passengers transferring between loops at four key interchanges. The community of Las Colinas was founded in 1973, but construction of the APT did not begin until 1979. The first phase construction contained 1.4 miles (2.3 km) of guideway and 4 stations.Although the guideways were in place by 1983, the system was not finalized and opened until 1986, following the purchase of four cars, power and control infrastructure from AEG-Westinghouse
AEG
Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft was a German producer of electrical equipment founded in 1883 by Emil Rathenau....
, which has since been purchased by Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
. Passenger service began three years later on June 18, 1989, with the first five years of operation to be overseen by the vendor. This was part of a deal that cost $45 million. The system initially operated from 7 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays with a fare of 50 cents per ride. In July 1993, the system was closed due to rising expenses and a lack of envisioned development following the Dallas-area real estate crash. The system was mothballed and expansion plans were put on hold.
Las Colinas saw a revival of fortune towards the latter half of the 1990s, and the system reopened accordingly on December 2, 1996. Although the current system still runs only on a limited basis, the arrival of DART's Orange Line
Orange Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
The Orange Line will be a 14 mile mass transit light rail line in Dallas, Texas operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. It will operate in addition to the currently existing , and lines...
and development in the area has called for expansion.
Operations
Since the 1996 reopening, the fare-free system has been run by the Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District. It runs from 10:30am to 2:30pm on weekdays for the benefit of office workers riding to Bell Tower/Mandalay Canal Station to eat lunch at the restaurants located there.Track routing
Phase I, which included part of the outer loop's western section and part of one inner loop, remains the only segment in service. The guideway contains two tracks with space for a third if demand warrants, and is grade-separated for the length of the route. Contrary to popular rumors, the system was never meant to be expanded beyond the Las Colinas Urban Center.- Track 1 (Red Route) - This route begins at 600 E. Las Colinas Boulevard and ends at Urban Towers.
- Track 2 (Blue Route) - This route begins at 600 E. Las Colinas Boulevard and ends at the Tower on Lake Carolyn.
- Track 3 - This track begins at Urban Towers and ends at the Tower on Lake Carolyn. The guideway was constructed but tracks were never installed or in operation.
Stations
The four original stations and maintenance center are the only operational stopping points for passengers on the APT system. All stations are elevated and protected from the elements. All stations except for Bell Tower/Mandalay Canal Station are accessed through private office buildings.- Urban Towers - Tracks 1 and 3, serving the Urban Towers office building at 222 W. Las Colinas Blvd. This serves as the current northern terminus of the system.
- The Tower on Lake Carolyn - Tracks 2 and 3, located at 909 E. Las Colinas Boulevard. This stop serves the Tower on Lake Carolyn office building. This serves as the eastern terminus of the system and will be connected to the Las Colinas Urban Center StationLas Colinas Urban Center StationLas Colinas Urban Center Station will be a DART light rail station located in the Las Colinas development of Irving, Texas for service on the . The station is planned to open July 30, 2012. A connection with the Las Colinas APT will serve the businesses and residents of the Las Colinas Urban...
in December 2011. - Bell Tower/Mandalay Canal - Tracks 1 and 2, located above the Mandalay Canal at 27 Mandalay Canal. This is the main and most popular station and serves numerous dining options. Known formally as the Lauren E. McKinney Transit Center.
- 600 E. Las Colinas Boulevard - Tracks 1 and 2, serving the adjacent office building.
Vehicles & maintenance
Out of the four vehicles purchased in 1986, only two are used on day-to-day service. Each vehicle can carry 45 passengers comfortably: 33 standing and 12 seated. The system is operated manually, with only two trains running as demand dictates. The drivers use a small control panel that is equipped with an emergency and maintenance controls.The Maintenance and Control Center is where all vehicles are stored. Each train starts its first morning journey here. The control center is manned by an overseer during times of operation.
Future expansion
Plans to expand the system have existed since the inception of the APT. The original plan called for a route that completely circled Lake Carolyn, but DART's Orange LineOrange Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
The Orange Line will be a 14 mile mass transit light rail line in Dallas, Texas operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. It will operate in addition to the currently existing , and lines...
will now follow the route of the planned eastern section. A number of guideway supports without tracks already exist north of the Urban Towers Station. The Track 2/3 guideway has enough space for two lines, although currently only Track 2 is in operation.
In 2009 the Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District began a process to expand the system with the arrival of DART's Orange Line
Orange Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
The Orange Line will be a 14 mile mass transit light rail line in Dallas, Texas operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system. It will operate in addition to the currently existing , and lines...
.
Some of the expansion options include:
- Creating an interchange at The Tower on Lake Carolyn Station with DART's adjacent Las Colinas Urban Center StationLas Colinas Urban Center StationLas Colinas Urban Center Station will be a DART light rail station located in the Las Colinas development of Irving, Texas for service on the . The station is planned to open July 30, 2012. A connection with the Las Colinas APT will serve the businesses and residents of the Las Colinas Urban...
. - Building out Track 3, acquiring additional vehicles, automating the system and expanding operational hours.
- Constructing infill stations along existing lines at various locations of development projects.
- Extending Track 1/3 north on existing guideway supports to a planned entertainment district.
- Extending Track 1/2 to South Las Colinas StationSouth Las Colinas StationSouth Las Colinas Station will be a DART light rail station located in the Las Colinas development of Irving, Texas for service on the . The station is planned but deferred until surrounding development warrants construction. The station site is also adjacent to a potential commuter rail line and...
for future commuter rail access.
Controversy
Some, such as Gary N. Bourland, author of Las Colinas: The Inside Story of America's Premier Urban Development, cite cases of the APT System being viewed as an expensive white elephantWhite elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
. It has also been cited as one of the contributors towards the high rate of taxation in the Las Colinas area. However, the Northwest Corridor Major Investment Study - carried out on behalf of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
Board of Directors - has seen the potential to integrate the APT system into the DART public transit network, showing that demand remains for the service's continuation and even expansion.