M-Line Trolley

McKinney Avenue Transit Authority
M-Line Trolley
M-Line car Matilda on Bowen Ave outside the car barn.
Operation
LocaleDallas, Texas
OpenJuly 22, 1989[1][2]
RoutesM-Line Trolley
Owner(s)MATA
Operator(s)MATA
Infrastructure
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Propulsion system(s)Electric
ElectrificationOverhead line, 600 V DC[3]
Depot(s)3153 Oak Grove, Dallas
StockVarious (see below)
Statistics
Route length4.6 mi (7.4 km)[4]
Stops40
2021 Ridership677,694[5] Increase 14%
Overview
Map M-Line Trolley highlighted in brown
Legend
 Cityplace/​Uptown
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
 Uptown Station
CityPlace & Noble
CityPlace & McKinney
McKinney & Blackburn
Blackburn & West Village
Cole & West Village
Cole & Lemmon (Near)
Cole & Lemmon (Far)
McKinney & Lemmon
Cole & Hall
McKinney & Hall
Cole & Bowen
Car Barn
 McKinney & Bowen
Cole & Allen
McKinney & Allen (S)
McKinney & Allen (N)
McKinney & Worthington (N)
McKinney & Boll (S)
McKinney & Routh (S)
McKinney & Routh (N)
McKinney & Fairmount (S)
McKinney & Fairmount (N)
McKinney & Maple (S)
McKinney & Maple (N)
McKinney & Pearl (S)
McKinney & Pearl (N)
McKinney & Olive (S)
Olive & Colby
McKinney & Harwood
St Paul & McKinney
Texas Spur 366.svg Spur 366
KWP/Arts District
St Paul & Woodall Rodgers
Olive & Flora
St Paul & Ross
Olive & Ross
Olive & San Jacinto
St Paul & San Jacinto
Federal & Olive
St Paul & Federal
Federal & Harwood
St. Paul
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Streetcar extension
(proposed)
Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible
This diagram:
Websitehttps://www.mata.org/ McKinney Avenue Transit Authority

The M-Line Trolley (previously McKinney Avenue Trolley) is a heritage streetcar line in the Uptown neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. The trolley line, which has been in service since 1989, is notable for its use of restored historic streetcar vehicles, as opposed to modern replicas.

The M-Line Trolley operates 7 days per week, 365 days per year.[6] The line runs along McKinney Avenue between West Village and Klyde Warren Park before leaving McKinney to service the Dallas Arts District. It connects to the DART light rail system at Cityplace/​Uptown on the northern end and St. Paul on the southern end.

The "M-Line" name was officially adopted in 2002 following the route's expansion beyond McKinney Avenue,[7] but locals sometimes refer to it using its previous "McKinney Avenue Trolley" name. To avoid confusion with the Dallas Streetcar, a separate modern streetcar operating in northern Oak Cliff, M-Line vehicles are typically referred to as "trolleys" or "cars", not "streetcars".

The trolley is operated by the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority (MATA), a non-profit organization. The trolley is free to the public thanks to donations, as well as a joint operating subsidy from Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and the Uptown Improvement District.

  1. ^ Cumbie, Jim (Summer 1995). "The Streetcar Renaissance in Dallas". The New Electric Railway Journal. pp. 28–31. ISSN 1048-3845.
  2. ^ Young, Andrew D. (1997). Veteran & Vintage Transit. St. Louis, MO (US): Archway Publishing. pp. 76–77. ISBN 0-9647279-2-7.
  3. ^ Rivas, Mariana (May 13, 2021). "How were streetcars powered in the 1940s and 50s? Curious Texas investigates". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  4. ^ Bell, John (2015). "Dallas, Texas: M-Line (McKinney Avenue Streetcar)". jtbell.net.
  5. ^ "McKinney Avenue Transit Authority". Federal Transit Administration.
  6. ^ "Route Map & Schedule". M-Line Trolley. McKinney Avenue Transit Authority. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  7. ^ "Dallas – McKinney Avenue Extension Opens". Rail Transit Online. American Public Transportation Association. August 2002. Retrieved October 19, 2013.