In 2006, FTA agreed to provide $700 million over a seven-year period for the project. To date, DART has received $435 million from the federal government, including a $78 million payment that was made ahead of schedule under a provision in the recovery act.

"While cars and pick-up trucks will always be a way of life in Dallas, there's no question that adding more transit makes life better for millions of residents." Rogoff said at the ribbon-cutting. "The opening of the Green Line will be a true game-changer in Dallas, connecting people and places like never before."

The project consists of two federally funded segments. The southeast segment runs 10 miles from the Transitway Mall downtown to Buckner Boulevard. The northwest segment runs 11 miles from downtown to the city of Farmers Branch. An additional three miles of the northwest segment from Farmers Branch to Carrollton was built solely with local funds. 

The project adds 16 new stations, 10 park-and-ride lots accommodating 2,700 cars, and 18 new high-capacity light-rail vehicles. An additional 38 DART light-rail vehicles were also redesigned for use on the line to increase passenger capacity. DART anticipates the new line will generate nearly 30,000 daily trips by the end of the first year of operation.

"Whether you benefit directly by riding DART or not, more transit means more jobs and greater economic opportunity for Dallas," U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wrote on his blog Monday. "We are tremendously proud to have partnered with Dallas on this terrific project. It's great to see such a strong local commitment to keeping public transportation growing as Dallas itself grows."