Statement from Keep DART in Plano on DART’s Selection of Nathaniel Ford as CEO
Keep DART in Plano appreciates that DART has completed its search process, and we recognize the importance of stable leadership at an agency facing real challenges, including ongoing tension between DART and the suburban cities it serves.
That said, we have serious concerns about this choice.
Mr. Ford’s record shows a consistent pattern across three transit agencies over two decades: strong initial results, followed by growing questions about spending oversight, and an early exit for the next opportunity before those questions were resolved. This happened at MARTA in Atlanta. It happened again at SFMTA in San Francisco. And it appears to be happening once more at JTA in Jacksonville, where cost overruns and unanswered questions about executive travel have accompanied his departure.
DART doesn’t need another career transit executive who treats the CEO seat as a stop on the way to the next city. We need a leader who will commit to this region, build real trust with Plano and the other suburban cities, and stay long enough to see hard decisions through.
We respectfully ask that DART’s board reconsider and reopen the search for a CEO who will make that commitment.
Sources:
• SF Weekly, “Muni Chief’s ‘Quiet Time’” (2007): https://www.sfweekly.com/archives/muni-chiefs-quiet-time/article_f5030a77-758d-5bfc-92e0-f13d7dcac5b3.html
• Streetsblog SF, “Can Nat Ford Keep His Job as SFMTA Executive Director?” (2011): https://sf.streetsblog.org/2011/03/17/can-nat-ford-keep-his-job-as-sfmta-executive-director
• Action News Jax, “JTA CEO Nat Ford chosen to become next CEO of Dallas Area Rapid Transit” (2026): https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/jta-ceo-nat-ford-chosen-become-next-ceo-dallas-area-rapid-transit/J3DNWMILZVH6NIYI562NFK2UJI/
• Action News Jax, “Jacksonville Transportation Authority CEO faces scrutiny over spending practices” (2024): https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/jacksonville-transportation-authority-ceo-faces-scrutiny-over-spending-practices-amid-budget-review/M4ZEGSA3IZCA5N6JGFWCS6ZNFY/
Keep DART in Plano (KDIP) is a resident-led 501(c)(4) advocacy organization committed to protecting and strengthening public transportation in Plano and across North Texas. Founded in 2025, KDIP works to educate the public, promote transparency in local government, and advocate for reliable, accessible, and financially responsible transit that supports residents, workers, businesses, and the region’s long-term economic growth. Through community engagement and public policy advocacy, KDIP champions a connected transportation network that benefits everyone. Learn more at KeepDARTinPlano.org.
What’s Next for Keep DART in Plano
The past few months have been a reminder of what happens when a community decides to show up.
Residents spoke at meetings. Riders shared their stories. Volunteers organized events, knocked on doors, and helped neighbors understand what was at stake. Plano showed that people care deeply about how their city moves and how regional decisions affect everyday life.
On February 20, the DART Board approved an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) framework designed to support city mobility projects tied to canceling withdrawal elections. Just three days later, on February 23, the Plano City Council voted to rescind the May 2 DART withdrawal election.
That was a big moment.
Keep DART in Plano started at 3:00 AM the night the withdrawal election was called. It began as a small group of residents trying to understand what had just happened and how to respond. The goal was simple: rescind the election and make sure Plano stayed connected to the region.
Over time, that goal shifted and grew.
What started as a rapid response turned into something bigger. We heard from riders who depend on transit every day. From families trying to get to work and school. From residents who want Plano to stay competitive and connected as North Texas grows.
Today, our work is about more than stopping something. It’s about helping build what comes next.
We’re encouraged to see the City of Plano and DART working together again. Collaboration is a good start. But optimism depends on transparency. Residents deserve clear information about how General Mobility Program (GMP) funds will be used, how new programs like Via are implemented, and whether those investments are actually improving mobility across the city.
That’s why, at the February 23 council meeting, we asked for a few specific, actionable next steps:
Create a Transit and Mobility Committee to keep this work moving in public, not behind the scenes.
Appoint a rider as Plano’s representative on the DART Board.
Publish clear, measurable results from PlanoRides (the Via pilot), including performance metrics the public can actually track.
Our focus moving forward is simple: better outcomes for riders.
That means advocating for transparent spending, measurable results, and mobility investments that improve access to jobs, healthcare, education, and everyday destinations. It also means continuing to support strong regional partnerships that recognize Plano doesn’t exist in isolation. Our economy, workforce, and communities are connected across city lines.
Encouraging ridership remains one of our biggest goals.
Transit works best when people experience it for themselves. That’s why we’ll keep hosting community rides and outreach events to help more residents try DART, ask questions, and see how regional mobility works in practice.
Our next community ride departs from Shiloh Road Station at 3:15 PM on Saturday, February 28, traveling aboard the Silver Line to 3 Nations Brewery near Downtown Carrollton.
Looking further ahead, regional transit discussions are expected to return to the Texas Legislature in 2027. KDIP plans to continue working alongside residents, DART leadership, city officials, and regional partners to make sure Plano remains constructive, collaborative, and focused on long-term success.
Because at the end of the day, strong transit isn’t just about trains or buses. It’s about access, opportunity, and making sure people can get where they need to go.
Thank You to the Community
This progress was not achieved by any single organization or individual.
It happened because residents chose to participate.
To everyone who attended meetings, volunteered their time, donated resources, shared information, or encouraged a neighbor to engage in civic discussion, thank you!
Community leadership begins when residents show up for one another.
Keep DART in Plano will continue showing up alongside you.
Less Than Two Months In — And Look Where We Are
A year-end progress check from Keep DART in Plano
Less than two months ago, Keep DART in Plano was an idea, a few messages, and a lot of “are we really doing this?”
Now? It’s a movement that’s gaining traction.
📰We’re Being Talked About (Beyond Plano)
In under two months, this conversation moved well outside City Hall:
We were mentioned in D Magazine, bringing Plano’s transit debate to a broader North Texas audience
Substack writers began using Plano as a case study in transit governance, funding, and public process
📱We Just Started TikTok… and Wow
We launched our TikTok this week, with one of our first videos passing 40,000 views
Thousands of people are now seeing — and sharing — information about Plano transit, accountability, and process
People want clear, accessible explanations — and they’re not finding them through traditional channels. Short-form video helped turn a complicated civic issue into something human and understandable.
💻Transparency Didn’t Exist — So We Built It
In less than two months, we’ve:
Filed and tracked multiple public records requests
Organized agendas, timelines, and documents into digestible summaries
Compared public statements with documented actions
Shared what we found so residents didn’t have to dig through PDFs
Transparency doesn’t happen by default. It happens because people insist on it.
When Residents Said: “Please Don’t Do This Quietly.”
One of the most meaningful moments this month was when a group of residents sent a certified letter asking the City of Plano not to conduct transit dealings privately.
At the same time, we’ve repeatedly asked whether the residents most impacted by potential service changes are being directly engaged.
To date, we haven’t received a clear response. So we’ll keep asking.
We Truly Couldn’t Have Done This Without…
This work has been community-powered from day one.
💸Our Donors
You helped fund records requests, printing, tools, and community rides. Grassroots advocacy only works when people believe in it. Thank you. If you’d like to help financially, visit our Giving page.
📊DATA
Huge thanks to Dallas Area Transit Alliance for keeping facts front and center — adding regional context, reality-checking numbers, and helping turn complexity into clarity.
🚉 Transit Alliance of Plano
Thank you to Transit Alliance of Plano for being early, consistent, and rider-focused voices who showed that advocacy can be constructive and firm.
💬 Our Friends on the CCCC
To those who served on the Collin County Connects Committee — you asked hard questions, documented concerns, and brought facts into rooms that needed them. That work mattered.
🏢City of Plano Staff
We also want to acknowledge City of Plano staff for being willing to engage. Even when we disagreed or answers were incomplete, engagement still happened — and that matters.
🧑🤝🧑The Residents Who Showed Up
Riders. Seniors. Workers. Students.
Those who emailed, spoke at council, filed records, sent certified letters, and asked tough questions.
You reminded everyone that democracy isn’t passive.
🗳️Eyes on the Vote — And Beyond
Between now and Election Day, we’ll keep:
Sharing information
Encouraging civic participation
Showing up to Council
We’ll also give Plano’s new transit option a fair, good-faith try once it launches — because outcomes matter.
But our work does not end with the election.
We’re already planning what comes next:
Holding Plano to its public commitments
Measuring promises against reality
Strengthening relationships — including with DART
Keeping riders at the center, no matter the outcome
🎄 One Last Holiday Nugget
We hope you’re all able to take the Silver Line to the airport soon — suitcase rolling, stress low, holiday playlist on.
Friendly reminder:
🎅 Dallas Area Rapid Transit service hours are limited on holidays, so check schedules
🥳 Rides are FREE on New Year’s Eve night for the first 10,500 riders who redeem code COORSNYE25 in GoPass, making it easier to celebrate responsibly and get home safely
Thank you for riding with us, learning with us, and building this together.