The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Light Rail system includes 93 miles of track divided into four lines: the Red Line, the Blue Line, the Green Line, and the Orange Line. It is the longest light rail system in the United States.
Though the rail system began operations in June 1996, the agency was created on Aug. 13, 1983, when 58 percent of voters in 14 cities and Dallas County cast more than 101,000 ballots in favor of regional transportation.
In September 1984, the DART Board selects light rail as the preferred mode for a planned 147-mile network. In September 1986, the Board revised its service plan to provide 93 miles of light rail transit including seven miles of subways.
In April 1988, DART purchased 34.5 miles of railroad right-of-way (ROW) from the Southern Pacific Transportation Co. Of that ROW, 28 miles were to be used for transit use and 6.5 miles for a future linear park.
In January 1991, the agency acquired an additional 54 miles of railroad ROW from the St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co. (Cotton Belt) for transit use after the year 2010.
The first 11.2 miles of the initial 20-mile light rail transit starter system opened on June 14, 1996. After a week of free rides, revenue service started on June 24, 1996.
