Dallas Area Rapid Transit

What Dallas Area Rapid Transit does

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a public transit authority and political subdivision of the State of Texas, established in 1983 and headquartered at 1401 Pacific Avenue in Dallas. The agency operates the primary multimodal public transportation system for the Dallas metropolitan area, serving 13 cities across North Texas across a 700-square-mile service area. Its service portfolio comprises the 93-mile DART Rail light rail network (Red, Blue, Green, and Orange lines serving 65 stations), the Silver Line regional rail connecting to DFW Airport Terminal B, the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail jointly operated with Trinity Metro, the Dallas Streetcar, the M-Line Trolley connection, and roughly 100 fixed-route bus routes, supplemented by the GoLink on-demand curb-to-curb service that integrates traditional vans with Uber and Lyft vehicles, plus ADA paratransit and the DART Rides subsidized program.

The agency's underlying technology platform centers on the GoPass ecosystem, which unifies a mobile trip-planning and ticketing app (available on iOS and Android), the reloadable GoPass Tap contactless card with automatic fare capping, ticket vending machines at every station, contactless credit/debit and mobile-wallet payment (Apple Pay, Google Wallet), and the 41411 SMS real-time arrival service. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through 65 rail stations, 10 TRE stations, 14 bus transfer facilities, Park & Ride sites, retail reload locations, the GoPass app, and customer-service channels operating seven days a week from 5 AM to midnight. The agency also markets through dart.org, social media (@dartdaily, @dartmedia), email service alerts, transit-education programs, and community outreach.

DART's revenue model combines passenger fares (local day passes at $6 adult/$3 reduced, regional day passes at $9/$4.50, 3-hour passes at $3/$1.50, 31-day passes at $126 local/$192 regional, paratransit at $3.50 per trip, Dallas Streetcar at $1), government funding and grants (federal, state, and local — illustrated by a $25 million USDOT grant awarded July 2026), transit advertising on vehicles and stations, and property/real estate income from transit-oriented development and leases. As a government entity, DART is governed by a board of directors representing member cities and is not subject to PE/VC investment, acquisition, or IPO. The agency has announced a leadership transition, with Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr. named President & CEO effective October 26, 2026.

Name

Dallas Area Rapid Transit

Legal name

Dallas Area Rapid Transit

Website

https://dart.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a Texas public transit authority, established in 1983, operating multimodal bus, light rail, commuter rail, on-demand GoLink, paratransit, and streetcar services across 13 North Texas cities. It serves daily commuters, airport travelers, and riders needing accessible transit via the integrated GoPass mobile and contactless-fare ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transit Services

NAICS

Mixed Mode Transit Systems (485111), Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Special Needs Transportation (485991)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Light Rail Transit (LRT) Operators (THAIABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integrated Multimodal Transit Agencies (Bus + Rail) (THAIAEAD), On-Demand Shared Shuttle / Vanpool (Dynamic Routing, Door-to-Door) (TLAFAJAB), Airport/Seaport Shuttle & Landside Connector Services (TLAFAJAE), Park-and-Ride / Last-Mile Carpool Connector Services (THADAFAJ)

Keywords

• Public transit services
• Light rail transportation
• Multimodal transit system
• Paratransit mobility services
• Fare collection technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Passenger Fare Revenue: DART generates revenue from passenger fares including day passes, 3-hour passes, 31-day passes, reduced fares for seniors and people with disabilities, and paratransit fares. Revenue model is primarily subscription-based (31-day passes) with per-trip options (day passes, 3-hour passes) and paratransit per-trip fees.
2. Government Funding and Grants: As a public transit authority, DART receives significant funding from federal, state, and local government sources. This includes capital project grants such as the $25 million USDOT grant for Southern Dallas light rail station upgrades and operational subsidies.
3. Transit Advertising: DART offers transit advertising opportunities on buses, trains, stations, and other properties to generate additional revenue.
4. Property and Real Estate: DART generates revenue from property holdings, including transit-oriented development projects, leases, and property management at transit facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) operates a multimodal public transit system serving 13 cities across North Texas through DART Rail (a 93-mile light rail network with Red, Blue, Green, Orange, and Silver lines), nearly 100 fixed bus routes, the Trinity Railway Express commuter rail, Dallas Streetcar, GoLink on-demand service, and ADA paratransit. Riders pay fares via the GoPass mobile app, reloadable GoPass Tap cards, contactless credit/debit cards and mobile wallets, ticket vending machines, and retail reload locations.

Product overview

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) operates a multimodal public transit system serving 13 cities across North Texas. The portfolio comprises DART Rail (a 93-mile light rail network with Red, Blue, Green, and Orange lines serving 65 stations), DART Bus (fixed-route local and express services across nearly 100 routes), the Silver Line regional rail connecting to DFW Airport, the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail linking Dallas and Fort Worth, Dallas Streetcar (2.45-mile modern streetcar), and GoLink (on-demand service integrating traditional vans with Uber and Lyft vehicles). Fare payment is handled through the GoPass ecosystem including the mobile app, GoPass Tap card, and contactless payment options. Paratransit Services provide ADA-compliant door-to-door transportation for eligible riders with disabilities. DART also offers rider assistance programs including DART Rides and has partnered with MATA for the free M-Line Trolley service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GoPass: DART's mobile ticketing and trip planning application that allows users to purchase transit passes, plan trips in real time, and receive service alerts.
• GoLink
• Dallas Streetcar
• DART Rail

Products and services

• GoPass App

Quantifiable outcome

• 12.9% ridership increase during FIFA World Cup 2026 enhanced-service period

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trinity Railway Express (TRE)coreTechnology or IntegrationJoint commuter rail service between Dallas and Fort Worth operated in partnership with Trinity Metro. DART and Trinity Metro jointly operate TRE service connecting downtown Dallas and Fort Worth with multiple stations between the cities.
• City of DallascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDART operates and maintains the Dallas Streetcar system for the City of Dallas. Partnership includes coordination on construction projects such as the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center redevelopment and station closures.
• Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCTA serves as referral partner for DART vanpool riders during DART's vanpool program restructuring. DART vanpool riders can participate in DCTA's vanpool program based on service area eligibility.
• Trinity MetrominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrinity Metro serves as referral partner for DART vanpool riders and operates TRE service in partnership with DART connecting Fort Worth and Dallas.
• QuikTripminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuikTrip partners with DART Safe Place program to provide young people in crisis with a safe haven location where they can receive food, drink, and wait for transportation to professional help.
• Jonathan's PlaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJonathan's Place provides safe shelter and specialized services for children who are victims of abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Partners with DART Safe Place program to transport children to safety.
• McKinney Avenue Transit Authority (MATA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMATA owns and operates the M-Line Trolley vintage streetcar system. DART rail connections are available at Cityplace/Uptown Station, St. Paul Station, and Pearl/Arts District Station for transfers to M-Line Trolley.
• Uber and LyftcoreTechnology or IntegrationUber and Lyft vehicles are integrated into DART's GoLink on-demand service fleet. DART automatically matches riders with best available option (GoLink van or Uber/Lyft) with no extra cost for riders with valid DART fares.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO): Houston METRO operates comparable multimodal public transit (bus, light rail, paratransit) across a major Texas metro area under a similar sales-tax-funded authority model, making it the closest geographic and structural peer to DART.
• Trinity Metro: Trinity Metro operates bus, paratransit, and the TEXRail commuter rail in Fort Worth and jointly operates the TRE commuter rail with DART, making it a direct operational peer and partner.
• Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro): Austin CapMetro provides bus, MetroRail commuter rail, and on-demand services as a Texas transit authority funded by sales tax, closely mirroring DART's structure and operating model.
• Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA): MARTA operates bus, heavy rail, and paratransit across the Atlanta metro under a public-authority model, sharing DART's integrated multimodal, sales-tax-funded approach.
• Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART): BART operates heavy rail transit connecting suburban and urban areas of the San Francisco Bay Area, comparable to DART in providing regional rail connectivity across a major US metro.
• Regional Transportation District (RTD Denver): Denver RTD provides bus, light rail, and commuter rail across the Denver metro through a sales-tax-funded district, structurally analogous to DART's regional transit authority model.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Transit Authority (CTA): CTA operates bus and heavy rail ('L') transit across Chicago with substantially larger scale than DART, providing a benchmark for what an expanded urban rail system looks like at maturity.
• Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro): LA Metro operates bus, light rail, and subway across LA County with a significantly larger budget and ridership base, comparable to DART in multimodal integration but at materially greater scale.
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA): WMATA operates Metrorail and Metrobus across the Washington DC metro, offering a benchmark for a multi-jurisdictional transit authority integrating bus and rail across member jurisdictions.
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA, New York): The MTA is the largest US transit authority, operating NYC subway, buses, and commuter rail, providing a reference point for transit authority scale, fare integration, and capital program management comparable to DART's strategic context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dartmedia
• Instagraminstagram.com/dartdaily
• Facebookfacebook.com/dartdallas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dallas Area Rapid Transit