April 13, 2026 | Posted In Bus Stop and Transit Shelters, News
Tolar Manufacturing Partners with DART to Elevate Rider Experience with Signature Custom Shelters
Tolar Manufacturing Company, North America’s leader in the design and fabrication of transit shelters and street furniture, is proud to partner with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to supply new custom Signature Custom bus shelters as part of a contract authorizing up to $71.5 million to modernize transit stops across the DART service area. The project delivers a fully integrated passenger environment featuring improved solar-powered LED lighting, real-time arrival information and a precision-engineered shelter built to perform in the Texas climate.
“Tolar Manufacturing brings an impressive level of innovation and craftsmanship to our bus stop amenities program,” said Brandi Stringer, Director of Mobility Capital Projects at DART. “Their commitment to enhancing the rider experience aligns seamlessly with our mission, and we’re excited to partner with them as we work to deliver a better transit experience for the communities we serve.”
These improvements are in line with the recent study released by the American Public Transportation Association, which showed that investment in public transportation delivers strong taxpayer returns, including jobs created, tax revenue generated, and improved access to jobs and healthcare, reduced congestion, and lower household transportation costs. Surveys of more than 4,200 riders conducted during design phase found that over 90 percent considered the proposed shelter design an improvement over existing stops.
Tolar is providing 8’, 10’, and 12’ Signature Custom shelters, a purpose-built solution that merges architectural distinction with high-performance functionality. The shelter features an angled roof with Alucobond composite panels secured by gasketed pressure ribs, delivering a clean, weather-sealed profile that withstands sustained use. Perforated aluminum walls and angled support posts provide structural integrity while maintaining open sightlines that support passenger safety. HDPE slat benches with backs and armrests, a trash receptacle, and a static passenger information display complete the passenger environment. Bus stop pole lighting and steel strap benches round out the amenities portfolio.
“DART riders deserve bus stop amenity infrastructure that works as hard as they do, and that’s exactly what this program delivers,” said Patrick Merrick, Executive Vice-President at Tolar Manufacturing Company. “From the solar-powered lighting to the remote monitoring capabilities built into the shelters, we’ve engineered a system that performs around the clock and gives DART the tools to keep it that way. Partnering with Urban Solar, WaySine, and L.A.W. Contracting to execute DART’s vision allows us to bring together best-in-class expertise at every layer of this project, and we’re proud to see that come together at this scale.”
Tolar integrated solar-powered LED lighting through partner Urban Solar, embedded into the shelter roof to provide consistent passenger-level illumination without reliance on grid connections. Each shelter also incorporates WaySine’s Real-Time Information System (RTIS), displaying live bus arrival data at the point of passenger need. Both systems are connected to a remote monitoring platform that provides DART operations staff with continuous, network-wide visibility and automatically alerts the agency when a display or solar component needs attention, so technicians can be dispatched quickly and efficiently before service gaps reach the rider.
Covered in Mass Transit and Metro Magazine.
