During a recent Tech Titans presentation, Vice President and CIO Julius Smith outlined the success of DART's GoPass application and how his agency has evolved from a regional bus system connecting a dozen suburbs with the city to a technology-driven system with 93 miles of light rail and 11,000 bus stops.
Smith could “talk all day” about the digital infrastructure underpinning the organization’s operations, noting that DART not only supports a 40 million-plus ridership but is also part of the nation’s critical infrastructure.
Security is paramount — both physical and cyber, as the DART ecosystem includes everything from payment systems to massive IoT and smart technologies. The system engages customers from ticketing and beyond through the GoPass application and on-route technology such as security cameras, mapping tools and the asset management system.
“The big picture at DART is that we have transitioned to be a digital organization ... technology supports and aligns to the business initiatives,” Smith said during the Tech Titans presentation. “We think of ourselves as a foundational technology company that provides mobility for the region.”
GoPass was launched as a mobile ticketing app and creates revenue through interlocal government agreements that include Fort Worth, Denton, Tulsa, Corpus Christi and Lubbock.
Over the years, its functions have grown and include hailing ride-shares such as Uber or Lyft. Riders may also choose contactless payment with the GoPass card, run in the cloud. The app went into concept in 2013 and is a DART product.
“We won the 2019 APTA Innovation Award because no one in transit was doing this,” Smith said. “So this is an app that is competing with Google Maps, Apple Maps and Transit app — private-sector applications that many citizens across the nation are used to.
“Today, we are leasing that app to cities around the nation. So if you think about that, a public-sector organization now functioning as a vendor partner and also a public-sector partner. It is sometimes challenging to differentiate and separate the activities, the policies, the regulations, compliance, but it’s also very, very fun and exciting. It’s a great space ... another revenue stream into the organization, and it continues to grow.”
System ridership has returned to about 75 percent since the pandemic hit, according to DART and other reports. There were about 20.5 million light rail riders in 2023 and 25.9 million bus riders.
The numbers suffered as part of a national trend; however, DART has also faced reports of safety, security and cleanliness issues over the years. DART has worked to address these through hiring more police officers, scheduling additional cleaning shifts and adding cameras and videos, among efforts.
Smith said that DART installed cameras on all buses prior to 2018 and has since added cameras to trains.
The ecosystem, according to its website and CIO:
- Established 1983
- Longest light rail in U.S. at 93 miles
- 13 member cities
- 11,000 bus stops
- Covers 700 square miles (about twice the area of San Antonio)
- 3,762 employees
- 94 full-time IT employees
- 40 contract IT employees
DART’s upcoming procurements and key initiatives can be found at the agency website.
