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Council hears DART Silver Line update; city to cover $1,008,485 in previously approved rail enhancements
Summary
Coppell staff briefed council on DART’s Silver Line testing schedule, an amendment to the interlocal agreement that will cost the city about $1.01 million for previously committed enhancements, and a local $250,000 match request for construction of a 1.5‑mile section of the Cotton Belt Regional Trail.
City staff updated the Coppell City Council on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Silver Line project, presenting an interlocal agreement amendment that will allocate $1,008,485 from the city’s assigned general‑fund balance to pay for enhancements the council previously approved in concept.
Aaron Tater, assistant director of public works engineering, said DART has completed segmented testing and is preparing end‑to‑end testing ahead of anticipated revenue service in late 2025 or early 2026. The amendment covers previously discussed items including additional quiet‑zone crossings at Royal Lane and Freeport Parkway, BeltLine Road bridge and retaining‑wall enhancements, and enhanced black‑coated chain‑link fencing with mesh strips. Tater said some of those installations are already complete and others are in progress.
Tater also described two upcoming DART‑related items council will consider in June: a speed‑limit ordinance that would lower passenger‑train maximum operating speeds through designated Coppell crossings (freight trains would be limited to 20 mph citywide), and a resolution supporting construction funding for a 1.5‑mile section of the Cotton Belt Regional Trail through Coppell. The local match for that trail section is $250,000; the remaining construction funding is expected to come from federal and regional sources, including a TxDOT transportation‑alternatives call for projects.
On speed limits, staff said the ordinance would require trains to be at the posted crossing speed as they enter the crossing; DART’s design team adjusted some originally proposed speeds in response to city input (for example, South MacArthur’s design speed was reduced). Tater said the ordinance sets maximum operating speeds tied to design segments; actual operation will depend on DART’s acceleration and deceleration profiles.
Council members asked technical questions about where the city’s payment obligations remain outstanding and the extent of improvements already built; staff said the city previously agreed in 2021 on a larger commitment and that the $1,008,485 reflects costs still outstanding after the city took on some bridge‑landscaping work within separate projects.
No final council vote on the ILA amendment or the trail match occurred during the meeting; staff said the ILA amendment appears on the current agenda for action and the speed‑limit and trail resolutions will be scheduled for upcoming meetings.
