TABLE 4-4 DAILY LRT ALTERNATIVE STATION PASSENGER VOLUMES IN 2030

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1 Station Volumes and Boardings/Alightings The stations proposed for the LRT Alternative were selected due to their proximity to population and employment centers, major existing transportation facilities, and ease of access by bus, car, or walking. Table 4-4 shows the anticipated 2030 daily volumes of transit passengers at each of the stations in the LRT Alternative. As shown in the table, most stations can be categorized as primarily an origin station or a destination station. A few stations serve both functions roughly equally. The two deferred stations (Loop 12 and South Las Colinas are not included in the ridership projection. These stations may be implemented as development warrants. TABLE 4-4 DAILY LRT ALTERNATIVE STATION PASSENGER VOLUMES IN 2030 Station Boardings 1 Alightings 2 Total Total Station Volume Station Riders LRT ALTERNATIVE 4 University of Dallas Lake Carolyn North Las Colinas Carpenter Ranch North Lake College Belt Line Road TOTALS Number of trips to and from station where station is the origin of a one-way or round trip. 2 Number of trips to and from station where station is the destination of a one-way or round trip. Total Boardings and Alightings are not equal because the entire DART LRT system is not represented in this table; many of those who board within this study corridor have destinations outside of the study corridor. 4 YR25MAR05_NWIRV_OPTA_NOSLC_RDWY, 2030 Build model run, DART, Dec Source: Parsons Transportation Group; DART; December 2005 Most stations in the corridor would serve as origin stations for round trips to downtown or other areas within Dallas, but some stations in the corridor would serve as destinations in their own right. Specifically, the University of Dallas, Lake Carolyn, North Las Colinas and Belt Line stations would be major destination stations within the corridor due to the high-density employment in those areas and the high number of patrons and visitors that use those facilities. North Las Colinas is the largest destination station due to the Urban Center. North Las Colinas, North Lake College and Belt Line Stations are the origin stations with Belt Line being the largest origin station because it is at the end of the line. As shown in Table 4-4, the stations anticipated to have the greatest volumes of passengers are Belt Line and North Las Colinas Stations; both having nearly the same volumes. They serve as major origin and destination stations because Belt Line is at the end of the line and North Las Colinas serves employment and residents in the Urban Center. Four of the six stations would have park-and-ride lots and all would have substantial feeder bus service. Major destination stations (University of Dallas and Lake Carolyn would also be served by feeder bus service, but would not have park-and-ride lots. The Belt Line Station (a major origin and destination station would be the northwestern terminus of the LRT Alternative and is expected to draw riders from a broad area of the corridor and beyond via automobile. This station would have the largest park-and-ride lot with approximately 725 spaces. 4.2 HIGHWAY AND ROADWAY IMPACTS The existing highway system in the Irving/DFW LRT corridor includes several freeways, a tollway and a network of arterial and local streets (see Figure 4-1. These roads and highways are discussed in Chapter 3, Existing Conditions. In the eastern portion of the corridor, the proposed alignment runs along several highways and arterial roadways, including Spur 482, SH 114, Teleport Boulevard, Las Colinas Boulevard, and Northwest Highway. Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-6

2 N MACARTHUR BLVD Major Arterial Primary Highway Secondary Highway Proposed LRT Line to Irving/DFW Carrollton-Farmers Branch LRT Line &- 482 " 12 E HARRY HINES BLVD 35E WALNUT HILL LN DENTON DR WEB CHAPEL RD Cabell Dr DFW International Airport BELT LINE RD UV114 PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH TPKE ROYAL LN Farmers Branch LUNA RD Legend Minor Arterial VALLEY VIEW LN CARBON RD WALNUT HILL LN JOHN CARPENTER FWY H I DDEN RIDGE DR RIVERSIDE DR Dallas 35E &- 348 ESTERS RD UV 161 WALNUT HILL LN ROCHELLE BLVD CALIFORNIA CROSSING RD NORTHWEST HWY " 12 NORTHGATE DR ROCHELLE RD BELT LINE RD STORY RD Irving MACARTHUR BLVD N O' CONNOR RD JOHN CARPENTER FWY TOM BRANIFF DR STOREY LN E AIRPORT FWY BNSF RR UV 183 UV 354 lm Fork Trinity River</FNT> UV 354 IRVING BLVD Source: NCTCOG, 2006 GRAUWYLER RD REGAL ROW Figure 4-1 NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW 0 2,000 4,000 8,000 Environmental Impact Statement Feet Major Freeways and Arterials

3 As the proposed alignment proceeds west of the Las Colinas Urban Center, it no longer follows a particular roadway, but crosses multiple roadways on its way to DFW International Airport (such as Hidden Ridge Drive, MacArthur Boulevard, and Walnut Hill Lane. Considering the corridor as a whole, peak period congestion is widespread on the freeways and the major roadways and the length of the peak period has been increasing. As discussed in Chapter 3, Existing Conditions, most of the freeway segments in the study corridor currently operate with unacceptable levels of service on a typical weekday, as well as Belt Line Road on the west end of the corridor, MacArthur Boulevard in the middle, and Harry Hines Boulevard on the east end. In addition, many of the roadways are at their ultimate build-out conditions, so reconstruction cannot mitigate current conditions or handle the growth of traffic that is projected to occur in the future. For example, there is more vacant land to build upon, both in the Las Colinas Urban Center and in the residential areas of the corridor. As a result, there will be more jobs within the corridor as well as residents, translating into more commuter trips into and out of the corridor. The discussion below focuses on the LRT Alternative and anticipated regional impacts, as well as local impacts, including those on road and intersection LOS, transit station access, and pedestrian safety Regional Impacts Regional travel patterns in the corridor were derived from the NCTCOG Travel Demand Model. In 2005, the land uses within the corridor generated 127,521 home-based work (HBW trips daily. This total number of trips includes both productions and attractions to and from sites within and outside the corridor. Of the 114,576 trip productions, 2.5 percent were made to locations within the corridor. This indicates that the majority of the corridor s work force travels to areas outside of the corridor for employment purposes. Another 10,038 HBW trips were attracted to locations within the corridor from areas outside the corridor. These patterns are expected to continue through 2030, but with additional traffic. In 2030, the land uses within the corridor are expected to generate 176,898 HBW trips daily. This total number of trips includes both productions and attractions to and from sites within and outside the corridor. Of the 162,762 trip productions, 2.3 percent will be made to locations within the corridor. This indicates that the majority of the corridor s work force is expected to travel to areas outside of the corridor for employment purposes, a slightly smaller percentage than in Another 10,402 HBW trips will be attracted to locations within the corridor from areas outside the corridor. While there is not a significant difference in the origin and destination of HBW trips between the No-Build and LRT Alternatives, there is a difference in the mode of transportation used to travel between home and work. Of the total number of HBW trips to be generated in the study corridor in 2030, approximately 2.7 percent would use public transit to reach their destinations, and the LRT Alternative would result in about 1,950 more daily riders using public transit compared to the No- Build Alternative. The LRT Alternative is anticipated to have beneficial impacts to the regional transportation system by helping to reduce regional Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT. It is estimated that VMT in the corridor would increase along SH 114 by about 640,000 miles daily from 2005 levels to 2030 levels under the No-Build Alternative. The LRT Alternative would reduce VMT in the corridor by 19,800 miles daily compared to the No-Build Alternative in Local Impacts The LRT Alternative would help reduce roadway congestion in the corridor. However, some localized areas may experience limited increases in traffic congestion due to the introduction of gates at LRT grade crossings. The gates would create brief interruptions to the flow of traffic to Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-8

4 allow for the safe crossing of LRT vehicles. In addition, the construction of park-and-ride lots, LRT train stations, and the traffic they would attract, could have some limited impact on traffic operations near those stations. These impacts are defined in greater detail in the following sections. Impacts on Road/Intersection LOS Impacts on Freeways The LRT Alternative, with its associated park-and-ride lots and feeder bus network, would provide incentive for commuters to use transit and therefore decrease automobile travel on area roadways. Table 4-5 shows the differences in average daily traffic (ADT between the No-Build and the LRT Alternative in 2030 on the corridor freeways. With the LRT Alternative fully operational in 2030, there would be decreases in ADT on several freeway segments, as shown in Table 4-5 and Figure 4-2. On SH 114, traffic is anticipated to decrease by approximately 1,000 vehicles per day on most segments, and decrease by 2,000 vehicles per day at Hidden Ridge Drive. This difference represents a one percent decrease from the No-Build volume. An even larger decrease is seen along the President George Bush Turnpike (SH 161 where traffic is anticipated to decrease by 10,000 vehicles per day (an almost 5 percent decrease. TABLE FREEWAY ADT IN THE NORTHWEST CORRIDOR Average Daily Traffic (ADT Location and Map No. No-Build Alternative LRT Alternative Increase (Decrease Stemmons Freeway (IH 35E 1 Raceway 168, ,000 2,000 2 Northwest Highway (Loop , ,000 2,000 3 Loop 12 Merge 169, ,000 1,000 Loop 12 4 Airport Freeway (SH , ,000 2,000 5 Elm Fork of the Trinity River 194, , Stemmons (IH 35E Merge 189, ,000 0 Spur Stemmons Freeway (IH 35E 72,000 72,000 0 Airport Freeway (SH Loop , ,000 1,000 Carpenter Freeway (SH Tom Braniff Pkwy 178, ,000 (1, Hidden Ridge Drive 183, ,000 (2, Pres. G. Bush Turnpike (SH , , Belt Line Road 234, ,000 (1,000 President George Bush Turnpike 13 Belt Line Road 217, ,000 (10, MacArthur Boulevard 218, ,000 (10,000 *SeeFigure 4-2. Source: NCTCOG; February 2006 The level of service on a roadway is a measure of the relative delay and congestion experienced on that roadway, with level of service A being the best, and F the worst. Levels of service E and F are considered unacceptable. SH 114 currently operates at Level of Service E south of the LRT alignment. Due to the anticipated traffic growth in the area, SH 114 is projected to operate at Level of Service F in 2030 in both the No-Build and LRT Alternatives, regardless of any reductions in traffic due to the implementation of LRT. Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-9

5 N MACARTHUR BLVD 1 " " E DENTON DR Shorecrest VALLEY VIEW LN ESTERS RD CARBON RD UV 161 " " " 54 DFW International Airport " 38 " " " BELT LINE RD " 35 " " " " 233 " 34 " WALNUT HILL LN UV114 " 11 " PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH TPKE " WALNUT HILL LN " " ! " 33 " " 14 " " 35 JOHN CARPENTER FWY " 31 " " 29 " H 27 " " " 18 " 17 " I DDEN RIDGE DR " 25 " " 181 ROYAL LN 26 " 8 " 7 19 " 38 " 38! " 20 " 22 " 11 " 13 " " RIVERSIDE DR! 23 ROCHELLE BLVD " 14 " 15 " 24 " &- 348 Farmers Branch LUNA RD CALIFORNIA CROSSING RD Legend 11 Location 2030 No-Build ADT Projection (in Thousands " 11 " 19 Dallas NORTHWEST HWY 18 " 53 6 " LRT Alternative ADT Projection (in Thousands Proposed LRT Line to Irving/DFW Carrollton-Farmers Branch LRT Line " 12 35E " " ! 3 " 169 " 170 " 17 " HARRY HINES BLVD " 12 " 16 " WALNUT HILL LN 15 " 68 WEB CHAPEL RD NORTHGATE DR JOHN CARPENTER FWY " " " 69 ROCHELLE RD BELT LINE RD STORY RD Irving MACARTHUR BLVD N O' CONNOR RD 9 " 178 " 177 TOM BRANIFF DR 39 " 9 " 9 " 5 " 194 " " 194 STOREY LN & E Source: Parsons, 2006 IRVING BLVD E AIRPORT FWY BNSF RR UV 354 UV " " ! " " GRAUWYLER RD lm Fork Trinity River</FNT> REGAL ROW Figure 4-2 2,000 NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW Feet Environmental Impact Statement 2030 Average Daily Traffic Projections; No-Build and LRT Alternatives 0 4,000 8,000

6 Impacts on Major Arterials Similar to the freeway system, congestion delays can be expected on many of the arterials in the study corridor by 2030, even with the LRT Alternative in place. Table 4-6 shows the anticipated 2030 ADT on many of the local arterials in the Northwest Corridor for the No-Build and LRT Alternatives. With the LRT Alternative fully operational in 2030, many arterials would experience the same daily traffic levels compared to the No-Build Alternative, and more would experience small increases in ADT. TABLE ARTERIAL ADT IN THE NORTHWEST CORRIDOR Average Daily Traffic (ADT Location and Map No.* No-Build LRT Increase Alternative Alternative (Decrease 15 Northwest Highway at Community 68,000 69,000 1, Harry Hines Blvd. at Northwest Hwy. 37,000 37, Northwest Hwy at Technology Blvd. 42,000 43,000 1, Northwest Hwy at California Crossing 53,000 54,000 1, Northwest Highway at Riverside 38,000 38, Las Colinas Blvd. at O Connor 11,000 11, O Connor at Lake Carolyn Blvd. 11,000 12,000 1, O Connor at Riverside 13,000 13, Riverside south of Northwest Highway 14,000 15,000 1, Riverside north of Northwest Hwy 27,000 27, Colwell Drive at SH ,000 10, Colwell Drive at Las Colinas Blvd. 8,000 7,000 (1, Las Colinas Blvd. at Royal Lane 7,000 7, Hidden Ridge at SH ,000 18,000 1, Hidden Ridge at LRT Alignment 15,000 15, MacArthur Blvd. at Hidden Ridge 35,000 35, Walnut Hill Lane at MacArthur Blvd. 17,000 18,000 1, Walnut Hill Lane at Brangus Drive 36,000 38,000 2, Walnut Hill Lane at Belt Line Road 25,000 27,000 2, Belt Line Road south of SH ,000 42,000 (1, Belt Line Road north of SH ,000 41,000 1, Belt Line Road at SH ,000 54,000 1, Valley View Lane at Belt Line Road 15,000 17,000 2, Tom Braniff Parkway at SH 114 9,000 9,000 0 *SeeFigure 4-2. Source: NCTCOG; DART; February 2006 Comparing Tables 4-5 and 4-6 and Figure 4-2, the reductions in ADT that would occur on the regional freeway network are greater than those that would occur on the arterial road network in the project corridor. The freeway reductions in ADT are due to the elimination of some of the commuter trips that would have used the freeways, but would now use the expanded transit system. The arterials experience very similar (or slightly higher traffic levels in both alternatives because any arterial traffic eliminated by the LRT would likely be offset by increased traffic using the arterials to approach new transit station park-and-ride lots. LRT implementation would create some larger localized increases in traffic on some roadways that are not shown in the macroscopic analysis in Table 4-6. This is because some roadways would serve as primary access roads to LRT stations and park-and-ride lots and therefore would carry the station-bound traffic in addition to the commuter traffic already projected for Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-11

7 Impacts on Grade Crossings and Intersections The LRT Alternative introduces a new LRT guideway that crosses 56 roadways, one people mover system, and one freight railroad in the corridor. The roadways range in size from two-lane local streets to six-lane major arterials. The main lanes and ramps of the freeways have been assumed to have grade-separated crossings with the LRT Alignment. However, 40 local streets and private driveways could potentially have at-grade crossings with the alignment of the LRT Alternative. Of the 40 potential grade crossings along the LRT Alternative, two will be relocated so that they will not cross the tracks, and six have been designated for closure due to lack of significant traffic volumes or because the transition of the LRT alignment to or from an elevated section at that point would block the crossing. Whether they are public roadways or private driveways, all of the crossings designated for closure are minor crossings and therefore would not impact a significant number of vehicles. In the case of private driveways, each of the affected properties has either a second driveway or alternate access can be provided from another roadway. The remaining 50 crossings along the LRT Alternative would remain open as either at-grade or grade separated crossings. Light rail vehicles would create delays at at-grade crossings because the railroad crossing gates would interrupt traffic flow, particularly during peak traffic periods. In addition, most major crossings have a traffic signal near the LRT crossing of the arterial. If the crossing were to remain at-grade, the nearby traffic signal would require preemption to ensure that all vehicle queues are cleared from the tracks before the arrival of a train. For this reason, a detailed grade separation analysis needs to focus not simply on the gated crossing itself, but on the impact of preempting the nearby traffic signal. DART will continue to work with the City of Irving to assess the transportation impacts of the LRT Alternative on the local street network at the grade crossings and nearby intersections through the preliminary engineering phase. This will include a detailed analysis of 2030 street volumes, intersection capacity, and simulation of grade crossing movements of the proposed LRT system. A preliminary analysis of the major arterials crossing the alignment is presented below. Projected daily traffic volumes at these crossing for 2030 were obtained from the NCTCOG Mobility 2025 Plan (Amended April 2005 as modeled by DART. Existing roadway geometrics in the area of each crossing were inventoried to identify lane configurations, queue storage capacities, and distances between intersections under study. The existing geometrics were assumed to remain in place until 2030, except at locations where improvements are planned. At these locations, the planned improvements were assumed to exist for both the No-Build and LRT Alternative analyses in Each crossing was coded in Synchro (roadway network analysis computer software which was used to replicate the arrival of an LRT vehicle and blockage of the crossing at 10 minute headways in each direction. The rail crossings were assumed to be closed for 45 seconds to include gatewarning time, train clearance time, and time to reopen the gates. The 2030 Level of Service (LOS was determined for the 11 major crossings in the corridor. LOS is a qualitative measure describing the vehicle operating conditions at an intersection or segment of roadway during any given period as shown in Table 4-7. LOS is determined by the volume to capacity ratio (V/C ratio of a street or intersection and corresponding average vehicle delays. LOS A, B, and C generally are considered acceptable, and LOS D often is considered acceptable in more densely populated and traveled portions of various urban areas. LOS E represents traffic volumes close to the full capacity of a street or intersection and the resulting congestion and slow traffic. LOS F generally represents stop-and-go, near breakdown traffic conditions. To account for all potential design possibilities, 11 major crossings along the LRT Alternative were analyzed using this procedure as if they were grade crossings (regardless of the current design. In this way, a crossing which is grade separated in the current design could be considered for an at-grade crossing if the design were to change. A Level of Service and queue length was Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-12

8 calculated for each approach to the crossing (as well as intersection approaches that would be close to a crossing. Poor levels of service and/or queues that fill the distance between a crossing and a nearby intersection were used to make a preliminary determination whether grade separation would be warranted. The results of the grade crossing analysis are shown in Table 4-8. TABLE 4-7 LEVEL OF SERVICE CRITERIA FOR SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS Level of Service (LOS Average Total Delay (sec/veh Description A <10 Very low delay; most vehicles do not stop at all. B > 10 and < 20 More vehicles stop than with LOS A, increasing the average delay. C > 20 and < 35 The number of vehicles stopping is significant; however, many still pass through the intersection without stopping. D > 35 and < 55 Congestion is readily apparent with many vehicles stopping and individual cycle failures are noticeable (i.e., not all vehicles waiting in the intersection queue are able to get through the intersection on the first green indication. E > 55 and < 80 Poor progression; long cycle lengths and frequent cycle failures. Unacceptable operations, which include many cycle failures caused F > 80 by arrival flow rates exceeding intersection capacity. Source: Transportation Research Board, Highway Capacity Manual, 2000 Map No.* Crossing TABLE 4-8 GRADE CROSSINGS ANALYSIS Peak Hour Peak Hour Crossing Queue Level of Length Service (feet Distance to Nearest Signalized Intersection (feet Recommendation 2 Harry Hines Blvd B 1,523 0 Grade Separation 24 Tom Braniff Pkwy A Grade Separation 25 SH 114 WB FR A 292 None At-Grade 29 Teleport Ave A 60 None At-Grade 30 Riverside Blvd A 76 None At-Grade 32 Las Colinas Blvd A 54 None At-Grade 33 California Crossing Rd A At-Grade 35 O Connor Blvd A 142 1,920 At-Grade 36 Street A Minor 1 Minor 1 1,300 2 At-Grade 49 MacArthur Blvd B 1, , Grade Separation 51 Walnut Hill Lane A 264 None At-Grade 1 Traffic volume projections were not available for this future roadway. 2 Assumed traffic signal on future roadway. *SeeFigures 4-3 and 4-4. Source: Parsons Transportation Group; 2006 Specifically, the conclusion that a crossing should be grade separated was made due to excessive traffic delay caused by the LRT crossing the roadway or the likelihood that vehicle queues from the crossing would spill back into signalized intersections (or vice versa. Although all of these crossings would experience acceptable levels of service if they were in isolated locations, Table 4-8 shows that the resultant queues from some crossings would interfere with nearby signalized intersections. Based on this preliminary analysis, the crossings requiring grade separation include Harry Hines Boulevard, Tom Braniff Parkway, and MacArthur Boulevard. Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-13

9 The remaining crossings would operate adequately as at-grade intersections, though crossing gates would need to be installed at each of them. The preliminary design of the LRT alignment designates additional crossings to be grade separated as well (Colwell Boulevard, Hidden Ridge Drive, etc.. These are due to special considerations or physical constraints placed on the alignment that require an elevated or below grade section, rather than due to traffic conditions. These considerations can include placement of stations or maintaining a mandatory grade separation from a freeway. Road/Intersection Mitigation As shown in Table 4-8, traffic conditions would warrant the LRT tracks being grade separated from the arterial roadways at three crossings within the corridor. In addition, crossings with freeways are always designed for grade separation (IH 35E, Loop 12, SH 114, and SH 161. Table 4-9 lists all of the roadways that cross the LRT alignment and summarizes whether they would be at-grade crossings, grade separated, or closed. This data is shown graphically in Figures 4-3 and 4-4. As stated previously, there are also some other issues to consider at some of the other crossings that cause them to be modified or grade separated, such as station placement or proximity to a necessary grade separation. An example of this is the SH 114 WB Frontage Road, which is recommended for an at-grade crossing in Table 4-8, but is listed in Table 4-9 as being relocated (crossing #25. Of these 58 total crossings along the LRT Alternative: 39 would be grade separated, 11 would be gated, 2 would be relocated, and 6 would be closed. The LRT Alternative will operate within an exclusive right-of-way on a fixed guideway that will, for the most part, not take any roadway right-of-way or require the removal of travel lanes. Anticipated roadway and grade crossing impacts would be minor and localized and would be mitigated using engineering improvements such as grade separation, changing signalization, and other standard traffic engineering strategies. As detailed in the following section, the addition of traffic signals will be required at some entrances to new LRT park-and-ride lots to ensure acceptable operations for traffic entering and exiting the new stations. In addition, the optimization of signal timing will be required in the densely developed areas of the Las Colinas Urban Center and the area surrounding North Lake College. At grade crossings, signal preemption will be required to prevent vehicles from being queued on the tracks when trains arrive, particularly where a parallel street is present (such as Lake Carolyn Parkway. Finally, some roadway improvements will be required such as extra turn lanes and geometric improvements at various intersections to allow buses to turn in and out of the new stations. DART will continue to work with the City of Irving through preliminary engineering and final design in a detailed traffic analysis which will further refine the mitigation measures outlined above. The Final Environmental Impact Statement will document these specific measures. Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-14

10 TABLE 4-9 LRT ROADWAY CROSSING CONFIGURATIONS LRT Alternative Map No. * Location Roadway Configuration 1 Dallas Jamison Drive Closed 2 Dallas Harry Hines Blvd Grade Separated 3 Dallas EB Spur 482 Grade Separated 4 Dallas Ramp to NW Highway Grade Separated 5 Dallas Spur 482 U-Turn Grade Separated 6 Dallas WB Spur 482 Grade Separated 7 Dallas IH-35E NB Frontage Rd (Future Grade Separated 8 Dallas IH-35E Grade Separated 9 Dallas IH-35E SB Frontage Rd (Future Grade Separated 10 Dallas Justice Way Grade Separated 11 Dallas Driveway Grade Separated 12 Irving Fed Ex Driveway Grade Separated 13 Irving Fed Ex Driveway Grade Separated 14 Irving Century Blvd Grade Separated 15 Irving Century Freight Driveway At-Grade Crossing 16 Irving Driveway Closed 17 Irving Texas Stadium Bridge Closed 18 Irving Future City Street Grade Separated (LRT under 19 Irving Texas Stadium Bridge Closed 20 Irving Loop 12 NB Frontage Rd (Future Grade Separated (LRT under 21 Irving Loop 12 Grade Separated (LRT under 22 Irving Loop 12 SB Frontage Rd (Future Grade Separated (LRT under 23 Irving SH 114 WB Frontage Rd (Future Grade Separated (LRT under 24 Irving Tom Braniff Pkwy Grade Separated (LRT under 25 Irving SH 114 WB Frontage Rd Relocated 26 Irving Cistercian Road Grade Separated 27 Irving SH 114 WB Frontage Rd (Future Grade Separated 28 Irving BNSF Rail Road (Future Grade Separated (LRT under 29 Irving NB Teleport Ave (Reconfigured At-Grade Crossing 30 Irving Riverside Blvd At-Grade Crossing 31 Irving Las Colinas People Mover (APT Grade Separated (LRT under 32 Irving Las Colinas Blvd At-Grade Crossing 33 Irving California Crossing At-Grade Crossing 34 Irving NB Lake Carolyn Pkwy Relocated 35 Irving O Connor Blvd At-Grade Crossing 36 Irving Street A (Future At-Grade Crossing 37 Irving Las Colinas Blvd (Future Grade Separated 38 Irving Ramp from SH 114 to Spur 348 Grade Separated 39 Irving Colwell Blvd Grade Separated 40 Irving SH 114 Exit Ramp (Future Grade Separated 41 Irving SH 114 Ent. Ramp (Future Grade Separated 42 Irving SH 114 Grade Separated 43 Irving Exit Ramp to O Connor Blvd Grade Separated 44 Irving Ent. Ramp from Walnut Hill (Future Grade Separated 45 Irving SH 114 EB Frontage Rd Grade Separated 46 Irving Green Park Drive At-Grade Crossing 47 Irving Carpenter Ranch Road Closed 48 Irving Hidden Ridge Drive Grade Separated (LRT under 49 Irving MacArthur Blvd Grade Separated 50 Irving Brangus Drive Closed 51 Irving Walnut Hill Lane At-Grade Crossing 52 Irving Hurd Drive At-Grade Crossing 53 Irving SH 161 NB Frontage Rd Grade Separated 54 Irving SH 161 Ent. Ramp Grade Separated 55 Irving SH 161 Grade Separated 56 Irving SH 161 Exit Ramp Grade Separated 57 Irving SH 161 SB Frontage Rd Grade Separated 58 Irving Valley View Lane At-Grade Crossing *SeeFigures 4-3 and 4-4. Source: Parsons Transportation Group; December 2006 Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-15

11 REGAL ROW DENTON DR HARRY HINES BLVD WEB CHAPEL RD UV354 N O' CONNOR RD " JOHN CARPENTER FWY " 34 " 33 & " " UV114 ROCHELLE BLVD 31 " LUNA RD CALIFORNIA CROSSING RD BNSF RR NORTHWEST HWY " E Dallas " 12 Joes Creek 3 2! #* NORTHGATE DR Irving 25 TOM BRANIFF DR #* 19 #* 18 #* " STOREY LN 12 & Legend " #* At-Grade Grade Separated Grade Separated (LRT under Street Closure Street Relocated Proposed LRT Line to Irving/DFW Carrollton-Farmers Branch LRT Line Bachman 35E 1 E AIRPORT FWY UV183 Elm Fork Trinity River Source: Parsons, 2006 Figure 4-3 East Section 0 1,000 2,000 4,000 NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW Feet Environmental Impact Statement LRT Roadway Crossings Configurations

12 MACARTHUR BLVD N MACARTHUR BLVD " RIVERSIDE DR " Dallas &- 348 ROCHELLE BLVD " " 31 BELT LINE RD PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH TPKE ROYAL LN Legend " #* At-Grade Grade Separated Grade Separated (LRT under Street Closure Street Relocated Proposed LRT Line to Irving/DFW DFW International Airport VALLEY VIEW LN CARBON RD " 58 E " HURD DR UV114 WALNUT HILL LN " #* #* " HIDDEN RIDGE DR ch Cottonwood Bran LAS COLINAS B L VD Hackberry Creek Luna Rd LUNA RD UV161 ESTERS RD WALNUT HILL LN STORY RD Irving N O' CONNOR RD JOHN CARPENTER FWY Source: Parsons, 2006 N. M " Figure 4-4 West Section 0 1,000 2,000 4,000 NW Corridor LRT Line to Irving/DFW Feet Environmental Impact Statement LRT Roadway Crossings Configurations

13 4.2.3 Transit Station Access Most of the initial stations in the LRT Alternative would include park-and-ride facilities. These stations include North Las Colinas, Carpenter Ranch, North Lake College and Belt Line Road Stations. The two deferred stations will not provide parking. In addition to generating automobile traffic related to park-and-ride facilities, each of the park-and-ride stations would have bus traffic resulting from feeder bus service. Table 4-10 summarizes the amount of parking that would be provided and the proposed number of bus routes and bus bays serving each station. TABLE 4-10 PROPOSED PARKING AND BUS FACILITIES AT LRT STATIONS Station Estimated Parking Spaces Bus Bays Bus Weekday Max. Weekday Routes Buses per Hour University of Dallas Lake Carolyn North Las Colinas 85 (715 additional spaces available at North Irving Transit Center Carpenter Ranch North Lake College Belt Line Source: DART, January 2007 As shown in the table, Belt Line Station would provide the most parking (743 spaces, and the most bus bays. The Belt Line Station would be the northwestern terminus of the line and therefore would attract automobile traffic from a wide area. Conversely, the North Las Colinas Station would be located in a high-density commercial and institutional area where more trips would be attracted by the existing and proposed transit system. Each LRT station would have different impacts on its neighborhood depending on the configuration of the park-and-ride and bus facilities in relationship to the surrounding transportation system. The general layout and traffic impacts of each station are described below. The specific impacts of each station will be determined during preliminary engineering and final design based on a comparison of 2030 intersection operations in the No-Build Alternative with those in the LRT Alternative once the layouts of future roadways and stations are finalized. This effort will be coordinated with the City of Irving. University of Dallas Station The University of Dallas Station would have an at-grade platform located between the westbound SH 114 frontage road and main lanes between Loop 12 and Tom Braniff Parkway. A bus transfer area would be constructed nearby on the north side of the frontage road with driveway access on the westbound SH 114 frontage road as well as Tom Braniff Parkway. The bus transfer area would contain five bus bays to serve the feeder bus system. A pedestrian walkway under the frontage road will connect the platform to the bus transfer area. No park-and-ride facility would be constructed for this station due to the pedestrian nature of the university area. Therefore, this station would have minimal traffic impact on the surrounding roadway network since it would only attract kiss-and-ride and feeder bus traffic. Lake Carolyn Station The Lake Carolyn Station would have an at-grade platform located in the median of Lake Carolyn Parkway south of O Connor Boulevard. Four on-street bus bays would be provided along the street to serve the feeder bus system. Crosswalks will provide pedestrian access to nearby land uses and a pedestrian bridge would provide pedestrian access to the Las Colinas Automated People Mover station nearby. No park-and-ride facility would be constructed for this station due to Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-18

14 the land use density in the Las Colinas Urban Center. Therefore, this station would have minimal traffic impact on the surrounding roadway network since it would only attract feeder bus traffic. North Las Colinas Station The North Las Colinas Station would have an at-grade platform located along the eastbound side of Spur 348 (Northwest Highway west of O Connor Boulevard. A bus transfer area would be constructed next to the platform that would provide seven bus bays to serve the feeder bus system. About 85 park-and-ride parking spaces would be provided nearby as part of the mixeduse developments that are proposed to be built next to the station (not part of the proposed project. Additional parking would be provided at the existing North Irving Transit Center. The transit center is located west of O Connor Boulevard on the opposite (north side of Spur 348 from the station platform location. It currently contains 715 parking spaces. Pedestrians would have to walk about one quarter mile along a sidewalk that would cross under Spur 348 to connect the North Irving Transit Center parking area to the station platform. This parking lot would retain its bus bays, and feeder buses would also stop at the transit center parking lot after stopping at the platform. Although the North Irving Transit Center exists today, the North Las Colinas Station would attract more traffic to the parking lot than it does today. In addition, some park-and-ride traffic would be attracted to the station area as well as future feeder bus traffic. Therefore, this station would likely have some traffic impact on the surrounding roadway network, which will be determined once plans for the future roadways in this area are finalized. Carpenter Ranch Station The Carpenter Ranch Station would have an at-grade platform located along Meadow Creek Drive west of Green Park Drive. A bus transfer area would be constructed with seven off-street bus bays to serve the feeder bus system. Buses would enter the station area and stop next to the platform before exiting onto Meadow Creek Drive. A park-and-ride parking lot with about 169 parking spaces would be constructed next to the platform and bus transfer area with entrances on Meadow Creek Drive. Carpenter Ranch Road (leading to the vacant ranch property will be closed to make way for the platform. In addition, to facilitate left-turn bays for park-and-ride traffic entering the station, the existing median opening for Carpenter Ranch Road on the south side and a commercial driveway on the north side will be relocated along with the commercial driveway. These changes will not have any traffic impact on the surrounding roadway network, but the additional traffic attracted to the park-and-ride lot will have some impact. This impact will be determined after the station layout has been finalized during preliminary engineering. North Lake College Station The North Lake College Station would have an at-grade platform located north of the college s north parking lot. A bus transfer area would be constructed next to the platform with five bus bays to serve the feeder bus system. A park-and-ride parking lot with about 194 parking spaces would be constructed nearby. In order to accommodate the LRT tracks as well as the North Lake College Station, some roadways in the area would be modified. Brangus Drive would be modified by the construction of the North Lake College Station. It currently connects Walnut Hill Lane to Hidden Ridge Drive, but a segment of it would be closed at the LRT tracks. The remaining northern segment of Brangus Drive would continue to extend from Hidden Ridge Drive to St. Durney Court and would therefore continue to provide access to the residential neighborhood north of the LRT line. The sidewalk currently in place along Brangus Drive would be maintained and extended to connect to the station in order to provide pedestrian access to the neighborhood. The remaining southern segment of Brangus Drive would be extended eastward parallel to the LRT tracks as described below. Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-19

15 The existing private drive that connects the college s north parking lot to MacArthur Boulevard is proposed to be removed and a new, wider public roadway (a realignment of the southern segment of Brangus Drive would be constructed. This road would be parallel to the LRT tracks, extending from the existing intersection with Walnut Hill Lane to a new intersection with MacArthur Boulevard. Brangus Drive currently carries about 3,800 vehicles per day between Walnut Hill Lane and St. Durney Court. Most of these vehicles would likely travel on the new roadway connection once Brangus Drive is closed north of the LRT line. The new roadway would provide access to the LRT station as well as to the college s parking lot. It would also provide access to the west to Walnut Hill Lane that the college s parking lot does not currently have. However, the proximity of the college s parking lot to the new station may attract some DART patrons to attempt to park there if the DART parking lot is full. In addition to these roadway modifications, the station would also have some impact on the surrounding roadway network due to the park-and-ride and bus traffic attracted to the station. These impacts will be determined during preliminary engineering. Belt Line Station The Belt Line Station would provide an at-grade platform located between Valley View Lane and the President George Bush Turnpike (SH 161. A bus transfer area would be constructed next to the platform with driveway access on Valley View Lane. The bus transfer area would provide eight bus bays to serve the feeder bus system. A park-and-ride parking lot would be constructed on the other side of the platform with about 743 parking spaces. The parking lot would have separate driveway access on Valley View Lane. In addition, the parking lot would be constructed with a central roadway that could be connected to any future development that may be constructed southwest of the station. The station would have some impact on the surrounding roadway network due to the park-and-ride and bus traffic attracted to the station. A detailed traffic impact analysis was conducted for this station to determine what impact the station-related traffic would have on the surrounding roadways in the opening year (2010 and a future horizon year (2030. The background traffic volumes were estimated based on traffic projections provided by NCTCOG, and the park-and-ride and bus traffic attracted to the station was estimated based on ridership projections and bus route plans provided by DART. Planned roadway improvements in the area were taken into account, such as the planned widening of Valley View Lane and Gateway Drive to four-lane roadways (according to the City of Irving s Master Thoroughfare Plan. Based upon this detailed analysis, the growth in background traffic will increase congestion on the area roadways by the year 2010 and even more by the year Near the station area, the widening of Valley View Lane to four lanes is necessary to accommodate this growth, and the intersection of Belt Line Road and Valley View Lane would operate at LOS C in 2010 with the widening in place. If no other improvements are made, however, the intersection is expected to degrade to LOS F by The addition of a southbound right-turn bay will improve 2030 conditions to LOS D. The widening of Valley View Lane and the addition of the right-turn bay are needed to mitigate background traffic conditions and are not attributable to the planned station. All of the other intersections in the study area will operate at acceptable levels of service in 2010 except the intersection of Belt Line Road and SH 114, which will operate at poor levels of service if no improvements are made (regardless of the implementation of the Belt Line Station. By 2030, various improvements will need to be made along the Belt Line Road corridor to accommodate the growth in background traffic and maintain acceptable levels of service. When the station-related traffic is added to the background traffic, the analysis shows small increases in delay on some movements, but all of the intersections in the study area will operate with the same level of service as under the baseline scenario without the station. Therefore, no additional geometric mitigation measures are necessary to accommodate the DART station traffic Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-20

16 other than those already planned as part of the construction of the station (such as turn lanes along Valley View Lane Pedestrian Safety The LRT Alternative would improve safety in the corridor primarily by enhancing pedestrian access. As described above, pedestrian safety to and from the LRT stations and park-and-ride lots would be enhanced by improving markings at existing signalized crosswalks at major intersections, pedestrian bridges at stations with parking facilities located across major roadways, and sidewalks and other pedestrian facilities connecting park-and-ride lots and bus bays to the station platforms. DART will add or improve pedestrian facilities to meet the requirements stated in the DART Build- Out Phase 2 Design Criteria, Volume 1, Revision 3, In accordance with DART policy, fencing will be provided along the right-of-way where the operating speed of the LRT would exceed 45 mph or where special safety considerations are present. Locations of fencing and other safety and security elements are discussed in Section 5.13, Safety and Security Station Area Mitigation Roadway impacts due to new traffic generated at LRT stations are anticipated to be minor and localized. These impacts will be mitigated using standard traffic engineering strategies. These mitigation measures, which will be coordinated with the City of Irving, will be refined throughout the preliminary engineering and final design stages of project development. Specific mitigation for roadway impacts at each station is described below; transit station access by pedestrians is described in detail in Section 4.2 of this document. University of Dallas Station: Through coordination with TxDOT and the City of Irving, DART will continue to integrate the design of the University of Dallas Station with the design and reconstruction of SH 114. Lake Carolyn Station: DART will coordinate the safe location of on-street bus bays along Lake Carolyn Parkway with the City of Irving. North Las Colinas Station: DART will work with the City of Irving, TxDOT and adjacent property owners to integrate the at-grade station within the future development and street network. Carpenter Ranch Station: DART will work with the City of Irving to ensure a safe design of the rail line as it crosses Green Park Drive near its intersection with Meadow Creek Drive. North Lake College Station: DART will provide a pedestrian link to the Mandalay Place Community to compensate for the closure/realignment of Brangus Drive. DART will work with the City of Irving in realigning Brangus Drive and creating the new roadway that feeds the station from both Mac Arthur Boulevard and Walnut Hill Lane. Belt Line Station: The station design will accommodate a future grade separation over Belt Line Road. 4.3 IMPACTS ON MOVEMENT OF FREIGHT Freight is transported into, out of, and within the corridor by truck and rail. Contrary to the LRT Line to Farmers Branch and Carrollton, the LRT Line to Irving/DFW would not share the right-of-way of a freight rail line. Therefore, the LRT Alternative will not have a significant impact on the movement of freight by rail Freight Railroads The LRT Alternative does not operate within an existing railroad right-of-way and so will not have an impact on freight railroad operations. Freight service will continue in the same manner as before and the LRT Alternative will be grade separated from the freight tracks where they cross. Draft Environmental Impact Statement 4-21