Transportation in Dallas - Mass Transportation

Mass Transportation

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is the Dallas area public transportation authority, providing buses, rail, and HOV lanes.

DART began operating the first light rail system in the Southwest United States in 1996 and continues to expand its coverage. Currently, four light rail lines are in service. The Red Line goes through Oak Cliff, downtown, Uptown, north Dallas, Richardson and Plano. The Blue Line goes through south Dallas, downtown, Uptown, north Dallas, and Garland. The Green Line goes through south east Dallas, Fair Park, Baylor Medical Center, downtown, Victory, west of Dallas Love Field, Carrollton, then ending in Farmers Branch. The Orange Line follows the Dart Red Line from North Plano through downtown, then follows the Green Line up through Victory, to Bachman Station, then goes west to Irving currently ending at Irving Convention Center. They are extending it to DFW Airport in 2014. All current rail lines are connected downtown by four rails stations. Red, Orange and Blue Lines connect to Cityplace Station, the only subway station in the Southwest.

DART will finish the Orange line by the end of 2014, bringing the length of the light rail system to around 93 miles (150 km). Further ambitions include expanding the commuter rail network in the region to over 93 miles (150 km); expanding the DART light rail network to over 150 miles (240 km) with a downtown subway included (which is very small compared to the New York system); expanding the M-Line streetcar; starting a modern streetcar line in Fort Worth; and utilizing the elevated Las Colinas Automated Personal Transit system with DART rail connections.

The DART light rail system remained the only light rail system in Texas until Houston opened METRORail, its starter light rail system (one line running less than 10 miles), in 2004. Fort Worth's smaller public transit system connects with Dallas's via a commuter rail line, the Trinity Railway Express, connecting downtown Dallas's Union Station with downtown Fort Worth's T&P Station and several points in between. The system of light rail transit, especially through downtown, has skyrocketed land values and has sparked a residential living boom in downtown. Although the system is increasingly popular, most people in the Metroplex live outside the service area of the system and, thus, rely on the automobile to get around.

DART now uses Google Maps as their main hub of transportation directions. An independent company, Dadnab, offers a service that enables riders to retrieve similar information using text messaging from their mobile phones. DART has begun downloading their route schedules to Google and this has spawned a new generation of trip planners such as TransitTrips.

RideSearch.com is based out of Carrollton, Texas and serves the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They are similar to DART in that they are a rideshare program that helps match people up who are looking for a ride. Established on January 1, 2008, RideSearch.com has been successful in finding a carpool for many people in the metroplex.