DART and the North Texas region are entering a new era. The Dallas area is projected to grow by more than three million people for the next 20 years and with that population influx, there will be a demand for a cleaner, safer, and more reliable public transit system. 

With DART Transform, we will be up to these increasing demands and challenges in our service area. The program will allow us to modernize our system over the next decade by investing in pieces that will enhance our safety, reliability and accessibility while elevating the customer service experience. 

The Transform program will focus on five core elements:

• Vehicles
• Station and Passenger Facilities
• Resiliency
• Unified Signaling
• Operating Facilities
  

We have spent the better part of our 40-plus years in existence growing transit offerings and access across the area. Now, it is time to focus on modernizing and improving these assets to meet the needs of current and future customers.

This regional hike-and-bike trail will span from Plano to Fort Worth and will generally follow DART’s Silver Line in Collin and Dallas counties, and the TEXRail line in Tarrant County.

The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) provided funding for construction design of the trail from DFW Airport to Shiloh Road in Plano (approximately 26 miles). Currently 1.8 miles of the trail corridor are existing or under construction. The remaining 21.76 miles of the trail will be constructed as part of the Silver Line project.

A variety of sources approved by the RTC, Dallas County, and the local communities will fund construction of the trail in the corridor, and DART will manage the trail design and construction. That funding includes a $25 million RAISE Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for the construction of approximately 5.2 miles of the shared-use trail including safety treatments.

Visit NCTCOG’s Cotton Belt Regional Trail webpage for more information on the project.