Related Links
North Central Texas Council of Governments
DART President debunks GP's false assumptions,
details path to membership
When I read the 10/4/2000 Arlington Morning News article
(available here) and read that a Grand Prairie
official said that a multi-million dollar "buyback program" would keep the city out of DART forever, I sent a note
to the feedback email on DART's website, referencing the article and
asking the bottom-line question:
Although my site is still just getting started, I would certainly like to let people know what DART has to say about this "buyback". Is this accurate information? What would be required for Grand Prairie to join DART -- either as a full member, or through an interlocal agreement?Insted of a canned reply, I got the most surprising response... an email from Sharon Hodgkins, DART's Member Cities Relations Manager.
Dear Mr. Brooks:A few days later, I received this illuminating letter from Mr. Snoble. Not only does he reveal the "buyback" to be a myth, he describes the exact process that Grand Prairie (or any Dallas-area city) can follow to join DART. There are obstacles, to be sure -- the 1% sales tax in particular -- but this is the official word on one way to take care of Grand Prairie's transportation needs.Roger Snoble, President/Executive Director of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) would like to send you a letter in response to your e-mail inquiry concerning the accuracy of the October 4, Arlington Morning News article "2 Cities May Unite for Transit".
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
P.O. Box 660163
Dallas, Texas 75266-0163
214/749-3278
October 20, 2000
Mr. Robert Brooks
[address]
Grand Prairie, Texas
Dear Mr. Brooks:
Thank you for your inquiry concerning the accuracy of the October 4, Arlington Morning News article "Two Cities May Unite for Transit". I appreciate your interest in clarifying the information for your website visitors.
Contrary to the information in the article, cities wishing to join Dallas Area Rapid Transit are not required to enter into a buyback program", in which they would repay transit sales taxes for past years of non-membership. The Texas Transportation Code does not address an "entry fee". The one-percent sales tax would be imposed by the authority on the date of annexation.
In response to your question, "What would be required for Grand Prairie to join DART?", our enabling legislation specifically sets out procedures to expand the service area beyond its current limits. Any jurisdiction interested in joining the authority must
- be geographically contiguous to the existing service area,
- have available the one-percent sales tax to dedicate to transportation, and,
- obtain voter approval to levy the tax through a local option election.
Any jurisdiction interested in joining DART must provide an official expression of interest in the form of resolutions or other formal action. Once this step has been completed, DART will be able to provide planning to the community to develop the necessary transit service plan in order to take to the voters.
Thank you for your interest, and I hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please contact Janie Pena, Assistant Vice President of External Affairs, at [phone # available on request].
Sincerely,
[signature]
Roger Snoble
President/Executive Director
RS/ssh
cc Stephanie Sandoval, The Arlington Morning News
DART Board
Sue Bauman
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This site is the creation of Robert Brooks (robertb@dixie-chicks.com), who is solely responsible for its content. This site is not affiliated with either the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority (DART) or the Fort Worth Transit Authority (The T). Comments and suggestions are highly welcomed!
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Last update: 11/23/2000
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