DART awards five-year advertising contract to Intersection

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) has awarded a five-year contract to technology and media company Intersection for the rights to sell and manage transit advertising on its bus and light rail system, the agency announced Feb. 26, 2016. The agreement is for a five-year base term with an option for an additional five years.

As part of the contract, which commenced on Feb. 1, 2016, Intersection will manage advertising on 800 new digital displays on DART buses. In addition, Intersection will work with DART management to provide innovative new advertising platforms that will generate new revenue and improve the DART customer experience.

Intersection has served the North Texas public transit system since 2008, establishing a track record of revenue growth by delivering innovative advertising opportunities to local and national brands. The revenue generated by advertising enables capital improvements to the transit system. Leveraging a strong history of helping cities transform public assets into platforms for innovation and revenue, Intersection currently manages municipal and transit media in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle, among other cities.

At 90 miles in length, DART operates the longest light rail system in the United States, with a fleet that includes 645 buses and 163 light rail vehicles. With a daily ridership of 228,300, DART’s local and express bus system covers 135 routes and more than 12,000 bus stops. In 2014 alone, DART ran 92.1 million passenger trips. Intersection’s outdoor advertising media currently reaches 97.8 percent of the Dallas population.

“After a thorough review process, we selected Intersection not only because of its longstanding track record of driving revenue in our region—as well as in other areas around the country—but also because Intersection is best positioned to create a better rider experience through new technology and innovation which drives greater revenue,” said Nevin Grinnell, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at DART.

“Intersection is dedicated to helping cities effectively use their assets as revenue drivers, adding value for residents, visitors and advertisers,” said Scott Goldsmith, President of Media at Intersection. “We are eager to continue our partnership with DART, where we will continue to leverage our expertise in transit advertising and digital innovation in every aspect of our partnership.”