The University Park City Council voted Tuesday night unanimously to call a May 2 election, allowing voters to decide whether the city should remain a member of Dallas Area Rapid Transit, formally placing the Park Cities on the ballot in the growing regional debate over DART’s future.
The January 6 vote makes University Park the fifth DART member city to advance a withdrawal election this spring.
Highland Park approved a similar election last month, while Plano, Farmers Branch, and Irving have also scheduled or advanced votes on DART membership, as previously reported on by The Dallas Express. Addison considered the issue but declined to call an election.
University Park, Texas votes 5-0 to WITHDRAW from DART! Voters to decide in May election! pic.twitter.com/s5ogQSm4zJ
— Real Texas Radio Podcast (@RTR_bronin) January 6, 2026
The vote follows months of scrutiny into DART’s finances, governance, and service equity, issues previously reported by The Dallas Express, as multiple suburban cities have moved to place DART membership on the ballot.
Taken together, the votes mark a shift from years of closed-door negotiations toward public accountability, as suburban leaders increasingly move core questions about DART’s direction, governance, and responsiveness out of boardrooms and into the hands of voters.
Council cites service concerns
During Tuesday’s meeting, University Park officials said the city has seen a continued reduction in transit service despite its ongoing participation in the system.
“While I understand and believe in the value of safe, clean, and reliable regional public transportation, I’m concerned about DART’s model and DART’s model in particular about how it applies to University Park,” council member Phillip Philbin said during the meeting.
Philbin said bus service within the city has steadily declined over time.
“We don’t have bus service to Snyder Plaza,” he said. “We don’t have bus services to Miracle Mile, the two areas we’ve just invested in to generate sales tax.”
City officials also noted that discussions with DART over service levels and value have stretched back years, contributing to the council’s decision to allow voters to weigh in directly.
Residents raise accessibility concerns
Several residents urged caution, warning that withdrawing from DART could affect people who rely on public transit and paratransit services.
“There is no consideration for how they’re going to provide these services,” resident Kim Roosevelt told the council while appearing with her disabled daughter. “That’s really concerning to me that it went to vote without actual any specifics on how they’re going to meet this need.”
Roosevelt said losing access to DART would remove a critical transportation option for her family.
“Ultimately, it’s gonna hurt our families, it’s gonna hurt our community, it’s going to hurt the greater DFW economy,” she said. “There are long-term repercussions.”
Resident Julie Collier raised similar concerns during public comment.
“Reliable transportation allows people with disabilities to get to work, job training, schools, and universities,” Collier said.
Regional implications
DART leadership has previously warned that the withdrawal of member cities could have system-wide consequences, potentially affecting service levels across North Texas.
University Park voters will now decide the city’s future within DART on May 2, joining Highland Park residents in a Park Cities electorate that will help determine whether confidence in the agency can be rebuilt — or whether questions about leadership and accountability will continue to move outward from internal discussions to the ballot box.
The University Park vote comes as DART enters a new leadership chapter under recently elected board chair Randall Bryant, following a year marked by service reductions, governance disputes, and escalating calls for accountability from member cities.
For suburban officials, the decision to move DART membership questions to voters reflects a growing view that leadership actions — not assurances — will determine whether trust in the agency can be restored.
