DART to increase security presence at some light rail stops starting Monday

Dallas Area Rapid Transit plans to launch a new initiative on Monday aiming to increase security and ensure riders are paying their fares.

The initiative, dubbed Operation Access, will see extra uniformed security personnel on duty at seven light rail stations for 90 days. Those will include DART police officers, fare enforcement officers and transit security officers.

DART said the effort will also help the agency "better understand how customers move through the system" as it considers adding fare gates to light rail stations in the future.

"At its core, Operation Access is about creating the transit experience our riders deserve," DART Police Chief Charles Cato said in a statement. "When customers see a consistent security presence, know that fares are being checked, and feel confident that everyone is following the same rules, it creates a safer and more comfortable environment for everyone. This first phase allows us to deliver those benefits immediately while gathering the information we need to plan for the future." 

Gilberto Garza, the assistant chief of DART PD, told CBS News Texas the idea came from changes it put in place for the FIFA World Cup. 

"Operation Access was born from our experience with FIFA where we are looking at controlling access at the point of entry to our trains," Garza said.

What DART riders can expect

Riders boarding at the Pearl/Arts District Station and the West End Station in Downtown Dallas will pass through barriers and will be required to show they paid their fare before getting on the train. DART said those stations may see brief delays during peak travel periods.

"We're enclosing those platforms, creating a basically a fare zone. What we're looking to do is test the impact and challenges associated with the introduction of access control platforms, kind of like what you see in other cities like New York and Chicago, where you come up to those locations and you have to buy a ticket, and then you have to enter the gate," Garza said.

The other stations that will see increased security include:

• Bachman
• Forest Lane
• LBJ/Skillman
• MLK Jr.
• 8th & Corinth

DART said those stations were selected because they "serve as critical entry and exit points for customers traveling to and from downtown."

"Operation Access allows us to take meaningful action today while planning responsibly for tomorrow," DART President and CEO Nathaniel P. Ford, Sr., said in a statement. "We're making the system safer and improving fare compliance right now, and at the same time we're collecting critical data that will help shape the next generation of rail security and customer experience at DART."