Dallas City Council Approves Agreement With DART on $90M in Unallocated Sales Tax Revenue

Photo: Courtesy of DART

People Newspapers
Staff Report
June 15, 2023  

The Dallas City Council on Wednesday approved an agreement with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to allocate $90 million in unallocated sales tax revenues to the city for mobility projects, including:

• Reconstruction of 22 traffic signals at intersections along major DART bus route corridors, with priority given to those routes in Equity Priority Areas
• Completion of phase 1 of the Sidewalk Master Plan
• Construction of more than 90% of missing ramps near DART bus stops and light rail stations
• Funding for the FY 2024 traffic lane markings program
• Bike lane upgrades
• A city of Dallas parking operations study and smart parking pilot projects
• Support for DART passes that the city distributes to middle and high school students for free, and support for transit services for unhoused individuals
• Funding for ongoing maintenance of the city-owned Dallas streetcar, and professional services for studies to optimize operations

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is also partnering with the city and DART to provide funding for additional projects.

“We want to thank our staff, as well as our partners at the Regional Transportation Council, for their role in getting us to today’s successful outcome. Decisions like these will impact our communities for decades, and it is important that we get it right,” said Councilman Omar Narvaez, chairman of the city’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“For almost 40 years, DART’s partnership with the city of Dallas, and each of our service area cities, has provided us the opportunity to empower the residents and communities of North Texas to more easily access jobs, health care and education,” said Nadine Lee, DART President and CEO. “Together, we can continue to develop a truly seamless and integrated mobility system that will help all our residents go where they want, when they want, to live their best lives.”

“Safety and quality of life for Dallas residents have been our top priorities throughout the development of this project. I am grateful to have reached a resolution with our partners at DART to advance this mobility connection for our peer cities,” Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax said.