July 23, 2016: A Visit to The Modern & Kimbell Museums in Fort Worth | |
June 13-15, 2016: A Visit with Jeffie in North Carolina | |
Return to the Index for 2016 |
This is the last of four web pages chronicling my excursion on DART today. If, for any reason, you would like to return to the previous segment, just click on the link below:
Let's start out on the southern portion of the Green Line (although Inwood Station would be considered to be on the northern portion, I'm using it as a convenient dividing line today). I'll be covering new ground today, since Fred and I rode the Green Line all the way to North Carrollton a year or so ago.
The Green Line: Southwestern/Medical District/Parkland Station
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In this complex are the internationally recognized UT Southwestern Medical Center and School, Parkland Hospital, Children's Health Children's Medical Center, the UT Southwestern William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and the UT Southwestern Zale Lipshy University Hospital. What with the thousands of patients and workers who come here daily, I would think this is one of the busiest stations- particularly considering all the new construction.
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Medical District Station |
Modern miracles happen every day in the myriad of medical facilities surrounding Southwestern Medical District/Parkland Station. Inspired by these surroundings, station artist Susan Kae Grant set out to create a soothing station environment.
She wanted a restful place where riders can feel both comfortable and comforted. Cladded in a stainless steel mesh, the platform columns have a sleek, modern appearance. Marbles in a variety of sizes and colors circle the base of the columns. In keeping with the look, the platform uses gray and white pavers in a simple checkerboard pattern. For the windscreens, Grant took black-and-white photographs of mannequins. The resulting silhouettes make for an interesting study of the human form.
The Green Line: Market Center Station
Simplicity reigns at Market Center Station, with circular shapes dominating the landscape. The concept is based on a painting by station artist Michael R. Whitehead entitled "Good Manners When Addressing Clouds". The idea is also inspired by the plastic template tool that architects, artists and designers use to draw circles.
Market Center Station (Looking Southeast) |
Market Center Station (Looking Northwest) |
Column Style |
The column style here was rectangular, with smooth concrete at the top and bottom and a rippled effect in the white concrete between the two caps.
The Green Line: Victory Station
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With nods to downtown Dallas' colorful history and touches of playful whimsy, Victory Station is designed for both aesthetic appeal and efficient function.
The station boasts four platforms for DART Rail and its companion Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter service between Dallas and Fort Worth. While the platforms are topped by DART's familiar gull-wing canopies, the supporting columns are unique to Victory with rich terracotta brick.
"We looked at the architecture of the AAC, which came from the historic warehouse district in the West End, and we created a modernized version of that," says Craig King, manager of DART's Art and Design Program.
A pedestrian plaza leads visitors from the station to the AAC's front door. While a standard width now, the plaza will be expanded to almost 130 by 300 feet - roughly the dimensions of a football field - inviting gatherings of fans and friends before and after events.
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The layout is a bit more complicated here, since the TRE Line has its own tracks west of both of the DART Light Rail tracks. I hopped off my train to get a picture looking north and south, and then after the train left the station and as it wound around to head northeast through the downtown station corridor, I got some nice pictures of the Dallas skyline:
Click on Thumbnails to View |
The Green Line: Downtown Transitway Mall
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Downtown Transitway Mall: West End Station
West End Station (Looking West) |
West End Station (Looking East) |
As we left the West End Station heading east, I got a good view of Bank of America Plaza, at 72 stories the tallest building in Dallas (and third tallest in Texas).
Downtown Transitway Mall: Akard Station
The mile-long Downtown Transitway Mall in Dallas' Central Business District was seen by the City Council as providing a new opportunity to enhance the economic vitality, beauty, and safety of the area. It was expected that the mall would re-energize downtown as a center where people work, come for cultural, shopping, and recreational purposes, and even reside. While it was fairly busy, I don't think that many people spend any more time there than they have to get on and off their trains on the way to their final destinations.
Akard Station (Looking West) |
Akard Station (Looking East) |
Downtown Transitway Mall: St. Paul Station
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Recognizing that they wanted to not only provide rapid transit for downtown workers and visitors but attempt to revitalize the area as well, the community committee and design team attempted to create a user-friendly transitway mall designed to foster a sense of vibrancy throughout the area -- including the spaces between the stations -- and to "celebrate the city's past, present, and future".
Those were lofty words, and perhaps set too high a bar. Unless they have reached a critical mass in population (like New York and Chicago), have a long history of downtown living (like San Francisco and Atlanta), or are compact enough (like Philadelphia and Boston), American cities are, by and large, ghost towns at nights and on weekends. Workers who might commute downtown five days a week rarely want to do so again on the weekend. And unless there are attractions or services that they can only get downtown, there is little reason to do so.
As for Dallas, the only "draws" after hours seem to be the American Airlines Center (not served by any of the downtown transit stops) and the Dallas Arts District, which is only a couple of blocks from this station and the last one in the Transitway. Sadly, I think that very few of the people who attend events in the Arts District (a pretty upscale crowd) would ever want to do anything other than drive their cars downtown (the evening traffic being entirely manageable) and park in one of the Arts District garages. In many cases, to get their venues, they have only to take an elevator directly from the garage. Fred and I always drive to the Symphony. There is plenty of street parking (free after 6PM) and it only takes about 12 minutes door to door. If we were to take DART, my conservative estimate would be 45 minutes from our house to Symphony Hall.
St. Paul Station (Looking Southwest) |
St. Paul Station (Looking Northeast) |
Downtown Transitway Mall: Pearl/Arts District Station
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But in all the times that Fred and I have been to the Symphony, and in all the times that we gotten out of the performance at the same time as perhaps six or seven hundred other people, we've never seen very many people walking from that venue to the Pearl/Arts District Station- and we usually park on the street near it, so we would have seen folks walking in the same direction as we were.
So I am skeptical that very many people use the DART Light Rail to come downtown (other than the daily work commuters of course). In some of the other cities I mentioned above (particularly New York and Chicago) the mass transit systems are heavily-used by people who want to get downtown for reasons other than work. But here in Dallas, I doubt that this is true.
Be that as it may, the planners of the Transitway chose a central theme, "The City in Motion" -- motion referring to both the transit system and to the city's growth and development. Perhaps these pictures will allow you to determine whether this theme comes through.
Again, to creat a complete record of the stations I visited today, I hopped off my Green Line train at the Pearl/Arts District Station to take photos looking in both directions.
Pearl/Arts District Station (Looking Southwest) |
Pearl/Arts District Station (Looking Northeast) |
The Green Line: Deep Ellum Station
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But it was the large concentration of sheet metal and auto repair shops from the 1950s and 1960s that provided the theme for the Deep Ellum Station.
With the area's oral history fading, artist Julie Cohn was commissioned to take an empty canvas and make it beautiful; she was responsible for the design of the station itself.
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For decades, motorists entering the Deep Ellum neighborhood from downtown Dallas on Good-Latimer would drive through a long railroad underpass with concrete walls that became a canvas for local muralists. When it was decided that this iconic "gateway to Deep Ellum" would have to be removed to make way for the new Deep Ellum Station, DART set out to provide the area with a new public art hallmark.
In what has been dubbed "The Deep Ellum Gateway Project," DART hosted a design competition for an imaginative and highly visible public art project to welcome all visitors who enter Deep Ellum- a competition won in 2007 by the Oldenburg/Oldham partnership. Their three-part stainless steel sculpture series called "The Traveling Man" is generally agreed to have delivered in spectacular fashion on the purpose of the competition.
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In this sculpture, a nine-foot "Traveling Man" leans against a concrete portion of the original Deep Ellum Tunnel and strums his guitar while waiting for the next train. The circular shape of the guitar body was meant, according to the artists, to resemble the core of his own body, reminding viewers his music comes from his heart.
The Green Line: Baylor University Medical Center Station
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Perhaps because the two stations are so close, the Baylor station brings together two divergent groups- a professional, business-oriented medical plaza and the concentration of the arts that is Deep Ellum.
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The station is conceived as a vibrant public space - and, uniquely, includes a two-acre plaza featuring extensive landscaping. Over on the plaza, which I did not have time during the brief train stop to go visit, the concrete floor of the plaza is "...imprinted with a giant fingerprint, with five paths radiating out from it," says Karen Blessen, the station artist. "Each path is emblazoned with a mosaic representing one of the five senses. The gardens and plaza can be many things - a play area, a retreat for friends and relatives of patients at Baylor, and a respite for those waiting for a DART train." The platform area reflects that theme, as well. The columns contain a collage of elements reflecting the architecture and character of Deep Ellum and Baylor. The basic fluted column shape is a reference to the original Baylor Hospital columns, while the surface of the column erodes to reveal brick material that refers to Deep Ellum. The windscreens pay homage to people who have shaped each community.
In both the plaza adjacent to the station and the station itself, the artist has made the connection between the life experiences of Baylor and the life expressions of Deep Ellum, and created a station with a pulse all its own.
The history of the largest private medical district in Dallas goes back more than a century to the establishment of the Texas Baptist Memorial Sanitarium in 1903 in a 14-room renovated house. The sanitarium was the result of the efforts of a medical professional, who saw the need for "a hospital of great importance" for Dallas, a pastor, who saw the need for "a great humanitarian hospital", and a wealthy cattleman, who gave the $50,000 needed to establish the hospital. The Baptist General Convention of Texas agreed to help support and administer the hospital, as well as raise funds for a new hospital building.
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In 1929, Baylor administrators created the first prepaid hospital insurance plan in the United States and predecessor of Blue Cross, and in 1936 the facility was again renamed- this time to Baylor University Hospital. In 1943, financial difficulties forced the Baylor College of Medicine to accept a grant from a foundation and relocate to Houston. The hospital realized that in order to survive the depression and the relocation of the College, the hospital must build new facilities to attract private patients. After much planning and fundraising, the seven-story, 436-bed George W. Truett Memorial Hospital opened in 1950. This "hospital of tomorrow" featured air conditioning and made Baylor University Hospital the fifth largest general hospital in the United States.
Another name change in 1959 created the Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, and over the next 40 years not only performed most of the area's or the state's first operations of various types, opened six entirely new hospitals in the Medical Center Complex, opened twin office towers for physicians, and opened a 75-room hotel, but it also established and continued to expand the Baylor Health Care System, in which many area hospitals, medical centers, physicians, diagnostic centers and rehabilitation centers offering patients complete interdisciplinary care. Baylor Medical Center even established the CareFlite helicopter ambulance service (1988)
Baylor's long series of medical "firsts" and its now huge physical plant, influenced U.S. News & World Report to name it one of "America's Best Hospitals" in 1993. It has continued on that list almost without hiatus. The HealthTexas Provider Network (of which I am a patient) began in 1994, offering cross-disciplinary, coordinated care. Baylor Medical Center is now Dallas' premier private hospital system, and North Texas' largest provider and hospital network.
As the Green Line train continued to the next station, we passed this interesting restaurant and beer garden.
The Green Line: Fair Park Station
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Fair Park, a Dallas landmark, contains the largest collection of Art Deco exposition buildings in the world, built for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. Back then, trolleys traveled along Parry Street in front of the main entrance to the fair. Now, DART Rail cars do the same.
In creating their vision for this station, Brad and Diana Goldberg - the artists responsible - have paid respect to the rich history of the area as well as the surrounding neighborhoods.
Built for the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition, the grand exhibit halls and esplanade of Fair Park constitute the only intact and unaltered pre-1950s world fair site in the United States. Until 1956, trolleys served the fairgrounds with a stop at the main entrance on Parry Avenue. The Green Line's Fair Park Station is situated right where that original trolley stop was, more than a half-century ago.
"It was important that the design of the station be extremely sensitive to the historic context, the functional requirements of Fair Park, and the context of the surrounding neighborhood," says Brad Goldberg, who was the station artist along with his wife Diana.
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Other elements contribute to the seamless effect: fluted limestone columns resonate with the nearby Hall of State, while curvilinear seating echoes the rounded shapes evident throughout Fair Park. At night, artistic lighting elements will reflect the historic use of dramatic lighting at Fair Park, and enhance not only the station but the entrance as a whole.
Although I have lots of pictures of Fair Park on some of the pages in this album devoted to our visits to the State Fair of Texas, I took a few pictures from the Fair Park Station platform anyway:
The Green Line: MLK, Jr. Station
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"Additionally, the handrail extends from the transit center and will have patterns symbolizing wisdom and understanding," Gillespie says. The patterns featured in the column cladding are also based on kuba cloths, and are associated with the art of storytelling.
The windscreens feature images from noted local photographer R.C. Hickman, who documented Dallas' civil rights era. The MLK, Jr. Station artphotos tell the story of the city's African-American community during that turbulent time. In a separate piece of commissioned art, sculptor Steve Teeters augments the theme of African storytelling with the construction of two 17-foot African "talking drums."
"Drums are among the most important art forms to come from Africa," Teeters says. "They were used to tell stories, and for long-distance communication, as well. It's an appropriate image for a station named after a man who made great changes in the world simply by communicating ideas. And, just as talking drums were passed from one generation to the next, the ideas of Martin Luther King, Jr. are alive in the present and future generations."
The Green Line: Hatcher Station
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This ever-changing neighborhood once contained a natural body of water, Wahoo Lake, and a cotton mill, owned by black landowner Joe E. "Boots" Wiley. African Americans often sought work at the mill. At Hatcher Station, this art project attempts to recover a neighborhood's lost history and tie it to the present.
Much of the historical record is reflected in the station's columns, one of which is above, turned on its side so you can read it. This column commemorates the Queen City Heights Historic District. Developed around a Reconstruction-era settlement of farmers and workers, Queen City is significant as the historic center of the African American community in South Dallas. Populated by working-class Black families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Queen City helped spawn the subsequent development of surrounding African American neighborhoods.
Knowing the area's history, artist Vicki Meek created a wonderful backdrop for the station- two murals in the form of a community quilt, featuring work from area artists. This mural reflects the community, both past and present. There were two of these quilts, one at either end of the station; here are both of them:
The artist carried this vision throughout her design; the landscaping and paving both use a quilted look, with the latter featuring offset gray pavers to create the appearance of stitching. The crosswalk pavers showcase the names of businesses that once thrived in the area, another nod to the community's history.
The Green Line: Lawnview Station
Most of the time on DART Light Rail, when the track isn't actually elevated because there was no place on the ground to put it, street crossings are accomplished with crossing gates so traffic stops for a moment as the train goes by. But between Hatcher and Lawnview, there's a railroad line, and so DART had to go over or under it.
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So, as we left Hatcher Station, I could see ahead that the track sloped up to go over a bridge and then back down again; as we crossed the bridge, you could see the Lawnview Station quite a ways ahead.
I thought this section to be interesting enough to make a movie of, and there is a player at left for it.
The art for this station was intended to recognize the area's early settlers, offering riders the chance to step back in time. Artist Leticia Huerta's design pays homage to the wildlife native to the surroundings - a total of 190 different birds, bats, foxes, coyotes and other creatures that call these woods home.
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Since the location once served as a junction where Native Americans and pioneers traded with travelers, Huerta also incorporated elements such as beadwork into the design of the station. She also incorporated poems and narratives from Native American books into her design- but much of this was away from the actual station platform, and I couldn't get to it for photographs in the few seconds that the train was stopped at the station.
There is also, apparently, a storytelling wall that has been erected between this station and Lake June Station. The wall is symbolic of a similar wall that once stood in the same place, which told tales of the Comanche people. I don't know if this wall is visible from the train; I certainly didn't see it.
The Green Line: Lake June Station
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These early settlers balanced life between intensity and serenity. Artist Viola Delgado captured this concept beautifully by using a mix of organic shapes, natural materials and vibrant colors.
Coming down to this station from Lawnview you might think you'd left the city behind and gone onto an intercity route, but off to my left, although there was a wall and a lot of trees, there was still cityscape.
The Green Line: Buckner Station
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Historically, the railroad promised a new way of life for settlers, an influx of new experiences and ideas. The station design echoes rail's past — using the brown and gold colors you might see at an old train stop, combined with rivets and metalwork from the industrial age.
Despite its historical focus, artist Leticia Huerta has given the station a modern feel. It's inspired by the past but living in the present — a station that urges riders to look back as they move forward.
Being the last station on the Green Line, I had time to get off the train and wander around before I boarded the same train heading back. (This end-of-line station uses the same "X-crossing" to ensure that whichever side of the platform the arriving train comes to, it can cross over to the northbound track as necessary.) I took a few pictures here at the station:
My Return to Inwood Station
Beginning the Return Trip from Buckner Station (Mouseover Image Above for Video Controls) |
A more interesting movie is the one I made as we pulled into, stopped at, and pulled out of the Lake June Station.
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Lake June to Lawnview Station (Mouseover Image Above for Video Controls) |
The ride back was about the same as the ride down (and the same wheelchair passenger than had ridden down from North Carrollton was back on the train. (I suspect that he was taking advantage of the air conditioning and a cheap all-day outing). I made two more movies on the way back that I want to include here.
Coming Into the Downtown Transitway (Mouseover Image Above for Video Controls) |
Passing by Parkland and the Medical District (Mouseover Image Above for Video Controls) |
Taking this ride on DART today was very interesting. First, I got a chance to see what the route to the Airport is like, in case I ever want to take advantage of it. And then I rode DART south to neighborhoods I have never visited before. And I learned a lot about these neighborhoods by investigating the individual designs of each station. I look forward to doing the same thing for the Red Line and the Blue Line sometime in the future.
This is the end of my excursion on DART today. If you would like to return to the previous page for today's excursion, please click the link below:
Otherwise, you can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.
July 23, 2016: A Visit to The Modern & Kimbell Museums in Fort Worth | |
June 13-15, 2016: A Visit with Jeffie in North Carolina | |
Return to the Index for 2016 |