DALLAS — The dream of a modern east-west transit line seamlessly connecting seven cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metroplex becomes reality this weekend with the official opening of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Silver Line Regional Rail Project.
DART’s new 26-mile corridor connects Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson and Plano—with a final connection at DFW Airport.
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The Silver Line provides an east-west connection for DART. |
“The Silver Line opening is a realization of a promise kept to our riders and our region,” said Nadine Lee, DART president and CEO. “This state-of-the-art train will improve connections, create new access to jobs and drive economic growth across North Texas.”
A public Opening Day Celebration will be held at all 10 stations along the Silver Line on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
WSP, one of the world’s leading professional services firms, played a critical leadership role as the project manager owner’s representative (PMOR), responsible for providing comprehensive oversight of the design-builder to ensure the project met DARTs highest quality standards.
“WSP congratulates DART and all of our partners on the opening of this truly transformative Silver Line project,” said Paula Fitzpatrick, regional executive for Texas and Louisiana, and senior vice president, who will be among WSP’s representatives attending the celebration. “This project is incredible—it will supercharge connectivity in a growing region by strengthening communities through economic development, creating job and business opportunities and offering a vibrant future of new possibilities.”
As PMOR, WSP led program management, construction management and construction mitigation efforts, guiding all phases of project development from design through implementation. The firm managed stakeholder engagement, construction communications and community outreach to foster transparency, address community concerns and maintain public trust throughout the project lifecycle. Outreach efforts included a geofencing and digital advertising campaign to provide project updates while broadening community reach.
“We had to find a way to provide accurate information to the public,” said Ruben Landa, vice president for Advisory and Planning at WSP in the U.S. and deputy project manager. “Geofencing the entire Dallas portion of the corridor resulted in 22 million impressions on smartphones and devices over a two-year period that effectively communicated the project’s benefits and important news. Timely information and public support allowed us to work with the team to deliver a sleek, clean and safe rail line that will build travelers’ trust in the system while reshaping transit in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.”
The Silver Line provides the first direct east-west connection for the 93-mile DART network of light and passenger rail service.
“It creates a unified circular service previously unavailable in Dallas,” Landa said. “Until the Silver Line’s arrival, a ride to one of these locations would require north-south travel into Dallas and then back out again to reach your destination, including the airport. This direct east-west connection significantly reduces travel time for those commuters.”
“WSP is committed to ensuring that the Silver Line achieves its goals of enhancing regional mobility, improving access to key employment and population centers,” Landa added. “By integrating seamlessly with DART’s existing transit system, the public will enjoy added value through the creation of the Cotton Belt Hike and Bike trail adjacent to the rail alignment.”
About WSP in the U.S.
WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services firms, uniting its engineering, advisory and science-based expertise to shape communities to advance humanity. From local beginnings to a globe-spanning presence today, WSP operates in more than 50 countries and employs approximately 73,000 professionals, known as Visioneers. WSP in the U.S.’s team of 19,000 professionals pioneer solutions and deliver innovative projects across the transportation, infrastructure, environment, building, energy, water, and mining and metals sectors.
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