My Trinity River News Page 2

News from the River (Cont.)

More Than 10,000 People Visited the Trinity River
Audubon Center

More than 10,000 Dallasites attended Natural Connections, Audubon’s two-day public grand opening, October 18-19, 2008. Visitors of all ages came to view the angles of the canted windows, gaze at the architecture, see the green roof, attend a workshop on living green, learn about hiking, look for birds, and maybe even taste a bug. 

Audubon Texas Executive Director Anne Brown had anticipated 5,000 visitors over the weekend, but she and her staff were delighted to welcome more than twice that number. For the few who could not get in during Natural Connections, rain checks were provided and another week of free admission to make sure that everyone experiences the perfect Trinity welcome!

The flagship facility is dedicated to birds and habitat preservation and noted for its science and education initiatives featuring wet labs and interactive learning spaces. It has already welcomed more than 100 area school children during the first week of operation, and the center anticipates more than 25,000 students visiting annually.  This remarkable teaching facility provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience that will positively impact students’ ability to better learn and understand concepts of science, nature and mathematics.

Some of the programs at the center will be geared toward introducing young children to nature such as the Birds of Play program for children ages toddler to 4 years; and activities for the older children ages 5-12 include cute nature clubs like the Bug Club, Bird Club and even a Frog Club! It gives children something new and interesting to discover and learn.

In addition to educational opportunities for students, the Trinity River Audubon Center also offers birding classes, workshops, bug clubs, hiking trails and more.  Updated information can be found by visiting www.trinityriveraudubon.org.

Admission Information

The price of admission is $6.00 for adults (ages 13-59), $3.00 for children (ages 3-12), $4.00 for seniors (60+); children two and under are admitted free. The center is open Tuesdays-Saturdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.  The center is free on the third Thursday of each month, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.  For annual memberships, group rates and other information, visit www.trinityriveraudubon.org or call 214-398-TRAC.

 

Community View (Cont.)

The Foundation believes that it is important for Dallas citizens to feel a sense of ownership in the Trinity River Corridor. To help achieve this objective, they sponsor events such as the annual Trinity River Carpe Diem Fishing Tournament, the Trinity River Levee Run and the South Dallas education Initiative. This education initiative is an ongoing series of community meetings in the Southern Sector to explain what the Trinity River Corridor Project will bring to those communities. The Trinity Commons Foundation also holds an annual luncheon in Dallas. All of these important events raise awareness and help educate the public about the five major components of the project: flood protection, transportation, recreation, environment, and business development.

To learn more about the Trinity Commons Foundation, contact Executive Director Craig Holdomb at 214-421-2999.

DART Ridership Still Setting Records

Even after months of falling gas prices, DART continued its record-breaking pace of more than 400,000 daily passenger trips and finished Fiscal Year 2008 with more than 116.8 million passenger trips on the growing network of buses, trains, high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, paratransit services and vanpools.

The ridership gains of recent months are particularly significant given the steady decline in regional gasoline prices from their highest prices in mid-July. Total and average weekday ridership on buses, DART Rail, Trinity Railway Express and HOV were up over FY 2007.

dart chart

DART provides service near many of the major projects and gateways along the 20 miles of the Trinity River Corridor Project. For example, a DART bus stop is approximately 75 feet from the entrance of the new Trinity River Audubon Center and a rail and bus station is adjacent to Moore Park Gateway at Corinth Street and Eighth Street.
(Courtesy of DART Board Chair Report, October 28, 2008; Vol. 1, No. 11)

 
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Got questions for us? E-mail us at mytrinityriver@dallascityhall.com
Trinity River Corridor Project, 1500 Marilla, Room 6B South, Dallas, Texas 75201