To celebrate the launch, DART will make all rides free for the week of Jan. 24-30. The transit agency also plans to offer 50% off all rides purchased with any DART contactless payment option from Jan. 31 until the end of service on Feb. 14.
The bus network redesign, known as DARTzoom, was designed to improve service frequency and hours buses are available in areas with the heaviest ridership. DARTzoom is the first major bus network redesign to address the significant growth Richardson and the surrounding areas have seen since the service was created in 1983. The transit agency has been working on the redesign since 2019.
A number of bus routes in Richardson are being renamed and modified as part of the redesign. However, Deputy City Manager Don Magner said the changes to routes in Richardson are fairly inconsequential.
“We believe that riders, if they’re knowledgeable, will still be able to utilize those routes that are seeing some service impacts in an effective way,” he said.
DART officials said the biggest change Richardson residents will see is the expansion of the transit agency’s GoLink service, which went into effect Dec. 6. GoLink service offers on-demand, curb-to-curb shuttles to anywhere within each specified zone.
In Richardson, DART is adding two GoLink zones with one set to cover portions of three existing bus routes in the Telecom area in the northeastern portion of the city and extend into Plano. The other zone will focus on central Richardson, covering portions of three current bus routes.
According to an agency news release, the charge for a GoLink ride is the same as a regular DART fare. GoLink service also offers riders the opportunity to use UberPool for additional fees that range from $1-$3 per person per trip.
The redesigned network will also expand coverage and offer more direct routes throughout DART’s service area, according to the transit agency.
More information about DART's new bus network is available at www.dartzoom.org, including a DART Trip Planner tool that allows riders to compare their former routes with the new options.
