Increasing ridership is another measure of the success of the light rail system. When it opened in 1996, the average number of weekday rides on the 11-mile system was more than 18,000 passenger-trips/day. The following year, with an expansion of the system, average daily ridership jumped to 30,000 per day. In 2007, average weekday rides were around 65,000, up from 62,000 the year before. [DART web site and Dallas Morning News, 4 Oct. 2007] "People are learning about the convenience about living and working near light rail" said Lyons. "While developers are recognizing that building near light rail substantially increases the value of properties over the long term." [GlobeSt.com, Commercial Real Estate News and Property Resource, 30 Aug. 2007]
