Dallas residents eager for GED classes flocked to the library when classes restarted online
The pandemic shut down the in-person program but virtual courses removed barriers to access for students with children, work and other commitments.
Betsy, left, and Gary Keep instruct a geometry lesson to this semester’s final virtual GED math class from their home in Dallas on Thursday, April 22, 2021. The Keeps are teachers with the Dallas Public Library s GED program, which is one of the few free programs and only options for economically disadvantaged students. Virtual classes began last May during the pandemic, and now online classes are thriving and enrollment is up 30%. It s a solution that the library thinks it will keep running with post-pandemic to increase access to GED classes at a time when more students are trying to reskill. (Lynda M. González/The Dallas Morning News)(Lynda M. González / Staff Photographer)
DART 2020: A Look Back Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
In September, 50 1,500-foot-long rail segments were delivered for DART’s 26-mile Silver Line Regional Rail Project under construction between Plano, Texas, and DFW Airport. Steel Dynamics, Inc. in Columbia City, Ind., shipped them by train to Richardson. The new alignment is slated for revenue service in 2023.
2020 has been a difficult year for transit agencies and railroads across the country. But for nearly every one, there were bright spots from dedicated employees serving on the front lines to new initiatives improving the rider experience. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in Texas has shared highlights of its achievements throughout the year.