Dallas Area Rapid Transit leaders pushed through with a new budget months after reaching agreements with cities over local funding.<\/p>\n
During a Tuesday meeting, DART\u2019s board of directors voted to approve the $1.4 billion budget that includes returning some local funding to its 12 member cities. It\u2019s part of an agreement the agency made with city leaders earlier this year called the General Mobility Program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe GMP is fully funded,\u201d said board chair Randall Bryant during a meeting earlier this month. \u201cThere are no new service reductions in this fiscal year.\u201d<\/p>\n
About 85% of the budget is going to capital and operating expenses which pay for the agency\u2019s everyday services. About 12% goes to paying off debt. New services such as the Legacy Circulator shuttle in Plano were added earlier this year and included in the budget.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the Board\u2019s approval of that budget, DART is looking forward to leveraging our resources to provide operational excellence for our riders, make significant strides in achieving our Transform priorities, and continuing to partner with our member cities to provide the transit solutions North Texans need,\u201d said DART spokesperson Jasmyn Carter in an emailed statement.<\/p>\n
Carter added that a $70 million grant from the federal Department of Transportation to upgrade the agency\u2019s aging light rail vehicles isn\u2019t included in this year\u2019s budget. Replacing the vehicles is still in this year\u2019s Capital Improvement Plan, but funding will be reflected in the FY28 budget.<\/p>\n
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority faces a $32 million budget deficit as its former CEO Nathaniel Ford leaves for Dallas Area Rapid Transit.<\/p>\n
Opposition and legislative priorities<\/p>\n
Two directors voted against approving the budget. They echoed previous statements that while DART\u2019s budget has more than doubled in the past decade, service isn\u2019t \u201cequitably\u201d distributed among member cities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe revenue continues to grow and, quite frankly, I don’t feel like the transit services in this particular budget are reflective of that increase in revenue,\u201d said Doug Hrbacek, who represents Carrollton and Irving on the board and voted against the budget.<\/p>\n
Plano representative Anthony Ricciardelli said he wouldn’t support the budget, calling it “unsustainable.”<\/p>\n
“It’s just about the inequitable allocation of resources that this budget inherited,” Ricciardelli said. “I know it was intended to be a status quo budget, and so it inherited the inequitable status quo.”<\/p>\n
One DART rider spoke to the board during public comment about the lack of transparency in the budget.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen looking at the public information online, I wasn’t able to find any breakdowns of what the money is being spent on,\u201d said Hillary Brown, a disabled rider who relies on DART. \u201cIf it is available, it isn’t very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown added that she hopes funds are allocated to bus route improvements.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdding benches, trashcans, coverings and proper maintenance to all stops is the only way we can keep people waiting for the buses in this weather,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n
The approval comes as the agency faces low ridership numbers and controversy over the recently hired CEO Nathaniel Ford<\/a>. DART leaders are also prioritizing a change in governance that would expand the number of board members to more than 20 as part of its legislative agenda for next year.<\/p>\n Some DART advocates protested the agenda, saying that the agency should focus on securing funding to cover losses from the GMP instead of adding more board members.<\/p>\n \u201cVigilance won’t protect you if you’re looking in the wrong places, and nothing will help this agency if it prioritizes rearranging slices of pie instead of growing the pie your riders need,\u201d said Alexander Dunn, a member of the Dallas Area Transit Alliance.<\/p>\n Pablo Arauz Pe\u00f1a is KERA\u2019s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n