URGENT: Plano, Irving, Highland Park, and Farmers Branch Will Vote on Leaving DART Starting This Tuesday!

This week, four city councils will officially consider withdrawing from DART, including Plano, where two Silver Line stations opened barely one week ago. Please send a letter & sign up to speak!

(Contents of this article courtesy of Dallas Area Transit Alliance / DATA)

Here’s what you can do

📧 Send an email. The Action Network links below open a ready-to-send letter. If you’re short on time, you can send it as is. You can also edit or write your own message if you want.

🎤 Speak at City Council. If you live, work, study, or have any connection to these cities, you’re encouraged to speak at their council meeting. See tips for public comment toward the end of this post.

PLANO, WEDNESDAY 5PM

• Send email using Action Network

• citycouncil@plano.gov

• City Council Meeting: November 5th at 5:00 PM

• Register to speak here: https://forms.plano.gov/Forms/Sign_Up_Citizen_CC

• City Hall, Downtown Plano: 1520 K Ave, Plano, TX 75074

• We want to pack Plano City Hall with supporters of public transit speaking their stories, especially Plano residents and commuters. Please join us if you can; use the RSVP button below to let us know you’re coming.

• UPDATE: PUBLIC COMMENTS LIMITED TO 1 MINUTE. THEY USUALLY DO THIS WHEN MANY PEOPLE REGISTER TO SPEAK, SO BE READY TO GIVE A SHORTER SPEECH AND POTENTIALLY LONGER WAIT TIME.

IRVING, THURSDAY 7PM

• Send email using Action Network

• ccouncil@cityofirving.org

• City Council Meeting: November 6th at 7:00 PM

• Register to speak on-site starting 6:00 PM

• City Hall, Downtown Irving: 825 W Irving Blvd 4th Floor, Irving, TX 75060

FARMERS BRANCH, TUESDAY 6PM

• Send email using Action Network

• terry.lynne@farmersbranchtx.gov, omar.roman@farmersbranchtx.gov, tina.bennettburton@farmersbranchtx.gov, david.reid@farmersbranchtx.gov, elizabeth.villafranca@farmersbranchtx.gov, roger.neal@farmersbranchtx.gov, fbinfo@farmersbranchtx.gov

• City Council Meeting: November 4th at 6:00 PM

• Register to speak: https://farmersbranchtx-portal.app.transform.civicplus.com/forms/21090

• City Hall: 13000 William Dodson Pkwy, Farmers Branch, TX 75234

HIGHLAND PARK, TUESDAY 8AM

• Send email using Action Network

• jmekeal@hptx.org, dsnell@hptx.org, mmyers@hptx.org, lnovakov@hptx.org, lwhite@hptx.org, afriedman@hptx.org

• Tuesday, November 4th at 8:00 AM

• Town Hall: 4700 Drexel Drive, Highland Park, TX 75205

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What’s at stake?

This week, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the city councils of Highland Park, Farmers Branch, Plano, and Irving will each vote on whether to withdraw from DART membership.

If a city council votes by majority to leave DART, a special election will then be held in that city so voters can make the final decision.

If a city leaves DART, all DART bus, rail, and paratransit services in that city will stop immediately. People will lose access to jobs, businesses will lose customers, and members of the disability community will lose crucial paratransit services.

“Why does my city council want to leave DART? Is it to save money?”

They want to stop paying the 1% sales tax that funds DART. However, if a city withdraws now, the law still requires them to keep paying the full 1% sales tax for another 10 years to cover their existing debt obligation.

It’s a lose-lose situation: the city would continue spending millions in taxpayer dollars each year, while residents and commuters would get no public transit service in return.

“If my city leaves DART, is there something that will take its place?”

Plano says it has money set aside for alternative transit, but no details have been shared. It won’t include rail service and won’t match DART’s regional bus or paratransit coverage. Their “replacement” is likely a useless substitute only meant to satisfy people who won’t look too closely.

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Tips for Public Comment

🗣️ When speaking:

• Always start with your name and address (even if you don’t live in that city).

• If you live or work in that city, say it slowly and clearly: “I am a Plano resident.”

• Next, state your position in one sentence: “I am here today to urge you to vote against leaving DART.”

• Short speeches (under 2 minutes) or quick 15-second comments both work well.

✅ Content tips:

• Share how you personally use and benefit from DART.

• Explain how losing DART would affect you.

• Personal stories are the most powerful.

🚫 Avoid:

• Talking about math or funding details (DART staff will cover that).

• Addressing individual council members—speak only to the Chair (the mayor).

• Mentioning political parties or ideologies; this is a nonpartisan issue.

Here is an example:

Good evening Mayor and Council.

My name is _____ and I live at __address__. I am a Plano resident.

I am here today to urge you to vote against leaving DART.

I use DART every day to get to work, go to my doctor’s appointments, and visit friends and family. The new Silver Line is amazing because it cuts my travel time to visit my aunt in Addison by 30 minutes. Losing DART would be devastating to my mental well-being—I want to get where I need to go without using a car or being stuck in traffic. My grandmother, who cannot drive due to her eye condition, would be confined to her home without the independence that DART provides. She’s also an avid music fan and would be cut off from shows, concerts, and events throughout the Metroplex outside of Plano.

Please vote against leaving DART.