DART Workshop Recap: Service Changes, Budget Pressures, and Board Reapportionment
On Friday, the DART Board held a special workshop session where staff presented their recommendations for the upcoming service changes and budget. While the good news is that the most drastic cuts will not happen, some service reductions, fare changes, and governance shifts are still planned as DART works to close a $35M budget gap and prepare for long-term funding pressures.
Why is this happening?
DART’s FY 2026 budget is driven by:
Silver Line startup costs (+$29.8M)
General Mobility Program (GMP) withdrawals by cities (-$42.6M revenue impact)
Rising contract costs and inflation
City-requested services (e.g., Addison, Plano shuttles)
Initially, up to $60M in service cuts were proposed. After public feedback and internal budget work, the target dropped to $25M, resulting in fewer cuts and restored frequencies.
Key Service Changes
Discontinued Routes
209 (McKinney/Cole; Uptown Dallas)
225 (Nursery; Irving)
254 (Legacy; Irving)
255 (Story; Irving)
305 (Addison Express)
378 (Red Bird Express)
383 (Lake Ray Hubbard Express)
(All frequencies listed below are for weekdays.)
Light Rail
DART proposes slight light rail frequency changes, reverting to pre-COVID frequencies.
Before: 15 minutes (peak)
After: 20 minutes (peak); no other changes
Note: Midday, evening, and weekend service remain unchanged. Double-line segments (e.g., Red/Orange overlap) will still be more frequent.
Commuter Rail (TRE & Silver Line)
Following public pushback from everyone, the changes will no longer impact the TRE and the upcoming Silver Line.
Current: 30 minutes (peak), 60 minutes (midday/evening/night)
Proposed: No changes
Bus Service
Bus routes will see the most adjustments, including frequency reductions and limitations.
Very Frequent Bus (Single-Digit Routes)
Current: 15 minutes (peak, midday, evening); 30 minutes (night)
Proposed: No changes
Frequent Bus (Double-Digit Routes, except 28, 41, 47)
Current: 15 minutes (peak)
Proposed: 20 minutes (peak); no other changes
Frequent Bus (Routes 28, 41, 47)
Change: 15 min (peak), 15 min (midday), 15 min (evening), 30 min (night)
Proposed: Downgraded to Local (1xx); 20 minutes (peak), 30 minutes (midday, evening, night)
Local Bus (1xx)
Current: 15 minutes (peak), 30 minutes (midday/evening/night)
Proposed: 20 minutes (peak), no other changes
Local Coverage Bus (2xx)
Current: 30 minutes (peak), 40–60 minutes (midday/evening/night)
Proposed: Routes 209, 225, 254, and 255 discontinued; no other changes
Express Bus (3xx)
Current: 15–20 minutes (peak)
Proposed: Routes 305, 378, 383 discontinued; Routes 306 & 308 set to 20 minutes (peak)
GoLink (On-Demand Service)
GoLink is expanding to new zones while also adopting distance-based fares
New Zones: Plano Zone-to-Zone and Addison added.
Fares:
Trips connecting to fixed routes (rail stations or transit centers) or rally points will be charged the base fare.
Other trips will now use distance-based pricing, calculated per mile.
Paratransit
ADA fares will increase to $5 per trip. A $10 premium ADA fare has also been added to DART’s policy, but this will not affect the current service area or reduce existing paratransit coverage.
Fare Changes
Regional Day Pass: $12 → $9 ($4.50 reduced fare)
New Regional Reduced Monthly Pass: $96
Corporate annual pass pricing updated (bulk discounts adjusted)
GoLink distance fares begin March 2026
Budget Overview: Why These Changes Are Happening
DART’s proposed FY 2026 budget totals $1.812B, including:
Operating budget: $757.9M (up 5.1% from FY 2025)
Capital & non-operating budget: $830.7M
Debt service: $223.4M
Key Cost Drivers (FY 2026)
Silver Line startup: +$29.8M (11 months of operation, police, and maintenance support)
General Mobility Program (GMP): -$42.6M (cities diverting funds away from DART)
FIFA World Cup transit costs: +$9.7M (covered partly by NCTCOG)
Contract cost increases: +$8.4M (GoLink, paratransit)
Employee compensation: +$13.3M (merit raises and bonuses)
Inflation impacts: higher costs for fuel, benefits, and bus parts
How DART Balanced the Budget
To close a $35.1M operating gap, DART combined:
Service adjustments (peak frequency cuts, discontinued routes) = $18M savings
Administrative cuts (vacancies, insurance redesign, reduced bonuses) = $19.9M.
Operational cuts (fuel, bus parts, Silver Line staffing adjustments) = $2.2M
Capital project reprogramming (HQ build-out, facility upgrades)
Revenue Sources
Sales tax: $937.5M (68% of revenue, flat growth projected)
Federal formula/discretionary funding: $305.6M (project-based grants)
Fare revenue & other ops: $61.4M (just 4% of total revenue)
(DART remains heavily dependent on sales tax, which is flatlined in projections despite inflation and population growth.)
Long-Term Risks
If GMP revenue isn’t replaced, additional service cuts may be needed in FY 2028.
Rising costs for Silver Line operations and future bus fleet replacements will pressure the operating budget.
Inflation outpaces fare revenue: fares make up <4% of revenue, limiting their impact despite fare increases.
Capital Spending
DART plans $830.7M in FY 2026 capital and non-op projects, including:
Light rail: $231.7M (platform upgrades, trackwork, Cityplace rehab)
Bus network: $136.5M (new fleet, NW Bus Ops modernization, mobility hubs)
Commuter rail: $249.4M (TRE double-tracking, Irving Yard relocation)
General Mobility Program: $42.6M (city-requested road projects)
What This Means for Riders
Service and fare changes are designed to save $25M annually, closing much of the operating gap.
GMP funding shifts by cities (e.g., Addison, Plano) undermine DART’s long-term service capacity.
Silver Line startup is driving new costs without new revenue streams.
Board Reapportionment
DART’s Board must be reapportioned every 5 years. Based on 2025 population estimates (2.65M total):
Dallas keeps seven seats (+shared fractional with Cockrell Hill)
Dallas keeps a majority on the DART Board
Irving, Plano, and Garland keep one seat each.
The 5 seats allocated by group among fractional remainders, will be presented on August 12th
So what’s next?
There are three dates to be aware of regarding the upcoming changes. We recommend attending one, two, or all of these meetings and telling them you are unhappy with these service cuts and frequency reductions if it impacts you.
Key Dates
Aug 12, 2025: Board votes to distribute proposed FY 2026 budget to city leadership
Aug 28, 2025: Briefing for city managers and finance directors
Sept 9, 2025: Committee of the Whole (COTW) budget review
Sept 30, 2025: Final Board vote on FY 2026 budget
Jan 2026: Service changes take effect
Mar 2026: Fare changes (including paratransit and GoLink) take effect
Appendix:
Presentations from the August 1st, 2025, meeting are available below and obtained via an Open Records Request.
