{"id":26820,"date":"2025-10-29T22:13:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T22:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/26820\/"},"modified":"2025-10-29T22:13:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T22:13:08","slug":"plano-city-council-calls-special-session-on-citys-future-with-dart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/26820\/","title":{"rendered":"Plano City Council Calls Special Session on City\u2019s Future with DART"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"634\" data-end=\"905\">PLANO \u2013 The Plano City Council will hold a special session on Wednesday, November 5, at 5 p.m. The meeting will consider whether to call a special election regarding the city\u2019s future with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"907\" data-end=\"1046\">If the council approves the measure, Plano voters could decide next year whether to withdraw from DART or remain with the agency.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1048\" data-end=\"1226\">\u201cPlano is committed to ensuring safe, reliable mobility options,\u201d said Mayor John Muns. \u201cWe want our council and community to choose what transportation options work best.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1228\" data-end=\"1529\">For years, Plano officials have sought to hold DART accountable for the city\u2019s financial contributions. An independent study by EY Associates revealed a spending imbalance.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1228\" data-end=\"1529\">In 2023, Plano taxpayers contributed $109 million to DART, but only $44 million was spent within the city.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-99083\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ira-kang-zdul67qMhD0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"464\"   data-eio=\"p\"\/>(Ira Kang\/Unsplash)<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1531\" data-end=\"1742\">Despite repeated concerns from Plano, DART maintains that all funds are necessary for operations. Additionally, the city recently learned DART awarded more than $800,000 in executive bonuses last year.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1744\" data-end=\"1897\">Given these findings, city leaders believe residents should have a direct voice. They plan to ask voters: Should DART continue to operate in Plano?<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1899\" data-end=\"2101\">Regardless of the outcome, Plano remains committed to accessible transportation for all residents. This includes seniors, people with disabilities, and those relying on public transit.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2103\" data-end=\"2310\">The city has already set aside funding for a Microtransit solution designed to serve local needs. This service aims to provide fast, efficient, and flexible transportation throughout the community.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2312\" data-end=\"2466\">\u201cAs Plano continues to grow, our community\u2019s needs are evolving,\u201d said City Manager Mark Israelson. \u201cWe need transit solutions that evolve with us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2468\" data-end=\"2586\">Israelson added, \u201cOur goal is to deliver flexible and responsive options for everyone who lives and works in Plano.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2588\" data-end=\"2700\">The council\u2019s decision could reshape Plano\u2019s transportation future and redefine its role in regional mobility.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PLANO \u2013 The Plano City Council will hold a special session on Wednesday, November 5, at 5 p.m.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26821,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[160,162,161],"class_list":{"0":"post-26820","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-plano","8":"tag-plano","9":"tag-plano-headlines","10":"tag-plano-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26820\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}