The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) board approved a major investment to modernize bus stop infrastructure across the region, enhancing safety, accessibility, and comfort for thousands of daily riders.

The board authorized a five-year contract, with two one-year options, to Tolar Manufacturing Company Inc., for the fabrication and installation of upgraded passenger amenities at bus stops across the DART Service Area.

The contract authorizes an investment of up to $71.5 million to improve the rider experience significantly.

The DART/Tolar Partnership

The program will add and replace critical infrastructure at bus stops, including 1,350 shelters equipped with benches, real-time arrival displays, and modern passenger technology, along with up to 1,500 steel benches, 3,000 trash cans, and 500 bus stop blade lights.

Over the next several years, DART will also expand bus stop amenities by installing 350 new shelters, upgrading more than 1,000 existing shelters, and improving accessibility with new concrete pads, sidewalks, and curb ramps.

The improvements are designed to create bus stops that are more accessible, informative, and comfortable, with better lighting, seating, and weather protection, while providing real-time service information to riders.

“Investing in modern bus stop amenities is about improving the daily experience for our riders,” said Nadine Lee, CEO at DART. “These upgrades will make our system more accessible, safer, and more comfortable while delivering the reliable travel information our customers expect. This investment reflects DART’s commitment to enhancing transit infrastructure and improving mobility across North Texas.”

Based on Customer Feedback

The initiative builds on years of planning and pilot programs that tested next-generation shelter designs and incorporated rider feedback.

Surveys conducted with more than 4,200 respondents found that 90% of riders believe the proposed shelter design is an improvement over existing stops, highlighting the importance of improved lighting, weather protection, and real-time travel information.

Installation and upgrades will occur in phases through 2030, supporting DART’s broader efforts to modernize infrastructure and improve the customer experience throughout the transit system.