Big Beautiful Blue Bus, High Speed Rail Will Bring the Money, and More!

News & Updates

June 13, 2025 Issue

DART Gets Reprieve as Legislative Defunding Proposals Die in Committee

dallasnews.com

Twin bills aimed at curbing a quarter of Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s tax revenue have failed to meet key deadlines in the Texas Legislature and are unlikely to move forward this session.

House Bill 3187 and Senate Bill 1557 would have required the transit agency to create a permanent general mobility program, funded by 25% of DART’s annual sales tax revenue. That program would have set aside money for member cities to use for local mobility projects like road repairs and maintenance — a move DART officials have said would “kill” the agency by curbing operating funds.

The House version of the bill was approved by a panel in early May but never made it out of the committee that sets legislation for floor votes.

...

“DART will continue to monitor the progress of bills that may impact the agency throughout the duration of session,” DART spokesperson Jeamy Molina said in a statement. “We are committed to working with all our member cities to address their concerns.”

Trinity Metro Begins Passenger Service on Blue Line

masstransitmag.com

Trinity Metro has launched the Blue Line, the agency’s second color-coded bus route. Trinity Metro says the Blue Line will help riders travel around downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The new route features daily service every seven minutes from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

“Much like the Orange Line, Trinity Metro’s Blue Line provides a necessary connection for residents and tourists to some of Fort Worth’s iconic destinations,” said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. “The color-coded lines are very appealing for riders and the overall look raises the bar for an outstanding transit experience.”

Trinity Metro President and CEO Rich Andreski added, “We’re excited to celebrate this milestone with our partners and to continue gaining momentum for Trinity Metro, Fort Worth and all of Tarrant County. We have more color-coded routes planned, and our Blue Line is the latest step.”

The agency says fares will be free on the Blue Line due to partnerships the agency has with Downtown Fort Worth Inc. and Visit Fort Worth. The route offers easy connectivity to buses, Trinity Metro TEXRail, Trinity Railway Express and Trinity Metro Bikes at Fort Worth Central Station and Fort Worth T&P Station.

Downtown Fort Worth Inc. President Andy Taft said, “We support public transportation because of its direct impact on making downtown a vibrant place to live, visit and work. Easy-to-use, dedicated routes like the Blue Line are critical for connectivity throughout downtown, especially when they tie into the greater transit network.”

‘A Long Game’: High-speed Rail Could Drive Billions to Dallas. Will it Happen?

dallasnews.com

Shades of hope and doubt swirled around Dallas City Hall this week when city officials unveiled a study that fortified the long-discussed high-speed rail project as a billion-dollar economic engine for the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The report, commissioned by the Dallas City Council last year, estimates the Dallas-to-Houston bullet train would bring an average annual gain in gross domestic product of $5 billion and more than 28,000 new jobs to the region from 2029 to 2050. More than $3.5 billion — and 20,000 jobs — would be concentrated in Dallas, with increased economic output and personal incomes also seeing gains.

The estimates are based on an assumed 4.3 million annual riders.

But Dallas leaders have expressed doubt the region would realize the purported benefits after the U.S. Department of Transportation terminated a $63.9 million grant for the project, which is led by private entity Texas Central. The DOT, under President Donald Trump’s administration, cited ballooning project costs as a risk for taxpayers.

DART Committee Considers Potential Changes to Leadership

keranews.org

Leadership at Dallas Area Rapid Transit could soon shift based on changing population numbers in the agency’s service area.

On Tuesday, a board committee was briefed on its upcoming reapportionment of board members – which happens every five years.

Currently, the 13-member board is made up of seven Dallas representatives and six representatives for surrounding member cities. DART’s legal counsel Gene Gamez told the committee the suburbs are slowly overtaking Dallas in percentage of population in the area the agency serves.

“When DART first started this process in ‘83–84 when the first apportionment came out [Dallas’ population] was a little bit higher," Gamez said. "There’s been a very gradual reduction.

"We’ll see what happens in 2025.”

Gamez said DART is working with Texas A&M’s Transportation Institute to use data on the latest population estimates from the North Central Texas Council of Governments to determine reapportionment.

He said cities have options on how they select their next board member and whether they will have term limits or rotate representatives among cities.

Board chair Gary Slagel said DART should leave that decision up to the member cities.

Interested in joining the Coalition? It's easy! You can join and attend the Annual Luncheon. Just click on the "Register Today" button at the top of the newsletter.

Transit Coalition of North Texas

TransitNorthTexas.org