Arlington Comprehensive Plan Update Adopted 3-17-2015 | Page 84

presence. The Union Pacific Railroad
line currently serves the city’s Great
Southwest Industrial District, which is
the largest master-planned industrial
park in the nation.
Railroad quiet zones also present
an opportunity to increase safety
and promote development along
rail corridors. By implementing
Federal Railroad Administration
(FRA) required safety measures,
trains are able to safely travel
through at-grade crossings without
sounding their horns. This solution
is often employed in conjunction
with a new development project or
redevelopment strategy.
The Union Pacific rail line traverses
through the Arlington downtown
area. While the location of this rail
line provides an ideal locational
opportunity for passenger rail, this line
is one of Union Pacific’s most heavily
used lines and there is no capacity
for passenger trains to be added. An
alternate rail line in North Arlington,
the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line,
is utilized in a partnership with the
Trinity Railway Express (TRE).

In addition, commuter or light
passenger rail would provide a multimodal transportation system to serve
all users; however a supplemental
feeder service (such as a bus system)
is necessary for any fixed rail system
to succeed in Arlington due to the
expansiveness of the city. There is no
existing rail line for passenger rail in
Arlington; therefore any passenger
rail system would require the addition
of a complete rail, making it an
extremely expensive option. While a
combination of transit modes is ideal,
a detailed transportation strategy will
be required to determine the best
solution for Arlington.

Aviation
The 500-acre Arlington Municipal
Airport, owned and operated by
the city, is a full service general
aviation reliever airport for the DallasFort Worth International Airport.
Corporate business activity is the
base of Municipal Airport operations,
accounting for over 10,000 related
flights per month. Other aviation78