Three Cities May Leave DART System, Impacting North Texas Transit

Potential DART System Departure

• 🗳️ Farmers Branch, Highland Park, and Plano are considering holding elections to leave the DART system.
• ⚠️ If these cities depart, it could significantly reshape transit across North Texas.

DART's Funding and Operations

• 💰 DART's primary funding comes from a penny of every sales tax dollar in its 13 member cities, with Plano contributing approximately $110 million annually.
• 💔 DART CEO Nadine Lee expressed heartbreak, warning that losing these cities could severely impact service for riders.
• ⚽ The timing is critical, with the World Cup approaching and DART's network expected to be crucial for moving fans.

Reasons for Considering Departure

• 📉 Cities, particularly Plano, cite years of unresolved talks with DART as a reason for seeking direct resident input.
• 🗣️ Plano leaders stated it's time to ask residents if DART should continue operating within the city.
• 🏛️ A previous state legislative effort to allow cities to redirect DART sales tax to local projects failed earlier this year.

Potential Consequences of Departure

• 📉 If voters approve leaving, DART service would end in those cities.
• 📉 This could also lead to cutbacks in service elsewhere within the DART system.
• 😥 DART leaders are hopeful to retain all member cities but acknowledge the poor timing of these discussions, especially ahead of the World Cup.