The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) announced that for the first time ever transit centers will be available as cooling stations for customers looking for shelter from the excessive heat.
Texans can count on another suffocating week ahead. And while offices, cars and homes might be sufficiently acclimated, commuting with public transportation has been an endurance challenge for the more than 220,000 passengers that use DART services every day.
According to CBS, indoor waiting areas were closed since the pandemic. But, with the soaring temperatures heading towards dangerous territory due to a combination of increasing levels of humidity and little to no wind, the transportation company decided to put idle indoor terminals to good use.
Beginning on June 23, 2023, transit centers will open for the public to wait for their transportation at staffed stations equipped with cool air, water and vending machines. According to DART, staff will be available to provide assistance at the following transit centers:
- Addison Transit Center
- Arapaho Center Station
- Bernal/Singleton Transfer Location
- CBD East Transfer Center
- CBD West Transfer Center
- Cockrell Hill Transfer Location
- Downtown Garland Station
- Downtown Irving/Heritage Crossing Station
- Hampton Station
- Illinois Station
- J.B. Jackson Jr. Transit Center/MLK Jr. Station
- Jack Hatchell Transit Center
- Lake June Station
- Lake Ray Hubbard Transit Center
- Ledbetter Station
- Parker Road Station
- Red Bird Transit Center
- South Garland Transit Center
As reported by The Washington Post, Texas broke heat records on Thursday and Friday, and more records are expected in the coming days. The Climate Prediction Center forecasts temperatures to climb to around the lower 100s all through next week in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
