Downtown News

DART considers plan to put unridden downtown Dallas bus out of its misery

D-Link is a free shuttle in downtown Dallas

Colorful bus zipping through downtown Dallas, unfettered by riders.

Photo courtesy of DART

Dallas Area Rapid Transit is working on a plan to replace a downtown Dallas bus service with something new, or maybe nothing at all.

The bus line in question is DART Bus Route 722, also known as D-Link, the brightly colorful bus that circles through downtown and gives rides for free.

"Free" is usually a sure thing and yet, despite the free part, the ridership is low. Low to none. The bus is colorful and friendly as it zips through downtown, light on its feet, thanks to being unfettered by the weighty burden of passengers.

The ridership is so low that DART is contemplating eliminating the line altogether.

Alternatives under discussion include:

Eliminating the service altogether, due to low ridership
Offering an on‐demand service
Replacing it with a Transportation Network Company (TNC) subsidy program without DART participation

The D-Link line launched in November 2013 as a free bus service, funded by the City of Dallas, Downtown Dallas Inc. (DDI), and DART, to promote convention business, new Omni Hotel, and other downtown activity.

In November 2017, the City of Dallas, DART and DDI extended the contract for one additional year with the objectives to increase ridership and reduce costs.

By August 2018, stakeholders determined that D‐Link had not met the ridership goals (283 vs 450 per weekday) to justify continued funding. At that point, they requested that DART seek public comment on replacing D‐Link with an on‐demand service that would require a $1 fare.

In November 2018, a City of Dallas committee approved a four‐month extension of the service until an on‐demand shared ride zone or new non‐DART app‐based taxi service subsidy program could be implemented.

Were they to switch to an on-demand system, it would be expected to observe the following objectives:

An average wait time of 10 minutes
An average trip duration of 6 minutes
A proposed $1 fare, which seems super-cheap

It would be a mobile-phone app-based service, and the target goal would be 450 riders a day.

It would be available from 10:30 am to 9:30 pm, seven days a week.

An alternative option would be for the City of Dallas and other partners to subsidize a hailed‐ride zone. But this would be dependent on participation of third-party support and private sector companies.

DART is hosting a community meeting on January 15 at 12 noon to gather public input, and then a public hearing on January 22 at 6:30 pm.

Both events will be held in the DART Headquarters Board Room, 1401 Pacific Ave.

Those who wish to attend or speak at the hearing should contact DART Community Engagement at 214-749-2543 to register. In addition, written comments received by noon the day of the hearing will become part of the official record. Written comments may be submitted on the date of the hearing or mailed in advance to:

DART Community Engagement
P.O. Box 660163
Dallas, TX 75266-7322

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Interim News

Dallas interim city manager appoints interim chief of police

Dallas Police/Facebook

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Dallas Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has appointed Dallas Police Executive Assistant Chief Michael Igo to serve as the Interim Dallas Chief of Police.

He'll fill in the role being vacated by Chief Eddie Garcia, who is departing for a new job in Austin. According to a release, Igo's appointment is effective at the close of business on Friday, October 18.

Chief Igo has 33 years of extensive experience in law enforcement, all developed with the Dallas Police Department. He received his first promotion in 1997 as senior corporal and went on to become a sergeant, lieutenant, major, deputy chief and assistant chief before his appointment to Executive Assistant Chief in January 2024.

“I am confident that Chief Igo will provide the Dallas Police Department with the continuity we need during this transition. His experience, trust within the community, and knowledge of the Department gives me the confidence that he is the right person at the right time for this assignment,” Tolbert says in a statement. “Chief Igo has been unwavering in his commitment to his service in uniform. He will continue the Dallas Police Department’s focus on safety, our number one priority."

During his more than three decades of service to the Dallas Police Department, Chief Igo has provided leadership and supervision to field supervisors, sergeants, police officers, specialized units and patrol divisions. He has collaborated with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, served as a departmental liaison to City Hall, analyzed crime trends and conducted weekly violent crime analysis to improve residential safety and conducted internal and external investigations.

Chief Igo has a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Economics from South Dakota University, completed the inaugural Sergeant Series Leadership School and Lieutenant Series Leadership School from the Caruth Police Institute, in addition to the FBI Command College at the University of Texas, Law Enforcement Management Institute of North Texas at Texas A&M University, and the Senior Management Institute for Police.

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