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DART

The Situation

Dallas Area Rapid Transit, or DART, needed an upgrade for its Board chambers. Around the country, local governing bodies are recognizing the power of A/V technology in facilitating Board discussions and voting procedures. DART is the latest institution to adopt this approach and wanted a system that would provide value to both the Board and the public.

In seeking such a solution, DART looked through many design builds and proposals. In the end, Data Projections' design and proposal won the bid.

The Solution

DART's existing A/V infrastructure was notably outdated, still operating on analog technology. Data Projections replaced all analog infrastructure with their digital counterparts. This step included adding digital displays and an EPSON laser LED projector.

Audio was given particular attention, with new and improved microphones for every speaker, including Board members and anyone at the public lectern. A digital signal processor, or DSP, was tied to the improved audio system to ensure its proper functioning.

Data Projections also integrated a Shure DIS (discussion) voting system to facilitate Board voting proceedings and for better public record keeping.

The Result

The result is a complete overhaul of DART's Board chamber functionality. With digital displays and an LED projector in place, all information can be tracked in a visual format that is easily discerned from a distance. Further, the digital displays allow speakers to present media as part of Board discussions, improving discussion quality and efficiency.

As DART Board meetings rely heavily on conversation between Board members and the public, the addition of improved microphones ensures vocal quality is optimal. This is particularly important in conversations between Board members and people at the public lectern, and is no longer a problem for DART. The DSP further improves audio quality and allows DART's technical crew to configure the audio system quickly and consistently.

Of particular note is the Shure DIS system, which offers benefits across the board. The Shure DIS streamlines discussion and voting processes. Now, each Board member has a touch screen interface in front of them. Through this interface, they can notify the rest of the Board of their wish to speak, or place a vote during a voting period. These results are tracked both on the touchscreens and on the digital displays and projector, so the public sees these results in real time.

With this added technology, DART has extended their discussions beyond the Board chamber, as it can now provide high quality web broadcasting of its sessions, so the public can follow DART's decision making processes online.