The implementation of drastic changes to Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) bus routes and light rail frequency remains unknown, as the transportation system’s board chose to delay a final decision on the proposed changes in a last-minute vote at Tuesday’s scheduled committee meeting.
The board was scheduled to vote on a package of changes that would amount to the largest service changes in DART’s 40-year history. Some of the initial changes, like nearly doubling the cost of paratransit services and reducing the paratransit service zones, were scrapped earlier this month. However, on Tuesday night, the board did approve increasing curb-to-curb paratransit fees by 50 cents to $4 per one-way ride and increasing the cost of a single-ride standard ticket from $3 to $4.
The board gave itself a few more weeks to decide whether to eliminate certain bus routes and limit other fixed-route frequencies, delaying the final vote to the next regular board meeting on Sept. 9. According to Rob Smith, vice president of service and planning, the two-week delay will cost DART an estimated $1 million. The changes, if adopted, were slated to launch in January 2026, but implementation has also been delayed…