DART would end services immediately in cities that vote to leave
DART to leave cities that vote to end their services immediately
FOX 4's Vania Castillo reports on DART saying they will leave cities that vote to end their services immediately rather than gradually.
DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 24: A general view of a train at the Cypress Waters Station during the DART Silver Line Opening Ceremony on October 24, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
What we know:
DALLAS - Right now, voters in five north Texas cities will have until May 2nd to decide whether to leave DART all together.
Not just trimming services, but leaving immediately. DART officials made that very clear today.
The cities at play include University Park, Highland Park, Irving, Farmers Branch and Plano. And it’ll be an almost immediate transition.
DART officials say that once the vote is cast and the decision is made, services will shut down, buses will stop, and all of it will go away.
Local perspective:
This won’t just impact people living in these cities.
DART says it’ll also impact people traveling through them or at least trying to because trips are connected.
"Generally, the services would continue, but they'd either be shortened or stops would be discontinued," Rob Smith, VP of Service Planning & Scheduling for DART said. "Initially, we'd continue. Then the longer term, look at the financial situation. The staff down the road will have to make some decisions later, over a period of time, about what other adjustments, if any, are needed."
And then come the financial impacts and the impact of withdrawal on sales and tax revenues on DART funding.
DART says right now they’re still trying to figure out what happens when one city leaves versus several and what that does to funding and service everywhere else.
Right now they’re preparing for every possible outcome.
5 cities to hold May elections on the future of DART
University Park voters will decide on May 2 whether to withdraw from DART, following city leaders' concerns that financial costs outweigh the transit benefits.
Why you should care:
The news comes ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June, which DART is expected to be a big transportation provider for.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 4 reporting.