Texas Transit Association

The City of Richardson wants a light rail station in their downtown… and they are willing to pay for it!

5th Richardson rail station sought
Council offers to pay $8 million if DART will pledge to build site
By SARAH POST / The Dallas Morning News, 07/29/2003

RICHARDSON – The City Council, seeking to keep alive the idea of a downtown light-rail station, voted Monday night to relieve Dallas Area Rapid Transit of any commitment to pay for the facility.

Council members voted, 5-2, to send a letter to DART offering to pay $8 million toward construction of a Main Street station, if the agency would commit to building it. City officials say they need DART’s pledge to build the station because, without it, the city stands to lose $8 million in federal funding that would pay half of the project’s cost.

Ray Noah, Richardson’s representative on DART’s board, told council members that a new transportation bill in the Legislature could jeopardize the federal funding. He encouraged Richardson to “get a finger in the dike” before serious changes are made to transportation funding mandates.

“Or you will pretty much be stuck with what you’ve got because all the money will be put to areas that haven’t had funding,” he said.

DART and the North Central Texas Council of Governments are trying to determine whether there is a market and rider demand for a station, which officials envision building just south of Jackson Street and west of Greenville Avenue, less than a mile from the station on Arapaho Road.

City Council member Jim Shepherd said he could not support the letter because it did not mention what sources of funding the city might use besides taxes. He said he wanted funding spelled out and preferred voter approval.

“What I see is a black-and-white commitment in which the city hopes to raise money outside of taxes,” he said.

Council member Bob Townsend also voted against sending the letter.

Mr. Noah said the funding source is not important to DART. Irving and Dallas have made similar offers to DART, for a Texas Stadium station and a Love Field station, respectively. Neither city specified how it would pay for the construction.

Richardson Mayor Pro Tem John Murphy said that any discussion of funding is premature and that the city’s priority is to get the station onto DART’s drawing board.

“No developers or land owners are going to commit to something that’s not on DART’s plan,” he said. “We are not shoving money across the table tonight. We are talking about a long-range commitment.”

Officials said it could be seven years or more before the station can be justified.

“We’re just trying to hold our place while we sort all this out,” Assistant City Manager Michael Wanchick said.

About 40 residents attended the meeting, but they were not allowed to address the council before its vote. Some were opposed to spending city money on the project.

“Number one, the station is not needed,” resident Jay Dalehite said after the meeting. “And at a time when the city is trying to pay its bills, I don’t think this is fiscally responsible.”

Some in the community argue that the Jackson Street site is unnecessary because it is minutes away from another station in Richardson.

But others said they came to the meeting to learn more about the city’s involvement with the proposed station.

“I don’t know which side to take,” said Ruth Mintline.

“I see both sides,” said Bob Macy. “But I tend to be conservative.”