Northwest Plano Park & Ride

Northwest Plano Park & Ride is a bus-only park and ride station in Plano, Texas. The station is located on the western side of Dallas North Tollway in Plano's Legacy Park neighborhood. The station is operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit and is the northernmost facility in the DART system. Unlike most DART transit centers, the lot does not have an air-conditioned waiting area.

Northwest Plano Park & Ride
General information
Location6830 Communications Parkway
Plano, Texas 75024
Coordinates33°04′14″N 96°49′42″W / 33.0705°N 96.8282°W / 33.0705; -96.8282
Owned byDallas Area Rapid Transit
ConnectionsBus interchange DART: 234, 239, 241, 254, 308 (M-F)
Far North Plano GoLink Zone (M-Sun), Legacy West GoLink Zone (M-Sun), North Central Plano/Chase Oaks GoLink Zone (M-Sun)
Construction
Parking564 spaces[1]
Bicycle facilities5 bike lockers, 2 bike racks[1]
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedJuly 30, 2012[2]

The lot is served by four bus routes, which service Legacy Park shopping centers and provide direct connections to other DART transit centers. During weekday peak hours, an express route connects the station to Downtown Dallas directly; outside of this timeframe, downtown service is available with an intermediate stop at Addison Transit Center.[3] The station is also a transfer point for GoLink, a microtransit service operated by DART.[4]

History

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A bus station in northwestern Plano, tentatively titled the Westside Park & Ride,[5] was first proposed in 2000. The proposal included three potential sites, all on the western side of Dallas North Tollway between Tennyson Parkway and Spring Creek Parkway.[6] Local residents proposed an alternative site near the intersection of Dallas North Tollway and the President George Bush Turnpike, but this was not taken up.[6][7] The second site, located between the first and third, was ultimately chosen,[7] but the project was placed on hold due to the economic recession caused by the dot-com crash.[5]

Construction of the site did not move forward until 2010, when it was included in DART's annual budget. Funding was provided by the North Central Texas Council of Governments.[8] The station opened two years later on July 30, 2012.[2] Construction of the station cost $12.5 million.[9]

At opening, the station participated in DART's Fair Share Parking program, which charged a daily parking fee to residents of non-DART member cities,[2] such as the nearby city of Frisco. The program was retired on April 2, 2014.[10]

On March 26, 2018, DART introduced Legacy West GoLink, a microtransit service based at Northwest Plano Park & Ride that services the surrounding area.[11] In 2022, the Legacy West zone was added to the Plano Pilot program, which allows travel between it, the Far North Plano zone, and the North Central Plano/Chase Oaks zone. However, direct GoLink service between Northwest Plano Park & Ride and Parker Road station (which is a hub for Far North Plano and North Central Plano/Chase Oaks) is not permitted since it is available by bus.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Northwest Plano Park & Ride". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  2. ^ a b c Lindenberger, Michael A. (2012-06-30). "Orange Line's debut one of many DART changes". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. B1 – via NewsBank.
  3. ^ "System Map" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit. 2024-01-22.
  4. ^ "Plano Pilot". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
  5. ^ a b Flemmons, Stephanie (2007-08-08). "DART officials plan to enhance Plano riders". Plano Star-Courier. American Community Newspapers. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  6. ^ a b Jacobson, Sherry (2000-06-10). "DART nominates 3 park-and-ride sites". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 1J – via NewsBank.
  7. ^ a b Hundley, Wendy (2000-10-12). "DART park-and-ride center: Approved Northwest site prompted objections from residents". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 1J – via NewsBank.
  8. ^ Lindenberger, Michael A.; Bush, Rudolph (2009-08-12). "Feds key to hotel rail line - DART officials get draft budget, say plan needs generous boost". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 1A – via NewsBank.
  9. ^ Abril, Danielle (2012-07-09). "DART's new Park & Ride brings cuts to existing route". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. B1 – via NewsBank.
  10. ^ "DART's paid parking program ends April 2". Carrollton Leader. Star Local Media. 2014-03-31. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  11. ^ "DART's GoLink Expanding in Southern Dallas and Plano". Mass Transit. Endeavor Business Media. 2018-02-21. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
  12. ^ "GoLink Plano Pilot Zone". DARTzoom. Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved 2024-03-31.
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