Uptown Dallas – Park and Ride for FREE

Whether you work Uptown or Downtown, there is plenty of public transportation, much of it free! One advantage to living uptown is its super easy access within Uptown Dallas as well as to downtown offices. With the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system, you can get anywhere in and around Dallas very easily and affordably. Even if you own a car, there is plenty of commuter parking available to park and ride to, within, and around Uptown Dallas.

In Uptown Dallas

In Uptown Dallas, as we have mentioned before, there is the M Line, also known as the McKinney Avenue Trolley. The Trolley is free and can get you to and from literally any point in Uptown Dallas. The Trolley runs through the heart of Uptown Dallas on McKinney Avenue and empties into downtown. It is free of charge and runs later on weekends, which saves money on cabs. Monday thru Thursday the M Line Trolley runs from 7 a.m. until 10:15 p.m. Fridays it runs from 7 a.m. until 11:30 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10:05 a.m. until 12:40 a.m. On Sundays and Holidays the Trolley runs from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
The M Line Trolleys are in partnership with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit; they are heated and air-conditioned, and are scheduled to run 365 days a year. The furthest you have to walk from anywhere uptown is McKinney Avenue, and your transportation needs are taken care of. It makes owning a car completely optional. Taking the Trolley also eradicates parking fees for parking your car downtown, which can run on average $150 every month. It saves on fuel and emissions, too! Lessen your carbon footprint by taking public transportation when you can.

Dart Rail

The DART Rail is Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s train system. There are four lines: Red, Blue, Green and Orange, all of which are accessible from Uptown Dallas with stations at West Village Dallas (Cityplace/Uptown Station) and downtown on Pearl Street, Akard Street, St. Paul and the West End. For traveling to cities outside of the Uptown/Downtown area, check www.dart.org for which lines go where. The Red Line goes from Parker Road Station to Westmoreland Station; the Blue Line from Downtown Rowlett Station to Ledbetter Station; the Green Line from North Carrollton/Frankford Station to Buckner Station and the Orange Line from Belt Line Station to Parker Road Station. There are Ticket Vending Machines (TVM’s) at each station. They take cash or credit/debit cards. You purchase your ticket, either a two hour pass or an all-day pass, and board the train. Hold your ticket for inspection once you board. Hours of operation are 5 a.m. to midnight.

Fares

Tickets are available from the TVM’s at each Rail Station. Two-hour passes are available at the TVM or on the bus. Exact change or cash is needed on the bus; bus drivers do not carry or make change. The two-hour pass for the Rail replaces the light rail 90-minute and bus single-ride fares, which enables you to transfer between rail and bus. There is also a Midday Pass which allows unlimited travel from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Midday Passes are available at any TVM and are also available on the busses. Monthly passes can be purchased at the DART Store Online as well as from Pass Outlet Locations. Regional 31 Day passes and Local passes are available at the Akard Station DART Store, the DART Store Online and from TVMs at rail stations.

Dart Rail Uptown Station

The Cityplace/Uptown Station is located at Haskell Street and the North Central Expressway. Entrances to the station are situated at the Cityplace Tower office building: one on the east frontage road and another on the west. The East entrance accesses DART Rail and DART Bus stations. For the DART Rail, the Red, Blue and Orange Rail Lines can be reached, as well as DART Bus bays: Bay 1 which is for the 36 Addison Transit Center and the 409 Parkland, as well as Bay 2 which accesses the 409 Illinois Station, 521 Mockingbird and the Paratransit. The west entrance accesses DART Rail, Dart Bus, and the M Line Trolley. The Rail stops are for the Red, Blue and Orange Lines; Bus stops include the 31 and 36 Downtown routes, the M Line Trolley and Paratransit. Both entrances have access to a Rail Disruption Shuttle Stop.

Dart Bus

The DART bus is Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s city bus system. The route that best serves Uptown Dallas runs the length of McKinney Avenue and is the 521 bus. Other routes that are accessible from the Cityplace/Uptown Station are the 31, 36 and the 409. Check www.dart.org for DART bus schedules traveling outside of the Uptown/Downtown area. There is even a handy trip planner online where you can input your location and desired destination and it will tell you which DART services to use and which routes to take to get you there most efficiently.

There’s an App for That!

DART has the GoPass mobile ticketing app for smartphones. It is available for download from the Apple App Store or from Google Play. The app allows you to buy tickets, has the trip planning feature and includes local events as well as other offers that may be useful to you while you are traveling.

Park it!

Did you know that in New York City, it can cost as much to own and park a vehicle as it does to rent an apartment? Some places this is in the thousands of dollars! Uptown Dallas has free or low fee parking in most places, and free guest parking at the majority of attractions and venues. It should not cost an arm and a leg to own a car; well, in Uptown Dallas, it doesn’t! There are also commuter lots at the Cityplace/Uptown DART Station as well as the M Line Trolley station, so you can park your car and get around using free or very affordable public transportation in Uptown Dallas and surrounding areas.

The Secret Weapon – The Katy Trail

Think of the Katy Trail as your best public transportation in Uptown Dallas! The Katy Trail is actually often the quickest way to get to another place in Uptown Dallas. This is because you can avoid the traffic, stop lights and streets that get in your way. The Katy Trail cuts through all of that to get you quickly to your destination in Uptown Dallas. Walk it, or even try a bike or moped on the trail, it’s fun and easy!

YOUR Amazing Uptown Life Awaits!

Ready to find your perfect Uptown Dallas apartment? Text UPTOWN to 31996 or fill this out: Uptown Search.  Our service is 100% Free and we will find your perfect place to start your Uptown Dallas adventure. Talk to you soon in Uptown.

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