Plano will let voters decide if it will withdraw from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system, after the City Council Wednesday set an election next May to settle the question – joining Highland Park and Farmers Branch in throwing the matter to the ballot box.
Irving will decide Thursday if it will join the three cities in seeking an exodus from the state’s largest transit agency, a movement that has been fueled by dissatisfaction over what some leaders have deemed inadequate service from DART in suburban cities relative to sales tax contributions.
More than 90 people lined up to address the Plano council ahead of their vote Wednesday, offering a competing view over the future of Plano’s role in the region’s public transportation system.
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But in the end, the Plano council’s eight members voted in favor of holding a withdrawal election next year.
University students, commuters, working professionals, neighbors, community leaders, people with disabilities and neighbors lined up to speak to the council about how losing DART service would make it hard to travel. Some said they chose to live near DART services and use it frequently to get to work or school.
“If you guys pull out of DART, I’m not sure I’m going to get to work,” Tyler Wright told the council Wednesday. He lives in Addison and works in Plano. “Please stop this vote and come to the table. Talk to the ridership and with DART.”
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Although the vast majority spoke in favor of remaining with the agency, a few addressed the council in favor of a withdrawal from DART, some citing concerns over crime on and near its services.
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. Plano staff report the city spends more on DART than police and economic development combined.
Nadine Lee, CEO of DART, told the council Wednesday that her agency has tried to work with Plano and will continue seeking to improve service.
“The progress we’ve made comes from standing together and confronting our challenges as one region,” Lee said. “I invite you to work with us, with transparency, collaboration and good faith to resolve these issues in place of withdrawal.”
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