USA: Dallas Area Rapid Transit has secured a $25 million federal grant to improve level boarding, wayfinding and security at eight Red and Blue Line stations in Southern Dallas.

DART Blue Line train beside the platform at UNT Dallas Station.
A DART Blue Line train at UNT Dallas Station. Illustrative image; it does not depict the announced upgrade work. Photo: Michael Barera / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

DART’s official announcement says the station accessibility upgrades will remove center crosswalks where they remain and level the platforms. The resulting level boarding surface is intended to improve access for passengers with limited mobility and people traveling with luggage.

The announcement does not name the eight stations. It confirms that all are in Southern Dallas and are served by the Red and Blue lines. The grant will also finance new wayfinding signage and security-system upgrades.

Federal grant supports the accessibility project

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s BUILD grant program. The department says its latest award round distributes more than $1.73 billion among 127 projects across 52 states, territories and the District of Columbia.

BUILD supports surface transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. Eligible recipients include transit agencies as well as state, local and Tribal governments, counties and port authorities.

“This grant funding continues our commitment to modernizing our entire system,” said Trenise Winters, DART’s chief operating officer. “Upgrading these eight Southern Dallas stations means closing transit equity gaps, and providing a smoother, safer journey for thousands of our passengers every day.”

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Phased station work will continue through 2030

Installation and upgrades are scheduled to begin in early 2027. DART plans to deliver the work in phases through 2030, when the project is expected to be completed.

The agency says the federal contribution will significantly reduce the local funding needed to cover the remaining project costs. It also links the investment to its wider state-of-good-repair program.

For context, the DART light-rail network spans 93 miles, has four lines and serves 65 stations in nine cities.

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