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Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) said on Wednesday it has received the first two new buses in its 476-bus fleet order being manufactured by California-based Gillig.
The agency ordered 400 40-foot buses and 76 30-foot buses to replace its aging fleet.
The new busses, which operate on compressed natural gas, will cut down on maintenance while increasing reliability. They feature on-board passenger information displays in English and Spanish, upgraded bike racks, tinted windows, and vinyl seating.
The purchase of the buses is part of the agency’s modernization program, DART Transform, that focuses on upgrading vehicles, stations, passenger facilities, operating facilities, and creating a unified signaling system. The agency replaces vehicles when they reach the end of their useful life, which is 12 to 14 years or 500,000 miles.
“We’ve made a strategic commitment to improving our entire transit network with DART Transform and the new buses will be the first major component that every rider will get to experience,” Nadine Lee, DART president and CEO, said. “We can’t wait to see the positive impact these new vehicles will have on our customers as they travel to their next destination with DART.”
DART was awarded a $103 million grant from the FTA’s Low or No Emission Grant Program, which provides funding for the purchase of low-emission and no-emission transit buses. The grant helped cover almost one third of the total cost of the buses, with DART saving an additional $15 million more by purchasing the 476 buses in one large order.
DART’s maintenance and operations team will inspect and test the vehicles. Operators will begin routes in mid- to late-November. The remainder of the fleet will be delivered through 2027.
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