DART Trip Review: Lowest Greenville to Downtown Garland

Win! Taking transit between Lower Greenville and Downtown Garland is either as fast or faster than by car.

By Hexel Colorado on March 30, 2023

This is my fifth in a series of trip plans across Dallas. I write these articles for transportation planners (who can read these articles as real-world data) and transit riders (who can learn useful tips).

The Task

I live near Henderson Ave and Lowest Greenville in Dallas. I occasionally visit my friend who lives in an apartment adjacent to Downtown Garland Station. On my most recent visit, I departed after work at 5:00 pm, during the afternoon rush hour.

The Plans

Driving. Without traffic, the estimated drive time on Google Maps is 28 minutes; during rush hour traffic, estimated drive time is up to 60 minutes.

Bus and Train. The DART Trip Planner suggests routes between 35 minutes and 40 minutes. Every route involves the same basic steps:

  1. Get to a rail station (either Cityplace/Uptown Station or SMU/Mockingbird Station).
  2. Hop on a northbound Blue Line train.

Bike and Train. I can shave 9 minutes by riding my e-bike to a rail station instead of taking the bus. This cuts my total travel time down to just 26 minutes, which is a couple minutes faster than driving without traffic!

I could take my bicycle onto the train, but I don’t need it in Garland because my friend’s apartment is right next to the station. As I’ve done several times in previous trips, I’m comfortable leaving my bike locked at the station.

My Plan. I have three bus options for making this trip:

  1. Take Bus 105 south to Cityplace/Uptown Station.
  2. Take Bus 105 north to SMU/Mockingbird Station.
  3. Take Bus 3 north to SMU/Mockingbird Station.
  4. Having multiple bus options gives me greater flexibility with deciding when to depart; I basically just go with whichever bus is coming next when I feel like leaving. Even though I could save minutes on my e-bike, I usually just stick with riding the bus because it’s so convenient.

My Recommendations

I have the most flexibility on this trip during rush hour because buses and trains run at higher frequencies. Outside of rush hour, I have to be more precise with my timing if I want to minimize my travel time. This will be a non-issue after DART’s next update to the bus network.

Last Christmas, DART demonstrated their ability to wrap a bus in a custom design and LED lights. The best thing DART can do to capitalize on this win is dub Bus 3 as the “Lower Greenville Bus,” and wrap its vehicles permanently in a custom design that celebrates the neighborhood’s character. This would…

  • Imbue the community with a sense of ownership and pride in the DART bus serving our neighborhood.
  • Market DART as a viable, year-round transportation option for traveling to one of the hottest Dallas destinations (which also happens to be notoriously difficult to find parking due to popularity).
  • Enhance rider experience by making the Bus 3 easier to identify when surrounded by other buses. When I’m downtown waiting for the Bus 3 to take me home, I usually must squint to read the LED signage indicating bus route number and destination. Wrapping the bus in a distinct design would make it easier to spot from a distance.
  • Entice new riders to hop aboard! The holiday buses were a hit among non-riders enamored by its LED lights, especially at night. I’m certain the sight of a beautiful “Greenville Bus” would cause someone to change their mind about booking that trip on Uber and choose to ride public transit instead.

Thanks for reading. Follow for more stories of real-world transit usage. For questions and comments, email hexelcolorado@gmail.com or tweet @hexel_co.