Dallas Area Rapid Transit Details How DART Investment Drives Economic Value

Following the opening of the most recent Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) rail extension on October 24, DART has released a detailed report discussing the ways the system has positively impacted the local economy. This week marked the opening of a new three-mile DART extension connecting Ledbetter Station to the University of North Texas – Dallas’ campus.

According to the DART report, the system has been a win-win both for Dallas area travelers and the local economy.

“Transit Oriented Development near DART Rail, like CityLine and the continued growth in the Cedars south of downtown Dallas, is driving the North Texas economic boom with more than $7 billion in economic impact from new or planned construction within a quarter mile of rail stations,” the report read.

DART noted that rail line construction in 2014 and 2015 alone produced more than 43,000 local jobs. A study by the University of North Texas found $5.3 billion in transit-oriented development near DART Rail stations from 1996 to 2013.

The 93-mile-long rail station cost the state $5.5 billion to construct. But if DARTs numbers are correct, the system has already begun paying major dividends.

Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have pledged to invest heavily in national infrastructure projects if elected. The economics of the DART system suggest it could be a solid model for the types of projects that could both directly and indirectly stimulate local economies.

So far this year, the PowerShares Dynamic Bldg. & Const. (ETF) PKB is up 2.6 percent.

SPDR Series Trust XTN, the SPDR transportation ETF, is up 9.3 percent year-to-date.