Holiday News

All of your essential Thanksgiving holiday travel tips for Dallas-Fort Worth

All the key info for buses, planes, and trains.

Travel is always a big thing during the holidays, and while it's down due to COVID-19, people are still moving around and still need tips. In fact, with COVID-19, they may need tips more than ever.

Here's a summary of everything you need to know about holiday travel in Dallas-Fort Worth, whether it's trains, planes, and buses.

DART
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) buses, light rail trains and the Dallas streetcar services will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thurs., Nov. 26, and a Saturday schedule Fri., Nov. 27 for North Texas riders.

The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) will not operate Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26 and will provide Saturday service on Friday, Nov. 27.

DART and TRE holiday changes will continue until regular scheduled transit service resumes Saturday, Nov. 28.

DART Mobility Management's Paratransit Call Center will be closed Thursday through Sunday. Clients wishing to schedule trips by phone for any of the four days will need to do so by Wednesday, Nov. 25. Clients can also now schedule, view and cancel trips 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.DART.org/paratransit.

DART's Customer Information Center will be closed Thanksgiving Day and open Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The administrative offices, Customer Care Center, and Lost and Found will be closed both Thanksgiving Day and Friday.

Schedule information can be found at DART.org, TrinityRailwayExpress.org or by calling 214.979.1111.

TEXRail
On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, TEXRail and The Dash will operate on their regular schedules. Trinity Railway Express (TRE) and the ZIPZONEs in Crowley and Mercantile will not operate. Bus, ACCESS paratransit, and ZIPZONEs in Alliance and Near Southside will operate on Sunday schedules.

Customer care locations will be closed, but representatives are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday by calling 817-215-8600.

On Friday, Nov. 27, TEXRail, buses, ACCESS paratransit, all ZIPZONEs and The Dash will operate on regular schedule. TRE will operate on a Saturday schedule.

The customer care kiosk at Fort Worth Central Station will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The retail sales office will be closed. Customer care representatives will be available from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday by calling 817-215-8600.

DFW Airport
American Airlines is offering limited-time availability to its exclusive Five Star Service for purchase to all customers, no matter what cabin they are traveling in. Even, shudder, coach, at a discounted rate of 50 percent off for families or groups of three or more. This limited-time promotion is only available for travel November 20-January 10, 2021. It's at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport as well as airports in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

Benefits include Flagship First Check-In, access to the Admirals Club lounge, escort to the departure gate, boarding on-demand and priority re-accommodation, escort to luggage retrieval, and curbside greeting. Call Five Star Service at 877-578-2702 and use code Holidays50.

Buses
Dallas-based Greyhound was one of the few transportation providers that remained open throughout the past year and has gathered valuable insight on navigating these challenging times and promoting safe practices.

Some of their tips include:

Know the COVID-19 rules in the city and/or state you’re traveling to
Bring a mask. If you forget one, ask a Greyhound team member for assistance.
Bring wipes and hand sanitizer to keep at your seat for added comfort
Create as much space between you and other passengers as possible
Socially distance yourself when lining up to board the bus and when waiting in the terminal
Travel during the week or overnight to avoid crowds

They also recommend that you plan ahead on getting to and from the station, as some cities may not have rideshare options.

Carry cash as a backup, keep your important items in your carry-on bag, bring a blanket or neck pillow, and bring snacks.

transportation holidays

DART News

DART launches scooter parking pilot program at 4 Dallas rail stations

DART

Scooter parking for DART

In a new pilot program, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is making room for scooters: According to a release, four DART stations will now have dedicated parking zones for scooters.

DART will unveil six designated scooter parking zones at four of its highest-traffic stations. Each of the zones will be specifically marked and provide a controlled space for users to park scooters, leaving them clear of walkways, platforms and rail or bus paths, where they can disrupt train and bus service.

The designated scooter parking zones can be found at:

CBD West Transit Center – just east and behind the bus shelter
Victory Station – next to tap and go pay stations along the walkway to the American Airlines Center and next to the southernmost crossing at the rail platform
EBJ/Union Station – on the sidewalk near the north and south entrances to Union Station
SMU/Mockingbird Station – next to bike racks along the walkway from station platform

The pilot program is expected to run a few months beginning in December.

DART will collaborate with the City of Dallas to process the data to scooter rental companies to ensure that the scooters are equipped with geofencing technology allowing the marking of their locations.

With motorized scooters becoming a common mode of "micro transit" for commuters, DART hopes to clear clutter and walking hazards for rail and bus customers, while also provide those who use scooters a quick and reliable way to access or park them.

“Whether people like them or not, scooters have become a popular form of transportation across our service area,” says DART VP of capital design and construction Trey Walker. “We’re acknowledging this fact while attempting to get ahead of scooter clutter at our stations with this pilot program. We want to ensure that our transit stations remain safe, and we continue to maximize efficiency with our train and bus operations.”

Scooter companies, Lime and Bird, are also partnering with DART to incorporate scooter locations near transit stations on the GoPass app, making it easier for riders to find scooters to utilize and complete their journey. DART staff will also monitor the usage of the scooter parking zones and gather public feedback regarding their effectiveness during the pilot.