Contact your DART board members!
https://dart.org/about/about-dart/board-members
Tell the DART Board about your opposition to changing of governance to the DART Board
- Wednesday, January 8th & 10th 2025, arrive by 12:45pm
- Meeting is at DART Headquarters at Akard Station, 1401 Pacific Avenue, Dallas
- Fill out a "Request to Address The Board" comment card - this can only be done in person. DART board meeting details and public comment guidance
The upcoming DART Board working sessions are expected to discuss key decision points regarding the governance and finances of DART. These meetings were called in response to member city concerns and in particular, Plano’s “ransom letter” demanding special treatment via a “general mobility fund” that would take 25% of DART’s sales tax funding away from the agency, as well as other potentially harmful concessions related to GoLink.
DATA believes that many of the Member cities have valid concerns and that efforts to improve communications with the member city leadership will help stabilize support for DART and the riders who depend on it. However, the ultimatums delivered by the City of Plano, which are being considered by the board, would drastically reduce DART’s ability to fund operations in other member cities. Furthermore, Plano’s demand that DART delay the already approved bus procurement program would mean additional delays for the rider and increased maintenance costs for DART as they would have to work with an increasingly aged bus fleet.
We do not support the demands in Plano’s letter, nor the precedents in DART’s operations and governance they imply. We believe that if the DART Board were to capitulate to their ultimatums, it would hurt DART riders everywhere. We also believe that membership of DART’s board of directors should remain proportional to the population of the member cities to ensure people in the DART service area are fairly represented regardless of economic status.
Here’s how you can help support DATA’s efforts to keep transit in DFW effective:
- Email and/or call your DART board representative and board chair Gary Slagel, indicating that you do not support Plano’s demands nor any non-population-based board governance model. Contact information for the DART Board can be found below this message.
- Attend one or both of the upcoming board workshops on January 8th and 10th and submit a public comment related to the above
- January 8th meeting agenda and location details
- January 10th meeting agenda and location details
- Presentation of Slides
- Livestream link
- Follow @ridewithdata on Instagram/Twitter/Bluesky for updates
- Join the DATA discord to interact with the members directly
DART board contact list:
GASlagel@dart.org, RSchlosser@dart.org, MNBarbera@dart.org, FMHernandez@dart.org, MCEnoch@dart.org, PNWageman@dart.org, RHStopfer@dart.org, MWKrause@dart.org, PJKennedy@dart.org, DHrbacek@dart.org, CGarcia3@dart.org, MAbraham@dart.org, EMacGregor@dart.org, DDAlexander@dart.org, RBBryant@dart.org
To get the latest updates and news, follow DATA's social media listed at https://dallasareatransitalliance.org/contact.