Transportation leaders say North Texas may not be prepared for the FIFA 2026 World Cup games in Arlington if legislation to reduce funding for Dallas Area Rapid Transit becomes law.
During a special meeting of the DART board of directors Friday, regional transportation director Michael Morris told board members the plan to transport people to and from AT&T Stadium using the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) train line and a “bus bridge” could be impacted.
Lawmakers have filed two identical bills that could cut the funding DART receives from its member cities by 25%.
“Our transit plan is at risk if anything happens between now and the delivery of that 18 months from now, which could have significant consequences to the commitments we've made for that particular plan moving forward,” Morris said.
The FIFA 2026 World Cup is expected to bring millions of soccer fans to North Texas next summer, according to WFAA.
Last year, Morris credited the Regional Transportation Council’s plan to use existing transit — as well as a system of charter buses, Morris' "special sauce" — for the summer 2026 games as a reason why the region was able to score nine games at the Arlington stadium.
The TRE is jointly owned and operated by DART and Trinity Metro, the transit agency for Tarrant County.
Paul Wageman, who represents Plano on the DART board, has previously proposed cuts to the TRE. Morris said he’s uncertain of what impact that would have on the RTC’s plans for the games.
“I have no idea what you'd be forced to do with regard to the commitments to the TRE as the backbone of our delivery of FIFA,” Morris said. “I think it's fair to talk about the unintended consequences.”
He added a risk to the World Cup is just one of those consequences to reduced funding for DART. The region could also face potential roadway sanctions for failing to meet clean air standards and lose federal grants “under a financial risk situation.”
Morris said he hopes DART and cities can resolve the issue locally through mediation at the RTC.
Irving Mayor and DART board member Rick Stopfer suggested DART could bring in new member cities paying less than current cities do, which could offset the cost of cuts.
"It's unfair to have all these things that Michael just talked about, that we're going to be responsible if we screw up and we're carrying that all on our back," Stopfer said.
Irving is one of the DART member cities that passed a resolution last year to support cutting DART's funding.
Morris told the board he expects RTC’s chair and Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins to call a special meeting of the regional council to address DART’s legislative dilemma or it will be addressed at the council's next meeting on March 13.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org. You can follow him on X @pabloaarauz.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
