The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors has not only approved a new bus purchase but has also agreed with Amazon to continue its site-specific shuttle service for another year.
The new 40-foot bus will be for Route 883, which serves the University of Texas (UTD) at Dallas campus area. The popular site-specific bus service between the UTD campus and surrounding neighborhoods in Dallas, Richardson and CityLine/Bush Station, as well as to nearby apartments and shopping destinations, is known as The Comet Cruiser and has been in operation since 2008.
At the start, the UTD shuttle quickly became a lifeline for the many international, out-of-state and other students who didn’t have vehicles, and for faculty, staff and students looking to reduce commuting costs.
The service grew the following year from six to nine buses due to increased ridership demands as enrollment on the campus reached a new high.
Amazon Shuttle Service
The board of directors also approved a one-year GoLink On-Demand Site-Specific Shuttle Service Funding Agreement to extend weekend and holiday services for customers using the shuttle to the Amazon Fulfillment Center FTW1 in southern Dallas.
This action renews DART’s commitment to operate a shuttle service between 5:00-8:00 a.m. during morning peak hours, and 5:00-8:00 p.m. during evening peak hours, meeting the shift times for fulfillment center employees.
In 2018, a one-year Site-Specific Agreement for GoLink on-demand services was approved by DART and Amazon. That contract ends September 30 and this new contract will start October 1.
The one-year extension will operate with both dedicated and non-dedicated providers under an existing DART contract with MV Transportation and run from Amazon’s Fulfillment Center FTW1 to the Blue Line stations at UNT Dallas and Camp Wisdom.
