12th Street station (DART)

12th Street
General information
Location	1180 12th Street[1] Plano, Texas
Coordinates	33.015417°N 96.699278°W / 33.015417; -96.699278
Owned by	Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Platforms	Island
Connections	DART: 1 route[1]
Construction
Structure type	One elevated platform, one at-grade platform
Parking	313 spaces[1]
Accessible	Yes
History
Opening	2025-2026
Future services
Preceding station Dallas Area Rapid Transit Following station CityLine/Bush toward Westmoreland Red Line Downtown Plano toward Parker Road CityLine/Bush toward DFW Airport Orange Line (peak-hour only) CityLine/Bush toward DFW Airport/Terminal B Silver Line Shiloh Road Terminus
Location

12th Street station is a future public transit station in Plano, Texas. Set to be operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit, the station will service DART light rail's Red Line and the Silver Line commuter rail. During peak transit hours, it will also service the Orange Line.[1]

In addition to providing a transfer point, the station will serve the 12th Street neighborhood and the historically black Douglass Community.[2][3]

The station is scheduled to open alongside the Silver Line in late 2025 or early 2026 and will become the third infill station on the DART light rail system after Lake Highlands and Hidden Ridge.[4]

Station

The station will consist of two separate platforms. The Silver Line platform, located at ground level at the intersection of 12th Street and K Avenue, will feature a 313-space parking lot, a passenger drop-off area, and five bus bays.[1] The elevated light rail platform will be located two blocks west at 1000 12th Street, with a 500-foot (150 m) long sidewalk connecting the platforms.[5] The station will be decorated with a water theme.[6]

History

The station is located along the Cotton Belt, a 54-mile (87 km) rail corridor between Fort Worth and Wylie. Built in 1871 by the St. Louis Southwestern Railway, the corridor was purchased by DART in 1990 for a potential commuter rail line.[7]

In 2010, the city of Plano issued a proclamation in support of the commuter rail corridor, which suggested creating a station at 12th Street to serve as the line's eastern terminus. The city of Richardson issued a competing proposal with Bush Turnpike station as the terminus.[8][9] DART ultimately chose a plan which included both stations, though neither ended up being the terminus.[2]

In February 2015, the city of Plano purchased a 2.6 acre tract for the station.[10] Construction of the elevated light rail station began on August 26, 2023.[11]

As the station is located in a historically industrial area, the city of Plano created a comprehensive plan to re-zone and encourage development in the area, dubbed Plano Tomorrow.[2][12][13]

References

1. "Silver Line Fact Sheet: City of Plano" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
2. Leszcynski, Ray (July 28, 2018). "Here are 4 things DART's Cotton Belt stations will mean for Plano". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
3. "Silver Line Fact Sheet: 12th Street Station" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
4. "Silver Line Project". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
5. "Cotton Belt Corridor Regional Rail Project: Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision" (PDF). Dallas Area Rapid Transit. November 9, 2018. pp. 2–9, 2–17.
6. Henvey, Winston (September 7, 2023). "DART's 12th Street Station goes vertical in downtown Plano". Plano Star-Courier. Star Local Media. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
7. Kelley, Chris (September 26, 1990). "DART to buy Cotton Belt rail strip - Line won't be used until after 2010". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. 23A – via NewsBank.
8. McCann, Ian (May 17, 2010). "Plano, Richardson differ on Cotton Belt's course". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. pp. B3 – via NewsBank.
9. Vanderlaan, Jon (July 27, 2010). "City supports Cotton Belt in Plano". Plano Star-Courier. American Community Newspapers.
10. Hundley, Wendy (February 11, 2015). "Plano to buy land for Cotton Belt station". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. Archived from the original on February 12, 2015.
11. Mingorance, Virginia (August 23, 2023). "Plano Silver Line Station To Begin Construction". Local Profile. Community Profile, LLC. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
12. Baethge, Joshua (January 3, 2023). "How new DART stations could affect our city". Plano Magazine. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
13. Pittman, Connor (March 22, 2024). "Plano staff present draft Silver Line station area plans". Community Impact Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved June 11, 2024.