Study Sheds Light on Dallas Transit Deserts

Brandon Formby provides in-depth coverage of the state of public transit in Far North Dallas, a part of the city recently named by University of Texas researchers as the worst transit desert in Dallas.

Five thousand residents live in Far North Dallas, located where the Dallas North Tollway and the Bush Turnpike intersect. Formby describes some of the conditions of the neighborhood:

"The area is mostly made up of apartment complexes clustered around just a handful of neighborhood streets. It’s miles from any light-rail stop. A north-south bus line that connects Addison to west Plano is the only fixed transit route that runs through the neighborhood. Buses come about every half-hour during weekday rush hours, but run only hourly the rest of those days and Saturdays. There is no Sunday service."

The article includes more insight into the research, which found additional transit deserts around the city. Dr. Junfeng Jiao, an assistant community and regional planning professor at the University of Texas School of Architecture, led the research.

Formby also quotes officials from DART in the story who express displeasure with the study's findings, specifically faulting the study's methods of measuring demand.