SMU/Mockingbird station

SMU/Mockingbird station (originally Mockingbird station) is a DART Light Rail station in Dallas, Texas. It is located at Mockingbird Lane and North Central Expressway (US 75) in North Dallas. It opened in January 1997 and is a station on the Blue, Red, and Orange Lines, serving the Mockingbird Station mixed-use development and nearby Southern Methodist University (SMU).

SMU/Mockingbird
DART Light Rail station
The station from above
General information
Location5465 East Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas 75206
Coordinates32.837874°N 96.774922°W / 32.837874; -96.774922
Owned byDallas Area Rapid Transit
Platformsisland platform
ConnectionsDART Routes 3, 17, 105, 209, 249, 440-Mustang Express (M-Sat), 441-Museum Express (M-Sun)

Lakewood GoLink Zone (M-F)

Park Cities GoLink Zone (M-Sun)
Katy Trail
Construction
Structure typeTrenched
Parking708 free spaces, no overnight
Bicycle facilities6 lockers, 9 racks
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedJanuary 10, 1997[1]
Services
Preceding station Dallas Area Rapid Transit Following station
Cityplace/Uptown
toward Westmoreland
 Red Line Lovers Lane
toward Parker Road
Cityplace/Uptown
toward DFW Airport
 Orange Line
Cityplace/Uptown
toward UNT Dallas
 Blue Line White Rock
toward Downtown Rowlett

SMU/Mockingbird has the highest density population within three miles of any mass transit station in Texas. It is also the northernmost DART station serving both the Red and Blue lines; from this point the lines diverge with the Red line heading north and the Blue line heading northeast.

From January 10, 1997 to September 27, 1999, SMU/Mockingbird station was Red Line only.

The station was renamed from Mockingbird station to SMU/Mockingbird Station on August 12, 2019,[2] after SMU paid DART $463,000 for a 10-year naming rights agreement.[3]

Transit-oriented development adjacent to, and eponymous with, the station
A northbound train at the station

Surrounding development

Stairs, escalators and elevators connect the below-ground station to a ground-level outdoor mall, which was one of Texas' first modern transit-oriented developments, or TODs. The mall brought new life to the area, spurring more development around the station as years passed.

The mixed-use developments surrounding the station contain retail, restaurant, service, and entertainment options, along with office buildings and loft apartments. Events are held on a regular basis and are open to the public. DTZ manages the property and Madison Marquette manages leasing initiatives. (Cassidy Turley managed the property until it merged into the DTZ brand in January 2015.)

In a 2004 report, the Transportation Research Board called Mockingbird Station "a TOD success story," praising it for its location with "strong local demographics, and an abundance of adjacent regional attractions," and for being driven by private developers.[4]

The station also connects to the University Crossing Trail, a largely grade-separated biking and walking trail oriented toward recreational and commute cycling.

References
  1. Howell, Curtin (February 2, 1997). "DART's light rail making tracks First-week ridership exceeds expectations by 33 percent". The Dallas Morning News.
  2. "DART station renamed SMU/Mockingbird Station". Southern Methodist University. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  3. Dickson, Gordon (September 6, 2019). "SMU paid naming rights for DART Mockingbird Station. Can TEXRail do this in Fort Worth?". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  4. Transit-Oriented Development in the United States: Experiences, Challenges, and Prospects (PDF). Transit Cooperative Research Program. Transportation Research Board. 2004.


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