Las Colinas APT System

The APT system in action. Here, the people mover is just outside Bell Tower Station.

The Las Colinas Area Personal Transit System is a people mover system that serves the Las Colinas area of Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The system has four passenger stations and a maintenance & control centre, run by two cars, one for each route.

This system is not a monorail. It runs on two wheel axles, and the guideway is wider than the vehicles. See the Monorail Society[1] for a complete definition of a monorail.

It is similar to other "people mover" systems that operate in airports (such as nearby DFW) and amusement parks, but exists primarily for the benefit of office workers and a few local residents.

History

The community of Las Colinas was founded in 1973, but construction of the APT did not begin until 1979. The first phase construction contained 1.4 miles of guideway and four stations.^[1] (At this time, Phase 1 remains the only fully constructed and operational track: see Current Operation for more details.)

Although the guideways were in place by 1983, the system was not finalised and opened until 1986, following the purchase of four cars, power and control infrastructure from AEG-Westinghouse,^[1] which has since been purchased by Bombardier.^[2] Passenger service began three years later, on 18 June 1989, with the first five years of operation to be overseen by the vendor.^[1] This was part of a deal that reportedly cost $45 million dollars.^[3]

In July 1993, the system was closed due to rising expenses and a lack of demand. Obviously, plans for future expansion were put on hold, not just because of the low demand for the current system, but because the real estate crash in the Dallas area in the mid-1980s had reduced demand for development in the rest of Las Colinas.

Las Colinas saw a revival of fortune towards the latter half of the 1990s, and the system reopened accordingly in December 1996. Rising occupancy rates in the area saw a renewed call for expansion, but the current system still runs only on a limited basis.^[4]

Current Operation

Since the 1996 reopening, the system has been run by the Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District. It runs from 10:30am to 2pm on weekdays, mostly for the benefit of office workers riding to Bell Tower Station to eat lunch at the restaurants located there.^[4]

The system is operated manually, with only two trains running as demand dictates. The drivers use a small control panel that is equipped with an emergency and maintenance controls.

Track Pathing

The initial track layout has not changed since Phase 1 was opened in 1986. There are two tracks.

• Track 1 - This track currently forks north at Bell Tower and ends at Xerox Center (aka Millennium Center).
• Track 2 - This track currently forks east at Bell Tower and ends at Lincoln Place (aka Equity Offices).

Stations

The four original stations and maintenance center are still the only operational stopping points for passengers on the APT system. These stations are:

• Maintenance and Control Center - Not used by passengers, each train starts its first morning journey here. The control centre is manned by an overseer during times of operation.
• Cigna Tower - On both tracks 1 and 2, this is located at 600 E. Las Colinas Boulevard.
• Bell Tower - The main station at 27 Mandalay Canal, this is accessible on both tracks, and is located above the Mandalay Canal. The numerous dining options, as well as the Tower's central location within Las Colinas, makes this the most popular station with both local workers and visitors.
• Lincoln Place - Located at the end of Track 2, and also known as Equity Offices at 909 E. Las Colinas Boulevard. This stop is mostly used by office workers in that building.
• Xerox Center - Also known as Millennium Center, this forms the terminus for Track 1.^[2]

Vehicles

Out of the four vehicles purchased in 1986, only two are used on day-to-day service.

Future Expansion

Plans to expand the system have existed since the inception of the APT. Already there are a large number of guideway pillars places across the Las Colinas area, although no tracks are placed on most of these. Track 2 has enough space for two lines, already currently only one is placed on the guideways.

Controversy

Some, such as Gary N. Bourland, author of Las Colinas: The Inside Story of America's Premier Urban Development (ISBN 090935037), cite cases of the APT System being viewed as an expensive white elephant.^[5] It has also been cited as one of the contributors towards the high rate of taxation in the Las Colinas area.^[6] However, the Northwest Corridor Major Investment Study - carried out on behalf of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors - sees the potential to integrate the APT system into the DART network, showing that some demand remains for the service's continuation and even expansion.^[7]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Las Colinas Peoplemover (APT). Jon Bell's Transit Pages.
2. ^ ^{a b} Dallas County Utility and Reclamation District.
3. ^ Tzveta Panayotova (Facilities Planning and Construction UFL). People Movers - Systems and Case Studies (PDF).
4. ^ ^{a b} Las Colinas Peoplemover Infopage. Jerry Schneider's Innovative Transportation Technologies.
5. ^ Gary N. Bourland. Las Colinas: The Inside Story of America's Premier Urban Development. Happyme Publishing. ISBN 090935037.
6. ^ Lee Powell. "Ranch to riches: A city's tale - Las Colinas' growth marked by foresight, careful planning", The Dallas Morning News.
7. ^ City of Irving. Northwest Corridor Land Use Study.

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