D-Link services extended for another year

The Dallas City Council approved extending D-Link for another year after a briefing from the City’s Transportation and Trinity River Project Committee. This extension is part of an interlocal funding agreement between the City, DART and Downtown Dallas, Inc.

D-Link was implemented in November 2013 and was funded through an interlocal agreement which was set to expire on November 10, 2015. The current annual cost for D-Link servicing Bishop Arts and Downtown Dallas is $1.8 million. The City contributes $400,000 annually under the current agreement. A $516,644 Job Access Federal grant also provides a D-Link connection between Downtown Dallas and Bishop Arts Methodist area of Oak Cliff, with DART will fund the remaining cost.

When the Dallas Streetcar is extended to the Bishop Arts area in 2016, the D-Link routing to Bishop Arts will be removed to prevent duplicated routes with the streetcar. The DART Board of Directors will adopt the final routing in 2016 following public meetings. DART received a federal grant to purchase seven electric buses for D-Link which will arrive in 2017.

The current D-Link route operates within Downtown Dallas and also connects with the Bishop Arts District in
Oak Cliff. It operates every 15 minutes, Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. until 11:30 p.m., and after 6 p.m. it serves Cedars Station. Due to partnership funding, no fare is charged and the vehicles are uniquely branded.

For details on the full council briefing, click here.