When Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Chair Gary Slagel sent a July 17 letter to suburban mayors offering funding in exchange for dropping reform efforts, he copied Michael Morris, the longtime director of transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).
Morris, often the subject of scrutiny for his decades of influence over regional transportation policy, says he had “nothing to do” with the letter’s content and has not read it.
“He sent me a copy. I still haven’t read the letter, I don’t know what’s in the letter,” Morris told The Dallas Express. “I think [Slagel] is trying as best he can to resolve the issues he has with the community.”
NCTCOG first hired Morris as a staff member in 1979, and he has held his current job for 35 years. Over that time, he has picked up a string of nicknames — the “King of the Roads,” “King of DFW Politics,” and “King of Gridlock” — reflecting his outsized influence on transportation decisions across North Texas.
Morris told The Dallas Express he hopes he and his team have a reputation for “getting things done,” citing major projects completed under his leadership and the Regional Transportation Council’s (RTC) focus on outcomes.
The Backstory: Following RTC’s Mediation Mandate
One month earlier, on June 3, Morris sent Slagel his own letter declining to request RTC funding for DART while several member cities were still pursuing legislative reforms.
That letter, in part, read:
“Since those cities elected to maintain a legislative path, as stated previously, staff will not be requesting financial assistance of the RTC.”
“My suggestion is you review your current financial commitments considered in your resolution knowing staff’s position not to pursue RTC funding.”
Morris also cautioned Slagel to “ensure adequate services for the FIFA World Cup” despite budget restraints.
In his interview, Morris explained the decision by pointing to two formal RTC votes instructing DART and the cities to resolve the dispute through mediation.
“It wasn’t a specific dollar amount,” Morris said. “The RTC has requested on two occasions that the issue be resolved through mediation…. I could make the case to go to the RTC and ask to help pay for it if the parties operated in good faith and mediated the issue, as the RTC requested.”
When cities ignored the mediation request and pursued legislation instead, Morris said he could not justify asking RTC for money.
“If you guys don’t want to resolve it and the parties wish to just go to the legislature, you’re more than welcome to ask the RTC for assistance,” Morris explained. “I’m not going to ask… because I don’t know what the grounds would be.… They weren’t listening for whatever reason. They had no intention to mediate the issue, as requested by the Regional Transportation Council.”
Morris stressed that cities or DART could still approach the RTC directly for funding, but that, as staff, he would not make the request without the mediation step being honored.
Similarities in Language, Different Contexts
Slagel’s July 17 letter to the mayors used similar conditions to those in Morris’ June 3 letter — linking funding to cities ending legislative efforts.
From Slagel’s letter:
“…we ask each of the seven donor cities… to formally adopt a city council resolution… and committing to cease further efforts or actions for legislation that would reduce or divert any portion of DART’s voter-approved one-cent sales tax.”
“Due to these conflicting actions, we ask you to clarify your position on receiving the GMP by committing not to pursue any further legislation against DART.”
While the language overlaps, Morris says his letter reflected RTC’s prior mediation votes, not an attempt to dictate GMP funding. Slagel said his letter was a direct response to mayors asking Gov. Greg Abbott to add DART reform bills to the special session.
“We took this step because we listened and responded to the issues they raised, with the hope and belief that our locally passed GMP would bring an end to efforts at the state legislature that threaten the agency’s ability to deliver services to our riders,” Slagel said.
The Legislative Push
Five city mayors backed legislation this year to restructure DART governance and allow cities to divert a portion of their sales tax contributions.
- SB 2118: Equal representation on the DART board for each member city.
- HB 3187: Allow cities to redirect 25% of their DART sales tax to other transportation needs.
DART has warned these measures could lead to “the largest service cuts” in its history.
Why the Cities are Pushing Back
Garland passed language in July expressing frustrations with the agency.
“DART has been like the worst, narcissistic relationship we’ve ever been in as a city,” Garland Councilwoman Carissa Dutton said in a recent meeting.
A growing coalition of suburban mayors are expressing frustration with DART for falling short in services by millions of dollars, and for bringing crime and homelessness to their cities.
DART is shortchanging suburbs like Plano, Carrollton, and Farmers Branch by millions of dollars, The Dallas Express has learned. Meanwhile, it provides substantial surpluses to Dallas, which has a vast majority on the board.
One of the most striking examples is Plano, which gave $109.6 million in sales taxes to DART in FY 2023, but received only $44.6 million in services. This is an annual deficit of $65 million. DART is currently $3 billion in debt.
Safety and Crime Concerns
Crime and safety issues have plagued DART for years:
- A man stabbed and killed a victim on July 30 in Richardson, then fled on a nearby DART train. Police later arrested him at another station 12 miles down the tracks.
- The same day, a DART train caught fire — injuring 15, sending six to the hospital, and drawing a National Transportation Safety Board investigation that snarled DART transit for days.
- DART is facing a lawsuit for failing to protect its disabled passengers, as paratransit drivers have a documented history of sexually assaulting disabled women.
- The agency recently paid $75,000 to settle a discrimination complaint from former CFO Elizabeth Reich, who alleged misogyny and harassment at the agency.
Mayors and officials from Plano, Carrollton, and Farmers Branch also told The Dallas Express that DART has low ridership in their cities — except among homeless individuals.
Plano and Carrollton, both at the end of DART lines, say homeless riders often remain on trains during the day and end up in their cities when service ends at night. Farmers Branch reports similar issues.
Morris on Safety and Enforcement
“I think any potential criticism you have of the transportation system is well-founded, well-grounded,” Morris said. “I think the case can be made that maybe the fare enforcement on the transit system has been lax.”
Morris pointed to NCTCOG’s Transit 2.0 strategy and emphasized the need for fare enforcement.
“You need to have fare enforcement to help ensure that the transportation system is safe,” he said. “I believe those particular concerns are real, and efforts need to be placed to increase enforcement. I think you have seen that, and I think you have seen significant progress.”
Damien LeVeck, executive director of Dallas HERO, told The Dallas Express he interviewed a mother of four who was “viciously attacked by a vagrant at a downtown DART station” while visiting Dallas.
“DART stops are hives of violent crime and dens of homeless loitering and panhandling,” LeVeck added. “There is nobody to blame but the DART’s leadership, which has idly sat by and allowed this blight on our city to continue.”
Current Focus and Dropped Legislative Plan
Morris told The Dallas Express he is “laser focused” on preparations for the FIFA World Cup, which he described as “the most important set of special event projects we’ve ever had.” He said he has no plans to retire in the near future and intends to remain in his position to see those projects through.
Earlier this year, Morris proposed a legislative strategy for the upcoming 90th Texas Legislature to address what he described as “a host of concerns, including transportation authorities’ boundaries.” The RTC board did not approve the proposal, and Morris said legislation is now “off the table” from his end.
Beyond the DART Dispute
While the DART governance fight has put Morris in the headlines, he remains in the spotlight for other NCTCOG-led projects.
Farmers Branch Mayor Terry Lynne, who has previously expressed concerns about DART, said NCTCOG invited member cities and DART to a “roundtable discussion” about “where things are” in the dispute the week of August 11.
“I am looking forward to hearing what people have to say, and hopeful that everyone realizes they will have to give a little bit in order to create a workable solution for all sides,” Lynne said.
On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, NCTCOG and the City of Dallas will host a Virtual Public Meeting on the Oak Farms transportation corridors study. The project covers a portion of North Oak Cliff and surrounding Dallas County communities and is in its concluding phase.
The meeting will update the public on the corridor study and present the selected alternative for the NCTCOG regional project.
- Date: Tuesday, August 12, 2025
- Time: 6:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.
- Watch Live: www.publicinput.com/oakfarms
- Phone Access: 855-925-2801 (Code: 11712)
While Morris directs NCTCOG’s transportation department and often plays a role in these initiatives, no formal announcement confirms his participation in this session. The event itself underscores the breadth of projects under his influence.