Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority

Take an Early Drive Aboard DART's New Bus

Exactly one year ago Dallas Area Rapid Transit announced that it had signed a $210-million contract with Anniston, Alabama-based North American Bus Industries, Inc. for a new fleet of  compressed natural gas-fueled buses, which DART promised to start rolling out by October 2012. This morning I ... More >>

Deep Ellum's Ambrose Complex on Green Line Is Done Trying to Make Retail Spaces Work

​When The Ambrose and DART's Baylor University Medical Center Station on the Green Line finally, formally married three short years ago, Dallas Area Rapid Transit hailed it as the "consummate example of the new transit-oriented lifestyle." After all, the complex at Indiana and Malcolm X consisted ... More >>

Read NCTCOG's Long Look-See at How to Fund the Cotton Belt Regional Rail Corridor

​At 1 today the Regional Transportation Council will discuss the doc you see below: the 132-page report finished last month as part of the so-called Cotton Belt Corridor Innovative Finance Initiative, which the North Central Texas Council of Governments touts on today's agenda as "a thorough inves ... More >>

According to the Latest Customer Survey, DART Riders Are Satisfied ... Well, For the Most Part

​Below is the 2011 Customer Satisfaction Survey dispatched this morning by Dallas Area Rapid Transit in advance of today's board meeting. Long story short: Despite some issues with the transit agency -- longtime riders think the buses are getting shabby, passengers don't feel there's adequate noti ... More >>

Pants? They Don't Need No Stinkin' Pants to Ride Dallas Area Rapid Transit Light Rail.

I'd forgotten all about Dylan Hollingsworth's shoulda-been classic photo taken in January 2010, during what turned out to be the First Annual No Pants! Ride on Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail. Then a Friend of Unfair Park shot me this video from yesterday's third-annual balls-out trip on a trai ... More >>

DART Prez: Orange Line to DFW's Terminal A Will "Complete That Big-City System"

Dallas Area Rapid TransitA rendering of the Belt Line Station on the Orange Line, the last stop before Dallas-Fort Worth Airport's Terminal A come 2014​Last night Dallas Area Rapid Transit sent word that its board of directors signed off on the design-build contract that'll push the under-construc ... More >>

DART Inches Closer to Charging for "Premium Parking" at Parker and Frankford Stations

​Last month we broke the news that Dallas Area Rapid Transit would begin charging for parking at the Parker Road and North Carrollton/Frankford stations, an experiment (or "demonstration," in DART parlance) intended to boost flagging revenues. DART's been eying this for a long while; public hearin ... More >>

DART's New Policy to Serve Beer, Wine Ads

Via.​Last month we noted that Dallas Area Rapid Transit has long has a policy in place prohibiting beer and wine ads on buses and light rail. Why? No real reason, other than previous boards didn't much like the idea. But DART needs dough, which is why, over the course of the last month, board memb ... More >>

Kiddrae's Beautiful Video of Mavericks Fans Celebrating a Title. And: DART's Parade Plans.

MAVS in 6. from Kiddrae on Vimeo.I've been sitting on two videos with which I'd planned to end the day. But Dallas Area Rapid Transit just sent its rather lengthy list o' travel plans for Thursday morning's Mavs title parade, so I thought I'd share one -- Kiddrae's gorgeous short "MAVS in 6.," set t ... More >>

How the Love Field People Mover Project Fits Into Downtown-to-Oak Cliff Streetcar Project

Click to embiggen the current streetcar project alignment, which runs all of 1.6 miles​Here's a council committee briefing worth keeping an eye on today: Streetcar Planning Update, always a topic of interest but even more so as the Federal Transit Administration revenue-service deadline barrels do ... More >>

Get Moving! High Oil Prices Good (For Texas), More Rush-Hour Red Line ... and Streetcars

Dallas Area Rapid TransitThe Mockingbird Station along DART's Red Line, which will see expanded rush-hour service beginning April 11​Bloomberg News says this morning that higher oil prices may be bad for Texans, but are good for Texas -- especially the so-called Rainy Day Fund Gov. Rick Perry does ... More >>

If You Happen to See a Streetcar Downtown Today, No, You're Not Hallucinating

Via.Downtown denizens, do not be alarmed when you see one of these rolling through the city in about three hours.​There's an intriguing item on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit's board agenda this morning: "DART Board of Directors' Streetcar Tour." Which is exactly what it sounds like: At 11:30 this ... More >>

Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Ready for Prime Time Players In: That Lady Just Stole My iPad!

Via the Facebook, the city of Dallas's Office of Emergency Management directs our attention to this just-posted crime-prevention PSA made by Dallas Area Rapid Transit titled Always Be Alert, the hilarious prequel to the better-known Always Be Closing.

Never Mind That September Trial Date in Beer, Wine Case. There's Now An April Hearing.

​If you click to embiggen the image at right you'll note it's  an invite to a beer-and-wine "launch party" at the Preston Forest Whole Foods scheduled for tomorrow; it arrived this morning with the header "It's the end of Prohibition at Preston Forest's Whole Foods Market." Soon as it landed ... More >>

The City Is Open (Mostly). Schools? Not At All.

​The Dallas Independent School District, like most others 'round these parts, is closed yet again. To the Facebook message sent earlier this morning:Guess what? Dallas ISD schools and administrative offices are closed on Wednesday, Feb. 9, because of inclement winter weather. Stay safe and warm ev ... More >>

When DART, DFW, Dallas Courts and DISD Close Up, You Know It's a ... Cat-ice-strophe!

TxDOTThe view from the High Five at 7:30 a.m.​Nothing short of the End of Days gets the Dallas Independent School District to close its doors. But well before 5 a.m., the district made up its mind and told the kiddos to stay at home. Or: "Debido al mal tiempo, las escuelas del Dallas ISD están ce ... More >>

DART's Back on Track, Mostly, And Dallas PD's Very Happy You Stayed Home Today

Andrea Grimes​Dallas Area Rapid Transit sends word: It's back in action! For the most part:DART Rail is resuming and all three lines are operating on 30 minute headways. This will continue for the rest of the day. Buses are operating but slowly due to road conditions. All non-24 hour HOV lanes re ... More >>

Putting the "Green" in Green Line, as Feds Give DART a Surprise Belated Christmas Gift

Dallas Area Rapid TransitThe North Carrollton/Frankford Station as seen during the early morning hours of Opening Day on December 6​A little while ago, the Federal Transit Authority announced that it's advancing around $182 million in New Starts grants to a handful of transit projects already unde ... More >>

Ride the Green Line In Less Than 12 Minutes

We're but days away from the Grand Opening of the Green Line, which Dallas Area Rapid Transit officials have been sneak-peeking for local politicos and media members. But, really, why not ride it for yourself. Fast. And: Fun! Don't even have to leave the house, even better.

As DART Preps Green Line Debut in NW Dallas, a Business Files Suit Over Rail Removal

Dallas Area Rapid TransitA conceptual rendering of the Royal Lane Green Line station set to open in early December​In about two months, Dallas Area Rapid Transit hopes to open the Royal Lane station along the expanded Green Line. Not far from the site, on Rodney Lane, sits Central Hardwood, a mass ... More >>

City Expects $2 Mil In Federal Money Will Spur Development Around Four Light-Rail Stations

The Hatcher Station, one of four light-rail stations identified as by the city as a recipient of the feds' grant announced this morning​This morning we've received several press releases from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation announcing ... More >>

McKinney Avenue Transit Authority, Fort Worth Receive Millions in Urban Circulator Grants

​A couple of weeks ago, we were discussing the future of the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority -- specifically, its plans to create a "connector loop line down St. Paul and up Federal to Olive," in the words of MATA's chief operating officer, John Landrum. MATA and Dallas Area Rapid Transit were h ... More >>

Because You Can't Spell DART Without "Art": Fair Park Station, Traveling Man Honored

Flickr photo: Schlüsselbein2007​Mark Ball, Dallas Area Rapid Transit spokesman, sends word this morning that Americans for the Arts has selected the 40 finest public-art installations, in the U.S. and Canada, that made their bow in '09. And the only two local works to make the list, out of 300 co ... More >>

Look, Streetcars! Or: You Find the Most Amazing Things While Stuck on a DART Train.

Photos by Harry Wilonsky​Took the boy to get some "rare miles" this morning. Took Morgan Lyons's advice too -- stopped at It's a Grind, then caught the train at the Baylor station to make the Texas-OU loop. We were joined by two, three other homegrown tourists out for the morning jog 'round Fair P ... More >>

A Very Quick, Incredibly Surface Look at the State of Downtown Transportation Wish List

Squire Haskins/University of Texas at Arlington LibrariesThe cutline from UTA: "Pedestrians, street cars and automobiles clog the intersection of Main Street and Akard in downtown Dallas, November 3, 1951."​The Girl on Top has asked to liveblog this afternoon's meeting of the city council's Transp ... More >>

Hey, There's Our Pal Frank Campagna In DART's Video Tour of the Green Line Art

While I was futzing around looking for something Green Line-related yesterday, I stumbled across a couple of videos Dallas Area Rapid Transit posted a few days ago that highlight the visual art found up and down the sections of the Green Line currently up and runnin'. And, sure, there's a little Tra ... More >>

At Bachman Station Today, DART Announces Greenlight for the Green Line

Somebody really shoulda brought Mayor Tom his shades. Awful bright at the Bachman Station today. And, hey, there's Farmers Branch mayor Tim O'Hare smack in the middle!​December 6 -- that's when Dallas Area Rapid Transit officials said the Green Line would be good to go with the completion of the f ... More >>

Get on the (Census) Bus: A Sneak Peek at Dallas Area Rapid Transit's New Guilt Trip

​Dallas Area Rapid Transit held an employees-only Census 2010 rally yesterday, during which the agency's president and exec director, Gary Thomas, told workers: "If we do not get a good accurate count from the region, funding local transportation projects will miss out." At which point DART offici ... More >>

DART Rethinks Its All-Star Weekend Schedule Yet Again: Now, the Trains Will Run Till 3 A.M.

​Forget what Dallas Area Rapid Transit spokesman Morgan Lyons said on Tuesday. He sends word this morning that DART has decided to go even deeper into the wee small hours of the morning during NBA All-Star Weekend: "We're extending DART rail service even later, until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday ... More >>

Just Tell Your Fellow Passengers, "But DART Wants Us to Photograph Our Love."

Justin TerveenThe great Justin Terveen captured this couple (in love?) riding DART a while back.​I've asked Dallas Area Rapid Transit spokesman Morgan Lyons if he wants to rethink this idea:Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is inviting its customers to show off their love connection this Valentines ... More >>

Wondering What to Do With the Former First National on Elm Steet? Wonder No More.

Justin TerveenElm Place, once the largest building west of the Mississippi, in the shadow of Renaissance Tower​No need to mourn the demise of Elm Place, set to shutter for good on January 29 -- not when someone's already figured out what to do with the former First National Bank of Dallas, among G ... More >>

Thursday-Morning News Grab Bag

​Dallas Area Rapid Transit said yesterday that "for the third consecutive year more than nine out of ten Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) customers report overall satisfaction with the agency." Most riders surveyed believe the trains and buses run on time and as scheduled, are plenty safe and bett ... More >>

Texas-OU at Night? Doesn't Sound Like It.

Danny Fulgencio​Maybe you saw Michael Lindenberger's story in The News this morning about the Dallas Area Rapid Transit board meeting yesterday, during which DART officials found that DART officials didn't do anything wrong during the Fair Park eff-up that resulted in folks missing a big hunk o' T ... More >>

Why Just Hitch a Ride on a DART Bus?

​Didn't wind up with one of those Dallas Fire-Rescue pumper trucks up for auction last month, which is just as well -- wouldn't have had room for one of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit buses that went up for grabs late yesterday on my favorite everything-must-go Web site. Really, it just makes more ... More >>

In Richardson, the Proud New Owners of 220 Acres Surrounding DART's Bush Station

View Larger MapSpeaking of DART stations ...What you see above is all that empty land up around Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Bush Turnpike Station at U.S. 75 and the G.B.H. -- 220 acres' worth, to be precise. For years, it belonged to the Hunt family, which wasn't in a hurry to develop the property; ... More >>

Kay Bailey and Ray Hutchison, Putting the "Green" in DART's Green Line

Ray Hutchison​"Did Kay Bailey Hutchison cross an ethical line by supporting a rail line that is a payday for her husband?" That's the question addressed in this morning's Texas Watchdog piece written by former Observer-er Matt Pulle, who examines the Texas gubernatorial candidate's involvement in ... More >>

No Later Than October, Harwood Street Will No Longer Drive Over Woodall Rodgers

​While I was at City Hall today, Joanna Singleton sent word that the Texas Department of Transportation has selected Archer Western, which has done work on the rail expansion for Dallas Area Rapid Transit, to handle construction of the $43-million-plus Woodall Rodgers Deck Park. Her press release ... More >>

According to UNT Profs, DART's the "Economic Engine Making Dallas a World-Class City"

Click to expland the image if you actually want to peek at DART's 2030 Transit PlanThis morning at Dallas Area Rapid Transit HQ, president Gary Thomas lauded the rail expansion as "on time and under budget," and presented a new study by professors at the University of North Texas's Center for Econom ... More >>

Billion Dollar Babies: Build America Bonds to Build Dallas Area Rapid Transit's Light Rail and Maybe the Convention Center Hotel

Dallas Area Rapid Transit The Martin Luther King Jr. station, part of the Green Line expansionNo doubt you've heard of the Build America Bond -- "the financial crisis equivalent of war bonds," says this BusinessWeek explainer from last month, if you haven't. Dallas Area Rapid Transit has cert ... More >>

Attention, DART Riders, That Proposed Fare Hike is Rapidly Approaching ...

Come September 14 (and certainly year's end), Dallas Area Rapid Transit is looking to up the price of everything, from a local single ride fare (from $1.50 to $2) to a premium weekly pass ($25 to $35) to a two-zone commuter rail annual pass ($800 to $1,050) and so forth. DART's also looking to add s ... More >>

A Desire Named Streetcar

Schutze's fourth-favorite subject, streetcars, goes before the Dallas City Council's Transportation and Environmental Committee this morning, where council members will be joined by Dallas Area Rapid Transit's board of directors. They've got a lot to consider, as in: Where will the streetcars go, w ... More >>

The City's Considering Those Streetcars. But, See, They Cost Money.

Seven months ago, the word "streetcar" started showing up on Unfair Park -- seems Jim's plenty keen on the idea, along with other trolley-touters who look to yesterday's transportation option as tomorrow's development generator. Which is why, as the Dallas City Council's Transportation and Envi ... More >>

The Love Field Airport Chunnel

DART Hearts DART

Bloke on the Tracks

DART, Now More Like The Jetsons!

Jim Schutze: Now With More Talking!

A Suburb That's Unhappy With DART

DART Wants to Know How You Feel About those Downtown "Corridor Alternatives"

Get on the Bus