The Southwest Airlines Green Team and our Green Ambassadors are excited to announce that the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has opened their new Green Line light rail, allowing Dallas-based Employees the option to make their commute to work eco-friendly!
This week, Southwest sponsored the DART’s Super Saturday event where we gave out goodies and promoted Southwest as a Green Company. We also gave away Green passes! And on Monday morning, the Green Team and Ambassadors greeted train riders with Green buttons and smiles.
I was one of those Employees who jumped at the opportunity to take the new Green Line! What could be better than leaving the house later than normal and not having to worry about traffic? The DART Green Line opened for regular business Monday morning, an event I had been anticipating all year. The ride took maybe ten minutes longer than my regular commute by car, but the trade-offs were worth it. Before I even got to the office, I had checked e-mail and read the Dallas Morning News online … with enough time left over to admire the sunrise and chat with a few folks who were able to ride the light rail to work for the first time. The train dropped us off at the Burbank Station, right across from Southwest Headquarters. The walk from the train station to the door of Headquarters was shorter than the walk from where I usually have to park when I get to work. Plus, I don’t have to worry about fighting rush-hour traffic in the afternoon. I have a book I’ve been meaning to read for the past year that I plan to start reading on my way home.
In the longterm, I feel good knowing that I’m keeping my car off the road. I’ll be using less fuel and saving wear and tear. It’s one less vehicle contributing to Dallas traffic and one more parking space freed up at Headquarters for someone else. The DART Green Line is making it easy to be Green.
Remember, many cities have light rails like the DART so, before you start your car, consider using public transportation. It’ll save you stress, money, and time!