Ice Puts DART Commuters Out in the Cold

Some commuters who tried to avoid the icy mess on the roads Thursday by turning to Dallas Area Rapid Transit didn't find a smooth ride there, either.

Ice built up on the wires, causing a few different problems for those riding DART trains.

“Whoever designed this system doesn’t have a clue as to what they are doing,” said passenger Dave Zukosky.

He and dozens of other passengers were ordered off their trains with little to no explanation.

“They told us we all had to get off the train in 25-degree weather,” Zukosky said. “You have over 100 people waiting for another train.”

With the wind chill, the temperature was anywhere between 6 and 14 degrees at the time.

DART apologized for the problems.

“We are disappointed that folks were delayed this afternoon,” said DART spokesman Morgan Lyons said. “No one likes to be out in the cold.”

Lyons said the ice that formed on the wires created unforeseen electrical problems.

“When you get a whole lot of precipitation in one location coming down quickly, it’s hard to recover from that in the middle of rush hour,” Lyons said.

But Zukosky said the explanation was unacceptable.

Chicago, you know, they never miss a beat,” he said. “But down here, a little bit of ice, and it disrupts the whole train system.”

DART said its rail system isn't designed for once-in-a decade Arctic cold snaps like the one this week. That’s what concerns Zukosky, who has to take the train to work again on Friday morning.

“I’m not getting off the train this time," he said. "DART police will have to pull me off.”

DART is predicting a much smoother ride because precipitation is not in Friday's forecast. But the agency recommends passengers dress warmly and check ahead of time for weather-related delays.

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