Funding for DART remains intact following bill evasion
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) funding debacle reaches a critical juncture as local officials and mobility authorities grapple with the aftermath of the legislative brawl surrounding House Bill 3187. This bill, aimed at slashing DART's funds by a quarter, was nixed during a committee deadline in May, with its author, State Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano), remaining silent on KERA's queries. A parallel bill in the Senate never surfaced from committee.
Michael Morris, the Regional Transportation Council's director, suggested that transit organizations, including DART and member cities, should collectively express dissatisfaction with the potential impact of HB3187, despite its failure to pass. Morris played a role in facilitating dialogues between DART and member cities earlier this year, a last-ditch attempt to avert Austin-bound legislation. However, these talks were largely irrelevant once HB3187 received a hearing in the House Transportation committee.
Since the bill's demise, Morris admits he hasn't heard from DART or the member cities. "I don't know if people are afraid to call me because we have such an active role," Morris remarked, "but my thinking is, everyone is frustrated."
Future arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which requires inter-city cooperation and DART resources, are expected to progress smoothly.
Discontent runs deep among Plano, Carrollton, and Irving's city leaders. They assert that they’re over-investing in DART while getting meager returns. According to Plano's city manager, Mark Israelson, his city is disillusioned that Shaheen's mission to reform DART fizzled out in the legislature. "Our bottom line is accountability to our residents/taxpayers," Israelson commented. The city isn’t ruling out quitting DART altogether, a dramatic move requiring a city-wide vote.
Israelson remains hopeful that DART will tackle the financial disparities laid bare in a 2023 Ernst & Young report. In March, the DART board approved a resolution to channel 5% of its tax revenues into a General Mobility Program, enabling eligible cities to employ these funds for transportation projects, albeit at the expense of service reductions. Over the coming months, DART intends to engage the public on proposed service changes, including cuts to bus routes and service reductions for GoLink and the TRE.
Randall Bryant, who represents Dallas on the DART board, maintained that these changes will depend on public feedback. He hopes that an upcoming revised Ernst & Young study will reveal the true worth of transit in all DART member cities, while the recently completed Transit 2.0 study by the Regional Transportation Council will illuminate a clear direction for the region's future.
"I think that personally I am looking forward to all of our member cities to come to the table and work with DART on what we envision the future of our transit agency to look like, and that will take all of our member cities to do so," Bryant said.
Michael Morris plans to advocate for a process at the upcoming Regional Transportation Council (RTC) meeting on June 12 that could pave the way for action during the next legislative session. He intends to receive endorsement in July, seeking the RTC's leadership role in fostering consensus among legislators, dissatisfied cities, DART authorities, and RTC members, ultimately drafting legislation to restore harmony to the region in the 90th session.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at [email protected].
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1. Michael Morris, the Regional Transportation Council's director, has suggested that transit organizations, including DART and member cities, should collectively express dissatisfaction about the potential impact of House Bill 3187, despite its failure to pass.2. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) funding issue, centered around House Bill 3187, has reached a critical juncture in politics and policy-and-legislation, with local officials and mobility authorities grappling with the aftermath.3. Discontent among Plano, Carrollton, and Irving's city leaders runs deep, as they assert that they're over-investing in DART while getting meager returns, a matter that has implications in the finance and industry sectors.4. In the aftermath of House Bill 3187's demise, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is expected to engage the public on proposed service changes, including cuts to bus routes and service reductions for GoLink and the TRE, which falls under the general-news category.
