Transit-oriented development (TOD) within a quarter mile of Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s (DART) light rail stations has generated $18.1 billion in direct economic impact to North Texas over the past 25 years, according to the University of North Texas (UNT) Economic Research Group, DART reported Nov. 14. This includes a $1.0 billion direct impact from 2022 to 2024 based on 37 development projects.
The findings are from the UNT Economic Research Group’s 25-year-long study, which was updated and recently released with data from 2022 to 2024 (download below).
UNT began studying the economic and fiscal impacts of DART’s light rail stations in 1999 and has continued to compile data and release regular reports on the subject for the past 25 years. (The previous updated report, 2019-2021, was released in 2024.) From DART’s initial light rail starter system to the current 93-mile light rail network, the agency’s stations have continuously attracted development resulting in an influx of commerce, tax revenue, and jobs to the Dallas-Fort Worth1 region, according to UNT.
UNT’s study also found that TODs have boosted rent premiums by 10% for residential and 12.6% for commercial vs. units more than a half mile from a station, and have served as job creators, with 5,295 directly created jobs and more than $428 million in labor income in the last two years alone, according to DART.
Construction around DART stations in 2022-2024 generated $51.5 million in state and local tax revenue, the bulk of which ($25.4 million) was from sales tax related to construction of the projects, according to the report. Additionally, development around DART stations generated $21.1 million in property taxes, with $5.0 million in other state and local revenue from miscellaneous fees and fines. These numbers, DART pointed out, outpace the core pandemic years (2019-2021) when construction around DART stations generated $50.0 million ($1.4 million less) in state and local tax revenue. (See DART map below.)
“The findings are not surprising because we know over the past 25 years of study that TOD around DART light rail stations results in commerce, tax revenue, and jobs,” said Michael Carroll, UNT’s University Economist and Director of the Economic Research Group, which is described as “an interdisciplinary research platform” with expertise in regional economics, policy, economic development strategies, the creative economy, and community development. “When we center sustainable transportation in development, the result is beneficial in nearly every way.”
“When we talk about the role DART plays in the local economy, we mean that in a very literal sense, beyond just moving people to and from their jobs,” added Nadine Lee, President and CEO of DART, which also operates Silver Line regional rail, Trinity Railway Express, bus routes, GoLink on-demand service, and paratransit, moving more than 220,000 riders daily across a 700-square-mile, 13-city region. “Every dollar generated by and within development around our light rail stations has the ability improve our cities, provide economic mobility and stability to our residents, and grow opportunity for North Texas.”
According to the transit agency, the following TOD projects are under way, converting DART-owned parking at rail stations into “walkable, vibrant places”:
- Mockingbird Station, Dallas: This mixed-use development, which will include two multifamily communities, an office tower, a hotel, and a 500-space underground DART parking lot, will soon break ground on 11 acres of DART-owned land. A new public plaza and sidewalks will connect DART transit services to the new development and the surrounding community. The first phase is expected to be finished in 2027.
- Buckner Station, Dallas: Palladium Buckner Station, a $107 million, 304-unit mixed-income apartment community, is under construction. Palladium Buckner Station residents will have direct access to DART light rail, bus, GoLink and paratransit services. Leasing is expected to begin in late 2026.
- Trinity Mills Station, Carrollton: EVIVA Trinity Mills is a five-story, mixed-use development with a blend of residential and retail/restaurant spaces. “At completion, this $1 billion mixed-use development on 26 acres of City- and DART-owned land will include a public esplanade, office space, additional retail and residential space, and a planned hotel with direct access to DART transit,” DART reported.
- Addison Junction, Addison: This planned $240 million mixed-use development will be built on Town- and DART-owned land surrounding the Addison Silver Line station; construction will begin next year. Addison Junction, the result of a partnership between the Town of Addison, DART, and Quadrant Investment Partners, will include offices, a hotel, entertainment, restaurants, and enhanced outdoor amenities.
Separately, in Plano, Tex., the City Council earlier this month approved a special election in May 2026 to let voters decide whether the city should withdraw from DART services. The vote followed a Council meeting where more than 100 people spoke in opposition, “emphasizing their reliance on DART for work and medical needs,” according to FOX 4 News. “If voters choose to leave, the city plans to implement alternative microtransit and paratransit options in early 2026, though the city would still owe DART debt obligations.”
