Dallas Area Rapid Transit leaders pushed through with a new budget months after reaching agreements with cities over local funding.
During a Tuesday meeting, DART’s board of directors voted to approve the $1.4 billion budget that includes returning some local funding to its 12 member cities. It’s part of an agreement the agency made with city leaders earlier this year called the General Mobility Program.
“The GMP is fully funded,” said board chair Randall Bryant during a meeting earlier this month. “There are no new service reductions in this fiscal year.”
About 85% of the budget is going to capital and operating expenses which pay for the agency’s everyday services. About 12% goes to paying off debt. New services such as the Legacy Circulator shuttle in Plano were added earlier this year and included in the budget.
“With the Board’s approval of that budget, DART is looking forward to leveraging our resources to provide operational excellence for our riders, make significant strides in achieving our Transform priorities, and continuing to partner with our member cities to provide the transit solutions North Texans need,” said DART spokesperson Jasmyn Carter in an emailed statement.
Carter added that a $70 million grant from the federal Department of Transportation to upgrade the agency’s aging light rail vehicles isn’t included in this year’s budget. Replacing the vehicles is still in this year’s Capital Improvement Plan, but funding will be reflected in the FY28 budget.
Opposition and legislative priorities
Two directors voted against approving the budget. They echoed previous statements that while DART’s budget has more than doubled in the past decade, service isn’t “equitably” distributed among member cities.
“The revenue continues to grow and, quite frankly, I don't feel like the transit services in this particular budget are reflective of that increase in revenue,” said Doug Hrbacek, who represents Carrollton and Irving on the board and voted against the budget.
Plano representative Anthony Ricciardelli said he wouldn't support the budget, calling it "unsustainable."
"It's just about the inequitable allocation of resources that this budget inherited," Ricciardelli said. "I know it was intended to be a status quo budget, and so it inherited the inequitable status quo."
One DART rider spoke to the board during public comment about the lack of transparency in the budget.
“When looking at the public information online, I wasn't able to find any breakdowns of what the money is being spent on,” said Hillary Brown, a disabled rider who relies on DART. “If it is available, it isn't very clear.”
Brown added that she hopes funds are allocated to bus route improvements.
“Adding benches, trashcans, coverings and proper maintenance to all stops is the only way we can keep people waiting for the buses in this weather,” Brown said.
The approval comes as the agency faces low ridership numbers and controversy over the recently hired CEO Nathaniel Ford. DART leaders are also prioritizing a change in governance that would expand the number of board members to more than 20 as part of its legislative agenda for next year.
Some DART advocates protested the agenda, saying that the agency should focus on securing funding to cover losses from the GMP instead of adding more board members.
“Vigilance won't protect you if you're looking in the wrong places, and nothing will help this agency if it prioritizes rearranging slices of pie instead of growing the pie your riders need,” said Alexander Dunn, a member of the Dallas Area Transit Alliance.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org.
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