Dallas Reduces DART Board Majority as Cities Plan Exit Votes

Dallas City Council votes to shift DART governance structure amid negotiations to prevent member cities from leaving the transit system.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The Dallas City Council has voted 13-2 to relinquish its majority hold on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board, reducing its representation from 8 of 15 seats to 7 of 13 seats. This comes as nearly half of DART's member cities have called special elections in May to potentially cut ties with the regional public transit provider.

Why it matters

The change in DART's governance structure is an attempt by Dallas to cooperate with other member cities that are considering withdrawing from the transit system. DART has warned of immediate service cuts in cities where voters approve leaving the agency, underscoring the high stakes involved.

The details

Under the new model, each of DART's 13 member cities will receive one vote, while Dallas retains 7 seats, or about 45% of the representation. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said this resolution is a necessary first step, but does not fix all the challenges facing DART. The cities of Plano, Irving, Farmers Branch, Addison, University Park, and Highland Park have all passed resolutions to put DART pullout elections on the May ballot.

  • The Dallas City Council voted on the resolution on February 11, 2026.
  • The deadline for cities to finalize ballot language is late February 2026, with a deadline to cancel the pullout election approaching in mid-March 2026.

The players

Dallas City Council

The governing body of the city of Dallas that voted to relinquish its majority hold on the DART Board.

Eric Johnson

The Mayor of Dallas who supported the resolution, stating it is a necessary first step but does not fix all the challenges facing DART.

Paul Ridley

The Dallas City Councilmember for District 14 and chair of the city's transportation committee, who said the resolution reflects a motivation to cooperate with other member cities.

Plano

One of the DART member cities that has passed a resolution to put a DART pullout election on the May 2026 ballot.

John Muns

The Mayor of Plano, who expressed encouragement at Dallas' vote and said the cities are working to find a solution before the pullout elections.

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What they’re saying

“This one act that we're taking today doesn't, in and of itself, fix all the things that are challenging DART that need to be fixed.”

— Eric Johnson, Mayor of Dallas (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

“This vote by itself does not ensure that those elections are cancelled.”

— Paul Ridley, Dallas City Councilmember, District 14 (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

“I appreciate Dallas making this vote. We've had some really good discussions with DART over the last few weeks. We have a framework for a solution.”

— John Muns, Mayor of Plano (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

What’s next

The deadline for cities to finalize ballot language is late February 2026, with a deadline to cancel the pullout election approaching in mid-March 2026. DART and the member cities are continuing negotiations over board representation, sales tax funding, and transit service quality in an effort to prevent the pullout elections from moving forward.

The takeaway

The shift in DART's governance structure represents an attempt by Dallas to collaborate with other member cities and prevent them from withdrawing from the regional transit system. However, significant challenges remain, and the threat of service cuts in cities that vote to leave DART underscores the high stakes involved in these negotiations.