As Dallas-Fort Worth roads become more congested, some residents have signaled they want more transportation options at a time when members of the area’s largest transit agency want to cut funding.
A survey of more than 4,400 people by the North Central Texas Council of Governments shows residents feel “frustrated and limited” when it comes to transportation in the region. Among respondents’ biggest complaints: roadway infrastructure isn’t keeping pace with growth, transit options are inconvenient, and walking and biking are limited by current infrastructure. Planners are collecting public input as part of Mobility 2050, a forward-looking transportation plan for North Central Texas.
About 48% of respondents indicated expanding public transit options is the biggest challenge they see impacting the region in the future, while 37% said it’s reducing traffic congestion.
The results, discussed during a hybrid meeting Monday, come as deliberations continue between Dallas Area Rapid Transit and six of its 13 member cities that support pulling back their funding to the agency by 25%. City officials said in an October meeting they wanted DART to sign onto an agreement by Nov. 11 that would create a general mobility program to rebate cities up to 25% of their tax contributions for mobility projects. If that doesn’t happen, officials have said they will ask state legislators to amend the Texas Transportation Code, which provides the mechanism for the one-cent sales tax DART collects from member cities.
DART’s CEO Nadine Lee started meeting with member city managers in September, DART chief communications officer Jeamy Molina said.
“We’re continuing meeting with all the city managers and Nadine and our chair to figure out some of the possibilities of things that we can do immediately and try to figure out how to come to something now, but the presentation that was given [in October] is not something that all 13 of our cities ever agreed to,” Molina said.
Andrew Fortune, director of government relations for Plano, declined on Thursday to give an update on the city’s plans regarding DART legislation. Plano has been at the forefront of efforts to pressure DART to make changes, including reducing member city funding. The city contributed nearly $110 million in FY 2023 and got $44.8 million in service, according to a third-party study by EY (formerly Ernst & Young) — which they argue isn’t a good use of taxpayer dollars for Plano residents.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments also discussed recommendations from Transit 2.0, a study commissioned by the council to examine how to enhance transit in the area by 2050. Those include supporting dedicated funding for public transportation through a Texas Department of Transportation budget rider, providing tools to help transit agencies increase development around transit stations and supporting public-private partnerships for transit projects.
The council’s legislative priorities also include protecting “existing transportation authority dedicated funding,” a nod to the one-cent sales tax DART collects from member cities. Though that has drawn the ire of some city officials who sit on NCTCOG’s Regional Transportation Council, the agenda item will remain in place until February, when the council will revisit the item if DART and member cities haven’t come to an agreement.
Residents can provide input for Mobility 2050 through the end of the year at nctcog.org/M50.