Dallas officials are exploring a new streetcar route that could connect the downtown convention center area with Fair Park in South Dallas, but city leaders say the proposal is still in its earliest planning phase. The city’s transportation department is collecting public feedback through May 6 as it studies whether the project should move forward. Key details, including the total cost, funding structure and operator, have not yet been finalised.

The proposed streetcar would be city-owned and could be operated under contract by Dallas Area Rapid Transit or another provider.

Route Would Run Through South Dallas

According to maps presented by the city, the route would begin near the downtown convention center, travel south along Botham Jean Boulevard, then turn east onto Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard before reaching Fair Park. The line would then turn around at Fair Park.

City planners have identified a two-track design, with one track running in each direction, as the preferred approach.

Officials said the project is connected to broader efforts to improve mobility and support redevelopment in South Dallas.

City Says General Fund May Not Be Used

The cost of the project remains uncertain. Council member Adam Bazaldua, who represents South Dallas, said it is too early to provide a full estimate, though infrastructure costs could range from about $10 million to $15 million per mile of streetcar track. That figure would not include the cost of the streetcar vehicles.

Bazaldua said the city would look for a funding structure that avoids drawing from Dallas’ general fund, which is facing a multimillion-dollar shortfall. He pointed to a recent agreement with DART as one possible source of support. In March, the Dallas City Council approved an agreement allowing the city to receive $211 million from DART over six years, with the money expected to support eligible transportation projects.

“I don’t think this is a pipe dream,” Bazaldua said. He described the proposal as a chance to show how dollars previously directed to DART could be reinvested to improve local transportation for Dallas residents.

Planning Still at Early Stage

Dallas transportation director Ghassan “Gus” Khankarli said the city is currently conducting high-level planning, not detailed engineering work. A preliminary evaluation of the streetcar concept is expected to be completed this summer.

Khankarli said the current feedback process is an important first step before the city decides whether to advance the project.

“This is the fundamental starting point that will allow us to launch to the next steps,” he said during a community meeting.

Community Members Raise Questions

Some residents who attended the meeting expressed interest in the idea, while also noting that many questions remain before the streetcar could become reality. The city has received more than 120 survey responses so far. Officials said the survey and project presentation are available through the city’s transportation department website.

= Bazaldua said the streetcar would focus on local neighbourhood mobility rather than regional transit service. He also said the city could seek support from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the federal government and the Texas Legislature.

“When we start thinking about how we move neighbourhoods in Dallas, that’s going to be different,” Bazaldua said.