One council member has been on a mission to defund DART her entirety on council. They cite unresolved concerns, in September 2025, DART agreed to invest an additional 5% in Plano rail and buses. In 2023, DART provided City of Plano with an agreement to return $23 Million back to Plano, which went unsigned. We hope to identify their true motives.

Citation: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/2025/09/15/dart-investment-plano/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nMSYvC8xDxiBhTyAv5zyXzGs7iLWfij2/view?usp=drivesdk

If citizens vote to leave DART, all DART services, including paratransit and senior transportation, will stop the next day. Although the city states continued service is their top priority, city has not released a detailed, public plan for how these essential services will be replaced, nor has it demonstrated that any replacement will meet federal standards or current service levels.

Citation: https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/c45b4b27-f69b-44aa-b0eb-d3735b744d6f?cache=1800

City Council says no, however the facts are DART buses and trains will no longer serve Plano, if the vote passes and there is no guarantee that any new system will provide the same level of regional access. Residents who rely on DART to reach Dallas, DFW Airport, or universities will lose those connections once the vote is certified.

If Plano leaves, residents will lose direct access to the Silver Line via DART, and their promised connections would require new agreements and funding, which are not guaranteed or in place.

Plano is only able to leave their contract once every 6 years. And although the city will continue to pay DART, citizens can choose to end the contract in May 2026. Plano will continue to pay for DART until our debt obligation has been met. If Plano leaves, there will be no DART service for residents or visitors, and no alternative system is ready to fill that gap.

Citation: https://www.plano.gov/2315/Plano-Transit

DART Police are trained for transit-specific safety. If Plano leaves, there will be no DART Police presence, and the city will need to create or contract new security arrangements for the new solution which could be less specialized and more expensive.

Yes, and the financial obligations could be significant. The city has not disclosed the full cost or impact on taxpayers, nor how these payments would affect funding for new transit options. Meanwhile, DART service would end as soon as the vote was certified.

Citation: https://www.plano.gov/2315/Plano-Transit

According to the 2023 Business Survey, 84% of Plano businesses rated “availability of public transportation” as “extremely important,” “very important,” or “important” in their decision to locate in Plano. Leaving DART could make Plano less attractive for investment, especially for companies seeking regional mobility for their workforce. The loss of service would be immediate and visible.

Citation: https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/06c007e0-9032-4ea4-95ff-cdba52d28c89?cache=1800

https://www.urban.org/research/publication/public-transit-and-economic-development

We’re working on our next steps, but the City has said it’s developing a plan, let’s make sure they follow through. We are researching to determine if we may be able to request that the ballot measure be reconsidered.

Join us in holding our council accountable by emailing your representatives, attending meetings, and sharing the message to Keep DART in Plano.

We’re looking for volunteers!

Platform Crew

• Host an event

• Organize Ride-a-thons

• Lead canvassing efforts

 Signal Boosters

• Social media (posts approved before going live)

• Email writing

• Website content

 Ticket Agents

• Fundraising (we’re 100% volunteer-run)

• Research

• Community coordination

Sound cool? Shoot us an email at hello@keepdartinplano.org!

Not ready to volunteer?

Email the Plano City Council and share why DART is essential for Plano, mention your city and a few places you spend money here. Personalized messages go a long way. Find emails here.

Share KeepDARTinPlano.org or this email with friends, family, colleagues, strangers and more!