DART Approves $71.5 Million Plan to Upgrade 1,350 Bus Shelters Regionwide

Before the $71.5 million even gets spent, nearly nine in 10 DART riders already know it's needed. In a survey of more than 4,200 riders, 90 percent said the agency's proposed shelter design is an improvement over what they currently use: concrete pads without shade, weathered seating baked by Texas summers, and no way of knowing whether the next bus is three minutes away or thirty.

That widespread dissatisfaction helped push the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board of Directors to approve a sweeping, multiyear capital program on March 24. Under a contract awarded to Tolar Manufacturing Company, Inc., the agreement covers fabrication and installation of upgraded amenities at bus stops across DART's 13-city service area, explicitly including Plano and Richardson, where commuters and transit-dependent residents have long waited at stops that vary sharply in quality.

Under the approved program, DART will add 350 new shelter locations and upgrade more than 1,000 existing ones, with each of the 1,350 total shelters outfitted with a bench and a real-time arrival display. The agency will also install up to 1,500 steel benches, 3,000 trash receptacles and 500 blade lights at stops that currently offer little protection from sun or rain. Accessibility improvements, including concrete pads, new sidewalk segments and curb ramps, are woven throughout the plan, targeting the gaps that make existing stops difficult or impassable for riders using wheelchairs or walkers, seniors and parents with strollers.

DART CEO Nadine Lee framed the investment plainly. "Investing in modern bus stop amenities is about improving the daily experience for our riders," Lee said. "These upgrades will make our system more accessible, safer, and more comfortable while delivering the reliable travel information our customers expect."

Installation will proceed in phases through 2030, meaning some stops in Richardson and Plano will see construction before others. DART has not yet published a neighborhood-by-neighborhood rollout schedule.

Riders can check whether their stop is among those targeted by using DART's Stop ID Finder at dart.org, which allows a search by address or intersection to pull up a stop's identification number and service details. For stops not currently on the upgrade list, DART accepts formal requests for shelter additions, bench placements and accessibility improvements through a Bus Stop Improvements Request Form also available at dart.org. Riders with questions or requests can reach DART customer service directly at 214-749-3333.