On January 24, 2025, our Executive Committee was notified that Mary Collier, our Events Planning Committee Chair, passed away on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Mary was a fierce warrior for public transportation while also planning so many social gatherings that brought this community together, her work shines across many organizations and groups. Mary’s efforts laid the foundation for much of what DATA stands for today, inspiring countless individuals to take action.
Mary started her work in DATA with organizing our founding event caused by city council member remarks and organizing a trash cleanup in Farmers Branch, Texas. Mary exemplified how to get to work and make a difference in the community.
Mary continued her advocacy by speaking at City Council meetings (namely in Carrollton, Plano, and the City of Dallas) and DART Board meetings to advocate for continued DART funding (No Caps, No Cuts), Bus Procurement, and Bus Frequency Improvements.
In September, after planning many unofficial DATA events, Mary put in her candidacy for the Event Planning Coordinator Chair, Mary won the vote and started planning all events for DATA and other partner organizations like DFW Urbanistas and Comet's for Better Transit (CfBT is a DART advovacy group for UT Dallas Students)
Some of the many events she planned were across many organizations and in many cities.
- Canvassing and Tabling Events in Carrollton, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Irving, Plano, Richardson and Rowlett
- DATA General Meetings
- City of Dallas speaking engagements
- City of Plano speaking engagements
- DART Board and Committee of the Whole speaking engagements
- Week without Driving in 2024 with DFW Urbanistas, Better Block, and Dallas Bicycle Coalition
- Downtown Series (Explore and Canvass in various cities)
- DFW Urbanistas events in Carrollton
- Happy Hour and Social Events
- Volunteering with DART at the Dallas Holiday Parade 2024
Mary didn't just talk the talk, during Week without Driving she committed to taking public transportation during the week. Not only did Mary take public transportation during the event, she continued to take public transportation to work and everywhere else she went.
Mary was also a member of DART’s Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC), a group that serves as a two-way communication link between the DART Board, the general public and various interest groups.
Mary had planned several events in the calendar, and we realize that may raise some important questions. The Executive Committee has decided that out of respect for her and all the work she put into DATA, these events will not be canceled. It is our belief that she would have wanted us to keep the community together and continue our efforts to save DART, so that is exactly what we will be doing.
Transit Tangents Podcast
- Date: Saturday, February 1
- Time: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
- Location: J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas
- Room: Hamon Training Room, 5th Floor
- Nearest Rail Station: Akard Station (Red, Orange, Blue, & Green)
- Note: This event is not sponsored by the Dallas Public Library
Plano Social
- Date: Sunday, February 2
- Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
- Location: Dumpling House, Plano (Parker Road) location
- Nearest Rail/Bus Stop: Parker Road Station (Red Line), then take the 234 bus route westbound
Plano City Council Meetings
- Meeting Dates: 2/10/2025, 2/24/2025
- Time: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM (If DART is on the POM, then these meetings will start at 5:00 PM)
- Location: Plano Municipal Center, 1520 K Ave, Plano
- Nearest Rail Station: Downtown Plano Station (Red & Orange)
How TxDOT works, with the Texas Streets Coalition
- Date: Wednesday, February 19
- Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
- Location: Zoom Meeting
DATA February General Meeting
- Date: Saturday, February 22
- Time: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
- Location: J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young Street, Dallas
- Room: Hamon Training Room, 5th Floor
- Nearest Rail Station: Akard Station (Red, Orange, Blue, & Green)
- Note: This event is not sponsored by the Dallas Public Library
DATA Book Club
- Date: Sunday, February 23
- Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
- Location: Dolce Paradiso in Addison (5030 Addison Cir, Addison)
- Nearest Rail Station: Addision Transit Center
- Details: Reading Human Transit for the month of February
- Stick around afterwards for Mappy Hour, an informal social for local urbanists to contribute to OpenStreetMap together.
Services, Honors and Dedications
For those wishing to share condolences or honor Mary’s memory, please see the following webpage setup by her family. A celebration of life has been scheduled for February 8, 2025 in Round Rock and will be live-streamed over Zoom.
To Honor Mary, she always would want to pull people onto trains and buses. DATA will be doing an "honor ride" where we will be taking the Green Line from Downtown Carrollton Station and riding the 230/57 bus to her workplace where she worked as an instrument repair technician.
- Date: Sunday, Feburary 16
- Time: 3:00 pm
- Location: Downtown Carrollton Station
- Notes: Please join us on GroupMe or Discord for day-of information.
Tributes
Tributes for Mary's passing can be found below.
- Hexel Colorado at the Transit in Texas Communities Podcast Recording - YouTube
- Enrique MacGregor at the DART Board Committee of the Whole on February 11, 2025 - YouTube
- Various DATA Members on her family's Forever Missed page
===
This post will be continue to be updated with Mary's legacy for DATA.
Last Updated: February 17, 2025