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Council Districts: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 14

Year of Adoption: April 2017

Summary:

The impetus for the Urban Transit Design Guidelines arose from Downtown stakeholders' desire for well-designed integration of D2 Light Rail and Central Dallas Streetcar projects into the urban fabric. Drafted by City staff in partnership with the Downtown Dallas Inc. Mobility Committee with input from DART staff, the Urban Transit Design Guidelines were developed based on best practices in consultation with:

• Downtown Dallas 360 Plan
  
• Dallas Complete Street Design Manual
• Dallas Area Rapid Transit Light Rail Project Design Criteria
• City of Dallas Tax Increment Financing Districts Urban Design Guidelines
• National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Transit Street Design Guide

The Urban Transit Design Guidelines are intended to apply to all future DART operated transit projects in and around Downtown, and address City of Dallas and DART rights-of way for the full length of transit project corridors within this geography. They are intended to be advisory in nature and to supplement existing DART Design Criteria through a review process that focuses on quality of the public realm, comfort and experience of pedestrians and transit passengers, and compatibility with adjacent development that adds to a vibrant downtown.

Review Process:

The review process associated with the Urban Transit Design Guidelines is integrated into DART's project development process by introducing a series of reviews by the City of Dallas Urban Design Peer Review Panel. The Urban Design Peer Review Panel's role is to provide ongoing urban design review at key stages through project development and engineering to facilitate a desirable urban design outcome. The Urban Design Peer Review Panel has five years of experience with providing urban design review for private projects receiving City incentives. The Urban Design Transit Guidelines will serve as the basis for this review. The Urban Transit Design Guidelines and process is not intended to replace the need for stakeholder input for individual projects. City of Dallas and DART would be responsible for ensuring timely review of all project submittals and for active engagement of appropriate stakeholders. Application of the guidelines is the responsibility of the implementing agency (DART) and its design team.