DART reports that customer satisfaction has rebounded after COVID, but some numbers are still lagging

A survey of customer satisfaction among Dallas Area Rapid Transit riders shows improvements over the past year as it continues to recover from COVID.

DART surveyed more than 7,900 respondents about their satisfaction with the agency between April and June 2024. Nearly half of respondents considered themselves “dependent” on DART’s rail, bus or GoLink on-demand service.

The survey reports that 72% of respondents are “very or somewhat satisfied” with the agency. This represents an increase of 10% compared to the previous year.

“We saw gains in our growth for overall satisfaction, which was largely driven by improvements in key areas such as DART system staffing,” said Jeamy Molina, DART’s director of communications.

Molina added that there has also been an increase in the likelihood of motorists continuing to use the agency’s services. This was up 6% from last year, close to pre-pandemic levels. He attributed this to the agency’s focus on safety, reliability and frequency of service.

Satisfaction scores have rebounded since 2022 after declining from 2018, but levels are still not where they were nearly a decade ago.

Molina also reported the discrepancy between Hispanic or Latino drivers. While Hispanic residents make up 41% of DART’s service area, they make up only about 20% of the agency’s ridership.

“We found a lot of areas where we could do better to educate our customers, reach out and give them more details on how to use a system, how to use all the services that we offer,” Molina said.

The survey results come as the agency defends its funding of member cities that want to reduce their sales tax contributions.

DART depends on annual contributions from its 13 member cities, but six have passed symbolic resolutions to reduce those contributions by 25%. Some city leaders have said DART needs to make improvements in several key areas, including safety and cleanliness.

For some board members, the latest customer satisfaction results are encouraging.

“I am encouraged by the customer satisfaction survey,” said Director Michele Wong Krause. “It comes back to the fact that you can have the best system in the world, but if the perception is that it’s not secure, that’s a big concern.”

The agency is in ongoing talks with cities that want to cut funding. Last week, regional leaders called on DART and member cities to resolve the funding dispute by February.

Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Do you have a tip? Email Pablo at [email protected]. You can follow him on X @pabloaarauz.

KERA News is made possible by the generosity of our members. If you find this report valuable, please consider by making a tax-deductible gift today. thank you