PORTLAND, Oregon — Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) was named Transit Agency of the Year earlier this month by Latinos In Transit at their annual leadership summit, which was held in Portland, Oregon.
Founded in 2016, Latinos In Transit (LIT) was created to promote the advancement and development of Latinos and other minorities in transportation. Membership is comprised of public and private transportation professionals from across the nation.
“It is an immense honor to represent DART and join the other storied organizations who have been recognized by Latinos In Transit,” said Jeamy Molina, DART’s Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer who accepted the award on behalf of the agency. “To receive this award, especially during Hispanic Heritage Month, is incredibly humbling. I can’t help but to reflect on the incredible strides the DART team has made to ensure our organization is delivering on our mission of creating best-in-class mobility experiences that help people and communities connect and flourish.”
The Latinos In Transit’s Transit Agency of the Year award has several selection criteria, including an agency’s ability to champion access, diversity equity and inclusion, customer service, sustainability, a strong workforce, multicultural marketing as well as community relations.
In their submission, DART outlined several key initiatives from 2023 that help underscore their commitment to the ever-growing Hispanic community in North Texas, including:
- Partnering with Univision to promote job opportunities at DART.
- Collaborating with the region’s Hispanic MBA Association, Prospanica DFW to host their annual conference at DART Headquarters in Downtown Dallas.
- Offering comprehensive training and development programs aimed at enhancing the skills and career advancement opportunities for all employees, including supporting the growth of minority employees.
- Prioritizing customer service accessibility for customers with limited English proficiency and non-English speakers.
- Increasing food access in underserved areas by establishing Farmers Markets in collaboration with Restorative Farms.
- Increasing job access through transit by 33% in Hispanic communities with the launch of DART’s redesigned bus network and via the on-demand Go Link service.
- Engaging with minority-owned small businesses (MWBE) through our procurement processes with more than 50% of awardees identifying as an MWBE in 2023.
- Investing in the development of minority-owned vendors via DART’s annual Small Business Academy.
- Collaborating with local chambers of commerce and minority business councils to expand outreach and support for minority-owned enterprises.
DART’s recently published Strategic Plan, Point B outlines the agency’s overarching goal: to move DART from being a service that people sometimes use, to being a valued regional economic and mobility asset. To achieve this goal, DART has committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce that reflects the composition of the service areas where the agency operates.
Source: Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)
