Highland Park voters to decide on continued DART membership in May election

[RandySF]

The Highland Park Town Council has ordered a withdrawal election that will allow voters to decide whether the town should remain a member of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

Highland Park has been part of DART since 1983. As a member city, the town dedicates one cent (1%) of its local sales tax (the maximum allowed under state law for transit) to help fund regional transportation services. Texas law allows cities to levy up to two cents (2%) total in local sales tax revenue.

Under state law, DART member cities may call a withdrawal election once every six years.

If voters approve withdrawing, DART would be required to immediately discontinue all transit service within Highland Park, though residents would still be able to access bus and rail services outside town limits.


https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/highland-park-dart-vote-may-2/4006199/

[Vogon_Glory]

1. If Highland Park withdraws, someone's going to have to do a lot of walking

Last edited Thu Apr 23, 2026, 12:08 PM - Edit history (1)

I believe that Highland park’s DART service only uses motor vehicles. Some of DART’s bus stops are accessible for people living on the east and south ends, but the south side is where the town’s wealthiest residents live and the wealthiest don’t use transit that much.

Something similar happened years ago when Highland Park had a spat with Dallas and Dallas’s old Dallas Transit System (The old DTS was all-bus by then). The DTS had several routes running through HP then, but kept running buses. Their solution was to boost fares for rides getting on or off in Highland Park.

I don’t know what DART would do this time. Discontinue the bus stops?

Stay tuned.