Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) President and CEO Nadine Lee has announced that data from the University of North Texas (UNT) Economic Research Group indicate that transit-oriented developments in service area generated $1 billion between 2019 and 2021and created 11,000 jobs.

A study led by Michael Carroll, Ph.D., evaluated real estate development within a quarter-mile radius of DART stations, confirming long-held beliefs among economists and real estate developers about DART’s impact on the region’s economic vitality.

Lee says, “Transit services provided by DART are critical to regional mobility. DART’s network is designed to connect riders across city boundaries and provide crucial access to jobs, education, health care, entertainment and more. DART opens up social and economic development opportunities at all of our stations.”

She also noted the agency’s long history of fiscal responsibility. “We project every dollar we will spend over the next two decades, and our board members approve that plan every year. We plan and budget well within our means, and we have a long history of doing so.”

DART’s transit-oriented projects generated more than $980 million in direct spending. The cumulative economic impact within the 700-mile DART Service area tracked by UNT since 1999 reached $17.1 billion, significantly boosting the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) regional economy. These developments created 10,747 jobs in the DFW area. The DART station area economic impact between 2019 and 2021 contributed $144.7 million in federal tax revenue and $49.6 million in state and local tax revenue.

The study utilized IMPLAN software, a widely used industry tool that calculates direct, indirect and induced impacts of spending and employment, to create detailed economic models based on development spending data. The results underscored the continuous economic growth and development around DART stations.

Carroll states, “Over the decades, the development near DART light rail stations, including significant commercial, office and residential establishments, has not only provided transit accessibility, but also simultaneously boosted the economic wellbeing of the DFW region. As the DFW region continues to urbanize, leveraging transit as a strategic mobility asset will not only enhance regional connectivity and accessibility, but is essential to sustaining our economic momentum through coordinated planning and development with our cities and alongside key stakeholders.”