McKinney Avenue Transit Authority

Finally! A few nights ago I crossed riding the trolley off my DFW bucket list! If you have somewhere to go in the arts district or uptown or downtown, park in free parking (uptown) and hop on the trolley. It’s a bit of a ride but it’s free and you see the sites along the way. The conductors are polite and very helpful. You can tip/​donate if you like.
It is so much fun! I would love to rent the private trolley for a party in the future! One of DFW’s best kept secrets!

Most convenient way to get through the Dallas traffic.
Plus you get to sight see and it’s FREE. You can’t beat FREE.

Great old-​fashioned fun! I recently moved to Dallas and wanted to do some exploring and I found the perfect way with riding the trolley. I was very surprised when I found out it was free.
I don’t think they run as often as they say they do, as I waited about 40 mins but hey can’t complain. It took about 50 mins round trip and I had a great time.
They are also dog friendly which is a huge plus with me :)

What a quick and easy way to get around town! I recently moved to Dallas and realized that there was a trolley stop outside my apartment. I thought it was the same as the DART and was nicely surprised when I found out it was free. It brings you from uptown all the way downtown. It runs pretty late so it’s great to take out at night.

I took my family out for an Uptown adventure, the highlight being our first crack at the Trolley. The southbound ride from Cityplace to Mckinney/​Routh was pretty decent, but for people unfamiliar with the area, we didn’t know where we were nor what stop was next. We realized we missed our stop. On the way back, we and another family expected a wait time in accordance with the Sunday schedule. What should have been 20 minutes was an HOUR and still no trolley in either direction! I ended up having to walk all the way back to Cityplace West. Very disappointing experience for first-​timers out to enjoy some midday Sunday fun.

I ride the trolley everyday, I live in uptown and work in downtown. It is really convenient!
I think Joe is my favorite trolley guy, he welcomes you everyday with a «welcome aboard!» That really cheers you up sometimes, specially in the morning! All the guys that work there are really nice too! I have nothing but good things to say about it.

Did you know you can rent an entire trolley for private parties?
Neither did I, but it happened!
Mckinney Ave Transit Authority gave us a great rate, and drove our party of 20 people around for a few hours as we celebrated the engagement of a couple of our good friends!
We brought our own booze and snacks, and Joseph, our driver, was AWESOME!!!
Seriously had so much fun and can’t wait to do it again!

I love riding the trolley! I live in the State Thomas neighborhood and use it all the time to get to West Village or downtown or ride it just for the hell of it. Dogs are allowed and my golden retriever loves it! If he hears it on our walks, he pulls towards it and wants to get on. The live feed is great so I can plan when I leave and don’t have to wait at the curb long.

Quick look rating: ⁴⁄₅ Quality, ⁵⁄₅ Service, ⁵⁄₅ Experience.
«Come on and take a free ride!» (Name that tune) is the tune I keep hearing in the back of my mind writing this review. What a fun way to travel in the Uptown and north downtown Dallas area.
It is be no means the fastest, prettiest, or even the most luxurious ride around. But, it is down to earth, fun and free. (But, please try to remember to tip!)
(By the way, there is a mounted tip box in the trollies for those with kind hearts to help out these hard working folks.)
This trolley system really helps promote the area and local business. For the working crews on the trollies, a BIG thank you and keep up the great work!
If your visiting the area, go with a group to try out a local hang out or two!
For special events they will run with extended hours, but do ask ahead of time and try to make it back with plenty of time to get you back to your location.
Overall experience: Fun, Inexpensive, and down to earth!

My family attempted to catch the M-​Line Trolley at 650 pm while on vacation in Dallas. We waited for the trolley by Ross Ave and St. Paul Street near the Museum of Art on which felt like one of the hottest days of the summer. It was 99 degrees outside although it felt like 105 degrees. My mom who is a senior citizen, my niece who is only 7 yrs old, and I were sweating profusely. We were all exhausted and weak from the long walk we had to take to even get to the trolley stop. We were only 100 feet away from the trolley stop when it pulled up. We waved to alert the worker that we were coming aboard. We began to run towards the trolley when the Operator, Sasha Lybrand and the Conductor, Sandy Bui pulled up to where we were and stopped the trolley. Sasha Lybrand began to yell for about 3 mins and give excuses as to why she couldn’t let us on the trolley. The reason she stated that she couldn’t let us on was because we weren’t at the exact pick up spot which was only a few feet away. Some people on board told the operator that she should let us on but she began to try and justify why she wasn’t. She would have spent much less time letting us on the trolley instead of holding the trolley up explaining to us and the people on the trolley as to why she couldn’t let us on. We asked when the next trolley would arrive and she stated that it would come in the next 25 minutes. She then pulled off and stopped at another trolley stop in the next block which was only a few feet away. If Sasha Lybrand had any kind of heart or decency she would have told us to walk across the street to the next stop and catch the trolley. The next trolley didn’t arrive until 800 pm. When this trolley arrived a man named Zak Lybrand stated that he was having motor issues and that he could not let us ride. He stated that we could wait on the next trolley which should arrive in another 30 minutes. At this point we decided to leave the trolley stop and find another mode of transportation. My family and I have never been treated so badly while on vacation in our entire life.

I would give it 0 stars if they had that as an option.
The following occurred on August 6, 2015, trolley #754, and we arrived at the Main McKinney Station, where we exited at 8:43pm, and ZACH was the conductor along with another young, male conductor:
ZACK, our VERY YOUNG, male, operator and his young male companion, who also was on the trolley that my family and I, including YOUNG CHILDREN who were visiting from out-​of-​town, were in fear for our lives! This young, male, full of testosterone was speeding and honking CONSTANTLY at EVERY pedestrian and car around us. I have lived in Uptown for 13 years and have been on the trolley a few times, prior to this incident… and THIS TIME, We were in fear for our safety and for the safety of all the other passengers inside the trolley… and for all the pedestrians and surrounding cars with people. We are in the process of not only complaining to the trolley company, we are also complaining to the Transportation Division 214.670.3161, with operators like ZACK, it’s just a matter of time before someone seriously GETS HURT if not KILLED!!! I’ve read the other complaints, and it’s obvious that there’s a serious problem with SOME of the conductors!!! There are no seat belts, and this young, kid ZACK was SPEEDING! Stay away, or if you like risking the safety of your loved ones, at least make sure you and your families lives are not in the hands of a YOUNG, HOT-​HEADED MALE KID! Please complain to ALL the appropriate authorities when you have an issue with this trolley company!!! When I asked (ZACK) for his name after we decided we chose to end our ride at the FIRST NEXT STOP… ZACK was VERY RUDE, and sarcastic to me, and told me that I could complaint to anyone that I wanted to, and yelled his name at me. This is unacceptable!

I have always loved the McKinney Avenue Trolley! Their adorable vintage cars, friendly engineers, and free service all throughout Uptown (and soon downtown!) make this my favorite way to get around.
They’re not entirely reliable (sometimes a car breaks down, or they only have two cars in service so you have to wait a little longer for a trolley to come by) but it’s completely free to ride and they now have a tracking system on their website so you can see exactly where the trolley is and how close you are to one.
I’ve never had a bad experience riding the trolley. On the weekends it’s filled with happy families and tourists, and on the weekdays it’s not uncommon to have a car completely to yourself. You can travel from Klyde Warren Park to West Village in old-​fashioned style. Certainly worth your time if you haven’t given them a try!

Five reason for five stars…
1) it’s free
2) it’s fun
3) it saves you time, as it is quicker than driving around downtown and uptown to find parking
4) they are reliable and provide the ability to track the trolly to see when it will arrive
5) did I mention it’s a free DD

Took an out of town visitor on the Green Dragon and had a blast! Driver was super nice and stopped between route stops to pick up people who wanted to hop on. Everything was on time and the route layout’s awesome.
We don’t live in that area of town but sure envy the people that do — must be great to have a such a convenient and fun way of commuting about!

I fall in love with the trolley system more and more every day! Now, with the LIVE map of running trolleys on their website, you can truly use it as reliable transportation. I mean, this. changes. everything. Before the live map, it was a little tough, since timing was often pure guess. NOW, you can see that a trolley is on it’s way down McKinney, finish your beer and close your tab at Idle Rich, and then walk right onto the trolley for dinner in West Village — that’s just awesome!
The volunteers who operate the trolley are wonderful! They are always professional and courteous. It’s nice to see some younger volunteers operating the cars too; they really appreciate and care for these unique pieces of history we have going up and down our streets. Hubs and I were able to take a tour with two of them, and they are incredibly knowledgable about the trolley cars and the surrounding sites you pass by on the route.
While it is free to use, bring some cash to donate and/​or keep them in mind during North Texas Giving Day (donate to non-​profits and they also get bonus funds)! They have big plans for expansion and adding more cars — can’t wait!
Trolleys can also be rented out for parties — looks like fun!

Free rides from downtown Dallas to Uptown on the coolest trolley ever. It was a real treat to hop aboard this old school trolley. It creaked and jerked, and it was absolutely fun! The interior will take you back in time. The drivers were so friendly, and you can tell that they genuinely love their job. We grabbed dinner at Hopdoddy in Uptown and hopped on the trolley to take us to the American Airlines arena to catch the Mavs game. Without being asked, the driver radioed another nearby trolley to see where it was since it was one block away from us and headed in that direction. We told him we were in no rush, but he really went above and beyond to get us there quickly. I hope this trolley lives on forever, because it’s convenient, free, and adds a lot of charm to the city of Dallas!

I have a new found love for the trolly. It picks me up in front of my apartment and drops me off downtown a few blocks from work. The trolly runs in 15 minute spans. The drivers are always so friendly. To get from Cole/​Bowen to downtown only takes 12 minutes on the trolly! It takes me longer to drive and park than it does to take the trolly! If you work downtown and live in uptown, ride the trolly instead of paying $ 80 – 200 per month to park!

Free. Historic. Open air. Friendly service. Pet friendly. Many attractions.

One of the very unique things about getting around downtown and uptown is the ability to hop on and off of the trolley! I always recommend this for out of towners as an interesting and free option of transportation. They have tons of stops and run pretty true to schedule — 15 minute intervals during the week and 20 min on weekends.
Each car has a great history and the one from Australia — Rosie — has to be my favorite. The directors of each trolley are very friendly and can give you all the history you could ever need or want while you enjoy the views up and down McKinney Ave.
All aboard!

If you are depending on this as a means to quickly get from Point A to Point B, be prepared that this is not the quickest mode of transportation through uptown.
However, it is a very inexpensive (free) way to entertain children or out of town guests for an hour and change.
Nothing too scenic along the journey through uptown, which means no major tourist attractions but also no heroin addicts trying to come off of a spoon-​and-​belt party.
The air conditioning on the trolley makes this trip pleasant any time of year, and this is a great way to get to Klyde Warren Park.
Cool feature and tip for first timers is to flip the back of your seat around when the trolley stops at the end points. Or, remain facing backwards and make really awkward eye contact with the person now staring at you three feet away.

While a friend got his teeth cleaned, instead of impatiently waiting in uptown, I hopped on the free trolley car I’d often seen full of tourists and families.
I set my slight disdain aside of being a sucker for gimmicky cute, and boarded the «Green Dragon», with it’s name inscribed in a kitschy fu man chu-​esque style font you might associate with Chinese restaurants.
A breezy morning ride through the tree lined streets was in fact pleasant, and even not that slow. I’d use this car more if they’d let me take my bike on.
I boarded at McKinney and Lemmon, looped back to city place station then down Cole and across to St Paul and Ross downtown, near the DMA, Dallas Museum of Art.
It took about 15 minutes.
A history of the car listed up top along the strip of banner space with a mix of old and new ads from coke zero to baking soda, dated the car back to 1920’s SMU campus with refurbished parts of trolley cars from Melbourne.
Dallas might not have the hills of San Francisco Bay but it’s mix match of old and new while cultivating downtown growth makes for a fine attempt at a modern American city.
The line has plans to extend further into downtown sometime in 2014.
Great for kids and families, and a convenient means of going between Katy Trail and Klyde Warren Park.

I love this trolley system !! hey free public transportation is the bomb.
If you are trying to go somewhere fast this is not for you. I do recommend this if you want to find a cheap way to show a friend around town. You’ll see a lot of neat things and travel in style ;) The ride is a little bumpy but. you might like that?
I’ve never booked this but I do believe you can rent the trolley for parties. I need to try this someone for sure.
Shout out to Ms. Rosie our old faithful trolley: D My coworker an I had a fun time going around with her tooting up a storm.

Die Fahrt mit diesem Trolly ist einfach Spitzenklasse. Allein schon die Nostalgischen Wagen sind eine Attraktion. Man kann mit diesen Trolly richtig gemütlich un entspannt die tolle Stadt Dallas beschauen. Und das noch alles Umsonst. Man steigt ein wo man will, und steigt aus wo man will. Eine Fahrt mit diesen Tolly’s ist auf jeden Fall zu Empfehlen, man hätte sonst etwas tolles verpasst.

At first I was skeptical of riding this because I typically distrust public transit safety. There was no scary people so I give it a 5.

This trolley is one of a kind. They have THE OLDEST operating trolley in the US. This is a great ride for the young or old. Oh and it 100% FREEEEEE. You can’t beat that.
It also stops right in front of Klyde Warren Park.

Great date idea, family fun day, or an activity to take visiting guests! Absolutely FREE (please tip the drivers)
I’ve only had a chance to take the Trolley a handful of times from West Village to the Arts District but I LOVE IT and always take my out-​of-​towners on here if we’ve got some time to waste. I’ve met some really great tourists and even locals on here as well.
The website specifies everywhere that the trolley stops and I usually just park my car over at West Village and hop on at the stop in front of Starbucks and it’s about a 10 minute ride to Klyde Warren Park, Crow Collection of Asian Art, Dallas Museum of Arts, The Nasher Sculpture Center, and Perot Museum.
Occasionally while riding the trolley you’ll get a little history and mini tour of the city and the history of where the Trolleys come from. There’s 4 total on rotation including Matilda, Rosie, Petunia, and Green Dragon– it’s fun to point these out to kids and try to have them seek the others!
When returning to your stop (if at West Village), be sure to hop off «West Village» station if you’re in a hurry or you’ll be taking a mini 5 minute detour at the Uptown Station Turntable (which is also where the DART Subway Station is).

It’ free and fun! Did I mention free?
It’s a break from walking, especially with the kids. Kids enjoy the ride and parents enjoy the break. They do stop along many bars and restaurants.

A true gem of Dallas.
Not only does the trolley run from Blackburn Street all the way to downtown, it is free! There are several stops where you can pick it up and they run about every 15 minutes during regular business hours.
Not only is it easy and convienent, you can also rent the trolley out for corporate events, birthday parties, or anything else your heart desires. They charge $ 150 an hour and there is a 2 hour minimum but they will put any color balloons up for free as well as clean everything up at the end of the night. And you can bring booze!

It’s Free and cute! Take some single to tip the driver. Caught it at the West Village and rode down to the Art Museum.