Coppell Chronicle Vol. 4, No. 48
DART to Test Drive Silver Line Trains • Trustees Inclined to Try Tax Measure Again • New Attendance Zones Get Good Reviews • Powers and Waters Compete for Seat
When my son and I went bowling in Lewisville on Saturday afternoon, the adjacent lane was occupied by a woman and her three children.
“Are you from Coppell?” she asked me. “Aren’t you the writer guy?”
That recognition and the associated ego boost powered me to the game of my life. Opened with two spares, closed with three strikes. Didn’t even hurt my feelings too much when she admitted to being a free subscriber.
DART to Test Drive Silver Line Trains
Coppell residents will see and hear Silver Line trains in action this week, because DART is about to begin test runs on the tracks’ western end.
According to a statement posted on DART’s website, the initial tests will occur between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. That statement does not say what will happen on Friday and Saturday, but take note of what is planned to begin one week from today: tests between midnight and 4 a.m.
That timing is significant because the trains’ operators will sound their horns when approaching crossings during the test runs. If you live on the south side of Coppell, you may be in for some restless nights.
When revenue service begins in 2026, all Silver Line crossings in Coppell will be designated as “quiet zones,” which means trains’ operators will blow their horns only when necessary. (The Federal Railroad Administration admits that “reduced train horn area” would be a more appropriate label.) But during these test runs, the horns will sound and flaggers will be present, as lights, signals, crossing arms, and track conditions will all be in test mode.
This article exists only because Hannah Cook, the City of Coppell’s Chief Communications Strategist, alerted me to the DART statement on Friday evening. DART sent me a press release on Tuesday evening that said, among many other things, “test runs are set to begin by the end of January in Segment A, which runs from DFW Airport to Carrollton.” But the more-specific statement linked above would have escaped my attention were it not for Cook. I owe her a cup of coffee.
If you want more information about the Silver Line, be at Town Hall in The Sound at Cypress Waters at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 19. Representatives from DART and contractor Archer Western Herzog will host a community meeting to discuss the project and answer questions.
Trustees Inclined to Try Tax Measure Again
A tax measure rejected by a majority of Coppell ISD voters last November may end up on the ballot again this November.
During a workshop on Wednesday, Coppell ISD trustees discussed various ways to address the district’s budget problems. The one method they all seemed to agree on was trying another voter-approval tax-ratification election (VATRE).