Featured Tweet: Loyal rider displays years of monthly passes

Posted on April 1, 2015 by

Thanks to Twitter user Richard Terrell (@KirbyKid) for being a loyal rider for many years, and saving the passes to prove it!

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Six-year, $478 billion transportation bill sent to Congress

Posted on March 31, 2015 by

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Announced Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx sent Congress a long-term transportation bill that will provide the funding necessary for states and cities to proceed with repairing and improving the nation’s infrastructure.

The bill, called the GROW AMERICA Act, is the solution to the current federal highway law that is set to expire at the end of May.

From the U.S. Department of Transportation press release:

The GROW AMERICA Act reflects President Obama’s vision for a six-year, $478 billion transportation reauthorization bill that invests in modernizing America’s infrastructure. As lawmakers try to fund transportation beyond May 31, GROW AMERICA provides members of the House and Senate with the option of increasing investment in surface transportation by 45 percent, and supporting millions of jobs repairing and modernizing roads, bridges, railroads and transit systems in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

“All over the country, I hear the same account: the need to repair and expand our surface transportation system has never been greater, and yet federal transportation funding has never been in such short supply,” Secretary Foxx said. “Our proposal provides a level of funding and also funding certainty that our partners need and deserve. This is an opportunity to break away from 10 years of flat funding, not to mention these past six years in which Congress has funded transportation by passing 32 short-term measures.”

What does the GROW America Act mean for Texas? See how the bill will boost Texas’s resources compared to the current flat-funding scenario:

  • FY 2016 Federal-Aid Highway Apportionment to Texas under Extensions with Flat Funding: $3,075,425,063    
  • Estimated FY 2016 Federal-Aid Highway Apportionment to Texas under the Administration’s GROW AMERICA Act: $3,744,587,291
  • FY 2016 Federal Transit Administration Apportionments and Allocations to Texas under Extensions with Flat Funding:$413,759,571
  • Estimated FY 2016 Federal Transit Administration Apportionments and Allocations to Texas under the Administration’s GROW AMERICA Act: $637,978,784

PrintFor public transportation specifically, the bill will increase average transit spending by 76 percent annually. This means more projects, more expansion, more jobs, improved service and more. Learn more about the impact of federal funding on public transportation at DART and other systems at standup4transportation.org.

GROW AMERICA Act [U.S. Department of Transportation]

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DART Art: Light rail makes a cameo at The Taco Joint in Richardson

Posted on March 30, 2015 by

Featured Photo Taco Joint

Thanks to The Taco Joint in Richardson for including DART’s light rail in a beautiful mural! You can enjoy the view while dining on their delicious tacos and more. Stop by and check it out for yourself. They have two more locations in Dallas.

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Rider Insider: Find things to do this weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth

Posted on March 27, 2015 by


Via The Dallas Morning News

• Ride the DART Rail Red Line or Blue Line to Convention Center Station this weekend to the 2015 DFW Auto Show at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (formerly the Dallas Convention Center). One of the most anticipated annual events in the Metroplex, the DFW Auto Show is the ideal opportunity for consumers to compare styling and pricing of every major line make under one roof in just a few hours. The DFW Auto Show was conceived in 1982, and now boasts more than half a million square feet of new cars, trucks and SUVs at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, 650 S. Griffin. Information: dfwautoshow.com.

• Ride the DART Blue Line to Downtown Garland Station, then DART Bus Route 513 to the 9th Annual KidsFest from 11 a.m to 1 p.m Saturday at Firewheel Town Center in Garland. This year’s theme is “Keep it Moving” and the focus will be on teaching children the benefits of healthy living. The event will be filled with entertainment and high-energy activities for children. KidsFest features a huge egg hunt that starts at 11:15 a.m. with thousands of goody-filled plastic eggs. There will be face painting, a video game truck and bounce houses. Beloved characters will greet children and Fit Kids will perform their high-powered workout routine. An on-air personality from WFAA will be signing autographs. Come out and enjoy the afternoon. Benefiting Galaxy Counseling Center. Information: www.galaxycounseling.org.

Find more events like Disney On Ice presents Frozen! or The Color Run on our Rider Insider Online Calendar or in the brochures found on DART light rail vehicles or buses.

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Destination DART: Honoring The Queen of Tejano Music

Posted on March 26, 2015 by

Selena

Happening March 29, The Texas Theater will celebrate the life of Texas icon, Selena Quintanilla-Perez.

The Tejano singer was murdered by her fan club president March 31, 1995. This year marks the 20th anniversary of her untimely death. In commemoration the theater will have a special screening of ‘Selena.”

Starring Jennifer Lopez, the film follows the singer’s rise to super-stardom.

Join North Texas fans to laugh, sing and show off your best “washing machine.”

Even if you’re not familiar with her music come out and see why this artist is one of Tejano music’s biggest icons, and continues to gain a whole new mass of fans across Texas and all over the world.

The movie starts at 4:00 p.m. and is free of charge, thanks to the Oak Cliff Cultural Center.

DART riders can get to The Texas Theater on the Red Line, to Route 019 then Route 011.

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DART launches partnership with social network Nextdoor

Posted on March 25, 2015 by

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Dallas Area Rapid Transit is announcing a partnership with Nextdoor, the private social network for neighborhoods, to better connect with area residents about transportation and mobility. DART is the first transit agency in Texas to join Nextdoor and the second in the country.

What is Nextdoor?

Nextdoor is free social network for North Texas residents. Each area neighborhood has its own private Nextdoor neighborhood website, accessible only to residents of that neighborhood. Neighborhoods establish and self-manage their own Nextdoor website. More than 100,000 residents in DART’s service area are already sharing information about public safety issues, community events and activities, and local services.

Why is DART getting involved?

Nextdoor is a valuable tool for DART’s public outreach. DART will be using Nextdoor to share information about planned service changes, news, meetings and other information to the specific neighborhoods impacted the most.

It will not replace our Rider Alerts and users are still encouraged to sign up for those at dart.org/email for specific route, station and service information.

Can DART see everything being discussed in my neighborhood?

No. DART will not be able to access residents’ websites, contact information, or content.

Ready to join us?

Connect with us on Nextdoor

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Videos: Dallas Police officer serenades DART commuters

Posted on March 24, 2015 by

Dozens of Dallas Police officers rode the rails last Friday as part of “DARTing with the Chief on the Beat” and one of those officers proved to have quite the talent. Watch below as Dallas Police Officer Charles Vaughn serenades commuters heading into downtown Dallas.

Also, watch as Dallas Police Chief David Brown talks about the importance of interacting with the community.

[Video credit: The Dallas Morning News]

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Photos: See the brand new, state-of-the-art Dallas Streetcar

Posted on March 23, 2015 by

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When the Dallas Streetcar opens for business on April 13, it will be a brand new, first-of-its-kind vehicle carrying passengers from downtown Dallas to north Oak Cliff. The vehicle, which was a designed and built by Brookville Equipment Corp. of Pennsylvania, will be the first streetcar in the United States that utilizes wireless traction power. This means the vehicle will be powered by overhead lines on surface streets, but operate with an on-board stored energy system when it crosses the historic, 101-year-old Houston Street Viaduct.

This project is a partnership between DART, the City of Dallas, the Federal Transit Administration and the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

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Photos: DARTing with the Chief on the Beat

Posted on March 20, 2015 by

The Dallas Police Department and DART joined together for DARTing with the Chief on the Beat on Friday, March 20. Representatives rode all DART Rail lines and met up at West End Station for a small community event.

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This young DART Rail rider is surrounded by heroes at West End Station.

 

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Rider Insider: Find things to do this weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth

Posted on March 20, 2015 by

• Ride the DART Rail Green Line or Orange Line to Market Center Station, then an approximate 1/2 mile walk Saturday to the 6th Annual DFW Family Expo at Market Hall, 2200 N. Stemmons Frwy. There will be lots of entertainment, a Marketplace, exhibitors, prizes and fun for the family, with all proceeds benefiting Children’s Medical Center. Get to know the best products, classes, camps and services for families. Tickets are $5 per person. Children under 2 are free. Information:www.dfwfamilyexpo.org.

• Ride the DART Rail Red Line, Blue Line, Green Line or Orange Line toPearl/Arts District Station or St. Paul Station tonight for Late Nights at the Dallas Museum of Art held from 6 p.m. to midnight. Join in with the Dallas Museum of Art for the annual Spring Block Party and a night celebrating the work of literary legend Jane Austen in connection with the Dallas Theater Center’s spring production of Sense and Sensibility. The Crow Collection of Asian Art, Klyde Warren Park, and the Nasher Sculpture Center will also be open until midnight. Events at the DMA include a screening of the 1995 movie version of Sense and Sensibility, a Jane Austen Costume Contest, Performance in the Galleries including a dramatic reading by Christie Vela and classical English music from the early 19th century performed by David Lee Schloss and Annie Benjamin, and much more. The DMA is located at 1717 N. Harwood. Information: www.dma.org.

Find more events like Dallas Blooms: Deep in the Hearts of Texans or Savor Dallas on our Rider Insider Online Calendar or in the brochures found on DART light rail vehicles or buses.

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