The Plano City Council voted unanimously Monday to cancel its May election to withdraw from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system.
The municipality becomes the first of at least four cities to endorse a plan that could save the agency from losing members by refunding cities some sales tax revenue, among other compromises.
The few dozen people attending the evening meeting erupted in applause after discussion and public comment on the topic, which lasted for over an hour.
Last November, Plano became the first DART city to announce it would consider holding a withdrawal election, an opportunity that comes only once every six years under state law.
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Council member Maria Tu said she had not seen such progress toward solutions in several years before the council voted to approve DART’s new funding plan, which gives Plano more than $60 million of its sales tax back over six years. Council member Bob Kehr said the plan gives him hope.
“Let’s be honest, this is a compromise. This isn’t at all what we asked for,” Kehr said. “But I believe this is a step forward, and I think that we’re going to continue to get there by working together.”
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The cities of Irving, Farmers Branch and Addison will also consider this week whether to rescind their plans to hold exit elections. University Park has announced they’ll go forward with their election in May, and Highland Park leaders have not commented on the town’s plans.
In total, six of DART’s 13 member cities scheduled elections to leave DART, citing concerns with lackluster service compared to a high cost and outsized representation for Dallas on the agency’s 15-member board of directors.
In cities whose voters decide to cut ties with the agency, DART service would stop almost immediately, but cities would continue paying the one-cent local sales tax that funds DART for years to pay off debt associated with their contributions.
Plano’s vote marks the first move in reversing DART’s feared death sentence as the suburb bets on the success of tense negotiations over reforms to DART’s governance, service and funding. The success of the Hail Mary effort comes at the eleventh hour, as counties reach deadlines this week to finalize ballots for the May elections.
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DART Board Chair Randall Bryant thanked the Plano City Council for committing to the negotiation process.
“It’s not perfect. But it is progress,” he said. “The hard work, in my opinion, is over, but the real work still lies ahead of us.”
Funding compromises
DART has presented a multi-faceted plan that includes pursuing several reforms through the state Legislature and asks for help from other agencies, including a new revenue stream for DART and an independent management authority for regional rail.
The Regional Transportation Council agreed to help DART by giving 10% of sales tax contributions back to member cities over six years — $75 million from the RTC and $360 million from DART — for cities to use on their own mobility needs. It’s not yet known which transportation projects individual cities will choose to use their funds for, specifically.
The Plano City Council also voted Monday to approve the agreement to accept funds back from DART for transportation related projects. Plano stands to gain more than $61 million from DART and the RTC through 2031 under the proposed terms.
Pages of stickers in support of DART are seen during a Plano City Council meeting, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in Plano.
Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer
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Plano currently spends millions of dollars annually on DART; staff report the city spends more on DART than police and economic development combined. A 2024 report by the firm EY showed Plano contributed more than $109 million in fiscal year 2023, though DART spent about $44 million on services in the city.
Some have criticized the report’s methodology and scope; it did not consider the impact of the recently opened Silver Line, a 26-mile railway that connects seven cities with DFW International Airport.
While the funding proposals proved convincing enough for Plano to cancel its election to leave DART, residents and transit advocates are concerned it gives up too much for DART and its riders.
DART leaders have said the funding loss will deliver a significant financial blow to the agency that already faces budget concerns, potentially rendering the system more ineffective.
Plano resident Alex Flores told the council that under the funding agreement, leaders have opportunities to include residents in the conversation.
“There’s one member of this compromise that is still missing, and that’s us, the riders,” Flores told the council. “You are now going to be partially responsible for the services that your city receives, more so than you have been in the past …. I want you to understand the responsibility that you’re taking on.”
Governance reforms
Funding is just one piece of the puzzle in negotiations to save DART — cities have also cited concerns with service and governance.
Negotiations on those fronts have also made strides. The Dallas City Council agreed to give up majority representation on DART’s board and the agency is considering a new governance structure with more of a voice for smaller cities — a model that would replace a structure that now gives only Dallas, Irving, Garland and Plano at least one board member all to themselves.
The Plano council also voted Monday to support the governance reforms, which would give the city another board seat.
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Microtransit alternative
Plano leaders also voted Monday to approve a nearly $4 million, six-month initial contract with transportation software company Via, the same company Arlington works with to provide on-demand, rideshare-style service. The council approved three one-year automatic renewals of the contract for an annual estimated cost of $8 million.
The city set aside the money to “fill in” for gaps in DART’s service in Plano, leaders said. But several spoke out to the council against Via.
Corey Reinaker asked the council to seek more community involvement in the decision and table the vote for the time being.
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“Moving forward now risks confusion for riders, duplicative services and inconsistent expectations across the region,” he told the council. “And also risks unintentionally influencing local elections in neighboring cities.”
The council still voted to approve purchasing Via’s services and name the service “Plano Rides.”
Some members of Plano’s Collin County Connects Committee, a citizen group the city created to evaluate transportation options and providers, expressed frustration with the scope of the committee and wished the council would reject alternative transit altogether in favor of remaining in DART.
Options included Via and RideCo, an on-demand microtransit and paratransit software used in Houston, San Antonio and Round Rock.
Arlington, known as one of the largest cities in the U.S. without a mass transit system, has contracted with Via since 2017.
Attendees clap after Plano City Council members approved an interlocal agreement between the city and DART during a council meeting, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in Plano.
Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer
Next steps
While many people spoke in favor of the reforms the city is supporting, not everyone agreed the council should take the opportunity for residents to vote on DART membership off the table.
Connor Chaddick owns property downtown and said DART “has yet to deliver” on its promises to taxpayers.
Plano leaders expressed cautious optimism about the path forward.
“I support this plan,” council member Steve Lavine said. “I do so with the expectation that it is not the end of the conversation, and that continued progress towards true regional connectivity remains a priority.”
Farmers Branch and Addison councils vote Tuesday to consider cancelling their elections. Irving considers the move Thursday.
Email tips on all things Collin County to lilly.kersh@dallasnews.com.