Train News

Dallas is so hot right now that DART light rail is forced to go slower

How hot is it?

Photo courtesy of DART

If you're in a rush to get somewhere, then DART Rail is not your best choice for the next day or two.

According to a release, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is implementing speed restrictions on its light rail service between 2- 9 pm, through Wednesday, July 20.

Light rail vehicles will operate at no more than 30 miles per hour during this time. DART light rail passengers should expect delays of 10-15 minutes due to these speed restrictions.

The slowdown is due to the record high temperatures across North Texas, which are expected to last for the next several days according to the National Weather Service.

When many miles of rail are subjected to intense heat, the rail becomes hot, which can cause them to increase in length, and can develop bowing known as a "sun kink" or "heat kink."

"Right now, we're registering temperatures between 145 and 150 degrees on the rail," a DART spokesperson says. "This can lead to warping of the rails and the catenary lines to sag."

When temperatures reach 100 degrees or higher, it's not uncommon for transportation agencies to reduce train speeds to no faster than 35 mph.

According to CNN, the U.S. is experiencing a dangerous heat wave that is expected to affect a large portion of the country, with more than 100 million people under excessive heat warnings or heat advisories as of July 19. One-third of the US population is under heat advisories and excessive heat warnings July 19-20, with more than 80 percent of the population (around 265 million Americans) seeing a high above 90 degrees over the next seven days.

The above-average heat is expected to continue into at least Sunday, with every day reaching the triple-digit mark.

DART will continue to monitor the weather conditions across the North Texas area for the safety of our passengers and employees, and to determine if future speed restrictions will be necessary.

Riders can stay informed about service changes by registering for DART Alerts at www.dart.org, or by contacting DART Customer Information at (214) 979-1111.

weather transportation traffic

happy go lucky plano

Dallas neighbor dazzles on new list of happiest cities in America

Photo courtesy of Visit Plano

undefined

A new happiness study has ranked Plano one of the happiest cities in America this year, and it once again landed on top as the happiest city in Texas.

Plano has moved up on the list and ranks as the 16th happiest U.S. city in 2026. Last year, it was 17th.

WalletHub determined the happiest cities in America based on 29 relevant metrics based on "positive-psychology research" across three main categories: emotional and physical wellbeing, income and employment, and community and environment. As with most WalletHub studies, it compared the 182 most populous U.S. cities.

Fremont, California claimed the top spot as the happiest city nationwide for another year. Bismark, North Dakota and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectfully, rounded out the top three.

Here's how WalletHub ranked Plano across the three key dimensions:

No. 15 – Emotional and physical wellbeing
No. 22 – Community and environment
No. 72 – Income and employment

Plano and its residents have continued improving their city year after year, whether its through opening new bakeries and restaurants, inviting fun pop-ups for locals, or having a strong job market.

Plano's happiness far outshines the rest of North Texas; according to WalletHub, Irving is the 70th happiest city in the country, the third-happiest in Texas, and the second-happiest city in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro. Garland ranked farther behind as No. 92 nationally, and more DFW cities ranked even lower: Grand Prairie (No. 106), Dallas (No. 111), Fort Worth (No. 113), and Arlington (No. 119).

The report additionally found that Dallasites spend the third-most amount of time at work in the nation. The city ranked No. 180 in the national analysis of U.S. cities with the "fewest work hours."

WalletHub also emphasized that money doesn't buy happiness — after a certain point.

"For decades, researchers have explored the science of happiness and identified several core factors, including mental well-being, physical health, strong social ties, job satisfaction, and financial stability," the report said. "Still, income has its limits — studies show that earning more than $75,000 a year does not lead to greater happiness."

Six-figure earners in Plano aren't necessarily as happy as those who don't make as much, as a separate financial study from SmartAsset revealed these big earners are only taking home about $72,653 after taxes and adjusted for the cost of living.

This is how other Texas cities ranked in the report:

No. 39 – Austin
No. 128 – Houston
No. 135 – Lubbock
No. 137 – El Paso
No. 140 – Laredo
No. 143 – Amarillo
No. 150 – Brownsville
No. 154 – San Antonio
No. 155 – Corpus Christi

wallethub plano reports

Train News

Dallas is so hot right now that DART light rail is forced to go slower

happy go lucky plano

Dallas neighbor dazzles on new list of happiest cities in America

A $100,000 salary in 2026 goes further in Dallas than it did last year

Scenic Dallas-area campsite named one of America's best in 2026

Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 best new happy hours for March