With no local solution in sight, the dispute over funding cuts for Dallas Area Rapid Transit hit the Texas Legislature.
During a hearing that stretched from late Thursday into early Friday morning, lawmakers on the House Committee on Transportation heard testimony on House Bill 3187, which would cut DART’s funding — and, opponents argue, impact the agency’s future.
The bill, authored by Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, would effectively reduce DART’s penny sales tax collection from each of its member cities by 25%, and redirect that portion into a new general mobility program for cities to use to fund other transit-related projects.
“The transit authority has a financial structure that has changed little in over 40 years and is in desperate need of an overhaul, but DART refuses to do so,” Shaheen said in his opening statement. “We're here because [of] DART's unwillingness to do what's right.”
The hearing drew representatives from DART and member cities, regular transit users, the agency’s employee union and other stakeholders to speak on the legislation.
DART CEO Nadine Lee told lawmakers the bill would “dismantle” a contract that voters made with the agency when it was founded in 1983 to invest billions of dollars in transit.
“The voters voted to tax themselves to build out this transit system and right now, there is nothing in the current bill language that suggests that we ask the voters their opinion,” Lee told lawmakers.
She added that over the past three years, the agency has invested more than $110 million in enhancing security, cleanliness and reliability of the system in an effort to improve system-wide services.
DART’s Chief of Police Charles Cato said crime across the transit system is down by 16% compared to a year ago. That progress is now at risk under the proposed bill, he said.
“[A] 25% cut to DART sales tax revenue will mean fewer officers, will mean fewer patrols,” Cato said.
Plano Mayor John Muns, who supports the bill, said a 2024 report by consulting firm Ernst & Young showed inequities between how much his city pays into the agency, and how much it receives. He said efforts to resolve the issue locally weren’t fruitful.
“Plano is committed to transit, but transportation solutions need to be fiscally responsible and accountable to the needs of the taxpayers,” Muns said. “Rather than a solution-focused partner, we're dealing with a runaway agency. There's been a complete breakdown in trust in this agency.”
When Rep. Mitch Little (R-Denton) asked Muns what Plano would do with its share of the sales tax if the bill passed, Muns said it would spend the money on its own infrastructure and other mobility projects, but didn’t specify in detail.
“Sounds like you just want this to be fair,” Little said to Muns.
“That's exactly correct,” Muns said.
Several DART riders traveled to Austin to speak out against the bill, highlighting the impact to passengers. Many wore pins showing their support for the advocacy group Dallas Area Transit Alliance or DATA.
“This bill will force a lot of people like me to take trips on the roads, our very congested roads, when otherwise we wouldn't be adding to traffic,” said Dallas resident Brandon Bullock. “It doesn't make DART better or give cities their own transit. It just weakens our current transit and doesn't propose any alternative solution for member cities.”
The hearing concluded without a vote on the bill. It’s left pending in the transportation committee. An identical Senate bill has not been scheduled for a hearing.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org.
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