The rail station is DART’s “first infill station”, spokesman Morgan Lyons says, meaning that it is being added to the Blue Line in a spot where the Blue Line is currently operating, rather than being constructed as part of a new line or being tacked on to one end of an existing line.

The station is just north of Walnut Hill and east of Skillman, located in what is projected to become the Lake Highlands Town Center. Because the Town Center is designed as a mixed-use development — plans include retail, restaurants, office space and residential space (mostly in the form of apartments and condos built above the retail space) — the station was designed as a “kiss and ride” rather than a “park and ride” station, meaning that users would be either dropped off (hence the goodbye kiss) to ride the rail, or would be one of hundreds of people who live within the Town Center and could simply walk to the station.

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Of course, there are no Town Center dwellers as of yet, and no plans in the immediate future, that we know of, to build dwellings. So riders who board at the Lake Highlands Station will be limited to anyone dropped off, or anyone who wants to vie for one of the 62 parking spaces to the west of the station. New bus routes beginning Dec. 6 will take riders directly to the station via Whistle Stop Place, the charming name for the new road off of Walnut Hill that leads to the station.

Also opening on Dec. 6 will be the remainder of DART’s Green Line, and with 15 new rail stations going live, it’s kind of a big deal, and overshadows the Lake Highlands Station by just a smidge. But DART wants to celebrate with Lake Highlands neighbors, too, Lyons says. “We’re planning special customer appreciation events, and have a few things in the works,” he says. He promises to keep us updated, and we promise to keep you updated.