Irving city officials will discuss Nov. 6 a possible referendum to determine whether it will remain part of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system, or DART.
The move follows the Plano City Council’s decision earlier this week to discuss a potential withdrawal election during an upcoming special session.
Council members in Farmers Branch and Highland Park are also planning to discuss the possibility of letting voters decide the future of DART in their cities.
Previously, Irving voters chose to stay in DART during pullout elections in 1989 and 1996.
Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer, also a DART executive board member, said he “wholeheartedly understand[s] Plano’s perspective” on the issue.
“They have a few stops and now they do have the Silver Line, but the reality of it is that the amount of money they're putting in, they're not getting a very good return,” Stopfer said.
He said Irving officials are looking at alternatives to DART that will continue to serve residents’ transit needs. He pointed to ongoing discussions with Via, the ride-hailing company that serves Arlington, and future discussions with Uber.
“The thing that I liked about my conversations with Via was their way of doing business,” Stopfer said. “They’re putting the rider first.”
Stopfer said the city’s current “return on investment” in DART isn’t what officials are looking for in local transit. He said buses in Irving are often unfilled and some services are lacking in terms of convenience and accessibility. He told KERA “there’s other options” when it comes to public transit in the city.
“We really, seriously have to be stewards of these dollars,” he said of the city’s DART funding. “I mean, $100-plus million is more than we spend on anything.”
A DART spokesperson said in a statement emailed to KERA, "DART has taken a regional approach since it was created by North Texas voters in 1984. The region grows and prospers because of that unity."
"DART leadership will continue to be transparent and collaborative and operate in good faith because the residents of North Texas deserve that from us," the statement continued. "The future of North Texas mobility depends on partnership."
If the Irving City Council ultimately decides to move forward with the referendum, voters would decide the future of DART in their city next May.
Got a tip? Email Andy Lusk at alusk@kera.org.
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