Partnerships Expand Transportation Options Customers can pair private services with public transit To solve transportation challenges creatively, DART has formed public-private partnerships with several companies to help people get where they want to go. Toyota grant subsidizes Collin County taxi service When Texoma Area Paratransit Service stopped operating in Allen, Fairview and Wylie in late 2015, some senior citizens and people living with a disability were left to find other ways to get to medical appointments and run errands. With money provided by the cities and an emergency 90-day grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), DART began administering interim service on Feb. 29, 2016, via its paratransit contractor, MV Transportation, Inc. MV used dedicated DART-owned vans and dedicated drivers. Learning of the earlier service shutdown, Toyota Motor North America, Inc. – which is relocating its headquarters to West Plano – announced a $1 million grant to continue service after the initial period. In October 2016, DART moved to a taxi-based service to reduce operating costs. The service, rebranded Collin County Rides (CCR), is available to eligible registrants in the three cities, who can travel to or from any location within Collin County and the Downtown Rowlett Station. Beyond subsidizing service, the Toyota grant has made possible technological fine-tuning, future program growth, transportation innovation and transit planning for Collin County. Learn more: DART.org/CCR 6 Eligible residents in Allen, Fairview and Wylie can use DART’s Collin County Rides taxi service to reach medical appointments, run errands or access the DART System. Ride and car sharing make transit viable Following a successful trial in 2015, DART continues to expand its relationships with ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft. In conjunction with DART, these services solve the first- and last-mile transportation to buses and trains. “If we are going to persuade more people to ride public transportation, we must consider the entire trip and not just DART’s part,” DART President/Executive Director Gary Thomas said. DART also has partnered with Zipcar to bring self-service, on-demand car sharing access to transit riders. Zipcar leases parking spaces at the Mockingbird and Inwood/ Love Field stations. To make trip planning easier, customers can access the Uber, Lyft and Zipcar apps through DART’s free GoPass mobileticketing app. DART riders can connect to Zipcars located at the Mockingbird and Inwood/Love Field stations to drive to places not easily reached by transit.
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