By Jaxie Pidgeon | Contributor
DART remains committed to doing everything they can to keep their riders safe. The agency is in close contact with local, state and national health authorities, including the Texas Department of State Health Services and the CDC, and will continue to monitor the situation for residents in the North Texas region.
Following are answers to the most frequently asked questions:
How often are buses, light rail cars and TRE trains cleaned?
DART buses, light rail vehicles and TRE trains are cleaned nightly.
Vehicles now receive additional cleanings throughout the day. High touch surface areas are cleaned with an EPA approved cleaning agent. High touch surfaces include handrails, door buttons, grab rails and hanging straps.
Vehicles are cleaned with products identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as successful in killing the coronavirus, as well as influenza, rhinovirus, norovirus, salmonella, staphylococcus, and e-coli.
DART is prepared to escalate their cleaning process for transit vehicles should the need arise.
DART continues to enforce their procedures to isolate vehicles and areas that have been exposed to unsanitary and unhygienic situations. This includes removing vehicles from service that have been exposed to biohazard situations from passengers.
What if you see something that you’re concerned about?
As a passenger, if you see an unhygienic surface that needs attention, please contact DART Customer Service at (214) 979-1111, or you can use the “DART Say Something” app, which can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play.
DART wants to remind all of their riders that the best way to stay informed about changes in service is through DART Alerts. Customers can sign-up for DART Alerts at www.dart.org.
How are DART employees being protected?
DART cleaning crews and personnel are required to wear personal protective equipment to prevent contamination from possibly infectious diseases, and they will continue to keep them informed and remind them about good hygiene practices.
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Are DART Transit Centers Still Open?
Beginning Friday, March 27 at 5 p.m., as a precaution against the spread of the new coronavirus, DART is temporarily closing the indoor waiting areas at all transit center locations. The agency is also temporarily closing DARTmart and Lost & Found, both of which are located at DART Headquarters in downtown Dallas at Akard Station.
The impacted transit centers include: Addison Transit Center, Arapaho Center Station, Bernal/Singleton Transfer Location, Central Business District (CBD) East Transfer Center, CBD West Transfer Center, Cockrell Hill Transfer Location, Downtown Garland Station, Downtown Irving/Heritage Crossing Station, Hampton Station, Illinois Station, Jack Hatchell Transit Center, J.B. Jackson Transit Center, Lake June Station, Lake Ray Hubbard Transit Center, Ledbetter Station, Parker Road Station, Red Bird Transit Center, South Garland Transit Center, and Westmoreland Station.
But they are still serving customers remotely.
The best way to stay up to date on service alerts and other DART-related news and information is to register for My DART Updates. Once registered, you will receive text and/or email messages about specific rail lines and bus routes, along with other DART information. Sign up at DART.org/email.
For those essential workers who depend on DART to get to their place of employment during this challenging time, the GoPass® app is useful tool. On the app, you can buy your transit pass, so there is no need to touch the ticket vending machines. The app also allows you to plan trips and track buses and trains in real-time. You can download the app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
DART’s mobile site, m.DART.org, is also available to customers. On this site, you can access travel tools like the trip planner, bus and train locators, rider alerts and point-to-point schedules.
Customers also can follow DART on social media. Follow @DARTmedia and @DARTalerts on Twitter, @DARTDallas on Facebook, @DARTDaily on Instagram, and @DARTDallas on YouTube.
The safety of their customers and employees is their top priority during this challenging time. Learn more on how DART is responding to the coronavirus at DART.org/health.
