1. Plano receives alternative transit report as DART vote approaches
Plano City Council received a split recommendation Dec. 16 from the Collin County Connects Committee on alternative transit options as voters prepare to decide the city’s future with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system in a May special election.
What happened
At their Dec. 16 meeting, Plano City Council members received an update on the committee’s work over the last several weeks. The citizen-led transit committee was tasked with making a recommendation on alternative transit and concluded its work without a formal consensus Dec. 11 due to questions about cost, coverage and paratransit.
Director of Policy and Government Relations Andrew Fortune said half of the committee members participated in the rankings, while the other half chose not to submit rankings, providing written comments instead.
Fortune said that regardless of the May election, city officials will be working to establish an alternative transit service in Plano.
Continue reading to find out more from Reporter Jacquelyn Burrer.
2. Plano submits proposed rail-only deal to DART ahead of May special election
Plano officials have formally asked the Dallas Area Rapid Transit agency to consider a six-year, rail-focused transit agreement with an election on withdrawal from the system looming.
Plano residents will vote on whether the city should stay with DART on May 2, 2026, unless an agreement between the city and agency is met prior to March 18.
The proposal was formally submitted to DART on Nov. 14, according to a city spokesperson.
Some context
Plano City Council voted to call a special election at a Nov. 5 special meeting, joining other DART member cities, including Highland Park, Irving and Farmers Branch.
The proposal details a six-year agreement under which DART would continue providing rail service and express buses in Plano but discontinue “all standard bus, demand-response and other non-rail transit services within the city” by Jan. 1, 2029.
However, the city is “open to discussing” how to provide paratransit services to stay in compliance with federal law, according to the proposal.
Under the proposal, DART would return a phased proportion of the city’s sales tax contribution back to the city through a general mobility program with quarterly payments.
Learn more from Reporter Jacquelyn Burrer.
3. Silver Line connects riders from Plano, Richardson to DFW Airport
Nearly two decades after its initial conception, the 26-mile, $2 billion Silver Line transit rail from transportation agency Dallas Area Rapid Transit is now open.
As of Oct. 25, riders can hop on the train and travel to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in less than an hour. The Silver Line has two stations each in Plano and Richardson, and six additional stations that touch Dallas, Addison, Carrollton, Coppell and Grapevine.
What you need to know
DART CEO Nadine Lee called the Silver Line’s opening the “realization of a promise kept to our riders and our region.”
“This moment captures what we mean when we talk about moving [DART] from being seen as just a transit system to becoming a regional economic and mobility asset,” Lee said.
See more details about the Silver Line from Editor Michael Crouchley, Senior Reporter Cody Thorn and Reporter Jacquelyn Burrer.
4. DART receives $25 million for Cotton Belt Trail construction
The Texas Transportation Commission recently awarded DART $25 million for the next phase of construction on the Cotton Belt Trail.
The overview
The Cotton Belt Trail is a hike-and-bike trail that, once completed, will link a number of cities across the metroplex, stretching 57 miles from Plano to downtown Fort Worth, of which 21.5 miles have already been completed, including a small section in Richardson just west of US 75.
The second phase of construction began in spring 2025 on 11 miles of the trail from Addison to Plano, including nearly 3 miles that will run through Richardson. This portion of the trail is projected to be completed in early 2027, said Mario Zavala, Dallas Area Rapid Transit communications project manager.
The third phase of construction, which the new $25 million will go toward, is slated to begin in mid-2027 and will connect DART stations in Cypress Waters, Addison and downtown Carrollton.
Dig deeper with reporting from Isabella Zeff.
5. DART receives $7 million grant to replace nearly 500 buses
Dallas Area Rapid Transit received a $7.094 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to replace nearly 500 aging buses across the metroplex.
The overview
DART plans to phase out the older buses that have reached the end of their useful life, and announced the purchase of 476 new buses earlier this year. The first buses in the fleet were already delivered this fall and will be picking up passengers by the end of December.
The phased replacement of the older buses with the new models is expected to continue through 2027.
The new buses are compressed natural gas-powered, a near-zero-emission option that helped DART secure the FTA grant.
Zooming out
The new grant is in addition to $103 million in initial federal grants awarded to DART, and part of a $2.5 billion nationwide system modernization program.
Read here from Reporter Isabella Zeff.
