DALLAS — Dallas Area Rapid Transit plans a 90-day security push this fall at five light rail stations, adding more police, fare officers and controlled access in what the agency calls its largest coordinated security effort.
Operation Access is expected to start in late fall and run into winter at Bachman, MLK Jr., Forest Lane, 8th & Corinth and White Rock stations. DART said those stops were chosen using incident data and because they cover rail lines that feed into and out of downtown Dallas.
Teams of DART police officers, fare enforcement officers and transit security officers will check fares and enforce the Rider Code of Conduct at control points and on trains. The agency said it wants “zero tolerance” for fare evasion at the highest-incident locations. Controlled-access points will be tested at stations with the worst fare-evasion records to simulate a gated system. DART has not said it will install permanent fare gates during the pilot.
The Dallas Morning News reported the effort is meant to lift fare compliance and address safety concerns on platforms and trains. The 90-day trial will also measure staffing, passenger flow and technology needs before DART decides on bigger changes.
DART Board Chair Randall Bryant said crime against persons on the system is down 21% this year, “but any crime on our system is unacceptable.” The board has already approved $35 million for cameras and cleaning and $32 million for diversion programs aimed at repeat offenders. Bryant said Operation Access puts people where the data shows they are needed.
A second phase is scheduled for a DART Board briefing Oct. 13. That review is expected to cover whether fare gates on platforms make sense, whether a uniformed officer or security employee should ride in the first car of every train, and possible changes to fare rules and the code of conduct.
Riders at the five stations should expect more visible checks this winter. Paying customers may move through faster at controlled points; people without valid fare can be cited. DART says the goal is a safer, more predictable ride, not a systemwide shutdown of open boarding.
No start date more specific than “late fall” has been announced.
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