 the offical newsletter of DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT - Summer 2008 |
Return to index
Return to www.DART.org
|
Contact Webmaster at:
eelam@DART.org
eelam@DART.org
Delivering a better ride
Answering the call for convenient, efficient service. |
The 2008 debut of low-floor rail vehicles will speed boarding and, together with station platform improvements, make trains more wheelchair-accessible in 2010. |
Part of the job of attracting and keeping new transit customers is making the experience more convenient and efficient. We're answering the call with new vehicles, better information and enhanced security.
As the Dallas-Fort Worth population grows at a rate outpacing any other U.S. metro, so grows the number of transit customers with special access needs. We’re responding to the demand for an active lifestyle with new low-floor Super Light Rail Vehicles (SLRVs) that will be introduced to the system in mid-2008.
Combined with renovations at all existing rail stations by the end of 2010, the SLRVs will improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities, as well as for customers with strollers, bikes, luggage, etc. Station renovations began in 2007 along the Downtown Dallas transit mall.
Today's transit riders and future customers want a clean system, and DART has invested nearly $25 million over the past decade to reduce bus emissions some 68%.
To increase public access to transit services, expansion programs, public involvement opportunities and more, we launched a redesigned version of our award-winning website, www.DART.org, with improved navigation, a wealth of new information, plus route and schedule information available for the first time via web-enabled cellphones and handheld PDAs (personal digital assistants).
Average daily visitors to the site increased 12.2% to 6,715, and online pass sales jumped 26.8% to $731,240. And More Riders Magazine, a publication chronicling best practices in the U.S. transit industry, ranked the website among the top five nationally.
Contributing to cleaner air
Our member cities want a clean system, and DART has invested nearly $25 million over the past decade to reduce bus emissions some 68%. During 2007, we reviewed new diesel, natural gas and hybrid/electric technologies with an eye toward the purchase of 537 advanced-technology buses geared to reduce emissions by at least 90%. New K-9 teams are helping answer the call for safe and secure public transit. |
Enhancing security
Customers consistently put a high priority on security. So in addition to hiring 30 more officers, expanding undercover patrols and introducing our first K-9 units, we installed surveillance cameras at targeted rail stations and onboard buses serving problem bus routes.Rewarding top performers
It takes creative, innovative thinkers to push service above the norm. So, in FY07, we expanded our successful Division Level Measurement (DLM) program to recognize and reward frontline employees for achieving measurable goals in timeliness, courtesy, safety, ridership and efficiency."We can teach people how to operate a bus, but it's hard to train someone to deal with customers," says Assistant Vice President Tim Newby, who oversees DART's Bus Operations. In FY07, he revamped his recruitment and training program, and now all candidates must complete a full year in a job with direct customer contact.
"In the past, we focused on people with previous driving experience," Newby explains. "But individuals with that background didn't necessarily have any customer service experience. We want operators who truly care about our customers."
Making sure every generation is ready to get on board,
DART Transit Education staff reached out to more than 66,000 school students
and senior citizens in FY07.
Return to the Inmotion index