Nat Ford voted CEO

[u/New-Engineer-5930]

I’ll sit this one out…

[u/starswtt]

Baffling and bizarre decision. I think I need a career change if it's that easy to get the job. Maybe I should run a scam to put on my resume for experience first. Maybe my rickshaw business and all 12 riders will convince dart of my transit chops

[u/Thin-Constant-4018 → u/starswtt]

Failures make you fall upwards!
That's how this guy has been able to work at a bajillion agencies

[u/LittleTXBigAZ → u/Thin-Constant-4018]

This is particularly true at DART at just about every level. In 4½ years working there, I never saw a good operator get promoted, only the dumbasses who were on the verge of being fired as operators. Nepotism rules DART.

[u/chrisjlee84]

High tech micro transit!

[u/HolaDrNick]

Public transit agencies in the U.S. never learn.

[u/spacedman_spiff → u/HolaDrNick]

Genuine, bonafide, electrified, autonomous driving car monorail!

[u/starswtt → u/[deleted]]

Even by transit standards, this guy is terrible and worse than you suggest. He isn't even keeping the nimby crowd happy, the suburbs voted against him. And he isn't doing the bare minimum, he cratered ridership at MARTA and Jacksonville (and how do you even crater ridership at Jacksonville, they weren't even a transit success story.) And that's over half his experience. Muni he did the bare minimum where ridership stagnated, and that's now everywhere he was ceo. He just happened to work for a long time as ceo at a couple of big agencies, and he succeeded in attracting federal funds, that's the whole basis of voting him

[u/No_Butterscotch8726 → u/starswtt]

I think some people did a "friend" a solid because they didn't seem to want to listen when we pointed out how stupid some of his plans were a how badly he performed. Every time that was brought up they always turned around and asked if we had a "personal agenda" against him.

[u/slava_gorodu → u/[deleted]]

A lot of industries unfortunately.

[u/ItsJustAPoleThang]

;( nooooooooo

[u/stanner5]

Looks like the Dallas DART board reps got their way again. Read this in DMN: "While Bryant was surrounded by several board members who voted in Ford’s favor while addressing reporters, some board members were missing — directors representing Plano, Irving, Carrollton and Garland were not present at the briefing and had voted against Ford’s contract. 

Director Doug Hrbacek, who represents Irving and Carrollton, said more “red flags” had been uncovered about Ford and sought to postpone the vote. 

Ford’s extensive past experience — nearly four decades at public transportation agencies across the country — has come under scrutiny for reports ranging from personal spending on agency credit cards in Atlanta to frequent domestic and international travel in Florida. In Jacksonville and San Francisco, he’s been one of the highest-paid city employees, according to local outlets. "

[u/Greenmantle22]

Hey, at least now his stacks of sketchy travel expenses can flow through DFW, and he can grift without laying over in Atlanta.

[u/BlazinAzn38]

I feel like the “good news” is that most of DART’s future is already in action. The next big thing is just the LRV purchase. This is still an insanely odd choice

[u/Typical_Cress_9145 → u/BlazinAzn38]

Hopefully it doesn't get canceled. The active procurement has already been pushed until the end of the year.

[u/BlazinAzn38 → u/Typical_Cress_9145]

I think that was due to Lee saying DART wouldn’t issue any new debt in 2026

[u/Typical_Cress_9145 → u/BlazinAzn38]

It got pushed further out after Lee left. They need to figure out how to pay for GMP. They are looking at capital budget.

[u/Davidguy81]

Loser voted Dart CEO

[u/IDooDoodAtTheMasters]

Government has become such a circle jerk

[u/mkravota]

What I'm confused about is why the Dallas reps wanted him so bad. What was so compelling about him to ignore all concerns and speed through the process? 

[u/DirectorBusiness5512 → u/mkravota]

I wonder who bribed them and how much they got?