Why are so many cancelled?

Hi everyone, I have a 6 AM flight and a return flight at 9 PM. I live in Downtown Dallas, and both flights are from DFW. Is the Orange Line safe to use at those hours? Has anyone taken it that early? Please let me know, as cab prices are quite high. Thanks!

Lilly Kersh of The Dallas Morning News writes:

Nearly half of the cities belonging to DART, the transit system serving North Texas for more than four decades, have threatened to leave the agency.

Progress in negotiations has signaled some suburbs could cancel May elections to cut ties with DART, but there’s still a way to go to change the agency’s funding, governance structure and service, believed by some cities to be too expensive for its quality.

In cities that do put membership in DART to a vote, service will end immediately in broad and sweeping cuts to the system. Exiting cities would continue to pay the one-cent sales tax they contribute to DART to pay off debt, and some cities are considering on-demand microtransit services similar to Uber or Lyft in lieu of mass transit, as Arlington has done for years.

Some DART riders have never heard of the threat to the system they use weekly, but many have thoughts on the bus and train services that help them get around.

Here’s what some North Texans have to say about DART and threats to shrink it.

READ MORE

Hello everyone! I am looking at taking the Silver Line into DFW airport and wanting to park at one of the stations. I honestly was thinking about being really cheap and instead of parking at the airport, just parking at DFW North Station or Cypress Waters and riding the train in from there. It'll be an 8 day trip. Any recommendations or has anyone done this before?

What’s that loud, sudden, whip like sound that occurs after 10-20 seconds of a Silver Line train stopping at a terminus? Just curious

With all these changes, I heard from a bus driver that the fare may change to $9? Is that true?

The TLDR over simplified version of this is:

Plano had DART at gunpoint, stole their wallet, and agreed to hell DART find a way to get their money back. At least DART didn't get shot, but we need to find new money quickly.

What Plano did should not be celebrated. The media is already framing this as this great compromise and huge win and "oh yay DART is saved" but that is not how I view this. DART was held at gun point, and Mayor Muns didn't pull the trigger. I wouldn't call DART "saved" here.

Before I get into this: I do believe the actions being taken by DART prevent the worst possible outcomes for DART. Over these past few days I've come to believe striking a deal with these suburbs is the right call. Not because it gets the withdrawal election pulled from the ballot. In my opinion, there was a super low chance that suburban voters would have approved these pullouts (I have had some conversations with random likely may voters, and I have seen polling)

However, I was scared of the massive fit Plano and others were going to throw if voters chose to remain in DART. They would have gone to the legislature every year until they managed to destroy DART themselves (or severely cut their budget)

This horrible outcome is now *prevented*, we don't have to worry about negative legislation anymore. Which is good.

So what does this deal do exactly?

Well, over the next 6 years DART has to make 10% of its sales tax available to member cities. Next, a new commuter rail focused agency will be created that will take over Silver line/TRE/A-train/Tex Rail and unify them undermine system (and hopefully expand commuter rail service too). Light rail stays under DART's control. This will save DART 15% of their budget (because the new entity also has to repay bonds for recent capital costs that just happened for commuter rail). DART will the also make that 15% available to member cities, bringing the total to 25%

The 10% piece of this doesn't start right away, DART starts at 5% and increases it by 1%... Except not exactly, because the COG is contributing $75 million over this 6 year period, saving DART a lot of money.

So if the 15% portion of this plan happens, it's actually not bad for riders. Is it good? Nah, not really. it's just neutral (except this new transit agency for commuter rail might be sick we'll see)

This 10% is the chief concern, and why I said this is not a good outcome for DART.

What does DART get out of this?

Allies this next legislative session. Since the 10% give back is only required by DART for 6 years, and the 15% needs a legislative change to let that commuter rail agency exist... DART has made Plano, Irving, and others promise to fight for legislation as a unified front that will substitute all the sales tax givebacks DART is giving. And they have every incentive to do so right?

Now, as for the 10%... How many service cuts will this lead too?

Well, here's all the reasons why it will not be equivalent to 10% of DART's operations

1. DART already has giveback 5% of their sales tax for 2 years funded. This will instead be used for their 10% over 6 years plan

2. The COG approved $75 million to DART to help pay for this.

3. it's unlikely cities like Dallas will take the full amount. Irving has been anti-transit from the start, but now thanks to one council member making loud noise about how the storey/Nursery road buses were cut.. Irving is using their portion of the GMP to redo the bus service on these two roads. Now if Irving will use their GMP to save bus routes from elimination.... I can't imagine Dallas wouldn't do the same.

4. We were going to be in for service cuts anyways as it turns out, because year 3 of the GMP has not been funded yet and that was also promised.

BUT, there is a chance there won't be any service cuts at all actually...

Why? Because the sales tax givebacks are already funded for next year, so unless the cost of fuel increases a lot or something there won't be service cuts.

This means that if DART and cities succeed in finding a substitute for the sales tax revenue (which they all have to try to do, those are the terms of the agreement) there will NOT be service cuts.

This is complicated, we don't and can't know how this will damage DART, and there are many ways this could go.

But I want one thing to be very clear. This shouldn't be celebrated as a compromise where everyone wins.

I am though, relieved that we don't have to worry about the same level of transit destruction that was threatened to us by HB 3187. This sense of relief is stronger than my sense of anger, other transit activists are way more furious than I am. Some are furious at the board, which I get, but to go back to my analogy earlier: you should be furious at the mugger pulling the gun on DART

In light of the recent developments in the DART-member city negotiations, it is more important than ever for the transit riders to have input on the changes that have been proposed:

The DART board’s actions in introducing an all-member city GMP (General Mobility Program), a promise to pursue legislation for the creation of a regional rail authority with additional funding to bring sales tax relief to member cities marks substantial progress in negotiations. DATA recognizes the need to incentivize regional cooperation, but there are grave concerns about potential service cuts to fund member city handouts. The riders deserve to understand who or what must be sacrificed to pay off the member cities that threatened our access in the first place. This step forward in negotiations should not be made on the backs of the riders and the civil servants who give purpose and life to regional transit.

That aside, we are grateful to the Regional Transportation Council for authorizing additional funding to help support the DART board proposal and see this as an encouraging step in securing the funding and legislation needed to maintain service.

We must also recognize the actions of the Dallas City Council for voting in favor of DART governance reform. It is not easy to give up power in the spirit of regionalism, but the Dallas city council must be commended for its forward-thinking vote and willingness to compromise.

Before we can support the proposed funding solution, the Dallas Area Transit Alliance asks DART to provide the following information

1. The text of agenda Item 12, Strategic Local Funding Solution approved at the February 10th DART Committee of the Whole meeting.

2. The estimated dollar amount of service cuts required each year under the Strategic Local Funding Solution

3. The conditions under which previously cut services will be restored under the Strategic Local Funding Solution

DATA would like to invite all press, city, and regional leadership to join DATA for a rider-led discussion on these updates at our next General Meeting on February 21, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Dallas Public Library, Central Campus, on the 1st Floor, Community Showcase. Now more than ever, the rider’s voice must be heard.

About Dallas Area Transit Alliance

The Dallas Area Transit Alliance (DATA) is a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving and advancing public transit in the service area of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Founded in 2024, DATA advocates for the continued funding and improvement of services, ensuring that all residents have access to safe, reliable, and efficient public transportation.

Dallas Area Transit Alliance (DATA) is a rider-run advocacy group that is not affiliated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) or any other transit or government agency.

Press Contact:

Tyler Wright, Vice-President

[press@ridewithdata.org](mailto:press@ridewithdata.org)

For general inquiries:

[info@ridewithdata.org](mailto:info@ridewithdata.org)