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On the list of things that you’d think would be suggested to make a ride on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) better, a DJ set is probably near the bottom. A regular seat scrub with antiseptic, a few Febreeze plug-ins, buses that reliably make it to Point B with all four wheels on, bulletproof vests and even massage chairs might outrank a DJ. But on Jan. 24, DART is giving riders not one but two live DJs battling it out in the same rail car.
Next weekend, en route to the Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers game at American Airlines Center, two local DJs, DJ Sober and 13lackbeard, will duel on the Orange Line between Parker Road Station and Victory Station from 6–7 p.m. The ride, called the Techno Train, is reminiscent of a bi-annual German pop-up club under the same name. The German version converts three cars into a club with full-service bars for the non-stop, 120-mile ride through the Bavarian countryside. That ride sells out in minutes.
Here in Dallas, the first 60 riders will receive an exclusive game watch party invite to the Tower Club, and after the game, 250 riders will receive an invite to a private after-party at the members-only club. It’s the perfect opportunity for the city’s public transit enthusiasts to mingle with the ultra elite who are budgeting a $300-a-month, skyscraping private club membership.
We jest.
The initiative is a creative way to boost ridership and highlight the importance and convenience of the transit service at a time when it faces a potentially perilous future. More and more member cities are eyeing the exit sign on their deals with DART ahead of the May election cycle, with six of the 13 discussing the possibility of leaving. If any of the cities vote to end their DART contracts, service in those regions would halt immediately, drastically reducing DART’s annual revenue.
So, if you’re headed to see Luka return home (kind of) next weekend, you can save on parking by taking a ride on DART. If it’s been a while since you last jumped on a car, this is your fair warning that ride fares increased in September when the DART board approved the most comprehensive changes to service provisions in their 40-year history. It looks like the changes weren’t enough, and they’ve turned to the one final resort solution that historically makes everything better: DJs.
A day-pass will cost you $6, which is cheaper than probably any nightclub cover in Dallas, and certainly cheaper than the extortionate prices at any garage within two miles of the American Airlines Center. Maybe if the transit service invites Plano-based Rep. Matt Sheehan, the man who has filed bills that would decimate DART three legislative sessions in a row, the groovy sounds of disco will change his perspective.
If it means we get to live a little more European-ly, we’ll take it.
