House committee hears testimony on bill to cut DART's funding by 25%
Bill would cut DART funding by 25%
A bill in the Texas House would significantly cut DART funding. DART gets funding from 13 cities, but some member cities argue they aren’t getting equal benefits from their investment.
DALLAS - A bill in the Texas House would reduce what Dallas Area Rapid Transit can collect in taxes from member cities.
DART gets funding from 13 cities, but some member cities argue they aren’t getting equal benefits from their investment.
House Bill 3187
What we know:
DART is the largest public transit system in Texas.
There’s been growing frustration with some of DART’s 13 member cities when it comes to funding and the allocation of resources.
That’s why North Texas Republican Rep. Matt Shaheen is pushing HB 3187.
The bill would reduce what DART collects in taxes by 25%.
North Texas lawmaker's bill would reduce DART funding by 25%
A North Texas lawmaker has filed a bill that would reduce what DART can collect in taxes from its member cities. The cities are happy, but DART argues the loss in funding would be devastating.
What they're saying:
Rep. Shaheen believes DART has run out the clock on internal discussions and that legislators need to step in.
"We’re here because of DART’s unwillingness to do what’s right," he said. "DART is now bringing financial harm to many of its member cities. Six of the member cities are forced to overpay DART for their services. And the imbalance is so extreme, one city is receiving less than 50 cents on the dollar."
The other side:
DART President Nadine Lee told the House Transportation Committee on Thursday that if this bill becomes a law, DART would lose $235 million in the first year.
"I know what happens when you starve a system like DART. Trains will run only every 30 to 60 minutes, making it impossible for employees to get to work, students to get to their classes, or seniors to make doctor’s appointments on time," she said.
The law could require DART to terminate up to 1,000 jobs, she added.
Rich Andreski, the president of the Trinity Metro, told the committee that changes to DART will also impact how Tarrant County residents get to work.
"We have nurses headed to Parkland, students going to UNT Dallas, Downtown Dallas employees commuting to work. These are not leisure trips and TRE, Trinity Railway Express, is how they’re getting back and forth," he said.
What's next:
The House Transportation Committee has not yet voted on the bill.
The Source: The information in this story comes from Thursday's Texas House Transportation Committee meeting.