As the Texas Legislature's special session gets underway, the mayors of five North Texas cities are urging Gov. Greg Abbott to revive proposals to reform Dallas Area Rapid Transit.
In a letter sent June 25, the mayors of Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Highland Park, Irving and Plano ask Gov. Greg Abbott to address legislation based on House Bill 3187 and Senate Bill 2118, which would have changed how DART is funded and governed, respectively. The two bills failed during the recent regular session.
“We believe the proposals outlined in HB 3187 and SB 2118 … offer a strong foundation for needed change,” the mayors wrote.
It comes after more than a year of discussions over DART’s funding structure and some member cities’ frustrations with their services. The debate ultimately went to the Statehouse.
Plano Mayor John Muns said among his primary concerns is getting the right value for the money his city has put into DART. Each of DART’s 13 member cities pays a one-cent sales tax into the agency. A study conducted by the firm Ernst & Young found seven of those cities, including Plano, contribute more than they receive in services.
“Empty buses are reflective of how our community is using those services,” he told KERA. “For us it’s important that we have services that match the needs and the wants of our community.”
Irving Mayor Rick Stopher said he wants the city to look into other transit options besides fixed-route service.
"Should we be out buying 450 new buses instead of maybe 250 buses, and maybe looking at something similar to [Via in Arlington] with some type of autonomous vehicle or Go Link system?” Stopher said.
Although he supports cutting DART's funding, he doesn't want to see services taken away from vulnerable riders.
“We're not about taking the needs away from the most dependent transit users,” Stopher said.
DART leaders argue the 25% cut proposed in HB3187 would lead to systemwide cuts.
The DART board earlier this year approved a General Mobility Program like the one proposed in the bill that would instead direct 5% of contributions to a fund eligible cities can use to pay for transit-related projects. The agency is proposing cuts to bus routes and light rail frequency and an increase in fares for paratransit riders in order to make up for the funding decrease.
But DART’s critics say the 5% cut isn’t enough. In their letter, the mayors urge Gov. Abbott to “give serious consideration to these longstanding issues” with DART’s governance, funding structure and service delivery.
DART chief communications officer Jeamy Molina said the agency didn't know about the letter before it was made public. She said DART has tried to be transparent about the effects a 25% reduction would have on the agency's service area.
“To be clear, that type of reduction would kill DART," she said. "To see cities still pushing to get legislation like that passed is disheartening.”
KERA News reached out to the governor’s office and will update with any response. Transit authority reform was not included in his call for a special session.
Nadya Faulx contributed to this story.
Olla Mokhtar is KERA’s news intern. Got a tip? Email Olla at omokhtar@kera.org.
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