Contact your DART board members!
https://dart.org/about/about-dart/board-members
Tell the DART Board about your opposition to funding caps and cuts
- Tuesday, August 13th and 27th, 2024, arrive at 5:30pm
- 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
- Reference the FY2025 budget proposal, specifically slides 14-24 which discuss the cuts to services needed to meet the 3% or 0% operating growth cap scenarios
- These scenarios drastically reduce service, cut employee benefits, and eliminate entire routes if they were to occur.
What are the revenue cap scenarios?
3% Cap Scenario
- Reductions in expansion of Armed Security guard contract, which will eliminate expanded security coverage at employee facilities, Silver Line, or clean teams
- This may concern Blake Margolis, mayor of Rowlett. He presided over a resolution to cut DART’s funding in part due to safety and fare enforcement concerns.
- Scheduled improvements to weekend Light-Rail frequency will be halted
- At least, Farmers Branch City Councilor Richard Jackson will be relieved about less trash coming into Farmers Branch on DART trains
- Reversal of new and improved bus routes and service included in FY2024 budget
- Non-performing routes at risk of reduction or elimination: 45 Marsalis (reduction), 234 Parker, 245 Shiloh, Lakewood GoLink zone
- High passenger subsidy routes to be elimintated: 305 Addison Express, 308 NW Plano Express, 378 Red Bird Express, 383 Lake Ray Hubbard Express
- Many of these routes are in Plano, which might trouble the city manager, Mark Israelson, who wants to cut funding in part due to empty buses on one-hour intervals.
- Other routes to be eliminated: 402 NorthPark Shuttle, South Dallas GoLink, Inland Port GoLink
0% Cap Scenario
- The 0% cap, which effectively means no increase in operating funds, would entail service cuts across all modes and increased route eliminations. Additionally, it would heavily reduce contracted work, like clean-teams and security officers, and reduce preventative maintenance.
- DART staff calls this scenario a “High risk to ridership and passenger revenue”.
- All proposed caps or cuts would result in DART being less reliable and less able to address some of the concerns that have sparked calls for budget cuts. It doesn't make sense to expect increased security, frequency, and service while also restricting DART’s ability to pay for these services.
Use this email template to contact your DART board member(s):
Hello DART Board of Directors,
My name is [NAME] and I am a resident of [CITY] and rider of DART. The Dallas Area Transit Alliance (DATA) has informed me of some concerning scenarios in the proposed FY2025 budget. The 3% cap scenario would drastically reduce DART service and prevent the expansion needed to address the member city’s concerns with cleanliness and safety. [Add personal stake related to cuts above if you might be affected by them]. The 0% cap scenario would be disastrous for the agency and for my ability to use the DART system to get to my job and visit my friends and family. I am writing in firm opposition to any cuts or caps of DART’s budget in FY2025.
This is a time of unprecedented growth for the DFW region, and it is not reasonable to expect that automobiles alone would be able to meet the mobility needs of the growing region. I ask you and the rest of the DART board to support continued growth of DART during this time, not curtail its ability to serve a growing region.
I support increases in the budget to enable increased light rail and bus frequency across the service area, such as the increased weekend light rail frequency slated for September 2024. Eliminating caps on operating budget growth would also empower DART to hire additional security personnel and cleaning teams to address the concerns cited by member city officials related to safety and cleanliness.
I urge you to continue advocating for DART by rejecting any proposed caps or cuts to the FY2025 budget.
Thank You,
[Your Name]
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.