Las Colinas APT System: Difference between revisions

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The '''Las Colinas Area Personal Transit System''' iswas a [[people mover]] system that servesserved the [[Las Colinas, Irving, Texas |Las Colinas]] area of [[Irving, Texas|Irving]], a suburb of [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]], [[Texas]]. The system hashad four passenger stations and a maintenance & control center, and iswas runserved by two cars, one for each route. The system usesused [[automated guideway transit]] technology, although forit the moment itwas iseventually driven manually, and existsexisted primarily for the benefit of office workers and a few local residents.

OnService Augustwas 29suspended 2020,on serviceAugust was suspended29, 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=APT System |url=https://dcurd.org/apt-system/ |website=Dallas County Utility & Reclamation District |access-date=1 January 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929194800/https://dcurd.org/apt-system/ |archive-date=29 September 29, 2020}}</ref> but {{as of |April 2021}}, it was announced that the Las Colinas APT is closed indefinitely.<ref>{{cite web |title=APT System |url=https://dcurd.org/apt-system/ |website=Dallas County Utility & Reclamation District |access-date=1 January 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422164803/https://dcurd.org/apt-system/ |archive-date=21 April 22, 2021}}</ref>

The Las Colinas APT was envisioned as an automated circulator system for the developing Las Colinas Urban Center. The long range plan called for a total of 5 miles (8 &nbsp;km) of dual lane guideway and 20 stations. The system was to contain 3 inner loops and one outer loop, with passengers transferring between loops at four key interchanges. The community of Las Colinas was founded in 1973, but construction of the APT did not begin until 1979. The first phase construction contained {{convert|1.4|mi|km}} of guideway and 4 stations.<ref name=jonbell/> ({{As of|2010|04}}, Phase 1 remains the only fully constructed and operational track: see [[#Operations|Current Operation]] for more details.)

Although the guideways were in place by 1983, the system was not finalized and opened until 1986, following the purchase of four cars, power and control infrastructure from [[AEG (German company)|AEG-Westinghouse]],<ref name=jonbell/> which has since been purchased by [[Bombardier Transportation]].<ref name=dcurd/> Passenger service began three years later on June 18, 1989, with the first five years of operation to be overseen by the vendor.<ref name="June 19, 1989"/> This was part of a deal that cost $45 million.<ref name=facilities/> The system initially operated from 7 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays with a fare of 50 cents per ride.<ref name="January 29, 1989"/> In July 1993, the system was closed due to rising expenses and a lack of envisioned development following the Dallas-area real estate crash. The system was mothballed and expansion plans were put on hold.<ref name="August 12, 1993"/>

Las Colinas saw a revival of fortune towards the latter half of the 1990s, and the system reopened accordingly on December 2, 1996.<ref name="December 7, 1996"/> AlthoughEventually the current system still runsran only on a limited basis, yet the arrival of [[Orange Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)|DART's Orange Line]] and development in the area hasat calledone forpoint made expansion seem like a possibility. <ref name=jerryschneider /> AsIn its final era, as of June 10th10, 2013, the system runsran Monday-Friday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, with no service on weekends.<ref>[http://dart.org/riding/stations/lascolinasaptsystem.asp Las Colinas APT System]{{Dead link|date=June 2024}}</ref>

Since the 1996 reopening, the fare-free system has beenwas run by the [[Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District]]. It now runsran from 6:00am to 6:00pm on weekdays for the benefit of office workers riding to Bell Tower/Mandalay Canal Station to eat lunch at the restaurants located there, as well as DART passengers boarding at Tower 909.<ref name=jerryschneider />

Phase I, which included part of the outer loop's western section and part of one inner loop, remains the only segment in service until closure. The guideway containscontained two tracks with space for a third if demand warrants, and is grade-separated for the length of the route. Contrary to popular rumors, the system was never meant to be expanded beyond the Las Colinas Urban Center.

*'''Track 1 (Red Route)''' - This route beginsbegan at 600 E. Las Colinas Boulevard and ends at Urban Towers.

*'''Track 2 (Blue Route)''' - This route beginsbegan at 600 E. Las Colinas Boulevard and endsended at the 909 Tower and the DART {{DART O}} [[Las Colinas Urban Center Station]].

*'''Track 3''' - This track beginsbegan at Urban Towers and endsended at Tower 909. The guideway was constructed but tracks were never installed or in operation.

The four original stations and maintenance center arewere the only operational stopping points for passengers on the APT system. All stations arewere elevated and protected from the elements. All stations except for Bell Tower/Mandalay Canal Station arewere accessed through private office buildings.

*'''Urban Towers''' - Tracks 1 and 3, serving the Urban Towers office building at 222 W. Las Colinas Blvd. This servesserved as the current northern terminus of the system.

*'''Tower 909''' - Tracks 2 and 3, located at 909 Lake Carolyn Parkway. This stop servesserved the Tower 909 office building and is the eastern terminus of the system. The station includesincluded an elevated pedestrian connection to the DART {{DART O}} [[Las Colinas Urban Center Station]].

*'''Bell Tower/Mandalay Canal''' - Tracks 1 and 2, located above the Mandalay Canal at 27 Mandalay Canal. This iswas the main and most popular station and servesserved numerous dining options. Known formally as the Lauren E. McKinney Transit Center.

Out of the four vehicles purchased in 1986 from Intermountain Design Inc. (IDI), only two arewere used on day-to-day service. Each vehicle cancould carry 45 passengers comfortably: 33 standing and 12 seated. The system iswas operated manually, with only two trains running as demand dictates. The drivers useused a small control panel that is equipped with an emergency and maintenance controls. In April 2013, Schwager Davis, Inc. signed a contract with DCURD for the Operation & Maintenance of the Las Colinas APT System. Today Schwager Davis, Inc. employees 10 people to maintain the system, dispatch the trains & (4) drivers.

The '''Maintenance and Control Center''' is where all vehicles arewere stored. Each train startsstarted its first morning journey herethere. The control center iswas mannedstaffed by an overseer during times of operation.

Plans to expand the system have existed since the inception of the APT. The original plan called for a banana-shaped loop route that completely circled Lake Carolyn, but [[Orange Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)|DART's Orange Line]] will now follow the route of the planned eastern section (although this does not block the APT from potentially following the same path, nor is DART able to fulfill the same purpose on this route as the APT). A number of guideway supports without tracks existed north of the Urban Towers Station before they were demolished to make way for development. The Track 2/3 guideway has enough space for two lines, although currently only Track 2 is in operation.

In 2012, the Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District completed a process to expand the system with the arrival of [[Orange Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)|DART's Orange Line]], creating an interchange at Tower 909 Station with DART's adjacent [[Las Colinas Urban Center Station]]. Additional possible future expansion options considered during this phase of growth include: <ref>[http://www.dcurd.com/Las%20Colinas%20Initial%20Screening%20v10%20FINAL.pdf Las Colinas Initial Screening FINAL]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

* Extending Track 1/2 to [[Orange Line (DART)#Deferred|South Las Colinas Station]] for future [[commuter rail]] access.

Some, such as Gary N. Bourland, author of ''Las Colinas: The Inside Story of America's Premier Urban Development'', cite cases of the APT System being viewed as an expensive [[white elephant]].<ref name=happyme/> It has also been cited as one of the contributors towards the high rate of taxation in the Las Colinas area.<ref name=foxglen/> However, the Northwest Corridor Major Investment Study - carried out on behalf of the [[Dallas Area Rapid Transit]] Board of Directors - referenced the (since completed) integration of the APT system into the DART public transit network, showing that demand remainsremained for the service's continuation and even expansion.<ref name=irvinglanduse/><ref name="fc100414"/> This, however, never came to be.

<ref name=facilities>{{cite web| url=http://www.facilities.ufl.edu/cp/pdf/PeopleMovers.pdf| author=Tzveta Panayotova (Facilities Planning and Construction UFL)| title=People Movers - Systems and Case Studies| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060827234829/http://www.facilities.ufl.edu/cp/pdf/PeopleMovers.pdf| archivedate=2006-08-August 27, 2006}}</ref>

<ref name=foxglen>{{cite news| url=http://www.foxglen.org/LCHistory.htm| author=Lee Powell| publisher=The Dallas Morning News| title=Ranch to riches: A city's tale - Las Colinas' growth marked by foresight, careful planning| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060513041434/http://www.foxglen.org/LCHistory.htm| archivedate=2006-05-May 13, 2006}}</ref>

<ref name=irvinglanduse>{{cite web| url=http://www.ci.irving.tx.us/economic_development/Land_Use_Study/part2.asp| author=City of Irving| title=Northwest Corridor Land Use Study| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927034406/http://www.ci.irving.tx.us/economic_development/Land_Use_Study/part2.asp| archivedate=2007-09-September 27, 2007}}</ref>