Our New Year Resolutions for DART and Member Cities
Don't ditch your resolutions yet!
Hopefully everybody's new years resolutions are going well. Tomorrow is the official Ditch New Year's Resolutions Day, but we're staying strong this year in supporting transit all year!
1. Make new friends
Member cities step up to be a part of the solution by finding one or more new members willing to join at the rate they and DART agree is viable.
DART continues to be willing to provide equitable on-ramps to full membership via Inter-Local Agreements.
2. Reconnect with family
All transit member cities should work together ahead of the 2027 Texas State congressional session to set legislative direction on finding long term funding sources that maintain service levels and enable economic development in member cities.
3. Read more books
Leaders in transit member cities agree to read the Transit 2.0 report from the Regional Transportation Council and recognize there are solutions to the funding problem
4. Keep moving
No reduction in bus or rail frequency, increase frequency on popular routes per DART’s strategic plans
5. Set better boundaries
Cities should prioritize zoning changes for increased density around transit centers and train stations to build upon prior investment and encourage ridership
6. Look for value in the underappreciated
Buses are necessary and coverage should be improved, not removed
7. Don’t fall for diet fads
Microtransit should be used for last mile support, not full replacement of existing service
8. Get some exercise
Cities and DART combine local knowledge and transit best practices to make walking, biking, and using a wheelchair to bus stops and rail stations safe and attractive.
9. Get involved with your local community
Tighter integration of DART stations with the community using custom advertising, programming, signage, etc. Especially at airports, convention centers, and key rail stations near TOD
Incentivize local residents to use new DART services coming to your city such as GoLink zones or the Silver Line.
DART should look into providing special service for local events like festival at the switchyard
10. Finally start that home improvement project you’ve been putting off
Prioritize new Light Rail train model procurements so the entire network can match the safety and quality of the new Silver Line
11. Walk to local parks
City councilors should do everything possible to keep the Mavs and Stars in Dallas or DART cities with the same transit coverage as victory station at any new location
Love the framing around zoning density near transit nodes. The idea that cities should prioritize TOD afer already investing billions in rail infrastructure is just practical economics. I've seen too many systems where stations get surrounded by surface parking lots or low-density developement, which basically caps the ROI of the entire line. The disconnect between land use policy and transit planning is probaly the biggest missed opportunity in most metro regions.
How about putting a police officer in EVERY DART station while the station is open.
We’ve had three murders in last three
months. Not getting customers killed or assaulted is a helluva higher priority than ALL your resolutions combined