DART news

DART adds new COVID-19 Plexiglass shields around operators on all buses

Drivers will now be sheltered behind Plexiglass.

Photo courtesy of DART

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has installed new barriers to fight COVID-19.

A release says that the agency started installing 511 respiratory droplet shields throughout the bus fleet in mid-March, to help protect operators and passengers during the pandemic.

The shields are above and beyond enhanced cleaning procedures DART has undertaken for both buses and trains.

The new shields have been installed on 75 percent of the DART bus fleet, with the goal of full installation on the entire fleet of more than 600 buses before July 1.

Designed by DART Engineering, in collaboration with Fleet Maintenance & Bus Operations teams, the shields — called CV-19 Plexiglass Shields — are made of high-impact plexiglass and are being installed between the operator and passengers. Plexiglass is definitely a growth industry right now.

The new shield expands on DART's initial investment of Operator Barrier Doors, a plexiglass door that comes on all buses, which some operators would use to keep separated from customers. Its usage was optional. A DART spokesman says that most drivers left them attached to the bus wall behind their seat and never used them.

Those had a large gap at the top and sides. The new shield expands coverage towards the windshield and upward towards the ceiling.

In addition to the new barrier door shields, DART operators will now have: a sliding window; automatic passenger counters; and a new on-board battery management system.

health transportation

Turkey Day news

Dallas eats up top-5 rank on list of best cities for Thanksgiving

Photo courtesy of Razzoo's

undefined

Dallas is sitting at the head of the table as one of the best places in the country to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, a new study has revealed.

Dallas ranked No. 5 out of 100 of the largest U.S. cities in WalletHub's annual "Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving" report, published November 12. The city made a huge leap over its 2023 ranking as No. 17, and remains the highest-ranking Texas city.

The study analyzed each city based on 18 metrics to determine the best places for Thanksgiving, such as the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the number of volunteer opportunities, the average weather forecast, and more. The metrics were then organized into five overall categories to determine the rankings.

The category that Dallas ranked the highest in was the number of celebrations and traditions (No. 2), and the average weather forecast during the holiday period (No. 9), while the lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility (No. 82). Other categories that determined Dallas' overall ranking were affordability (No. 60), and a "giving thanks" rank (No. 26).

Dallas restaurants are getting prepared for their big Turkey Day feasts, and CultureMap has rounded up a thorough list of all of the local restaurants hosting holiday feasts, from brunch to dinner.

"The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

By Thanksgiving on November 28, Dallas will be fully decked for the December holidays. Dallasites who will have extended family in town during Thanksgiving weekend can take in of all the marvelous Christmas lights brightening the city. Dallas-Fort Worth goes all out for the most wonderful time of year.

Across North Texas, three Dallas-area cities also made big improvements from their 2023 rankings. Irving moved up 10 spots to claim No. 19 this year, and Garland jumped up 21 spots on the list as No. 34. Arlington made the biggest improvement in the region, moving from No. 78 last year to No. 55 this year.

Meanwhile, Plano and Fort Worth slipped in the rankings, falling into No. 44 and No. 45 in 2024, respectively. Plano previously ranked No. 38 in 2023, and Fort Worth was No. 36.

San Diego, California (No. 1) topped the overall list of best places to go for Thanksgiving this year, followed by its Golden State neighbors San Francisco (No. 3) and San Jose (No. 4). Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2) rounds out the top five.

dallas fort worth thanksgiving wallethub rankings