I took a packed A-train down to Dallas on Friday night. Riding it over Loop 288 and the lake was an absolute treat. Being able to walk downtown, board the train, and ride to Dallas felt miraculous. I couldn’t stop wondering what other useful and fun destinations might exist around the other stops.
I’ve heard from several people that taking bikes on the train was fine, and some held the bike in the aisle (leaning against seats), and some held the bike in the handicapped area at the front of the car.
Jeremy Ordaz, owner of Oak Cliff Bike Company, said several customers took the train to Dallas and rode to the shop. The traffic goes both ways, as I ran into a friend from Oak Cliff exploring Denton for the first time in a decade, because of the train.
Initial thoughts:
- It might be slower than driving (in good traffic), but there is high value in talking to friends, reading, listening to music, etc. It’s your time, on the train.
- Downtown Denton has a ton of fun destinations within walking distance, easily more than the other DCTA stops.
- Those destinations are all across Bell Ave, which has no crosswalk. This needs to be corrected ASAP. It’s unthinkable that this was left out of the station planning process. It’s a safety risk for pedestrians and a liability for the city.
- There’s no wayfinding at the station, so you arrive in a desolate industrial area, and nothing points you toward the square.
- Despite endless skepticism and challenges, DCTA made it happen. Bravo!
I discovered today that from the Old Town station, you can hop on the 23 which will take you to Vista Ridge Mall. According to local legend/ magician Corn Mo, Vista Ridge is a way better place to make out than golden triangle.
What is the fare from Dallas to Denton? I have a daughter living just outside Denton that would be a simple ride to visit on the train if it doesn’t cost too much.
@Opus: http://www.dcta.net/FareInformation.asp
Today I rode a combination of A-Trains, DCTA Mega-Bus & Dart Trains to Dallas, with my City-Bike in tow. 10 bucks for a system wide pass. I stopped at the West End station to change trains and have lunch at one of my favorite ole hamburger joint that’s as old as I am, the Record Grill. Many of Dallas’ famous and infamous have sat at it’s counter and had a meal beginning in 1947. It’s old timey burger and fries were just as I remembered them, as a kid. I ate there after my military draft induction physical.( joined the Marine Air Wing before I could be drafted though). I’m pretty sure, folks like Bill Decker & Lee Harvey Oswald would have grabbed a lunch there. It’s only a few hundred feet down the street from the Old School Book Depository / JFK Museum, across the street from the John Neely Bryan Cabin and a block over from the Old Red Courthouse. The Burgers & Fries there are nothing special except for the fact that they were exactly the same & unchanged from the ones they served in the 50’s. Even the tomatoes were tasty, not the bland orange slices served on fast food chain burgers. They were diminutive, probable heirloom & I’d bet from the Farmers Market. They also offer a Plate Lunch Special….as was so common in my youth from lunch counters in downtown Dallas, to the drug store in Tioga. Rode the bike all around the West End and then to my Favorite Downtown Dallas Camping Spot, in a lush tropical setting next to a waterfall, below ground level, 901 Main St.
It’s a pretty quick and enjoyable trip to the West End. There is a whole days worth of sightseeing available on foot, from there. With the bicycle….”there ain’t no place you can’t git”, or one of my favorite HiTecBoBo-isms, “not know’n where you’re go’ns the best way to git someplace you’ve never been”.
As soon as the Heartland Express, makes accommodations for bicycles (they say soon), you’ll be able to jump on the A-Train and thru transfers, end up with your bike in Oklamoma City. You’ll travel twice the distant a car trip would take, but you can ride the “Murder Mystery Train” and that is not a trip…. it’s an ADVENTURE.
See ya ridin the rails.
HiTecHoBo
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I was wondering if we could use one of your night pictures of the station? We’d be glad to credit you for it. We aren’t using it for profit; we’re making note cards featuring the station for the next Mayor-Council breakfast. Please call me at 940-349-7732 or email julie.glover@cityofdenton.com Thanks!