My D21 is OOS and will be applying for the fall. I’ve been researching options for travel to and from the airport (DFW). It seems as if public transportation options currently take about 2 hours to get from the airport to UTD – is this correct? I also see that a new DART line, with service from DFW more directly to UTD (the Silver Line), is being constructed and will be completed in December, 2022 that will allow travel to and from the airport in a little less than an hour.
Any other information and/or tips regarding travel to and from the airport for an OOS student (including any info about this new DART line) would be greatly appreciated!
Hi @amsunshine As with any public transportation, the schedules and routes can be very clunky and confusing. Unless it is timed just right, it will almost every time be faster to Uber/Lyft somewhere in the metroplex rather than to take DART, other buses, and/or other trains. It can be done, but it will just take a long time.
Once you know some people, especially at UTD there are a lot of in state students who have cars with them and would be willing to pick her up. Lots of students, if they are OOS and fly in, might attempt to find another student and split the cost of a rideshare. Bottom line, UTD is not hours away from DFW or Love Field, so I would not worry too much about transportation being a deciding factor in the college search.
It is public transportation. Texas, in general, is not known as a great supporter of public transportation. People like their trucks and cars in Texas. And the freedom drive on their schedule.
That said - I’ve attended sports competitions, work conferences and the State Fair in the DFW area and used public transportation (train) mixed with private vehicles. I found the DART trains from mockingbird station to reunion arena (Dealey Plaza area) to be very dependable and very easy to use. I’ve also stayed in the reunion arena area and headed south to and from the State Fair easily. On that route I saw how easy getting to Deep Ellum would be. I also used a little connector bus in Downtown Fort Worth to and from the convention center, hotel and bars. Very easy.
The Silver Line will be a huge step forward for the DART. It is a cross town line VS hub and spoke like all the other lines. It allows easier travel to both airports from the northern suburbs.
Thank you so much! The transportation is not a deciding factor for her, but we still wanted to at least get a pretty good idea of how it will all work assuming she attends.
Lifelong Dallas resident here…best options right now for UTD to Love Field/DFW will be Uber or Lyft. As others have said it depends on the time of day for how long it will take, 30-40 minutes comfortably. Silver line will hopefully improve time since it will traverse the existing lines.
As with any public transportation, the schedules and routes can be very clunky and confusing. Unless it is timed just right, it will almost every time be faster to Uber/Lyft somewhere in the metroplex rather than to take DART, other buses, and/or other trains. It can be done, but it will just take a long time.