Trinity Metro is offering its support to Dallas Area Rapid Transit as five member cities consider withdrawing from the DART system.
Board members of the Fort Worth agency approved a resolution Jan. 20 that highlights the partnership in advancing regional transportation through the Trinity Railway Express passenger train between Fort Worth and Dallas that both systems jointly own and operate. That line’s operation could be affected if cities leave DART, officials said.
Anette Landeros, Trinity Metro chief strategic officer, said the resolution resulted from the board’s discussion in November amid the current climate surrounding DART. The resolution, she said, “acknowledges the value of (DART’s) services.”
Five cities — Plano, Irving, Farmers Branch, Highland Park and University Park — will ask voters May 2 if they should withdraw from DART. If voters approve, transit services, including passenger rail service, would end in those cities.
In the four decades since its founding in 1983, DART has built and operated a comprehensive 93-mile transportation system that is one of the largest in the country, according to the resolution. The Trinity Metro resolution does not take a position on whether cities should stay or withdraw from the Dallas-area system.
“Trinity Metro and DART have long shared a strong and collaborative partnership, most notably through the co-ownership of the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), which since its launch in 1996 has become a model of regional cooperation and an essential commuter rail corridor linking Fort Worth and Dallas,” the agency’s resolution read.
The TRE service “has resulted in millions of passenger trips, enhanced access to education and employment, supported tourism and entertainment, and provided a vital connection between major regional destinations and airports — demonstrating the extraordinary impact that coordinated transit systems can achieve.”
Leaders in the five member cities holding elections have said the sales tax they contribute to DART exceeds the value of the transportation services the agency provides. Some of the cities are considering using microtransit routes to replace bus service.
Thirteen North Texas cities are members of DART.
Trinity Metro’s board members said they appreciate DART for its extensive achievements, longstanding service and sustained contributions to the advancement of public transportation across North Texas.
Eric E. Garcia is senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
Disclosure: Trinity Metro is a financial supporter of the Report. News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
