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The U.S. Department of Transportation recently approved a $700 million Full Funding Grant Agreement for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). The grant will help fund DART’s $2.5 billion light-rail expansion, which will double the agency’s 45-mile rail system by 2013.

DART will build a 21-mile northwest/southeast “connector” linking Farmers Branch and the Pleasant Grove area of Dallas. Once complete in 2010, the Green Line will serve Deep Elum, Baylor University Medical Center, Fair Park, Victory Park, the Dallas Market Center, the Southwestern Medical District, Love Field Airport and downtown Farmers Branch.

By 2013, DART plans to open additional branches that will extend the Green Line to Carrollton, provide service to Garland and Rowlett, and construct a new Orange Line to serve Las Colinas and DFW International Airport.

In April, the Federal Transit Administration approved the grant agreement; the U.S. transportation secretary then signed off on the grant after a 60-day congressional review period.