Keep DART in Plano Transit FAQ
FAQ: Why is Plano discussing its membership with DART?
While the city cites 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.
Citation: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/2025/09/15/dart-investment-plano/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nMSYvC8xDxiBhTyAv5zyXzGs7iLWfij2/view?usp=drivesdk
FAQ: What will happen to services for people with disabilities, seniors, and others who rely on transit?
If citizens vote to leave DART, all DART services, including paratransit and senior transportation, will stop the next day. The 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
FAQ: If Plano leaves DART, will regional connectivity be lost?
Yes. DART buses and trains will no longer serve Plano, 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.
FAQ: How does this affect the Silver Line?
The Silver Line is a DART project. If Plano leaves, residents will lose direct access to the Silver Line, and any promised connections would require new agreements and funding, which are not guaranteed or in place.
FAQ: Why is this discussion happening now, and what about the World Cup?
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
FAQ: Who is responsible for safety and security on DART?
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.
FAQ: Would Plano owe money to DART if voters choose to leave?
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 immediately.
Citation: https://www.plano.gov/2315/Plano-Transit
FAQ: Could leaving DART hurt Plano’s reputation with employers or developers who value transit access?
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
FAQ: What happens next?
It’s unclear. We have a few options: if we can obtain 20,000 resident signatures, we may be able to request the item be removed from the ballot. The city has stated they’ll be working on a plan, so let’s hold them accountable. Almost all council meetings allow public comments, so sign up! Help us improve this site! And most of all, assist us in holding our council responsible for what they said they would do.
City Council’s Quotes on Public Transit
Source: https://www.youtube.com/live/tKMB5BMyEQ8?si=xzfpqJrSd5YXPDcy
Council Member Kehr: “I have a couple of concerns. One concern is how are we really gonna make sure that the people who require the paratransit, the people who are using the services today, how do we make sure there are no hiccups in that if there is a transition? I think that's something that we really have to be very intentional about, that we examine that closely and determine how to eliminate those problems.”
Council Member Downs: “I 100% support public transportation if it is done efficiently and transparently. ... What we do for the public good, we do for the public good, and we must serve the public good. That is what we're elected to do.”
Council Member Levine: “Let me be absolutely clear. I am a very strong supporter of public transportation, and a vote in favor of putting the question of withdrawal from DART on the ballot does not mean opposition or opposing public transportation in Plano or for our region. They're quite the opposite. I'm a strong believer that a great city must have great transit.”
Council Member Tu: “I support public transit. In fact, I believe it's absolutely essential to our region. North Texas is one of the fastest growing in the country. And as we keep growing, public transit will only become more important. That's why I believe it needs to be improved, and it needs to be expanded.”
Council Member Holmer: “We need a progressive public transit system that serves Plano, not Dallas, not other cities, but us. We need something that actually addresses our needs, to connect east and west of Plano, to connect north and south of Plano, to connect all of us together.”
Mayor Muns: “As the whole council has said, we are all about public transit. We believe in it. We want it to be first mile, last mile. We don't want it to be first mile, last mile; we want it to be door-to-door. Because we have seniors, we have the disability population that need that door-to-door service, whether it's going to the doctors or whether it's going to the grocery. Those are the kind of connections that we need.”
Council Member Horn: “I believe in mass transit as an environmental chemist. I think it solves our problem with NOx particulate matter 2.5 so we could be compliant with the Clean Air Act and I think it also unclogs our roads. I think that helps us transit-oriented design. When I was on planning and zoning, I was all in favor of it because I believe in walking communities.”
Summary: Every council member publicly acknowledged the importance of public transit, DART’s role, or the risks to vulnerable populations if service is disrupted. Even council members recognize the value of DART and public transit, and that withdrawal risks harming residents who depend on these services.
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