Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) recently announced it is returning $214 million in taxpayer money back to Dallas and the other North Texas cities it services to fund public transportation projects. Dallas is expected to receive the bulk of the extra funds, but the remainder will be allocated to 12 different Dart-member cities.
The funds are part of the excess unallocated sales tax dollars collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported by The Dallas Express.
According to DART, the organization received federal taxpayer-funded relief throughout the pandemic to compensate for lost fares, service fees, and maintenance. During this time, DART also collected a 1 cent sales tax as usual, which it has done since its introduction in 1983.
Out of the $610 million in sales tax it collected in the fiscal year 2022, DART has decided to give back part of the excess.
DART board members initially decided to hand over $269.5 million. However, after a board meeting Tuesday, they voted to return $214 million, keeping a portion of the excess dollars reserved for “future ridership enhancements.” The board members will meet next month to decide precisely how much each city receives.
The move to return funding to communities comes after the transit system has faced a series of unusual service issues, ranging from bus driver shortages to weather delays.
This past winter, DART shut down its bus service for the first time due to icy roads. More recently, a loss of over 160 bus drivers caused delays at bus stops and forced riders to wait longer out in the heat.
DART has stipulated that the member cities must use the money for public transportation projects, such as new bike lanes, improved sidewalks, and ADA-compliant wheelchair ramps.
“It is clear that DART has the capacity to fund each initiative at a level that will meaningfully improve public transit in our region,” said Omar Narvaez, Dallas’ deputy mayor pro team.
