Coppell projected to become center for train, air and automated travel

Coppell and DART are moving toward a more connected way of travel with the incoming Silver Line railroad and plans for smarter street travel.

At the State of Transportation address on Wednesday, Carlos Huerta, DART’s Manager of Community Relations and Transit Education, discussed how the Silver Line project will help Coppell residents travel more easily across cities at a reduced cost.

Huerta said ridership has spiked since the increase in gas prices throughout the Dallas area. The Silver Line project currently has a $1.9 billion budget to construct and connect other DART services to the Silver Line. Huerta said bus and other train services are expected to change upon the Silver Line’s implementation. The project is expected to be fully complete by the fourth quarter of 2024. Huerta said an opening will typically take place around the holiday season, though may be completed any time between October and December.

Part of South Beltline Road’s reconstruction falls in line with the construction of the silverline railroad. Coppell is expected to have 10 silver line stations throughout the city. Each station’s platform will have different art depending on the city’s overall theme. DART also plans on conducting school outreach with  Coppell ISD to discuss public transport safety with students upon the Silver Line’s completion.

Mayor Wes Mays discussed transportation throughout the city and some of the possibilities of smarter travel. He said there are current discussions with private entities like Uber and others to partner with the city and connect residents more easily to the silver line, residents’ workplaces and homes.

He also reiterated the city’s message to not use South Belt Line road during its 15-month construction. The road is expected to have major improvements once finished.

Talking about a smarter city, Mays said city staff, with the help of the Smart City board, is, “planning with 2040 in mind,” with possibility of automated public transit and delivery vehicles.

“Our future is bright, and we want to be a model to other cities,” Mays said.

Public Works Director Kent Collins discussed the traffic lights at the meeting. The city is currently implementing yellow flashing lights at all intersections across Coppell. Additionally, the city’s traffic lights now have the capability of communicating with cars equipped with the proper computers. All signals are also accessible trough the cloud by any authorized device, mobile or computer, Collins said.