How to Ride Transit to Addison Circle to Skip Traffic & Parking

Don’t drive to Addison Circle (or at least not the whole way). Read this handy guide on buses, park-and-rides, and GoLink service to Addison Transit Center.

By Hexel Colorado on July 3, 2023

Going to Addison Kaboomtown on July 3rd? Don’t drive there! Parking is expensive and frustrating, and traffic gets so bad that it often takes over an hour to get out of the parking garage afterward.

In this article, I’ll show you all the ways to skip traffic based on where you’re coming from. We’ll go over trains, buses, and park-and-rides. With several bus lines and multiple GoLink Zones, you might be surprised to learn you have a direct link to Addison Transit Center just outside your door. I’ll also explain how to use DART’s GoLink service to get an Uber for only $3 dollars!

Use the DART Trip Planner

I wrote this article because there are some details that DART’s website doesn’t explain well to new riders. For example, most people don’t know how GoLink works. The official Trip Planner also doesn’t give great recommendations for Park & Ride. This article is meant to help you come up with a general strategy before using the DART Planner to fill in the details.

For example, if you decide on parking at Arapaho Center Station before taking the next available bus to Addison, you can use the DART Trip Planner for directions specifically between Arapaho Center and Addison Transit Center. You would then find driving directions from your home to Arapaho Center separately. This method often produces smarter results than if you just searched for directions from home to destination directly.

From Addison

WALK: if you live within a 1.5-mile radius of Addison Circle Park, the 30-minute walk is half the time you would spend in traffic and hunting for parking.

BIKE / SCOOT: you can cut walk time in half by riding a bicycle or scooter, which will be easier than usual due to traffic guards and stop-and-go traffic.

BUS: with a grand total of 11 bus routes fanned out across the City of Addison, the majority of Addison residents can easily find a bus stop near their homes.

Read the “Bus Guide” section for first-time bus riders at the bottom of this article.

From Richardson

BUS: six bus routes bring Richardson residents directly to Addison: 240, 238, 202, 200, 237, and 22. If you live west of US-75 and south of Arapaho Rd, walking to a bus stop is your best option. 

If you live east of US-75 and live near Arapaho Rd, riding Bus 238 is your best option. If you live near Buckingham Road, Bus 202 is your best option. There is no need to transfer on any of these routes.

Read the “Bus Guide” section for first-time bus riders at the bottom of this article.

GOLINK: this is the “Uber for $3 dollars” I teased earlier. You can use DART’s official GoPass app to hail a ride if the pickup and dropoff locations are in the same “GoLink Zone.” The price is covered by your DART pass, which costs only $3 for a half-day pass.

Despite being outside the Central Richardson GoLink Zone boundary, you can use GoLink to book trips between the zone and Addison Transit Center. This is the best option for lucky Richardson residents in the GoLink Zone.

Read the “GoLink Guide” section for instructions at the bottom of this article.

TRAIN + BUS: if you live anywhere along North Central Expressway, then you’re most likely a short walk to a train station. For Richardson residents, take the Red Line to either Arapaho Center Station or Spring Valley Station. Both have multiple buses that go directly to Addison, but only Arapaho Center has the GoLink connection.

PARK & RIDE: if you must take your car, your best option is to park and ride at Arapaho Center Station. This saves you money because parking is free for riders. It’s also far easier than searching for parking and waiting in long lines in Addison. I recommend parking at Arapaho Center over other stations because it has the most connections (2 buses + GoLink), meaning shorter wait times to Addison.

If you use Uber or Lyft instead of driving your own car, it’s much cheaper and faster to get picked up and dropped off at the station than to have your driver fight traffic to pick you up directly from the park.

From Carrollton

BUS: if you live in Downtown Carrollton or near Beltline Road, your best option is hopping aboard Bus 229, making a beeline straight to Addison Transit Center.

Read the “Bus Guide” section for first-time bus riders at the bottom of this article.

GOLINK: if your family is one of the thousands living between Trinity Mills Road and Beltline Road in Carrollton, then your best option is to use the $3 GoLink service. The Keller Springs GoLink Zone connects Trinity Mills Station and Addison Transit Center.

Read the “GoLink Guide” section for instructions at the bottom of this article.

TRAIN + BUS: if you live near I-35E in Carrollton or Farmers Branch, you probably live near a Green Line station. I recommend riding the Green Line to Downtown Carrollton and boarding Bus 229 to Addison.

PARK & RIDE: it’s free to park and ride at Downtown Carrollton Station. Although all modes of transportation are expected to be delayed due to traffic, the one bus to Downtown Carrollton will have the edge over GoLink at Trinity Mills. Downtown Carrollton is a nice place to wait for your ride; there might be something to do before or after Kaboomtown.

From Plano

BUS: if you live in Plano Legacy West, your best option is to ride Bus 239 to Addison from the Northwest Plano Park & Ride.

Your best option is to ride Bus 236 to Addison if you live at or near any of these locations in Plano:

  • Medical City Hospital
  • W 15th Street
  • Historic Downtown Plano
  • Parker Road Station

Read the “Bus Guide” section for first-time bus riders at the bottom of this article.

GOLINK: no GoLink Zones in Plano can take you directly to Addison. However, multiple zones can take you to a transit center where you can board a bus to Addison.

Read the “GoLink Guide” section for instructions at the bottom of this article.

PARK & RIDE: park at the closest of these three locations in Plano to board a bus to Addison.

From Farmers Branch

BUS: if you live near Valley View Lane in Farmers Branch, you can hop on Bus 227 to Addison. If you live near Josey Lane, you can hop on Bus 233 and transfer to Bus 227 or Bus 229 on Belt Line Rd to Addison.

GOLINK: Although the Farmers Branch GoLink Zone doesn’t take you directly to Addison Transit Center, you can use it to bring you to a bus that does. When ordering your GoLink ride on the official GoPass app, I recommend setting your destination as BELT LINE @ MARSH - E - FS. From there, you can board Bus 229.

From Garland / Rowlett

BUS: if you live in or near Downtown Garland, you’re spoiled with bus options to Addison. With a whopping four lines to Addison (22, 200, 202, 238), multiple buses depart from Downtown Garland to Addison every 15 minutes.

Outside of Downtown Garland, you can hop on a bus to Addison if you live on or near any of these streets:

  • Forest Lane: Bus 22
  • W Walnut Street: Bus 200
  • Buckingham Road: Bus 202
  • Arapaho Rd / Naaman School Rd / Firewheel Pkwy / Country Club Rd: Bus 238

TRAIN: if you’re coming from Downtown Rowlette, you can ride the Blue Line one stop to Downtown Garland to board any of the four buses to Addison. You can also board Bus 22 to Addison from Forest/Jupiter Station.

PARK & RIDE: there is plenty of free parking at the Downtown Garland Station. This is the easiest option for Garland residents and anyone from further east, like Rowlett.

From Irving

BUS: there are two buses connecting Downtown Irving to Addison Transit Center.

GOLINK: both the South Irving GoLink Zone and East Irving GoLink Zone can bring Irving residents south of Highway 183 to Downtown Irving / Heritage Crossing Station. From there, you can board either Bus 229 or Bus 227 to Addison.

The Central Irving GoLink Zone covers most of Las Colinas and can bring you to Dallas College North Lake Campus Station, where you can board Bus 229 to Addison.

PARK & RIDE: top choice for Park & Ride is Downtown Irving / Heritage Crossing Station because it has two Addison-bound buses (227 and 229), therefore double the frequency of other stations in Irving. Alternatively, you can park at Dallas College North Lake Campus Station to board Bus 229. If you’d like to park closer to Addison, you’ll want to park at Downtown Carrollton Station for the closest connection combined with an opportunity to wait somewhere that isn’t just a boring parking lot.

From Northern Dallas

BUS: You have a direct bus to Addison Transit Center if you live along any of these roads in Dallas.

  • Preston Road: you can board Bus 237 to Addison just about anywhere on this road.
  • Forest Lane: you can board Bus 22 at Forest Lane Station and east of US 75.
  • Inwood Road & Forest Lane: you can board Bus 239 at the intersection of Inwood & Forest Lane, west of DNT.
  • Downtown Dallas: you can board Bus 239 and Bus 305 in the Harwood District, Arts District, and West Transfer Center.

TRAINS + BUS: for the majority of people coming from Dallas, the trip to Addison involves at least two steps:

  1. Go to a train station.
  2. Ride a northbound train.
  3. Transfer to a bus headed to Addison.

There are many ways to go about these steps in Dallas. Use the DART trip planner website or use the GoPass app to plan your route. Keep in mind that Google Maps does not provide all the same transit options as DART’s trip planner. For example, Google Maps does not know how to provide directions that include GoLink.

PARK & RIDE: On the Red Line, I recommend parking at Forest Lane Station. This is the closest station on the Red Line, with a direct bus to Addison. If you don’t mind driving further north, I recommend parking at Arapaho Center Station.

On the Green Line, I recommend parking at Farmers Branch Station. It’s just outside city limits, but it gives you a direct bus to Addison while staying away from heavy traffic.

From Southern Dallas

TRAIN + BUS: for those heading to Addison from Dallas’ opposite end, taking the train is the only way to dodge traffic to and from Southern Dallas. There are many ways to go about these steps in Dallas. Use the DART trip planner website or use the GoPass app to plan your route.

GOLINK: you can use the following GoLink zones to transfer to a station for the Red and Green Line:

Keep in mind that Google Maps does not provide all the same transit options as DART’s trip planner. For example, Google Maps does not know how to provide directions that include GoLink.

PARK & RIDE: Park at any of these stations and board a northbound train:

GoLink Guide

GoLink works basically like Uber, with the following differences:

  • Rides are covered by your DART pass, which costs $3 for a half-day.
  • You order rides using the GoPass app or over the phone.
  • Your trip must start and end in the same GoLink zone.
  • On the app, you don’t have the option to schedule GoLink pickup in advance.
  • You can schedule GoLink pickup up to one hour in advance on the phone.

Pay attention to those last two points when planning to use the GoLink service. If you’re planning on using the GoLink service for a second leg of your trip (for example, if you want GoLink to pick you up from the station after your train arrives), then you’ll want to place the order about 10 minutes before you expect to arrive at the pickup location.

Alternatively, you can call the GoLink number (214-515-7272) to order a pickup up to one hour in advance. Note that this method requires a one-time phone account setup, where you’ll be asked for payment information over the phone. I suggest calling the GoLink number to set up your phone account early to save time and frustration when you need to place an order later.

With few exceptions, GoLink is available 7 days a week from 5:00 am to midnight. Most fireworks shows, including Kaboomtown, end at 10:00 pm, giving you plenty of time to use GoLink for your return trip home.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE ANSWER IS DIFFERENT FOR TRANSIT CENTERS & NON-TRANSIT CENTERS.

When you are at a train station or transit center, there is a specific location for GoLink pickup and drop-off. You need to wait at the GoLink location. If the driver is at the GoLink location, but you are standing at the platform, the driver will not come to you and leave you as a “no-show” after about 5 minutes. Make sure to look for the GoLink signposts at stations and transit centers when waiting for your GoLink ride.

Outside of train stations and transit centers, you are picked up and dropped off at the curb in front of your location (or as close as the vehicle can get). For example, if you are being picked up from your apartment complex, you should expect the driver to arrive and wait on the street in front of your apartments. Note that drivers will not go inside gates or access controls.

This can be tricky. Sometimes, you’ll be picked up by a white GoLink-branded van, which is easy to spot. Sometimes, you’re picked up by a cab company contracted by DART. Although they don’t look like DART’s white vans, they’ll be recognizable as taxi vans.

Other times, your driver is an actual Uber driver driving their personal vehicle. This is the trickiest situation of all because, unlike the Uber app, the GoPass app doesn’t show you a picture of what the vehicle looks like. The only reliable information you get is the license plate number and the GPS location of the vehicle. The driver doesn’t see much information about you either; they don’t even know whether they’re picking up a normal Uber or GoLink customer. 

Because of these challenges, it’s important to do the following:

  • Pay attention to the license plate number.
  • Beware that the app’s visual description of the car might be misleading.
  • Watch the real-time location of the driver in the app.
  • If the driver doesn’t move for a long time, or you have difficulty finding them, press the “call” button in the app to reach GoLink customer service.
  • Always double check you have the correct driver before entering the vehicle.
  • Be patient with the drivers; some technical issues with the GoLink service make it a challenge for them to be as punctual as they might be with normal customers.

Bus Guide

How do I pay for the bus fare?

See the DART website for full details about fares. The short answer is that you can buy passes using the GoPass app or at station ticket vending machines.

I recommend downloading and setting up the GoPass app on your phone in advance. The ticket machines at stations are notoriously clunky and slow. You can purchase multiple passes on the app for when you’re traveling as a family.

Where’s my bus?

Use the GoPass app to find your bus’s status and real-time location. Especially with traffic-disrupting events, it’s typical for buses to be 5 to 15 minutes late.

What hours do buses run?

Buses run until midnight. Limited train service operates until ~1:30 am. The fireworks show ends at 10:00 pm, giving you plenty of time to use transit to return home or to your vehicle parked at a station.