Dallas Area Rapid Transit could lose $6 billion in funding throughout the next two decades.
DART, North Texas’ largest mass transportation system, has made headlines in recent months as city officials push for funding reductions.
Nearly half of the city’s DART services have passed resolutions in support of reducing funding for the light rail train.
In late July, Farmers Branch and Carrollton became the latest cities to approve resolutions supporting the reduction of sales-tax contributions to DART, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“We are not eliminating DART service, so I want to make sure everyone understands that. There’s been an effort by many of the member cities to reduce their one-cent sales-tax contribution to DART, which has been in place since Day 1. … I choose to look at this as more of a realignment of participation,” Farmers Branch Mayor Terry Lynne said during a council meeting.
“Regardless of my personal experiences riding DART, the impact I’ve seen on our city from DART is vagrancy, trash, crime,” Lynne said.
Dallas officials are discussing approving similar resolutions. However, DART CEO Nadine Lee warned that losing a quarter of the sales-tax revenue it receives from Dallas would ruin the agency’s operations.
In June, DART announced that fare prices will be raised in 2025 for the first time in six years to help maintain and improve service and battle higher costs.
By reducing funding from DART services, cities would be able to reallocate the money to different parts of the city, such as police and fire departments.
Plano and Irving, DART’s two biggest revenue sources, would each save nearly $30 million annually by cutting contributions in a quarter.
While cities continue to fight to defund DART, some North Texas residents are determined to fight back.
A group called the Dallas Area Transit Alliance created a petition to protect public transit and oppose DART funding cuts.
“There is significant room for improvement on public transit in Dallas. Yet, rather than do their part to fix and enhance the system, city leaders propose a 25% cut to DART’s funding,” reads the petition.
“Hate waiting for your train? Imagine the wait doubling. Frustrated by late buses? Imagine more delays. Wish for cleaner rides? Imagine them dirtier. Concerned about safety? Imagine fewer officers.”
As of August 11, the petition has received 1,498 signatures in less than a month.