With 65 rail stations and 90 miles of light rail track, Dallas Area Transit System (DART)  Rail is the longest light rail system in America.  Along with 13 bus transfer facilities and more than 130 routes, DART buses and trains operate daily from approximately 5 a.m. to midnight. DART Rail offers service every 7.5 to 15 minutes during rush hours, 20 minutes during the midday and weekends and 30 minutes late at night. One local fare allows riders to travel to all the cities in the DART service area.

The DART Rail system consists of four lines. The Red Line links Westmoreland, in West Oak Cliff north, to Parker Road, in Plano; the Blue Line from Ledbetter, in southern Oak Cliff, to Downtown Rowlett. The Green Line connects Pleasant Grove, in southeastern Dallas, to the far northwest suburb of Carrollton, and the Orange Line supplements the busiest portions of the Red and Green lines and extends light rail service to DFW Airport Terminal A. All rail lines serve downtown Dallas.

Another piece of the North Texas mass transit puzzle is the Trinity Railway Express (TRE or T). This commuter train connects the downtown areas of Dallas and Fort Worth with stops in the Mid-Cities and connections to DFW International Airport. Trains operate Monday through Saturday.

DART’s goal now is to reduce the distance a person must travel to get to or from a transit stop. They are working with transportation partners to increase the options available to bridge the distance and make riding transit a viable choice for more people. Here are some other innovative services offered by DART in its effort to democratize mass transportation in North Texas.

Dart on-call: A demand-responsive curb-to-curb van service, available in nine suburban neighborhoods, transports riders between home and nearby DART rail stations, transit centers, shopping and other popular destinations, all for the price of a local fare.

Flex service: This unique mode combines the advantages of a fixed route with the convenience of curbside pickup and delivery. Six routes serve the Telecom Corridor area of Plano and northern Richardson, South Irving, South and East Plano, Rowlett and southeast Dallas. A local fare will be charged for Flex trips and advance reservations are required.

Vanpools: Passenger vans, complete with maintenance, insurance and emergency taxi rides home, are available to groups of six to 15 commuters with common origins and destinations. DART Vanpools are often fully or partially subsidized by employers.

Dallas streetcar:  This is a 1.6-mile dedicated streetcar track that provides access for commuters in Oak Cliff to rail connections at Union Station, in Dallas.  Construction is currently underway to extend the streetcar from the Methodist Hospital area to the popular Bishop Arts district.

M-Line Trolley: This nostalgic streetcar links the downtown Dallas Arts District with Uptown, including West Village, where riders can transfer to or from DART Rail at Cityplace/Uptown Station. An additional connection to DART Rail is expected to be available soon with the completion of an M-Line extension along Olive Street through Klyde Warren Park to near St. Paul Station.

Uber and Zipcar Partnership: Partnering with ride-sharing service Uber, DART has added a link to the Uber mobile site in the Events & Offers section of the GoPass mobile ticketing application. Travelers that begin or end their trips in places not easily served by DART now can take the train or bus for the longest portion of the trip and Uber for the short leg. Also, ride-sharing service Zipcar has leased spaces for its vehicles at select DART stations, allowing customers to rent Zipcars to combine with other forms of transportation for seamless mobility.  Zipcars can be picked up along all four DART light rail line.

For more information, DART schedules, to schedule pick-up service and to get the DART mobile app, visit DART.org.