DALLAS — North Texans will soon notice certain Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) vehicles driving slightly differently because of the extreme heat hitting the area.
Due to the record high temperatures across North Texas, which is expected to last for the next several days according to the National Weather Service, DART has implemented speed restrictions on light rail service between 2 p.m. – 9 p.m. both Tuesday and Wednesday.
Light rail vehicles will operate at no more than 30 miles per hour during this time. DART light rail passengers should expect delays of 10-15 minutes due to these speed restrictions.
DART said the average speed of these light rail vehicles depends on the destination, but they typically reach speeds in the high 60s. They will also go as slow as five miles per hour in certain situations.
DART said it will continue to monitor the weather conditions across the North Texas area and will determine in the coming days if future speed restrictions will be necessary. Riders can stay informed about service changes by registering for DART Alerts at www.dart.org, or by contacting DART Customer Information at (214) 979-1111.
In June, DART announced it would have long-term changes to the frequency of its bus services. The adjustments will be for 31 of its 97 bus routes.
The company said it was affected by a nationwide shortage of bus operators and was looking to hire more employees.
As of June 13, the impacted bus routes that usually operate every 15 minutes started operating every 20 minutes.