Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has launched the second phase of their vinyl seat retrofit program with the piloting of one light rail vehicle and one Dallas Streetcar vehicle that will go into regular service beginning Monday, January 22.

To provide a cleaner and more comfortable environment for customers, DART replaced almost 34,000 fabric seat cushions and backs on its bus fleet with vinyl-covered seats last year. Over 16,000 light rail vehicle seats in 163 vehicles will be replaced throughout the DART fleet starting in March of this year.

“We are very excited to begin the second phase of our vinyl seat replacement program for our light rail vehicles,” said Bernard Jackson, DART SR. EVP, and chief operations officer. “I know from speaking with many of our bus riders that they appreciate the new seating, and we look forward to providing additional upgrades in the future that focus on rider comfort.”

The new vinyl seats are part of the agency’s continued customer-focused commitment to riders to provide a safe and clean transit experience. This includes the DART Clean Team Initiative that utilizes on-board contract cleaning personnel to remove trash and debris aboard DART light rail vehicles as they operate throughout the DART network, supplementing the extensive cleaning protocols already in place.

Customers are invited to complete a survey, via QR code on each pilot vehicle, about the new vinyl seating and provide valuable feedback and comments, as well as future upgrades they would like to see.