Dallas Area Rapid Transit is bracing for a financial hit and potential service losses that will impact the regional system if withdrawal elections this Saturday are successful.
During a Tuesday meeting of the DART board of directors, Dallas representative Patrick Kennedy asked voters in Addison, Highland Park and University Park to “choose wisely” when considering the choice to leave the agency.
He told the board he was in the room in 2017 when Addison residents pushed to get the Silver Line commuter rail station completed. It opened last October.
“We provided the Silver Line and a couple months later they vote to have an election to pull out,” Kennedy said. “I find this incredibly disappointing and the discontinuation of service the next day will be harsh.”
Leaders in the three cities holding a withdrawal election have argued for months they’re paying too much in sales taxes toward the agency.
Jamie Adelman, chief financial officer for DART, said the three cities collectively make up 3.7% of its sales tax contributions. She also noted any city that withdraws must continue to pay sales tax for several years.
“DART continues to collect the sales tax dollars until their full financial obligation is paid off,” Adelman said.
She added that the long-term financial cost of losing all three cities would be $1 billion over 20 years.
The immediate impact of the withdrawals would be felt a day after votes are canvassed in each city. Addison’s votes will be canvassed on May 12 and Park Cities both on May 13.
If voters in Addison choose to withdraw, the city’s only transit center would close and 11 routes would be discontinued. Plans for the Addison Junction transit-oriented development would also come to a halt.
Park Cities have a couple of dozen bus stops each along Route 237 that would be discontinued. DART’s GoLink and paratransit services would also end in cities that withdraw.
The cities have already begun to implement alternatives to DART’s services if they leave the agency. Addison launched its on-demand rideshare service called Addison Orbit earlier this month operated by Via. Highland Park has also approved a partnership with Via last week.
Proponents of the rideshare service say they can provide the same service DART provides at a lower cost.
DART director Marc Enoch said it's "not going to be as easy as they think it is."
“They're going to have to put their money where their mouth is," he said.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org.
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