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| Dallas Area Rapid Transit | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Area served | Dallas, Texas and 12 nearby suburbs[1] |
| Transit type | Bus, light rail, commuter rail, modern streetcar, curb-to-curb, paratransit |
| Number of lines | 91 bus 32 on-demand zones 4 light rail 3 commuter rail 2 modern streetcar[2] |
| Daily ridership | 163,300 (weekdays, Q2 2025)[3] |
| Annual ridership | 55,151,000 (2024)[4] |
| Chief executive | Nadine Lee |
| Headquarters | 1401 Pacific Avenue Dallas, Texas |
| Website | dart.org |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 1983 |
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is atransit agency serving theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex ofTexas. It operatesbuses,light rail,commuter rail, andhigh-occupancy vehicle lanes inDallas and twelve of its suburbs. In 2024, the system had a ridership of 55,151,000, or about 163,300 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2025.
DART was created in 1983 to replace a municipal bus system and funded expansion of the region's transit network through asales tax levied in member cities.DART rail began operation in 1996 and operates over 93 miles (149.7 km) of track. It was the longest light rail system in the United States until 2023, when it was surpassed byLos Angeles Metro Rail with the consolidation of theA Line.[5]
DART jointly operates theTrinity Railway Express commuter rail line betweenDallas andFort Worth, withTrinity Metro. The agency also operates theDallas Streetcar and provides funding for the non-profitM-Line Trolley.
TheDallas Transit System (DTS) was apublic transit service operated by the city of Dallas, from 1964 to 1983. DTS was formed by the consolidation ofvarious privately owned transit companies and streetcar lines. Prior to DTS, the company was formerly known as the Dallas Railway and Terminal Company whenDallas had an extensive streetcar system that spanned fromOak Cliff toNorth Dallas. The name was changed shortly after the last streetcar ran in January 1956. DART formally took over operations of the DTS in 1988.
In 2000, DART employees restored a 1966 DTS bus to its original state.[6]
DART was created on August 13, 1983, as a regional replacement for the DTS (Although the name "Dallas Area Rapid Transit" was intended to reflect the new agency's coverage of the greaterDallas–Fort Worth metroplex, its acronym DART almost immediately evoked comparisons toSan Francisco'sBay Area Rapid Transit system, known as BART). Citizens of 15 area cities had voted to levy a 1%sales tax to join the system by the time it began transit services in 1984 (though the formal acquisition of the Dallas Transit System wouldn't be complete until 1988).[7][8]
In 1985, member citiesCarrollton andFarmers Branch held elections to pull out of DART, though the measures failed. But shifting suburban politics and a loss of confidence in DART management after voters declined to support DART's measure to incur long term debt in 1988 led to seven more pullout votes, two of which (Flower Mound andCoppell) were successful. Just one suburb joined DART – the tiny community ofBuckingham, which was later annexed by DART member cityRichardson.
In December 2007, DART revealed it was facing a $1 billion shortfall in funds earmarked for the Blue Line rail service toRowlett and Orange Line rail service toIrving, and the DFW Airport.
In January 2008, DART announced it would divert monies from rail lines being built in Dallas. When Dallas officials protested, DART president and executive director Gary Thomas—who had known about the shortfall for at least eight months—announced the agency would borrow more money.
In late January 2008, DART Board chair Lynn Flint Shaw, who was also treasurer of Dallas MayorTom Leppert's "Friends of Tom Leppert" fund-raising committee, resigned from her DART post. In February, she surrendered to the police on charges of forgery. On March 10, Shaw and her husband, political analyst Rufus Shaw, were found dead in their home in what turned out to be amurder suicide.[9][10]
On July 7, 2016, one DART officer was among several people shot in amass shooting targeting police officers providing security at aBlack Lives Matter protest.[11][12] One of the officers, identified as seven-year veteran Brent Thompson, died from his injuries and became the first DART officer to be killed in the line of duty since the department's inception.[11][13]
On January 24, 2022, DART's bus network, which had dated back to DART's 1983 incorporation, was completely overhauled. The overhaul, branded as DARTzoom, was intended to improve the bus system's service reach, frequency, and hours of operation.[14] All DARTzoom local routes would be available 5 AM to midnight, seven days a week. The centerpiece of the system was 22 "core frequent" routes, which would be available from 4 AM to 1 AM with 20-minute headways for most of the day and 15-minute headways during peak periods.
DARTzoom saw many short or low-use routes consolidated or removed, and bus stops were re-organized to be a constant distance apart.[15] Eliminated routes were usually replaced with GoLink zones. The system also introduced a new route numbering scheme, which assigned route numbers and colors based on a route's frequency, rather than the previous network's type designations. Only one route (883, a shuttle route sponsored by theUniversity of Texas at Dallas) retained its original designation.
To celebrate the new network and allow riders time to adjust, all rides on the new network were free for the first week of operation.[14]
DART'slight rail system comprises 93 miles (149.7 km) between four lines, which connect northern suburbs, South Dallas neighborhoods, andDallas Fort Worth International Airport toDowntown Dallas. The system utilizes custom-builtKinki Sharyo SLRV vehicles, which are electrically powered and feature level boarding in the center segment of the car.[16]
As of the second quarter of 2025, DART light rail has 66,300 average weekday boardings, making it the7th-most ridden light rail system in the U.S.[3]
| Line | Description | Length | Stations | Opened | Last extended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Red Line | Plano toWest Oak Cliff | 27.7 mi (44.6 km) | 26 | 1996 | 2002 |
 Blue Line | Rowlett toSouth Oak Cliff | 26.8 mi (43.1 km) | 23 | 1996 | 2016 |
 Green Line | Carrollton toPleasant Grove | 27.5 mi (44.3 km) | 24 | 2009 | 2010 |
 Orange Line | DFW Airport toPlano | 37 mi (60 km) | 31 | 2010 | 2014 |
Before the 1983 membership election, DART created a plan for 160 miles (257.5 km) of rail.[17] After several cities (specificallyDuncanville,Grand Prairie, andMesquite) voted not to join the agency and a 1988 bond plan to fund the system failed, DART settled on a pared-down system, consisting of 66 miles (106.2 km) of light rail and 18 miles (29 km) of commuter rail. The first two light rail lines in the system, the Red and Blue Lines, opened in 1996.
The Dallas Streetcar is a 2.45-mile (3.94 km) modern streetcar connecting downtown Dallas toMethodist Dallas Medical Center andBishop Arts District in northernOak Cliff. The line connects to DART'sRed Line andBlue Line atEBJ Union Station. The line is owned by the city of Dallas and operated by DART under a joint funding agreement.[18]
The streetcar line was built in two phases from May 2013[19][20] to August 2016.[21] An extension of the line further into downtown, which would allow for a direct connection to theM-Line Trolley, has been proposed.[22]
The M-Line Trolley is a 4.6-mile (7.4 km)heritage streetcar line in Dallas'sUptown neighborhood. The trolley connects to DART light rail at theCityplace/Uptown andSt. Paul stations.
The trolley service is owned and operated by the McKinney Avenue Transit Authority, a private nonprofit, but DART and the Uptown Improvement District provide a joint operating subsidy that allows the service to befare-free.[23]
Trinity Railway Express (TRE) is a 34-mile (55 km) commuter rail service connecting downtown Dallas withdowntownFort Worth. The service is jointly operated by DART andTrinity Metro, Fort Worth's transit operator. It was first opened in 1996 and was extended to Fort Worth in late 2001.[24]
TRE connects to all four of DART's light rail lines, Fort Worth'sTEXRail line, andDallas Fort Worth International Airport (via bus). Service is available on weekdays and Saturdays with 30–60 minute headways. Sunday service is only available during theState Fair of Texas and other major events.
As of the second quarter of 2025, the TRE has 4,600 average weekday boardings, making it the17th-most ridden commuter rail system in the U.S.[3]
TheSilver Line is a 26-mile (42 km) commuter rail service that runs betweenDallas Fort Worth International Airport andPlano along a formerSt. Louis Southwestern corridor. The line, first proposed as part of DART's original 1983 rail plan,[25][26] opened to passenger service on October 25, 2025.[27] Service operates seven days a week with 30–60 minute headways.[28] The Silver Line connects with the DART'sOrange,Green, andRed lines providing access toDallas Love Field,Downtown Dallas viaDowntown Carrollton orCityLine/Bush station.
The A-train is a 21-mile (34 km) commuter rail service connectingDenton andLewisville to DART memberCarrollton. The line is operated by theDenton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) on a formerMissouri–Kansas–Texas corridor it leases from DART.[29]
The A-train connects with DART'sGreen Line atTrinity Mills station, which allows further travel to downtown Dallas. Both DART and DCTA sell regional-fare passes which enable travel on both lines.[30][31]
As of 2025, DART operates 75 bus routes, as well as several express routes and shuttle buses.
Most trips in the DART system are carried by the bus network. In the 2022 fiscal year, DART had 72,400 bus trips per average weekday, 54% of the system's total 134,810 trips.[32]
DART's fleet initially consisted ofdiesel buses. In 1998, the agency began usingliquefied natural gas buses alongside them as part of a broader environmental initiative.[33]
In October 2012, DART introduced a new fleet of 123 low-floor 14-to-17-passenger buses for On-Call, FLEX, and low-capacity routes.[34] The buses were manufactured byARBOC Specialty Vehicles.
From 2013 to 2017, DART would replace most of its bus fleet with 459NABI 40LFW buses running offcompressed natural gas.[35] The CNG fleet was further bolstered in 2019 with the addition of 41New Flyer Xcelsior XN40 buses.[36] In 2025, DART announced the purchase of 476Gillig buses to replace the NABI fleet.[37]
DART introducedelectric buses to its fleet in 2018. The sevenProterra Catalyst buses were originally used for the DLink shuttle in downtown Dallas.[38] When the shuttle was eliminated in 2019, the electric buses were moved to normal routes; they are currently used on route 28 (Singleton).[39] In 2023, DART ordered an additional Proterra bus, this time aZX5 Max, as a trial for long-range electric buses; it is currently used on route 20 (Northwest Highway).[39] Electric buses are denoted with a unique yellow-and-green livery.
Since the 2022 system redesign, DART has three types of routes: local, express, and shuttle. Routes are further color-coded by mid-day frequency.
| Category | Route Numbers | Active routes | Frequency (min.) | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak | Mid‑day | Off‑Peak | |||||
| Local | 1–9 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 30 | ||
| Local | 10–99 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 20–30 | ||
| Local | 100–199 | 10 | 15 | 30 | 30 | ||
| Local | 200–299 | 44 | 30 | 40–60 | 30–60 | ||
| Express | 300–399 | 5 | 15–30 | N/A | Express routes connect suburban bus-only facilities, such asRed Bird Transit Center, toDowntown Dallas using local highways and express/HOV lanes. These routes operate only during peak times. | ||
| Shuttle | 400–499, 883 | 11 | Varies | Shuttle routes are created on behalf of a sponsor, such asNorthPark Center orTexas Instruments. The sponsor determines the route's path, hours, and ridership base. Most shuttle routes are operated by a third party, Echo Transportation. | |||
DART runs its bus system similar to thehub-and-spoke model some airlines use, with specified bus-only facilities that serve as timepoints and transfer locations for multiple routes. Many (though not all) of these facilities include park-and-ride lots, air-conditioned waiting areas, vending machines, and bathrooms. Most rail stations also serve as transfer locations for bus routes, albeit with fewer connecting routes and amenities.
In 2003, DART launched a premium on-call shuttle service to replace many low-use DART bus routes.[40] The service allowed riders to schedule trips to and from any location within designated zones, though it required trips to be scheduled one hour in advance. DART On-Call operated only on non-holiday weekdays.
It was first opened in some North Dallas and Plano neighborhoods and, in late 2005, was expanded to Glenn Heights. When the service was retired in 2021, DART On-Call served north centralPlano, easternRowlett,Farmers Branch,North Dallas,Lakewood,Richardson,Lake Highlands, andGlenn Heights.
Introduced in 2008, FLEX was a hybrid of on-call and fixed-route services. The service augmented six routes inIrving,Plano, southeasternDallas, and theGarland/Rowlett area with designated FLEX areas surrounding the route. A bus could be diverted to any location within its corresponding area, so long as time permitted.
In order to request FLEX service, a passenger needed to pay System fare, which cost double the typical fare. Pickups within a FLEX area needed to be scheduled an hour in advance, though drop-offs within an area could be requested at time of boarding.[41]
In February 2018, GoLink was introduced as a modernizedon-demand service, similar toridesharing apps. While similar to DART On-Call, GoLink allows booking through DART's GoPass app (over-the-phone booking is still available), and it does not require trips to be scheduled one hour in advance. GoLink trips are included in DART passes. By default, riders are provided trips by DART-owned minivans and minibuses; riders can also opt-in to ridingUber andLyft vehicles at no extra cost.[42]
GoLink gradually replaced DART On-Call and FLEX services, which were eventually discontinued in 2021. The service was further expanded in 2022 to complement the revised bus network, replacing many less-traveled routes that were not carried over from the previous network.
As of September 2025[update], GoLink trips can be scheduled in 23[a] zones throughout DART's service area, each of which connect to designated rail and bus stations. Service is available daily from 5 AM to midnight. Travel between zones is not permitted, though some zones overlap.[42]
DART providesADA-compliantparatransit for its member cities. Patrons with physical, cognitive, or visual disabilities can schedule curb-to-curb trips to nearby passenger facilities, such as park-and-rides or rail stations. If the disabilities are severe enough that the patron cannot use DART's rail or bus services at all, they are able to schedule trips to any location within the member cities.[43]
DART previously operated two alternative services for elderly and disabled residents that did not qualify for ADA paratransit.[44] DART Rides serviced residents ofAddison,Carrollton,Dallas,Farmers Branch,Irving,Plano, andRowlett,[45] while Collin County Rides serviced residents ofAllen,Fairview, andWylie.[46] Both services were operated by the microtransit company Spare.[44] Collin County Rides was transferred to theDenton County Transportation Authority in 2023,[47] and DART Rides was discontinued in 2025 in favor of standard GoLink service.[48]
Collin County Transit provides curb-to-curb service to elderly, disabled, and low-income residents ofCelina,Lowry Crossing,McKinney,Melissa,Princeton, andProsper for a fixed fare. DART operates this service on behalf of the McKinney Urban Transit District (MUTD).[49]
Average daily ridership for DART has been in the vicinity of 200,000 riders per day over the last couple decades. In the 1st quarter of 1998, DART's weekday ridership averaged 211,000 riders per day system-wide.[50] Ridership has risen and fallen since then; total ridership, includingTrinity Railway Express ridership, has been as high as 248,500 average weekday riders in the 3rd quarter of 2008,[51] and as low as 194,700 average weekday riders in the 1st quarter of 2010.[52] However, after a year-long study in 2012 that counted passenger counts through both the existing manual method and a new automated counting system, DART concluded it has been underreporting rail ridership by more than 15 percent each year.[53] In the 4th quarter of 2012, DART reported an average weekday ridership of 252,900.[54] In the fourth quarter of 2014, DART reported total ridership had declined to 233,900 weekday riders.
Overall, DART is one of the lowest-performing transit systems in the U.S., when measured against comparable peer cities, for number of passenger trips, operating cost per mile, andfare recovery rate.[55] In 2016, in addition to rider's fare payments, taxpayers paid $5.90 for each trip taken.[56] In 2022, about 3% of DART's operating income came from passenger fares, compared to 61% from local sales taxes and 18% from COVID-19 relief grants.[57]
In addition to fares and sales tax revenue, DART has raised funds by issuing bonds. Following a referendum in 2000, DART was given the authority to issue $2.9 billion in bonds over a 15-to-20 year period.[58] In 2012, a court ruled that DART could exceed this limit so long as the debt is not solely backed by sales taxes.[59] The most recent bond issue occurred in 2021, consisting of two series for a total of $1 billion.[60]
In addition to the cities that voted to join DART at its creation, any city that adjoins a DART member city is eligible to join.
Member cities fund DART with a 1%sales tax earmarked to the Dallas Metropolitan Transit Authority (the legal name of the DART's tax district). Texas law limits municipal sales taxes to 2% total,[61] which prevents many cities from joining without sacrificing local sales taxes.[62]
DART is capable of establishing service to locations in non-member cities through special agreements. For example, DART servesEastfield College, which is within the city limits of non-DART memberMesquite, as it is a part of theDallas College system.
All current members of DART are charter members, having joined during the 1983 vote.
| Municipality | DART facilities | GoLink zones | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addison | None | Addison planned a vote to withdraw from DART but cancelled the measure in January 1990. | |
| Carrollton |
| Carrollton voted to remain a DART member in January 1985 by a 69–31 percent margin, again voted in August 1989 to remain a member, and yet again voted to remain a member in August 1996 by a 77–23 percent margin. | |
| Cockrell Hill | None | Cockrell Hill is one of only two suburbs south of the Trinity River that is a DART member, the other being Glenn Heights. | |
| Dallas | 47 rail stations and 6 bus facilities, including: | ||
| Farmers Branch |
| Farmers Branch voted to remain a DART member in January 1985 by a 61–39 percent margin, and again voted in November 1989 to remain a member. | |
| Garland |
| Garland voted to remain a DART member in November 1989 and again in January 1996 (the latter by a 2–1 margin). | |
| Glenn Heights |
| Glenn Heights is one of only two suburbs south of the Trinity River that is a DART member, the other being Cockrell Hill. Because Glenn Heights does not border a DART member city, it would be ineligible for membership today had it not joined in 1983. | |
| Highland Park | None |
| |
| Irving |
| Irving voted to remain a DART member in August 1989, and again voted to remain a member in August 1996 by a 57–43 percent margin. | |
| Plano |
| Plano voted to remain a DART member in August 1989, and again voted to remain a member in August 1996 by a 77–23 percent margin. | |
| Richardson |
| ||
| Rowlett |
| Rowlett voted to remain a DART member in August 1989, and again voted to remain a member in August 1996 by a 67–33 percent margin. | |
| University Park | None |
|
| Municipality | Joined | Left | Reason for departure | Current transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham | 1985 | 1996 | Annexed by Richardson | N/A | To date, Buckingham is the only city to have joined DART since the initial 1983 election. A withdrawal vote scheduled for July 1989 was cancelled before it occurred. |
| Coppell | 1983 | 1989 | Withdrawal election | SPAN (paratransit) | DART'sCypress Waters station is in a Dallas exclave that borders Coppell. Coppell is eligible to re-join DART, as it borders three member cities (Carrollton, Dallas, and Irving). |
| Flower Mound | 1983 | 1989 | Withdrawal election | SPAN (paratransit) | Flower Mound is not eligible to re-join DART, as it does not border a current member city. It is eligible to join theDenton County Transportation Authority, but a 2003 measure to do so failed. |
These cities have participated in at least one DART membership election and declined service. Unless otherwise noted, they are still eligible to join DART.
| Municipality | Election year(s) | Current transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Colony | 1983[63] | The Colony is also eligible to joinDCTA, as it is in Denton County. | |
| Duncanville | 1983[63] | STARNow (microtransit)[A] | |
| Grand Prairie | 1983[63] | Via Grand Prairie (microtransit)[B] | |
| Hutchins | 1992 | STARNow (microtransit)[C] | The 1992 ballot measure to join DART was rejected by 50 votes. |
| Lancaster | 1983[63] | STARNow (microtransit)[C] | |
| Mesquite | 1983[63] | STARNow (microtransit)[D] | |
| Murphy | 2002[65] | ||
| Wilmer | 1983[63] | STARNow (microtransit)[C] | Wilmer is no longer eligible to join DART, as it does not border a DART member city. |
| unincorporatedDallas County | 1983[63] |
These cities are eligible to join DART because they are adjacent to at least one DART member city.
| Municipality | Bordering DART Member(s) | Current transit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen | Plano | Collin County Rides (paratransit) | |
| Arlington | Irving | Arlington On-Demand (microtransit)[A] | From 2013 to 2017, DART andTrinity Metro jointly operated theMetro Arlington Xpress (MAX) bus route. |
| Balch Springs | Dallas | STAR Transit (bus, microtransit)[B] | |
| Cedar Hill | Dallas Glenn Heights | STARNow (microtransit)[C] | |
| DeSoto | Dallas Glenn Heights | STARNow (microtransit)[C] | |
| Euless | Irving | NETS (paratransit) | |
| Fort Worth | Irving | Trinity Metro (bus, paratransit, microtransit) Trinity Railway Express/TEXRail (rail) | |
| Frisco | Plano | Frisco Demand-Response (paratransit) | Acommuter rail route between Irving and Frisco has been proposed.[66] |
| Grapevine | Dallas | TEXRail (rail)[D] Grapevine Visitors Shuttle (bus) NETS (paratransit) | |
| Heath | Dallas Rowlett | STAR Transit (paratransit) | |
| Lewisville | Carrollton | A-train (rail)[E] DCTA GoZone (microtransit) | |
| McKinney | Plano | Collin County Transit (paratransit)[49] | Acommuter rail route between Plano and McKinney has been proposed.[67] |
| Oak Leaf | Glenn Heights | CTS (paratransit)[68] | |
| Ovilla | Glenn Heights | CTS (paratransit)[68] | |
| Parker | Plano | ||
| Red Oak | Glenn Heights | CTS (paratransit)[68] | |
| Rockwall | Dallas Rowlett | STAR Transit (paratransit) | |
| Sachse | Garland Richardson Rowlett | ||
| Seagoville | Dallas | STARNow (microtransit)[B] | |
| Sunnyvale | Dallas Garland |
{{cite magazine}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)In a peer-to-peer comparison study compiled by a Chicago-based transit agency, Dallas ranked at or near the bottom in terms of passenger trips, operating cost per mile, and fare recovery rate among 10 major U.S. cities. In terms of total miles ridden by passengers, the longest light rail system in the country came in dead last.
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