DART ridership trends

[hamiltonpl]

I've been told that DART employees can ride free if they are riding to/from work. It was a big problem during the snow/ice fiasco since the trains/buses not running meant many employees felt they had no requirement to report without a way to reach the office. DART HQ does have its own parking garage, but I actually see more DART vehicles going in and out when I walk by to the Y than private vehicles.

Now why someoneone not in a DART uniform is driving a DART vehicle into the office at 6:45 AM might be another story.

That parking garage houses the motor pool for DART employees. Take the bus or train to work, then check out one of the cars parked in the parking garage. No uniform is required -- just a plastic identification card.

[mjblazin]

Maybe we are looking too hard for a Dallas answer. Nationwide the the DOT's 2009 Household Survey showed only 3.7% of commuters used transit. Average transit time was 50+ minutes, average car time was under 25 minutes. The Brookings study showed that for 4% of possible commuters the transit time was under 25 minutes. Coincidence? Could it be that people will use transit absent other factors when the time is the same or better? Since the difficulties on reducing the time difference are generation time framed solutions, we'd have to look at the other factors.

It's cost of car ownership, not cost of gas, that drives ridership. Instead of wrecking the economy by raising energy prices, why not double or triple license and registration fees, add surcharges to auto insurance for adults, but especially for teenagers, have rigorous inspection criteria in urban areas that would difficult for any 5+ year old car to pass, and jack up the tolls and tickets for violations?

DART is bad, but better management may only tweak the results. That improvement will not likely overwhelm more citical factors that are independent of system operation.

[DallasMichael]

Ridership on the green line might be higher if there was more parking at the Frankford station. I took the green line today and the lot was completely full. It took me driving though the lot a few times until someone else left. This was close to 1:00 PM. Hearing about the parking in the termini of the red line makes me wonder if DART would plan parking garages in the stations where parking is an issue, specifically the termini stations where people may be much more inclined to drive to the station.

[cmacemm]

There have been some people with new system maps (explaining the orange line) and giving out free week passes in the tunnels by Pot Belly.

[Alex Rodriguez]

Ridership on the green line might be higher if there was more parking at the Frankford station. I took the green line today and the lot was completely full. It took me driving though the lot a few times until someone else left. This was close to 1:00 PM. Hearing about the parking in the termini of the red line makes me wonder if DART would plan parking garages in the stations where parking is an issue, specifically the termini stations where people may be much more inclined to drive to the station.

Was the second lot full too? There are two lots there. The main one, and then a second even bigger one across Trade Center drive. I've never seen that second lot even close to being full. Check it out on Google Maps. Giant empty parking lot. The two combined are close to 900 parking spaces.

[DallasMichael]

I didn't realize that second lot was for DART users. I remember seeing it nearly empty though, nevermind.

Edit: I can't recall if I have seen any signs indicating that second lot is for DART users, at least if the driver is arriving via 35.

[gshelton91]

Maybe we are looking too hard for a Dallas answer. Nationwide the the DOT's 2009 Household Survey showed only 3.7% of commuters used transit. Average transit time was 50+ minutes, average car time was under 25 minutes. The Brookings study showed that for 4% of possible commuters the transit time was under 25 minutes. Coincidence? Could it be that people will use transit absent other factors when the time is the same or better? Since the difficulties on reducing the time difference are generation time framed solutions, we'd have to look at the other factors.

It's cost of car ownership, not cost of gas, that drives ridership. Instead of wrecking the economy by raising energy prices, why not double or triple license and registration fees, add surcharges to auto insurance for adults, but especially for teenagers, have rigorous inspection criteria in urban areas that would difficult for any 5+ year old car to pass, and jack up the tolls and tickets for violations?

DART is bad, but better management may only tweak the results. That improvement will not likely overwhelm more citical factors that are independent of system operation.

Though i agree with you in principle selling the Cost of Ownership thing is a really hard sell. I have tried to do it with corporate computers even when you can show the cost of Ownership is lower just the inertia of doing what you have been doing is hard to overcome.

[downtownguy25]

I didn't realize that second lot was for DART users. I remember seeing it nearly empty though, nevermind.

Edit: I can't recall if I have seen any signs indicating that second lot is for DART users, at least if the driver is arriving via 35.

Perhaps you should email DART about that. If you had an issue sure others have had it as well. A few signs in the first parking lot reminding people there is a second, larger parking lot would be helpful.

[Alex Rodriguez]

Perhaps you should email DART about that. If you had an issue sure others have had it as well. A few signs in the first parking lot reminding people there is a second, larger parking lot would be helpful.

Agreed. I only figured it out because I see people heading that way every afternoon, and I drove over there to check it out...

[DallasMichael]

I'm gonna call them, I think that might get a little more attention than an e-mail. Glad to know there is extra parking.