Passenger Trains > Texas Legislature trying to kill DART

DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) may soon meet an untimely demise if the Texas Legislature gets their way. They want to strip away all DART's funding which they get from sales tax revenue.

https://www.dart.org/about/news-and-events/newsreleases/newsrelease-detail/house-bill-3187-kills-dart

DutchDragon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) may soon meet an
> untimely demise if the Texas Legislature gets
> their way. They want to strip away all DART's
> funding which they get from sales tax revenue.
>
> https://www.dart.org/about/news-and-events/newsrel
> eases/newsrelease-detail/house-bill-3187-kills-dar
> t

I lived in Texas in the 90s. This is just getting weird. Dart is one of the Metroplex’s success stories.

The area is already being paved over and has some of the worst air in the country. This will just make it worse.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/25 06:02 by Jonny_Chi.

Just another example of a nationwide GOP centralized push to kill rail rapid transit, even where it has long existed and is serving a clear need.

Art House

 

They've been doing that for decades.(GOP)

Jonny_Chi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> I lived in Texas in the 90s. This is just getting
> weird. Dart is one of the Metroplex’s success
> stories.
>


That's the problem. They can't let something they ideologically hate be successful. It spoils the narrative.

TAW

The other transit agencies that buy the equipment will be thankful though. Good equipment at bargin prices!

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jonny_Chi Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > I lived in Texas in the 90s. This is just
> getting
> > weird. Dart is one of the Metroplex’s success
> > stories.
> >
>
>
> That's the problem. They can't let something they
> ideologically hate be successful. It spoils the
> narrative.
>
> TAW

where's the LIKE button?

How the bleep does the GOP keep getting voted in??

Posted from iPhone

I like using if for layovers at Dallas. I think if security is upgraded the public might feel better about it. 

The voters of Texas get what they voted for--people who claim to hate government spending (but love it for ag, highways and their own Congressional gold-plated health care and retirement plans).

you should see how the red farmers in texas are saying we don't have any workers. do they think down there?    minorities for trump is another joke

I try to stay out of politics here, but the thread title is false and based on that nearly every response is ignorant.  One of the four bill sponsors is a Democrat.

The bill would take 1/4 of the 1 percent sales tax dedicated to DART and redirect it to other transit uses.  The reason is that the city of Dallas has effectively controlled the DART for decades and the suburban cities participating in the DART tax have for almost as long felt that they weren't getting their fair share of their contributions. 

https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB3187/2025

https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-05-06/dart-funding-cut-bill-advances-texas-legislature

The bill would reduce DART’s one-cent sales tax collection from each of its member cities by 25% and redirect that portion into a new general mobility program for cities to use to fund other transit-related projects. - KERA, which is the Dallas NPR outlet

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/25 12:24 by baretables.

santafe199 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How the bleep does the GOP keep getting voted in??
>
>
> Posted from iPhone

Because the average American reads at a 6th grade level.

don't even read anymore many trumpers get their news from truth social, podcasts and other media i have no clue about

it is like they search for news that they want to hear?


I could see the suburbs wanting some claw back,  where/are there plans to expand?

meanwhile sen mark munn trying to convince texas to hold on to the heartland flier....https://hoodline.com/2025/05/oklahoma-senator-mark-mann-champions-the-future-of-the-heartland-flyer-urges-texas-legislature-to-maintain-funding/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKIvS5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETEwb1VIS2d3WUpaRkMzU1NoAR4Opv34oRr7uUe17vbWrZ9orQ7mEVFZDpnNAtJ10-cGAJQRifsNmorDjPHoVw_aem_Fyyu_8VPkQdRYBl7xMUCIA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/25 15:27 by dan.

At least Somebody here knows what this is about. 

baretables Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I try to stay out of politics here, but the thread
> title is false and based on that nearly every
> response is ignorant.  One of the four bill
> sponsors is a Democrat.
>
> The bill would take 1/4 of the 1 percent sales tax
> dedicated to DART and redirect it to other transit
> uses.  The reason is that the city of Dallas has
> effectively controlled the DART for decades and
> the suburban cities participating in the DART tax
> have for almost as long felt that they weren't
> getting their fair share of their
> contributions. 
>
> https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB3187/2025
>
> https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-05-06/dart-fund
> ing-cut-bill-advances-texas-legislature
>
> The bill would reduce DART’s one-cent sales tax
> collection from each of its member cities by 25%
> and redirect that portion into a new general
> mobility program for cities to use to fund other
> transit-related projects. - KERA, which is the
> Dallas NPR outlet
>.
This is NOT an effort to kill DART,  just to reduce funding by 1/4 %  of sales tax, because some cities think they're getting shafted on DART service.
KERA, an NPR affiliate  (not exactly a conservative outlet).  🙄

santafe199 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How the bleep does the GOP keep getting voted in??
>
>
> Posted from iPhone

A couple of things:
1. Thanks to baretables posting below to shed some light on this since apparently no one else here read up on it.
2. GOP is gone from what you recognize as GOP. The 'Republican' Donald Trump has completely rebranded the Republican party into a party of American values and common sense - something that huge swaths of America appreciates. I just hope it will continue past 2028 when he leaves office. I never identified with a political party, but with what I have seen the last 15 years, I will NEVER EVER vote for another Democrat the rest of my life. They have actively sabotaged our country from every angle and even if there are a small number that occasionally make sense, their voting records continue to support the destruction of the country I grew up to love

Posted from Android

41 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At least Somebody here knows what this is
> about. 
>
> baretables Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I try to stay out of politics here, but the
> thread
> > title is false and based on that nearly every
> > response is ignorant.  One of the four bill
> > sponsors is a Democrat.
> >
> > The bill would take 1/4 of the 1 percent sales
> tax
> > dedicated to DART and redirect it to other
> transit
> > uses.  The reason is that the city of Dallas
> has
> > effectively controlled the DART for decades and
> > the suburban cities participating in the DART
> tax
> > have for almost as long felt that they weren't
> > getting their fair share of their
> > contributions. 
> >
> > https://legiscan.com/TX/bill/HB3187/2025
> >
> >
> https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-05-06/dart-fund
>
> > ing-cut-bill-advances-texas-legislature
> >
> > The bill would reduce DART’s one-cent sales
> tax
> > collection from each of its member cities by
> 25%
> > and redirect that portion into a new general
> > mobility program for cities to use to fund
> other
> > transit-related projects. - KERA, which is the
> > Dallas NPR outlet
> >.
> This is NOT an effort to kill DART,  just to
> reduce funding by 1/4 %  of sales tax, because
> some cities think they're getting shafted on DART
> service.
> KERA, an NPR affiliate  (not exactly a
> conservative outlet).  🙄

How tight is DART's budget? Would losing the 1/4% of the sales tax revenue put it into the red?

If only people would, you know, spend time investigating, instead of just believing sensationalism and innuendo and then further propagating it...

41 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> This is NOT an effort to kill DART,  just to
> reduce funding by 1/4 %  of sales tax, because
> some cities think they're getting shafted on DART
> service.

Per the DART spokesperson quoted in the article, the funding reduction would result in a 30% service cut.  That funding cut may not "kill" DART, but that magnitude of service reduction could have major negative effects with many fewer people finding the service usable.

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 41 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > This is NOT an effort to kill DART,  just to
> > reduce funding by 1/4 %  of sales tax, because
> > some cities think they're getting shafted on
> DART
> > service.
>
> Per the DART spokesperson quoted in the article,
> the funding reduction would result in a 30%
> service cut.  That funding cut may not "kill"
> DART, but that magnitude of service reduction
> could have major negative effects with many fewer
> people finding the service usable.

And that would be a problem.  DART did not help its case with a recent string of well-publicized (sp) violent incidents (been quiet on that front lately, thank goodness).  One observation, a trip on the Orange Line I took last fall, the train was fairly empty (and so were the parking lots).   DART, like most other transit agencies, has not recovered very well from that pandemic.  The new Silver Line has just begun testing, with opening day projected for late this year or early next year.