The transit agency piloted two dual charging ports, one each at the Glenn Heights Park & Ride in southern Dallas County and Illinois Station in east Oak Cliff. The charging stations, which can charge up to four cars between them, are free to the public until the end of next August, and being a DART rider is not necessary to use them, spokesman Gordon Shattles said.
“We have a sustainability program that has been a part of DART potentially since its formation 40 years ago,” Shattles said. “So as part of our mobility and innovation work, this was just a natural next step in the progression.”
The new Level 2 chargers can charge most EV vehicles in four to eight hours — making them a convenient option for those using DART to get to work in the morning, he said.
Shattles added he thinks the new charging stations could potentially increase ridership and aid customers in their “first and last mile” to a transit center.
“I think this sort of incentivizes them … to be able to take that pressure off of them to know they will have a fully charged vehicle and do something positive for the environment,” he said.
Additionally, as more EVs take over the roads, cities will need to think more seriously about infrastructure to accommodate these drivers, said Keith Moore, Glenn Heights’ interim city manager. Currently, there are only about 2,900 public charging stations for electric vehicles in Texas.
“As we move forward, consumers are looking to buy more electric vehicles,” Moore said. “They’re going to need these charging stations available to them in strategic places.”
Moore said his city is grateful to be one of the first where DART installed these charging stations, especially as he sees more EV drivers in the area.
In addition to hopefully improving air quality in Dallas and attracting more riders to use public transit, Shattles said another goal of the program is to collect data on the charging stations for the future.
“Over the next year, we’re going to look at usage, how long they’re sitting idle, availability, interest from the public, and we’ll use that information going forward to determine any potential expansion of the project,” he said.
So far, the charging stations have rarely been idle, and DART customers specifically have been making use of the ports to charge their cars, Shattles noted.
The project was funded by a $79,472 grant from the North Central Texas Council of Governments as part of its call for congestion mitigation and air quality projects.
Helping Dallas improve its air quality was a huge driver behind the new chargers, Shattles said. Last October, the Environmental Protection Agency reclassified Dallas-Fort Worth as “severe nonattainment,” meaning the area has violated federal standards for outdoor air pollution.
“We’re always looking for new opportunities to expand and especially utilize technology for the benefit of our riders and for air quality,” Shattles said.
Currently, DART operates seven short-range electric buses. Earlier this year, the agency unveiled its first long-range electric bus, which has a range of almost 300 miles.
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