Regional Plan, Fare Hikes, Free Rides & More

News & Updates

July 17, 2024 Issue

Cutting Into DART’s Penny is Bad Government

dallasnews.com

OPINION

On Monday, Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s board began deliberating on cutting its own funding. The notion of reducing “DART’s penny” — so-called because funding for the transit system is set to 1 cent of every sales tax dollar collected — was first floated by Dallas, and then Plano went even further and voted on a resolution.

On its face, it’s an alluring idea. What mayor or council member could turn away newfound money? None, as it turns out. Several other DART member cities are now following Plano’s playbook.

Balancing budgetary priorities is a complex task, and our elected officials walk a tightrope in doing so. But cutting DART’s penny would cripple the agency; it would damage the transit system for the region, which would in turn hurt the economy of its member cities and have a negative effect on everyone’s quality of life.

A policy change of this magnitude deserves careful deliberation and extensive public input. Member cities owe a duty to their constituents to seriously engage entities and individuals who have a stake in DART before enacting such change.

Dallas Should Be the Leader in Supporting DART

dallasnews.com

OPINION

As North Texas grows, Dallas should take the lead in mobility and public transportation. That means staying committed to Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

Instead, Dallas is leading in the wrong direction. The city has talked about using DART funds to cover massive pension obligations. Similar talks continued at a Government Performance and Financial Management Committee meeting last month, when council members approved a legislative priority to “seek restructuring of DART sales tax contribution.”

The full City Council will discuss the proposal and vote on it this fall. Council members didn’t commit to much, and deliberately left the language open-ended so it can be fleshed out in later discussions.

Still, we don’t like where this conversation is going. Plano’s and Rowlett’s city councils have already passed resolutions in support of cutting sales tax funding to DART.

Dallas-Fort Worth’s population is projected to keep growing by huge margins for the next couple of decades, adding millions of jobs in the process, according to the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

Not only can DART continue to help drive economic development as it has for decades, it can also help move a growing workforce while reducing congestion on already crowded roads, making the region more competitive. And for those without access to cars, DART’s services are critical.

Trinity Metro Kicks Off Rideshare Program in Mansfield with Free Rides

nbcdfw.com

Trinity Metro On-Demand is launching a rideshare pilot program with transit company Via in Mansfield.

The rideshare program begins June 15, with rides available between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Rides are free through Sept. 14, after which there will be a $2 fee for one-way trips or $4 for a day pass that includes transfers between TEXRail, Trinity Metro bus, and Trinity Metro On-Demand.

The city said key destinations in the Mansfield boundary include Historic Downtown Mansfield, Mansfield Town Center, TCC Southeast Campus, Mansfield High School, Legacy High School, Mansfield Senior Lifestyles, Elmer W. Oliver Nature Park, Walmart, and Kroger.

Because it's a rideshare program, passengers will be matched with other riders in one vehicle headed in the same direction.

Commentary: The Horse is Out of the Barn When it Comes to Regional Transportation

fortworthreport.org

by Michael Morris

While it is essential to preserve and maintain homogeneous single-family home neighborhoods, it is lunacy that low-density 1970s strip retail centers are not replaced with greater mixed-use density.

In June, when the North Central Texas Council of Governments, or NCTCOG, announced the annual population estimates, we learned that Dallas-Fort Worth continues to grow at a brisk pace. The 16-county region added approximately 200,000 residents for an estimated population of almost 8.5 million. Rockwall (5.2%), Ellis (4.7%) and Collin (4.6%) counties led the region.

They all have something in common — they are all suburban counties.

This growth outside the city centers follows a pattern we’ve seen developing for years. People have gravitated toward the suburbs, where developers can take advantage of building in unincorporated areas with large swaths of open land.

Dallas to Fort Worth High-Speed Rail Gets Tentative Thumbs Up to Avoid Downtown Route

dallasnews.com

A top North Texas transportation official said he supports a regional high-speed rail line that doesn’t run through downtown Dallas — as long as it keeps the project on track.

Moving forward with a new alignment for an estimated $6 billion Dallas to Fort Worth bullet train that loops to the west of downtown could add an extra year to the project’s environmental review phase, said Michael Morris, transportation director of the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

But he said it would be worth it if it gets federal approval and complies with a recent Dallas City Council resolution opposing the seven-story high downtown throughline. Council members are concerned a track cutting across downtown would disrupt plans for a new $3 billion convention center and other multibillion-dollar redevelopment projects near Reunion Tower.

“It is better to get into a potential delay and not have a fatal flaw than to pursue a more expedient path and potentially have a fatal flaw in a Dallas resolution that doesn’t change,” Morris told the Regional Transportation Council on Thursday.

DART Plans to Hike Fares for the First Time Since 2018

dallasnews.com

Dallas Area Rapid Transit plans to raise some of its fares for the first time in six years and eliminate less popular fare options next year, the transit agency revealed in a community meeting Tuesday.

DART will eliminate the single-ride, AM/PM pass and midday pass options, instead offering a three-hour pass for the same price as its AM/PM pass, which is $3 for local and $1.50 for reduced local service. Monthly passes will increase from $96 to $126 — and from $48 to $63 for reduced monthly passes — and non-employee-sponsored annual passes will be eliminated. Day pass rates will remain the same.

A paratransit fee change from $3 to $3.50 that was passed by the DART Board of Directors in 2018 and delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic would also be implemented.

The changes are DART’s first fare hikes since 2018 and are aimed at helping the agency maintain and improve service in the face of higher costs, staff said Tuesday evening. Though they come amid calls from several member cities to reduce their tax contributions, the fare changes have been in the works since November 2022.

TCNT Annual Luncheon, September 20, 2024

Registration is Open!

The Transit Coalition of North Texas is hosting its annual luncheon on September 20, on the State of Transit. We will hear a report on the TxDOT Multimodal Plan and the results of a TTI economic impact analysis of transit. In addition to individual speakers, the luncheon will feature a panel of our transit CEOs who will discuss what the State's plans and the statewide economic impact analysis mean for North Texas.

Irving Infrastructure Summit is Back!

infrastructuresummit.org

The City of Irving and the North Texas Commission have teamed up to bring back the Infrastructure Summit. This comprehensive event will span a full day and a half, featuring a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Regional Transportation Council (RTC), and showcasing panel discussions dedicated to addressing crucial infrastructure vital for sustaining the region's growth.

When: Thursday, August 8 – Friday, August 9, 2024

Where: Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas (500 W. Las Colinas Blvd)

Hosted by: The City of Irving and the North Texas Commission

More Information

Transit Coalition of North Texas

TransitNorthTexas.org