Leaders in Plano and Irving, the two largest DART member cities that have called elections to withdraw from the transit agency, indicated Thursday both plan to remain.
The Regional Transportation Council, a 45-member body composed of mayors, county judges, and city council members from municipalities around North Texas, approved $75 million in funding for DART on Thursday.
The boost in funding is coupled with a plan from the DART board to redirect $360 million in sales tax revenue back to its 13 member cities over the next several years.
The returned funding to the cities must be used on transportation or mobility projects, according to DART CEO Nadine Lee.
“That gives the cities a small pot of money that they can use to advance some of the programs that they feel like they need to advance to improve mobility,” Lee said after the vote.
Plano Mayor John Muns, who expressed optimism to NBC-5 on Wednesday about progress in DART negotiations, said the funding solution, coupled with Dallas’ intent to surrender its majority on the DART board, is enough to stop a withdrawal election.
“This doesn’t end the conversations that we have about ridership and efficiencies and data – and all these things,” Muns told the RTC. “But, we feel like under the scenario we’ve talked about – and if the ILA (interlocal agreement with DART) can be executed by the 23rd, then we’ll pull it off the ballot.”
The RTC also approved an amendment to the original motion for DART financial support and added an additional $105 million for Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) and Trinity Metro in Tarrant County to advance regional rail mobility initiatives.
Lee said DART will work over the next ten days to finalize the agreement with member cities.
“There’s nobody who wants to improve services more than DART. We will endeavor to do that,” Lee said.
“And if we can do that in partnership with the cities and cities are working with us in good faith, we think that can be accomplished.”
Irving City Council member Dennis Webb read a statement from the city manager to the RTC, which indicated Irving would also move to call off its withdrawal election at its next city council meeting on February 26.
Farmers Branch, Addison, University Park and Highland Park also placed a withdrawal election on the May ballot.
Addison Mayor Bruce Arfsten said he will ask his city council to recall its scheduled election as well, according to our partners at The Dallas Morning News.