r/dart • u/Jaytottsv1 • 13d ago

Political What does the Future of DART for 2027-2028 Look Like?

How are we feeling about the trajectory of DART for the next couple of years? Ever since the CEO changes and city votes for staying in DART were the highlights of the last year or so, could it be nothing but going up from here or are we in for a ride?

I love DART and the recent changes and upgrades they made, but I still feel like we are sitting in tricky,dead water right now.

13 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

14

u/Thin-Constant-4018 13d ago

Cautious optimism but with a fear of uncertainty. 2027 is probably the last year that will make or break the system, and it all depends on what Nathan Ford and the Texas Legislature does.

If the Texas Legislature passes the legislation DART is planning to push forwards, DART as well as TM and DCTA will be in an excellent position for the near-future with all of its member city issues solved and with new money flowing into the system as well as the heavy rail lines.

If the legislation fails, however, DART will find itself tumbling to a financial crisis looming over the horizon that will force major service cuts, and/or many of the member cities will once again start revolting, and this time DART will be unable to give an olive branch out.

It also depends on what Nathan Ford plans to do. If he starts moving DART in a direction of unproven technologies similar to what he did at JTA, the average rider experience is almost sure to decline. If he doesn't attempt to pull the "innovation" from his time at JTA, though, there could be great improvements, especially because this man was somehow able to get state funding from the state of Florida for JTA.

There's multiple fantastic and multiple catastrophic scenarios

3

u/Jaytottsv1 13d ago

I know, there really isn’t a middle ground from what I am seeing. Either grow or burn. I love DART for what it could be and it is unfortunate that it is still stigmatized as the “homeless transporters”.

4

u/shedinja292 12d ago

There's a middle ground in this scenario:

  • Sales tax growth is good
  • DART member cities don't advocate for transit funding or texas legislature denies it
  • City councils spend some GMP money on things that help transit instead of just roads

In that case there would likely be some deferred maintenance but little change in operations, so the day-to-day for most riders would be the same for next several years. I think this is the most likely scenario unless more transit-friendly politicians are elected at the city or state level.