Statement on C4’s Final Meeting
Last night’s Collin County Connects Committee (CCCC) meeting underscored both the gravity of this decision and the growing disconnect between those impacted by transit policy and those driving it.
To be clear, the committee was not unanimous. Some members expressed preferences and supported moving forward. However, as the meeting progressed, more questions were raised than answered — particularly around cost certainty, service coverage, long-term viability, and the consequences of eliminating fixed-route bus service, especially for Plano’s most vulnerable residents.
Those concerns were not abstract.
One committee member, who works directly with riders to access DART paratransit services, raised critical questions about ADA compliance and real-world accessibility. Another noted that non-member cities face limitations when transferring riders into DART paratransit, while remaining a member city ensures eligible riders can access the rides they need without artificial caps. These realities matter to seniors, people with disabilities, and residents who rely on transit for basic mobility.
As these questions surfaced, several lines of inquiry were curtailed by legal guidance, leaving essential issues unresolved. The result was a process where concerns accumulated without full examination, contributing to hesitation among members unwilling to endorse outcomes that lacked clarity or safeguards.
While there was one notably forceful objection to including DART as an option, the broader tone of the committee reflected unease — not confidence — in the vendor alternatives presented. Concerns about fragmentation, scalability, accessibility, and loss of regional connectivity were raised repeatedly. Even where support existed, it was often conditional.
During the meeting, the committee and City staff publicly acknowledged and thanked community members in attendance — including advocacy groups such as Keep DART in Plano — for sustained engagement and participation throughout this process. We appreciate that recognition and remain hopeful City Council will hear the message emerging from the committee’s work.
However, it is difficult to reconcile that acknowledgment with how the process itself was structured.
One committee member stated plainly that it was irresponsible to expect meaningful outcomes from four meetings compressed into two weeks, all held on week nights, with one meeting serving as an introduction and another functioning as a conclusion. That left, at most, two working sessions to evaluate complex transit systems, contracts, costs, legal obligations, and long-term impacts. While this timeline was framed as an effort to empower citizen participation, multiple members made clear that they did not feel empowered to make an informed decision.
This constraint was not incidental — it was imposed.
City Council specifically hobbled the committee’s ability to perform its charge. Other cities, including Carrollton, formed advisory groups well before placing any ballot measure, made clear they would not consider withdrawal until alternatives were fully developed, and provided their committees with substantial detail on proposed service models, costs, and timelines.
Plano did not.
When committee members requested additional information regarding procurement, contracts, and pricing structures, they were told that releasing such details could harm the city by allowing vendors to “price each other up.” As a result, members were asked to evaluate proposals without access to the very information needed to assess viability, risk, or long-term sustainability.
That is not empowerment. It is constraint.
What this process has made increasingly clear is that the city is prioritizing the protection of its pocketbook over the protection of its most vulnerable residents. Whether this initiative is driven by City Council, city management, future political ambitions, or some combination thereof remains unclear. What is clear is that it is not being driven by the people most impacted — transit riders themselves.
City Council initially punted the decision to voters by placing DART withdrawal on the ballot, avoiding a direct policy position. The committee was then asked to evaluate replacement options under narrow constraints — and when that process surfaced unresolved risks, the issue was effectively punted back to Council.
Transit planning should begin with riders, access, and mobility. Instead, financial recapture has dominated the conversation.
That is unacceptable.
We are calling on every Plano resident who depends on transit — seniors, people with disabilities, service workers, students, business owners, and downtown Plano residents — to speak at the December 16 City Council meeting. If the city is moving forward with a solution it claims is viable, it must do so on the public record, fully aware that its own transit riders, business owners, and residents have raised serious objections.
If Council will not listen voluntarily, then we must make ourselves impossible to ignore.
Transparency Disclaimer
For full transparency, one member of the Collin County Connects Committee also serves on the board of directors of Keep DART in Plano. We explicitly requested that this individual refrain from advocating for our organization’s position during committee proceedings, as we believe strongly in the separation of roles and responsibilities.
This statement was written by members of our organization who do not serve on the committee, based on their experience observing these open meetings and reviewing publicly available materials.
We are disclosing this voluntarily because transparency matters — especially when the city has failed to provide it.
