Another North Texas city is considering holding an election to withdraw from Dallas Area Rapid Transit, potentially the fifth city to seek an exit from the struggling public transit system.
University Park’s city council will consider at its Jan. 6 meeting ordering a special election in May to dissolve its membership with DART, according to the council’s meeting agenda. Irving, Plano, Farmers Branch and Highland Park have already scheduled withdrawal elections. Addison considered an election as well, but council members could not agree on the measure.
Citing concerns about service and costs, and after advocating for legislation to change DART’s funding and governance, city leaders across North Texas have decided to put membership in the agency to a vote. The move could jeopardize the state’s largest public transportation system, an agency already fraught with budget and service concerns.
The day before University Park’s council meeting, leaders of the suburb five miles north of downtown Dallas plan to host a special work session with representatives from DART to discuss services.
Breaking News
Related
Garland’s council is also scheduled to be briefed next week on “ongoing issues, constraints, and challenges” related to DART, according to the city work session agenda.
University Park, home to Southern Methodist University, has over 25,000 residents and contributed $6.9 million in sales tax to DART in the 2023 fiscal year, according to DART data. The suburb is one of 13 cities that contributes sales tax to the agency.
DART provides on-demand service throughout University Park and Highland Park with the Park Cities GoLink zone, and connects riders to SMU/Mockingbird Station, where they can access bus routes and DART Light Rail, according to the agency’s website.
DART’s bus route 237 passes through University Park along Preston Road, and the agency also manages two site-specific SMU Express Shuttles, jointly funded by SMU and DART, to provide bus service on the university’s main and east campuses, according to the agency.
Related
DART services in University Park would cease immediately if voters choose to leave the agency on May 2, but cities that withdraw would continue paying DART because there are still obligations to pay off debt associated with cities’ contributions.
Every six years, DART’s 13 member cities can hold elections to withdraw from DART under state law. The next opportunity comes in 2026.
A decision at the ballot box could still be avoided: Cities have until 45 days before the scheduled votes to call off the elections.
Email tips on all things Collin County to lilly.kersh@dallasnews.com.