This article is from the Spring 2021 issue of the Inmotion stakeholder newsletter. Subscribe here for email notifications when the new issue of Inmotion publishes online. Find the latest issues of Inmotion online at DART.org/publications.

On-demand service will provide more transit coverage

DART's GoLink service has grown and evolved since the program began in February 2018 with three zones each in southern Dallas and Plano.

"We consider GoLink an important part of the family of services that DART provides," said Rob Smith, Interim Vice President of Planning and Development.

The agency has proposed 28 DART-funded GoLink areas in the new bus service plan that will start January 2022. Some of the existing 15 zones will be expanded, and at least 13 new zones will be introduced to replace fixed-route bus service that is underperforming.

GoLink is a mobility-on-demand transit service powered by DART's GoPass^® app. The service uses a mix of DART-branded vehicles and transportation network companies - such as taxis and Uber - to provide shared-ride transportation to DART customers within a designated boundary.

In some cases, the service works as first-mile/last-mile transportation. Customers schedule rides between their homes and a rail station or bus transit center, or between a DART hub and an employer or commercial area.

In other communities, like Rowlett, GoLink provides circulation within the zone, helping people go to places like medical appointments, shopping, work and lunch.

Before the pandemic, the Legacy West zone was the most active because GoLink fulfilled both purposes. Commuters used the service to travel between the Northwest Plano Park & Ride and nearby employers. Another group of riders rode GoLink to lunch and back within the Legacy Business Park and Legacy West areas.

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