With my new job I’ve been riding DART to work everyday (well almost) and I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned on my own – that the DART website didn’t tell me.
5. You must have exact change. Unlike the DART Rail stations that offer machines to buy tickets, Park and Ride stations do not – and you’ll need exact change to get on the bus.
4. Buses make more stops than advertised. On the route for my bus the brochure and website only show 3 stops in downtown. They make A LOT more stops than that. It makes things easier I’m sure for most, unless you’re one of the final stops along the route and the bus is already full.
3. Some bus drivers think they’re in NASCAR. You’ll rarely get the same bus driver on the same route at the same time every day – so be warned – some will drive like NASCAR – some will drive like your grandmother.
2. The buses are clean and well kept. I’ve been told this and experienced the clean rail lines but never really personally experienced how clean the buses were. My only bus experiences were on chartered buses so everyone knows they’ll be clean.
1. Lots of interesting people ride DART. You never know who may be riding next to you. A lawyer, doctor, single mom, married father of 5. You can meet lots of interesting people – that is if they’re willing to carry on a conversation with you.
and as a bonus: DART needs more service coming to Glenn Heights and Ellis County. From my view, the bus into downtown stays full almost every trip. A couple other bus options (including weekend service) and/or light rail would be AWESOME!
