There is significant room for improvement on public transit in Dallas. Yet, rather than do their part to fix and enhance the system, city leaders propose a 25% cut to DART's funding.

Hate waiting for your train? Imagine the wait doubling.

Frustrated by late buses? Imagine more delays.

Wish for cleaner rides? Imagine them dirtier.

Concerned about safety? Imagine fewer officers.

This petition calls upon the DART Board of Directors to reject any proposals to reduce the sales tax contributions from the thirteen member cities. Should the board vote on this matter, we implore every member to stand against the cuts.

BACKGROUND

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) serves Dallas and twelve other member cities. Each city contributes 1% of its sales tax to DART.

State law mandates that all 13 member cities must contribute the same sales tax percentage to DART. No city is allowed to pay a lower rate than another.

The DART Board of Directors sets the tax rate for all member cities. Each city's council appoints a representative to the board.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

In the past few weeks, the city councils of Plano, Rowlett, and Irving have passed resolutions calling to reduce their contribution to DART from a 1% sales tax to 0.75%.

Carrollton and Farmers Branch are also considering similar resolutions. The city manager of Plano has sent a memo to the Highland Park city council, urging them to do the same. In Dallas, a few city council members have expressed interest in cutting DART funding by 25%.

Technically, resolutions passed by city councils do not directly change anything; they are simply public declarations of the councils' wishes. However...

WHAT COULD HAPPEN?

The DART board members are obligated to serve the interests of the cities they represent. If enough board members are convinced, they could call for a vote on reducing the tax rate.

If the board approves a reduction, it would be added to the ballot for the public to vote on election day. If this happens, special interest groups would likely campaign heavily to claim a portion of the ~$217M cut from DART.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

DART relies on sales tax for 75% of its revenue to serve over 220,000 passengers daily. A 25% funding cut would disproportionately affect low-income residents, students, seniors, and individuals with disabilities who depend on DART.

Most of DART's budget goes to wages and benefits for its 3,812 employees, including 1,437 bus and rail operators, 400 police officers, and 893 operation & maintenance workers. If funding is cut by 25%, we may see:

• Fewer security officers, as DART can't compete with other police departments and private employers.
• Fewer bus and rail operators, lost to other cities and companies like FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and charter services.
• Fewer technicians and engineers, drawn away by the likes of BNSF and Union Pacific.
• Smaller cleaning teams, leaving stations, buses, and trains dirtier.

With fewer staff working longer hours for less pay, service quality will suffer.

• Train wait times double during peak hours with fewer trains and operators.
• Bus delays grow as breakdowns rise, and technicians are scarce.
• Bus cancellations increase as operators spread thin across a vast 700-square-mile area.
• Paratransit wait times climb with drivers stretched across 13 cities.
• GoLink service falters, fewer drivers and customer service reps cover 34 zones.
• Fewer cleaners mean buses, trains, and stations get filthier.
• Safety diminishes with fewer officers on duty.

WHAT WE CAN DO

This petition is for everyone in the DFW metroplex, especially those in a DART member city: Dallas, Plano, Irving, Garland, Richardson, Carrollton, Rowlett, Farmers Branch, University Park, Highland Park, Addison, Glenn Heights, and Cockrell Hill.

1. SIGN this petition to reject cuts to DART funding.
2. COMMENT to share why public transit matters to you.
3. SHARE this petition with everyone in the greater Dallas area.
4. RECORD a short 1-minute video and upload it here.
5. EMAIL this to your representatives on the DART board and your city council.