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After posting ridership and revenue gains in fiscal-year 2005, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is anticipating an even better FY2006.

During FY2005, which ended Sept. 30, the agency obtained $342.7 million in sales tax revenue, a $9.4 million gain compared with FY2004. The one-cent sales tax accounts for about 80 percent of DART’s revenue. DART also registered 5.1 million more passenger trips in FY2005 compared with FY2004.

The ridership growth continued in first-quarter FY2006. Between October and December, the agency carried 4.8 percent more passengers compared with the same FY2005 period.

And soon, the agency will be carrying even more riders. Later this year, DART plans to break ground on the Northwest/Southeast light-rail expansion that will double the agency’s 45-mile system by 2013. The Southeast extension will link downtown Dallas, Fair Park, South Dallas and Pleasant Grove; the Northwest extension will serve the Dallas medical and market centers, Dallas Love Field Airport, Farmers Branch and Carrollton.

Last month, the Federal Transit Administration announced it will recommend $700 million in federal funds for a 21-mile portion of the extension between Pleasant Grove and Farmers Branch.