Dallas Area Rapid Transit has installed two next-generation bus shelters in Dallas and elsewhere across its service area as part of a new pilot program.
“We’re looking to see how these shelters and all their new features are received by our riders,” said Brandi Stringer, director of mobility capital projects, in a news release. “Our number one goal is to provide an amenity at our bus stops that riders love and adds to their experience when riding DART.”
The Dallas shelters are at Malcolm X Boulevard and Clarence Street, and Ross Avenue and Hall Street. The others were installed at Hedgcoxe and Preston Roads in Plano; Northwest Highway and Marketplace Drive in Garland; and Synergy Park Boulevard and Rutford Road in Richardson.
The prototypes include slim-width and standard-width shelters with benches. A mini shelter features seating for two people. In 2023, DART surveyed bus riders on which amenities are important to them and worked with Tolar Manufacturing and urban planning and architecture students at the University of Texas at Arlington to help design the shelters.
“Customer feedback determined that more protection from the elements, improved lighting for safety and visibility, and real-time bus arrival information were top priorities for the new design,” according to DART. “UTA students used those details to create a concept shelter that earned the Texas Student Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2023, with DART utilizing those designs to partner with Tolar to deliver the modified versions that are being used in the pilot program.”
The pilot is expected to continue through November to give DART time to receive feedback from stakeholders. The final design is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, and it will be used throughout the DART network.
DART will soon release a survey asking riders at these bus stops for feedback on the pilot shelters. In addition, DART will add or improve hundreds of bus stop pads across its service area and looks to have 100 new pads completed by the end of the fall.