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The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority (or DART) is the transit agency in Dallas, Texas that operates Bus es, Light Rail , Commuter Rail , and HOV lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs. HISTORY DART was created in 1983 as a regional replacement for the Dallas Transit System . Citizens of 15 area cities had voted to levy a 1% Sales Tax to join the system by the time it began transit services in 1984 (though formal acquisition of the Dallas Transit System wouldn't be complete until 1988 ). Just a year later, in 1985 , member cities Carrollton and Farmers Branch held elections to pull out of DART, though the measures failed. But shifting suburban politics and a loss of confidence in DART management led to 7 more pullout votes in the 1980s , two of which ( Flower Mound and Coppell ) were successful. Just one suburb joined DART -- the tiny community of Buckingham , which was later annexed by DART member city Richardson . The year 1990 , though, was a turning point for the agency when DART broke ground on its Light Rail system. The light rail system began service on time and on budget in June 1996 , inaugurating the first light rail system in Texas and the Southwest . Commuter Rail service to Irving began in December, after some delays. To the surprise of critics, who expected the low ridership of the owner Jerry Jones ), but DART won handily in all five. In 2000 , DART opened Cityplace Station , the first Subway station in Texas (and the Southwest ) (excluding the Tandy Center Subway , a small private subway in Fort Worth, Texas between an office building and a parking lot which ceased to operate in 2002). By 2002 , DART light rail extended to the suburbs of Richardson , Plano , and Garland . In addition, the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail line connected downtown Dallas with downtown Fort Worth (through an interlocal agreement with the Fort Worth Transit Authority, " The T ") for the first time since the 1930s . DART itself currently operates two light rail lines, the Red Line and the Blue Line . The Trinity Railway Express is the commuter rail line that runs between Dallas and Fort Worth. Source: Dallas Area Rapid Transit, DART History DART is currently designing the next phase of the expansion of the light rail system. Two new light rail lines (tentatively named the Green and Orange Lines) will extend out of downtown Dallas by late 2009. One line will run southeast from downtown to Fair Park and then to the Dallas neighborhood of Pleasant Grove . This line will also operate northwest from Downtown Dallas via Love Field airport, and extend into the suburbs of Farmers Branch and Carrollton . The second line will run northwest from downtown, and branch off toward Irving with eventual service to the north side of DFW Airport . DART LIGHT RAIL AND COMMUTER LINES
DART MEMBER CITIES In addition to the cities that voted to join DART at its creation, the legislation that created DART specifies that any city adjoining Dallas may join the agency. In addition, any city that adjoins a DART member city becomes eligible to join. Member cities fund DART with a 1% Sales Tax . This levy prevents some cities from joining, due to Texas laws that cap the total sales tax that may be charged. In 2003 , the Texas Legislature enacted new legislation enabling countywide transit districts (such as the Denton County Transportation Authority ), but DART's membership rules were not affected. List of DART member cities All of these cities joined the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority when it was originally created in 1983 . All but Glenn Heights (and Flower Mound , which later withdrew) would also be eligible for DART membership because they are adjacent to the city of Dallas.
:Glenn Heights is the only one of Dallas' southern suburbs that has joined DART, besides Cockrell Hill (which is an island city in southern Dallas). Eligible cities that are not members of DART These cities are eligible to join DART as they are adjacent to DART member cities (see below), but have not chosen to levy the required 1% sales tax required for membership and regular service. However, DART can establish service to non-member cities under certain conditions. In addition to the Trinity Railway Express interlocal agreements, DART serves destinations like Eastfield College , which is within the city limits of Mesquite .
:Coppell withdrew from DART in 1989
:Flower Mound withdrew from DART in 1989 . In 2003 , voters also rejected membership in the Denton County Transportation Authority .
:The adjacent suburb of Wilmer is not currently eligible, as it does not share a border with Dallas.
:In 2003 , Lewisville voters approved membership in the Denton County Transportation Authority , which levies a 1/2 cent sales tax.
CRITICISM OF DART Some people have raised criticisms of the agency.
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