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[Transportation and Infrastructure Committee/ DART Board Special Called Joint Meeting on December 2, 2025.]
AND WE ARE COMMENCING THE SPECIAL CALL JOINT MEETING OF THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE IN THE DALLAS AREA, RAPID TRANSIT BOARD MEMBERS REPRESENTING DALLAS.OUR FIRST BRIEFING ITEM IS A QUARTERLY DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT UPDATE.
I NOTE THAT A QUORUM OF THE CITY COUNCIL TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE IS PRESENT.
AND I TURN THE MIC OVER TO CHAIR BRYANT.
UM, WITH THE TIME ALREADY BEING ANNOUNCED, I CALL THE SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF THE DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO ORDER.
YOU WANT THE MOTION? UH, VICE CHAIR.
UM, I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE A MOTION.
UH, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT, UH, CHAIRMAN RIDLEY ACT AS THE CHAIR OF THIS JOINT MEETING.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
AS I MENTIONED, OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS ITEM A, AND THIS ENTAILS A PRESENTATION BY THE DART BOARD CHAIR RANDALL BRYANT AND NADINE S LEE, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF DART.
DO WE HAVE A SUBSTITUTE? YES, SIR.
DE LEGETT, CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER.
DEE, PLEASE PROCEED WITH YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU AGAIN, CHAIRMAN RIDLEY.
I'LL START IT OFF AND PASS IT OVER.
SO IF YOU GIVE ME JUST A SECOND.
SO TODAY THE DART BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAVE CONVENED THE DALLAS MEMBERS OF THE DART BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAVE CONVENED TO GIVE YOU ALL, UM, WHAT HOPEFULLY CAN CONTINUE TO BE A QUARTERLY UPDATE.
UM, THANK YOU CHAIRMAN RIDLEY AS OUR NEW TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE CHAIR.
UH, WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH COUNCILMAN, UH, VARS OVER THE PAST, UH, COUPLE YEARS, UH, IN THAT ROLE.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THE CONTINUED SUCCESS AND COLLABORATION WITH YOU ALL.
UM, WE WILL BE COVERING TODAY.
I'M WELL, I'M JOINED TODAY BY, UM, OUR EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, NATE, UH, D LEGETT, AS WELL AS OUR, UH, CHIEF OF POLICE, CHIEF CATO.
UH, WE'LL BE DISCUSSING, UM, FOUR TOPICS, DART IN DALLAS.
TODAY'S THE SECURITY UPDATE, UH, THE FIFA PLANNING AND THE PENDING WITHDRAWAL ELECTIONS.
YOU'LL FIND A COPY OF DART'S, UM, POINT B STRATEGIC PLAN ANNUAL REPORT, WHICH SHOWCASES DART'S PROGRESS WITHIN EACH OF OUR SIX STRATEGIC GOALS AND DEMONSTRATES OUR COMMITMENT TO EMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS, CITIES, AND THE REGION.
AS YOU REVIEW THE ANNUAL REPORT, YOU WILL SEE THE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN SEVERAL AREAS.
A FEW OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE HIGHLIGHTED ON, ON THIS SLIDE.
UH, FIRST WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE UNTS ECONOMIC RESEARCH GROUP STUDY FOUND THAT IN THE LAST 25 YEARS, DART HAS CATALYZED ONE POINT, I'M SORRY, $18.1 BILLION IN ECONOMIC, UH, DIRECT IMPACT WITHIN A QUARTER OF A MILE OF ALL RAIL STATIONS.
THIS TRANSLATES INTO JOBS TAX REVENUE FOR OUR CITIES AND RENT PREMIUMS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
ON OCTOBER 25TH, WE OPENED THE 26 MILES, 26 MILES SILVER LINE, UM, OUR FIRST EAST TO WEST RAIL SERVICE LINKING OUR NORTHERN SERVICE AREA CITIES, INCLUDING TWO DALLAS STATIONS, NOLL TRAIL, AND CYPRESS WATERS TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE DFW AIRPORT.
WE ARE, WE ARE NEARLY COMPLETE WITH THE CUSTOMIZED AREA PLANS FOR EACH CITY.
WE THANK, UM, THE STAFF THAT'S BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THAT.
UM, WITH DALLAS UNDERWAY, UH, RIGHT NOW AS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY SPRING 2026.
UH, WE'VE PROVIDED 56 MILLION TRIPS LAST YEAR, MOVING 171,000 PASSENGERS ON AVERAGE EVERY DAY TO WORK SCHOOL MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS AND MORE.
WE'VE COMPLETED, WE, WE HAVE COMPLETED OR ARE IN PROGRESS ON 29 PROJECTS TO ENHANCE
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CLEANLINESS, SECURITY, AND RELIABLE AND RELIABILITY ON OUR SYSTEM, THANKS TO A $110 MILLION RIDERSHIP IMPROVEMENT FUNDS AUTHORIZED BY THE BOARD IN FY 23.OUR LATEST CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEY SHOWED ANOTHER STRONG GAIN IN OUR NET PROMOTER SCORE, A MEASURE OF BRAND LOYALTY, A GAIN OF 40 POINTS OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
LASTLY, WE ARE ADVANCING A $2.5 BILLION SYSTEM MODERNIZATION PROGRAM, UPDATING OUR FLEETS, FACILITIES, SIGNALS, SYSTEMS, AND MORE.
NEW BUSES ARE ARRIVING, ARE ALREADY ARRIVING FOR THAT PLAN.
THERE WERE 476 TOTAL, UM, 76 30 FOOT BUSES AND, UH, 440 FOOT BUSES.
A NEW TICKET VENDING MACHINE WAS, UH, UNVEILED LAST TWO WEEKS AGO.
AND, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION DISPLAYS ARE BEING INSTALLED, UH, TO THAT EFFECT WITH MORE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE WAY.
AND NOW I WILL TOSS IT OVER TO DELE.
CHAIR BRYANT SPOKE OF OUR RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
I'LL NOW SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO, UM, OUR RIDERSHIP AND SERVICES AND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE.
OUR POINT B STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH THE AC ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE SET IN FRONT OF YOU, IS FOCUSED ON DELIVERING QUALITY AND SEAMLESS SERVICES FOR OUR PASSENGERS AND OUR WORK OVER THE LAST YEAR IS INDICATIVE OF THAT.
WE HAVE WORKED SINCE OUR BUS NETWORK REDESIGN TO OPTIMIZE OUR SERVICES TO MEET THE CHANGING NEEDS OF OUR RIDERS.
THAT INCLUDES BALANCING COVERAGE WITH EXPANSIONS OF GOLINK AND FREQUENCY WITH IMPROVING OUR, OUR LIGHT RAIL FREQUENCY AND SOME OF OUR BUS ROUTES.
OUR RIDERSHIP CONTINUES TO GROW, BUT CONSISTENT WITH NATIONAL TRENDS THAT OVERALL RIDERSHIP GROWTH IS LEVELING OFF.
HOWEVER, WE ARE CONTINUED TO SEE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH ON WEEKENDS.
BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THOSE RIDERSHIP TRENDS, LET'S, LET'S DO A REFRESHER ON OUR SERVICES THAT DART OFFERS ACROSS OUR 700 SQUARE MILE SERVICE AREA.
HERE YOU SEE OUR FOUR LIGHT RAIL LINES, OUR JOINTLY OPERATED TRE SERVICE BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH, AND THE NEWLY OPENED SILVER LINE SERVICE, WHICH DIRECTOR BRYANT TALKED ABOUT.
LIGHT RAIL OPERATES AT 15 TO 20 MINUTE FREQUENCIES AND HEADWAYS WITH COMMUTER RAIL IS 30 TO 60 MINUTE FREQUENCIES.
HERE'S TO HAVE STREETCAR LINES THAT WE OPERATE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS, AND THEN WE PROVIDE SUPPORT WITH THE OPERATIONS OF THE MCKINNEY AVENUE TROLLEY.
THIS ALLOWS US TO FURTHER EXPAND THE RAIL AND MULTIMODAL FOOTPRINT IN THE, WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS.
IN GOLD, YOU SEE OUR SERVICE AREA OVERLAID WITH OUR FREQUENT BUS NETWORKS, WHICH OPERATE AT 10 TO 15 MINUTES, STEERING THE PEAK, AND THESE ARE PLACED IN OUR HIGH RIDERSHIP CORRIDORS, SIGNIFICANTLY SURVEYING THE CITY OF DALLAS.
OUR NEXT LAYER OF BUS SERVICE, WHICH STILL OFFERS STRONG PEAK FREQUENCIES AS SHOWN HERE IN PURPLE.
THESE ARE OUR LOCAL BUS, NET BUS BUS ROUTES THAT OPERATE 15 MINUTE PEAK AND 30 MINUTE DURING THE MIDDAY.
WE THEN OFFER LOWER FREQUENCY COVERAGE ROUTES ACROSS OUR SERVICE AREA IN LIGHT BLUE.
THIS PROVIDES COST-EFFECTIVE COVERAGE ACROSS OUR SERVICE AREA BASED ON RIDERSHIP DEMAND.
WE ALSO OFFER EXPRESS BUS ROUTES DURING THE WEEKDAY ALONG REGIONAL CORRIDORS NOT SERVED BY RAIL.
THIS MATCHES WORKFORCE COMMUTER PATTERNS INTO DALLAS IN REVERSE COMMUTE PATTERNS OF OTHER HIGH EMPLOYMENT AREAS SUCH AS ADDISON AND PLANO.
WE SERVE FIRST AND LAST MILE CONNECTIONS AT KEY TRANSFER POINTS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UM, UNIVERSITIES AND MAJOR EMPLOYERS THROUGH SHUTTLE SERVICES, WHICH ARE SHOWN HERE.
AND THEN OUR SERVICE AREA IS FURTHER COVERED WITH FIRST AND LAST MILE CONNECTIONS OFFERED BY GOLINK.
DART OPERATES ONE OF THE LARGEST MICRO TRANSIT NETWORKS IN NORTH AMERICA.
WE DO THIS THROUGH A MIXED SUPPLY MODEL, WHICH, UM, INCLUDES DEDICATED ACCESSIBLE VEHICLES THAT ARE OPERATED THROUGH OUR CONTRACTOR AND THEN ALSO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UBER AND LYFT.
TRIPS CAN BE BOOKED THROUGH GO PASS BY PHONE OR ON THE GO PASS APP, AND THE HOURS LARGELY MIRROR THAT OF OUR FIXED ROUTE.
I WILL NOTE THAT THE SERVICES THAT I JUST WALKED THROUGH, THE MAPS THAT I JUST SHOWED WILL BE CHANGING IN FEBRUARY.
THE SUMMARY OF THOSE FEBRUARY 26 CHANGES IS IN YOUR APPENDIX.
THESE BAR CHARTS GRAPH, UM, RIDERSHIP OVER THE LAST FIVE YEAR, FIVE YEARS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, RIDERSHIP VARIES BY QUARTER DEPENDING ON WEATHER AND VARIOUS ACTIVITIES IN OUR SERVICE AREA.
WE ARE SEEING THE GROWTH FLATTEN OFF, ALTHOUGH WE'VE SAW SIGNIFICANT GROWTH SINCE 2021.
BUS CONTINUES TO BE THE WORKHORSE
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OF OUR SYSTEM PROVIDING OVER HALF OF OUR RIDERSHIP.AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS SLIDE, DALLAS REPRESENTS ABOUT 75% OF OUR TOTAL SYSTEM RIDERSHIP.
DALLAS, BEING THE DRIVER OF, OF OUR SYSTEM IS ALSO INDICATIVE BY THIS MAP.
WE PARTNER WITH, UM, THE NORTH CENTRAL COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS TO CONDUCT A BOARDING AND A LIGHTING STUDY.
THIS IS CONDUCTED EVERY FEW YEARS AND REALLY DRIVES THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION MODEL AND DRIVES A LOT OF THE DATA THAT, UM, DART LOOKS AT IN CURRENTLY.
SO THE LAST 2023 SURVEY SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN OUR CITIES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTIVITY INTO DALLAS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, DALLAS REMAINS A SIGNIFICANT REGIONAL TRIP TRIP GENERATOR.
FOR EXAMPLE, 8% OF CARROLLTON TRIPS STAY IN CARROLLTON.
70, 77% OF THOSE TRIPS GO INTO DALLAS FOR IRVING.
29% OF THE TRIPS ARE INTERNAL, 63% TRIPS GO TO DALLAS, AND 15% TRIPS GO TO RICHARDSON GARLAND.
68% OF THOSE TRIPS GO TO DALLAS.
BUT AS WE CAN ALSO SEE FROM THIS DATA, INNER CITY CONNECTIONS ARE CRITICAL AND LOCAL CONNECTIVITY IS JUST IMPORTANT TO GET PEOPLE TO THEIR FINAL DESTINATION.
SINCE MANY OF OUR WRITERS WE KNOW HAVE TWO TO THREE TRANSFERS IN THEIR TRIP.
SO THAT'S WHY DART IS REALLY FOCUSED ON FIRST AND LAST MILE CONNECTIONS, AND THAT'S WHY OUR DECISIONS CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON MAINTAINING COVERAGE.
OUR TOP, UM, FIVE RIDERSHIP ROUTES, FOUR OF WHICH ARE IN THE CITY OF OF DALLAS.
I WANNA HIGHLIGHT 20, THE ROUTE 22 FOREST LANE ROUTE IN, UM, SEPTEMBER OF 2024.
DART INVESTED IN PUTTING ADDITIONAL FREQUENCY ON THIS ROUTE.
THIS HELPS ILLUSTRATE THE INVESTMENT IN FREQUENCY AND HOW THAT DRIVES RIDERSHIP PERFORMANCE.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE SEEN OVER A 77% INCREASE IN RIDERSHIP ON ROUTE 22.
THESE ARE THE TOP FIVE GOING ZONES, TWO OF WHICH ARE WITHIN THE CITY OF DALLAS, UM, CYPRESS WATERS AND INLAND PORT EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST, WE HAVE CHANGED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INLAND PORT.
UM, WHAT IS IS SHOWN HERE CURRENTLY INCLUDES THE INLAND PORT, UM, CONNECT.
MOVING FORWARD, THE SERVICES OUTSIDE OF DART SERVICE AREA WILL BE OPERATED BY STAR TRANSIT ON BEHALF OF THE INLAND PORT LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF.
I'M CHARLIE CATO, CHIEF OF POLICE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR DALLAS STATE RAPID TRANSIT.
OUR SECURITY UPDATE, WE'VE INSTITUTED, UM, A COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY STRATEGY, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, THESE PARTS.
UM, WE'VE INCREASED OUR UNIFORM PRESENCE ON THERE BY HIRING A TRANSIT SECURITY CONTRACT WITH A TRANSIT SECURITY OFFICER COMPANY INTERCON SECURITY TO PROVIDE 100 ADDITIONAL UNIFORM LEVEL THREE.
SO THEY'RE ARMED WITH PEPPER SPRAY A FIREARM AND HANDCUFFS, UH, SECURITY OFFICERS TO SUPPLEMENT OUR DART POLICE OFFICERS AND OUR FAIR ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ON OUR TRAINS.
ALSO, HAVE IMP IMPLEMENTED A CLEAN TEAM, UH, A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO RIDE THE TRAINS FROM STOP TO STOP AND, AND OUR STATION AT CERTAIN STATIONS ALONG THE WAY TO GET ON THE TRAIN AND CLEAN THE TRAIN.
HOW ARE YOU? HOW CAN I HELP YOU CLEAN THE TRAINS? I'M GONNA GET BACK TO YOU TO SEE WHAT, OKAY.
WE'VE, UH, WE'VE ALSO, UH, RECOGNIZING THE NEED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE MENTAL ILLNESS, UM, OF THE PEOPLE WHO RIDE THE SYSTEM.
WE'VE INSTITUTED A MULTIPLE ADDITIONAL RESPONSE TEAM THROUGH OUR DARK CARES PROGRAM THAT PAIRS A DARK POLICE OFFICER.
EACH OF THESE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN SELECTED AND SPECIALLY TRAINED TO BECOME STATE, UH, STATE CERTIFIED MENTAL HEALTH PEACE OFFICERS.
WE, UH, UH, PAIR THEM UP WITH A LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER.
PARKLAND HEALTH HAS AGREED TO EXTEND IT FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS TO THE SPRING OF 2026, AND THE BOARD APPROVED THAT WE HAVE AN RFP OUT TO MAKE THIS A PERMANENT PROGRAM.
IT'S BEEN A PILOT PROGRAM SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2023.
WE HAVE ENOUGH DATA TO INDICATE THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM AND WITH THE BOARD SUPPORT, WE'RE ADVANCING THAT PROGRAM.
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS, UH, WE WANNA USE TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, OUR IT DEPARTMENT HAS PROCURED, UH, A NEW VIDEO MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS GENETECH, AND IT'S, AND WE'VE ALSO, THE BOARD JUST APPROVED A CONTRACT TO UPDATE ALL OF OUR CAMERAS ON OUR SYSTEM.
WE HAVE OVER 7,700 CAMERAS ON OUR SYSTEM BETWEEN THE BUS TRAINS, OUR PLATFORMS, STATIONS, AND OUR FACILITIES.
AND SO, UH, THIS NEW SOFTWARE FOR THE, UH, THAT WE HAVE IS GONNA HAVE ADVANCED ANALYTIC
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CAPABILITIES TO HELP US IMPROVE OUR RESPONSE TIMES.WE CAN'T POSSIBLY HUMANLY, UH, VIEW 7,700 CAMERAS.
SO THIS SOFTWARE IS GONNA SCAN THOSE CAMERAS AND ALERT THE CAMERA MONITORS TO WHAT, FOR SPECIFIC ACTIVITY, FOR EXAMPLE, WEAPONS OR A FIGHT OR SOME, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT'LL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ADVANCE TO, TO DEPLOY PEOPLE IN ADVANCE BEFORE WE GET A CALL, UH, FROM THE CITIZENS THERE.
WE ALSO HAVE MOVED TO A DATA-DRIVEN ACCOUNTABILITY MODEL, DACS MODEL, TO SUPPORT THE DEPLOYMENT OF OUR PERSONNEL.
AND WE'VE OPENED A, RECENTLY OPENED A COMBINED DISPATCH CENTER WITH RAIL CONTROL, BUS DISPATCH AND POLICE DISPATCH AND, UH, IN ONE FACILITY.
NOW, THESE, THESE STATISTICS HERE ARE FROM THE FOURTH QUARTER.
SO THIS IS JULY ONE TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025, COMPARED TO JULY 1ST TO SEPTEMBER 20TH 20, UH, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2025.
SO IN THAT TIME ARE CRIMES AGAINST PERSON.
WE LOOK AT CRIME LIKE NEIGHBORS, NATIONAL INCIDENT BASED REPORTING SYSTEM, CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY AND CRIMES AGAINST SOCIETY.
CRIMES AGAINST PERSON IS DOWN 16% DURING THAT COMPARISON PERIOD.
COMPARED TO LAST YEAR, CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY SPECIFICALLY THEFT IS DOWN 26%.
AND WE'VE INCREASED OUR EFFORTS RELATED TO DRUG RELATED OFFENSES.
THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL, UH, CHANGES IN THE, IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE OPERATE IN THAT HAVE AFFECTED US.
UH, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE CITIES HAVE STOPPED ENFORCING MARIJUANA POSSESSION OR MARIJUANA USE IN, IN PUBLIC FOR LESS THAN FOUR OUNCES.
AND, AND, UH, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE BECAUSE OUR SYSTEM OPERATES IN 13 CITIES, IT'S, IT'S IMPACTED US.
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE ENCOUNTER.
WE'VE TAKEN A PROACTIVE APPROACH, UH, BECAUSE SMOKING, ESPECIALLY MARIJUANA ON A TRAIN OR ONE OF OUR BUSES, IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS OTHER PEOPLE.
SO WE, WE'VE TAKEN AN INCREASED APPROACH, AND THAT'S THE ONLY AREA OF ARREST CATEGORY THAT WE'VE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IS OUR DRUG RELATED OFFENSIVE ARREST.
ALSO, UH, INCREASED ARREST FOR A CRIMINAL TRESPASS, WHICH ARE LOITERING, A FAIR EVASION.
WE'VE TAKEN A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO THAT TO NOW ALLOW FOLKS TO JUST HANG OUT.
THEY EITHER HAVE TO HAVE FAIR AND HAVE A DESTINATION OR THEY'RE REMOVED FROM THE SYSTEM.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO, UH, POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, THE QUARTERLY REPORT.
I REPORT TO THE BOARD EVERY QUARTER.
AND, UH, SO ON THE FISCAL YEAR QUARTER.
AND THEN WE'RE HAVE OUR, UM, NEIGHBORS REPORT FOR THE LAST, UH, THREE YEARS ON, ON THERE ALSO.
SO WE ENHANCED OUR REPORTING TO INCREASE OUR TRANSPARENCY ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND WITH THAT, UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CHAIR BRIAN.
UM, JUST WANNA UNDERSCORE SOMETHING ON OUR SAFETY.
UM, YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF, OF THIS HERE.
UH, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE IT, PLEASE, UM, LET US KNOW AND WE'LL GET A COPY OF IT FOR YOU.
UM, BUT IT SUMMARIZES, UM, A BIT IN, IN, IN, IN SHORT, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THE CHIEF TALKED ABOUT AND IT, AND IT EXPLAINS, UH, SOME OTHER THINGS BASED UPON, UM, YOU ALL KNOW THIS, I BECAME THE CHAIR ON OCTOBER 28TH.
AND IN THAT ADDRESS, UM, TO OUR BOARD AND TO OUR GENERAL PUBLIC, UM, I LAID OUT FIVE GOALS, UM, FOR THE TWO YEARS THAT I WOULD BE THE CHAIR.
AND OF COURSE, SAFETY WAS ONE OF THOSE TOP FIVE GOALS.
UM, SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THAT, UM, A GOAL TO HAVE AT LEAST ONE UNIFORM PRESENCE ON EVERY TRAIN, CAR AND EVERY STATION PLATFORM DURING ALL HOURS OF OPERATIONS.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS INCLUDED WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT HERE.
THIS FRONT SITE HERE, UM, LAYS OUT, UH, WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AT DART, WHICH I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO, UM, UH, SHARE THE FACTS THAT, THAT, THAT CRIME AGAINST PERSONS AND CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY IS IN FACT DOWN.
UM, I, AS THE CHIEF NOTED, WE HAVE, UM, ADDED THESE ADDITIONAL OFFICERS.
AND SO WHERE WE'RE SEEING THIS, UM, INCREASE IN PROACTIVE SYSTEM REMOVALS, THAT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD THING.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE USING THE OFFICERS THAT, UM, THAT WE'VE HIRED TO DO A JOB, AND THEY'RE DOING IT AND THEY'RE DOING IT VERY EFFECTIVELY.
UM, YOU SEE UNDER PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT, DART IS THE SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER, HAS THE SECOND HIGHEST NUMBER OF JAIL BOOKINGS OF ALL DEPARTMENTS AND, AND MUNICIPALITIES IN DALLAS COUNTY ONLY SECOND BEHIND THIS CITY HERE.
AND SO, WHEREAS IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBERS ARE BEING JUDGED INCORRECTLY IN MY OPINION, THAT CRIME IS UP, UH, WHEN THE TRUE CRIME AGAINST PEOPLE AND PROPERTY IS DOWN.
BUT THE CRIME THAT'S UP IS IN THE AREAS THAT THE TSOS ARE DOING THEIR JOBS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ADDRESSING ISSUES AND REMOVING PEOPLE FROM OUR SYSTEM THAT ARE CAUSING ISSUES ON OUR SYSTEM.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE TWO OVER 2000 ARRESTS WERE MADE THIS YEAR AND OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE, UM, HAVE BEEN REMOVED.
UM, MOVING OVER TO INCREASED SECURITY, UH, SECURITY PRESENCE AGAIN.
UM, HOW WE'VE DONE THAT IS THROUGH, UH, WHAT WAS STARTED WITH ARPA FUNDS.
AND IT HAD SUCH GREAT SUCCESS THAT WE AS A BOARD EN, UM, ENSURED THAT, THAT THAT, UH, PROGRAM WOULD CONTINUE.
AND WE ARE NOW INVESTING IT YEAR OVER YEAR WITH OUR GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, AT THE BOTTOM, THIS WAS AN ARTICLE THAT WAS IN THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS ON THE FRONT PAGE ACTUALLY, UM, THAT HIGHLIGHTED THE
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SECURITY CONTRACT THAT, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, SECURITY CAMERAS, UH, CONTRACT THAT THE CHIEF TALKED ABOUT, AS WELL AS OUR BUS SHELTER, UM, UH, CLEANING CONTRACT THAT WAS APPROVED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.ON THE BACKSIDE, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT'S NEXT.
AND SO, AGAIN, UM, OUR GOAL IS TO INCREASE OUR TSO CONTRACT.
UM, BECAUSE IT IS A CONTRACT THAT'S YEAR OVER YEAR, WE CAN SCALE IT UP AND SCALE IT DOWN, UM, AS APPROVED.
IT'S NOT THROUGH OUR, UH, DART POLICE OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WORRY ABOUT THOSE, UH, EMPLOYEES AND UNION CONTRACTS.
UM, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WAY TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, THAT, SO THAT COVERS 0.1 AND TWO, UH, AND OF, OR ACTUALLY FOR 0.2, HAVING MORE UNIFORM PRESENCE ALLOWS US TO, IMPORTANTLY TO EN ENSURE OUR FAIR ENFORCEMENT, UM, IS, IS IS UP TO SCALE AS WELL.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRANSIT AMBASSADOR PROGRAMS. UM, SOME VETERANS ACTUALLY HAVE COME TO US TO, TO ASK ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, UH, SEE HOW THEY CAN GET INVOLVED WITH BEING AMBASSADORS FOR OUR SYSTEM.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE KNOW AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW DO WE INCREASE RIDERSHIP, HOW DO WE CAPTURE THAT LAST 20% THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE A GREAT JOB OF, UH, CAPTURING, UH, RECAPTURING PRE COVID.
UM, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, JUST VARIOUS STIGMAS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE DARK SYSTEM AND OF DARK CRIME AND SAFETY.
AND SO OF COURSE WE'VE DONE THE, THE WORK TO GET THE NUMBERS DOWN.
AND, AND NOW THE NEXT STEP IS TO DO EVEN MORE WORK TO ADDRESS THE PERCEPTION OF SAFETY ON OUR SYSTEM BY THE NUMBER.
SAFETY IS, OF COURSE, DOWN THOUGH, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, ON THE BACK, ON THE FRONT SIDE ABOUT JAIL POPULATION, THIS IS SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH OUR COUNTY, AND YOU ALL HAVE HAD SOME OF THOSE SIMILAR CONVERSA CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE JAIL BEING OVERPOPULATED.
THE, THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF ARRESTS THAT ARE MADE ON OUR SYSTEM, AND THIS COMES STRAIGHT FROM THE COUNTY TO, TO DART THAT SAME INDIVIDUAL, HAS BEEN ARRESTED ALMOST FOUR TIMES ON AVERAGE FOR THE SAME CRIME.
AND SO WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT NEW ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND ADDRESS THAT POPULATION OF PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTINUALLY BEING ARRESTED.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, THIS MIAMI-DADE MODEL AS, AS AN OPTION.
UM, YOU SEE HERE THAT, UM, SINCE IT WAS IMPLEMENTED, I BELIEVE IN 2001, UM, THEY'VE SEEN A 39% REDUCTION IN JAIL INMATES.
THEY'VE SAVED OVER $12 MILLION, UH, A YEAR TO THEIR TAXPAYERS AND ARE LOOKING, UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE HOW WE CAN IMPLEMENT THAT, UM, INCREASED DEFLECTION CENTER AND DIVERSION PROGRAM HERE IN, IN, IN DALLAS COUNTY AND SPECIFICALLY FOR DART.
UM, THE LAST TWO ITEMS ARE SOME NEW POLICIES, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT.
UM, THE BOARD ACTUALLY HAS SEEN THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT AT OUR DECEMBER 9TH MEETING, BUT I WANTED YOU ALL TO HAVE IT AS WELL.
UM, SO, UM, TWO ADDITIONAL POLICIES.
THAT AND, AND, UH, THE START OF SOME NEW POLICIES, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE OTHERS, BUT, UM, ENSURING THAT ALL RIDERS HAVE A GUARANTEED DESTINATION AND ONE RIDER PER PERCEIVED POLICY WOULD BE, UM, SOME NEW POLICIES TO, TO, UM, IMPLEMENT FOR THE DART SYSTEM.
AND THEN AS THE CHIEF, UH, MENTIONED AT THE BOTTOM, WE DO NOW HAVE, UM, OUR WEBSITES, UM, UP UPDATED WITH THE QUARTERLY POLICE REPORTS THAT GO BACK TWO YEARS, AS WELL AS OUR RISS REPORTS ARE UPDATED ON A QUARTERLY BASIS FOR THIS YEAR.
I KNOW THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED AND BROUGHT UP.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I TALKED ABOUT AND IT'S, THAT'S NOW BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.
AND WITH THAT, WE WILL TURN IT OVER, BACK OVER TO DEE FOR TO TALK ABOUT FIFA.
ALL EYES WILL BE ON NORTH TEXAS NEXT SUMMER WHEN WE PLAY HOST TO THE WORLD CUP GAMES.
DART LIKE MANY OTHERS, INCLUDING THE CITY OF DALLAS IN THIS REGION, HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR HOW TO SERVE THE GLOBAL VISITORS.
THEY'LL BE COMING TO THE GAMES, COMING TO THE INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST CENTER AND COMING TO FAN FEST DARTS USED TO SUPPORTING MAJOR EVENTS, WHETHER IT'S, UM, GAMES AT THE AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER, OR IT'S THE TEXAS OU GAME AT THE TEXAS STATE FAIR, WE CAN AND HAVE CARRIED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS TO AND FROM A MAJOR EVENT.
WHAT MAKES THIS EVENT CHALLENGING IS THAT THE GAMES ARE NOT PLAYED IN OUR SERVICE AREA.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PLANNING FOR THIS EVENT, WE'VE GOTTA THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE LEVERAGE OUR EXISTING SERVICES TO SERVE THE MAJOR EVENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING IN OUR SERVICE AREA, INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST CENTER FAN FEST, THE MAJOR HOTEL VENUES, THE OTHER MAJOR VENUES, WHILE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN BE A REGIONAL PARTNER IN SERVING, UM, THE GAMES THAT ARE BEING PLAYED OUTSIDE OF OUR SERVICE AREA.
SO WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO MAXIMIZE OUR EXISTING SERVICES.
WE'VE ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE SERVE THESE AREAS OUTSIDE OF OUR SERVICE AREA, WE'RE NOT IMPACTING OUR SERVICE TO OUR CURRENT WRITERS.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, A LOT OF THIS IS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS AND THE COLLABORATIONS WITH OUR TRANSIT PARTNERS, THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, DALLAS SPORTS COMMISSION, FIFA VISIT DALLAS, AND THE CITY OF DALLAS AND LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
[00:25:04]
AS WE PLAN FOR THE WORLD CUP, WE ARE TREATING THIS LIKE 39 DAYS OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, OR 39 DAYS OF TEXAS OU.WE PLAN DOING LEAN HEAVILY ON OUR HIGH CAPACITY MODES LIKE BUS AND RAIL.
WE REALLY WANT FOCUS ON WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO ACCOMMODATE GAME DAY CAPACITY ON THE TRE.
SO WE'VE ADDED, AND WE'RE LEASING ADDITIONAL RAIL VEHICLES TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
TRE WILL BE RUNNING EVERY 30 MINUTES ON GAME DAYS FROM THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT TO CENTERPORT, WHERE GAME DAY GOERS WILL BE OFFLOADED ONTO CHARTER BUSES TO BE TAKEN INTO AT AND T STADIUM, ADDITIONAL BUS SERVICE AND PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, THE DALLAS SPORTS COMMISSION.
AND COG WILL OPERATE ALONG I 30 TO ACCOMMODATE ANY OVERFLOW GAME ATTENDEES THAT COULD NOT RIDE THE TRE WILL RUN PEAK PERIOD FREQUENCY ON THE GREEN LINE WITH ADDITIONAL CARS TO SERVE FAN FEST.
WE'VE BUDGETED OVER $18 MILLION TO COVER OUR WORLD CUP RELATED EXPENSES.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH COG ON ABOUT 7.2 MILLION OF THOSE.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEEK FUNDING FROM REGIONAL NATIONAL PARTNERS TO COVER ANY ADDITIONAL COST.
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS AND DIRECTOR BRYANT SPOKE ABOUT OUR, UM, PASSENGER INFORMATION DISPLAY SYSTEMS AND OUR NEW T NEW T VMS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.
WE'RE ALSO MAKING WAY FINDING UPGRADES AND HAVING FOCUSED MARKETING AND PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS TO GUIDE THOSE THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN TO NORTH TEXAS OR DALLAS BEFORE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH BOTH AIRPORTS ON SIGNAGE AND ACCESS VIA TRANSIT TO OUR SERVICE AREA.
CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH THE TRANSIT AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THE JOURNEY IS SEAMLESS.
WE RECOGNIZE CUSTOMERS DON'T CARE WHETHER IT'S OPERATED BY DCTA DART OR TRINITY METRO.
THEY JUST NEED TO GET WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.
THAT'S DEFINITELY TRUE FOR VISITORS AS WELL.
AND WE'RE GONNA STRONGLY PROMOTE THE USE OF GO PASS, WHICH PROVIDES REAL-TIME TRIP PLANNING, SERVICE ALERTS, AND CONTACTLESS PAYMENT ALL IN ONE PLACE.
AND I'LL BE GLAD TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO DIRECTOR BRYANT.
UM, SO THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, SO TO SPEAK, UM, AS YOU ALL ARE, UH, AWARE, UM, FOUR CITIES HAVE, UH, VOTED.
UH, THEIR COUNCILS HAVE VOTED TO PLACE A MEASURE BEFORE THEIR VOTERS ON, ON THE MAY 2ND ELECTION.
UH, TODAY, THE CITY OF ADDISON WILL CONTEMPLATE THAT DECISION AS WELL.
SO, UM, I WANNA JUST PROVIDE, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THAT MEANS, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR DART AS WE KNOW IT RIGHT NOW.
UH, IT'S A BIT FLUID BECAUSE JUST WEEKS AFTER SOME OF THESE CITIES DID, UM, TAKE THOSE VOTES, THEY'VE OFFERED, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN SET OF SOLUTIONS THAT WE ALSO ARE REVIEWING RIGHT NOW.
SO, UH, THE TRUE FINAL OUTCOME, UM, TIME WILL BE THE TEST OF WHAT THOSE DECISIONS WILL BE.
UM, SO THE CITIES, OF COURSE, CAN HOLD AN ELECTION TO WITHDRAW FROM DART EVERY SIX YEARS.
UM, THAT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED SINCE 1995.
OF COURSE, FOUR CITIES HAVE APPROVED THOSE ELECTIONS, AS I'VE STATED.
UM, THEY HAVE, THE CITIES HAVE UP UNTIL FEBRUARY, I BELIEVE THE 12TH OR THE 13TH TO CALL THE ELECTION.
AND THEN THEY HAVE UNTIL MARCH THE 18TH, WHICH IS 45 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL ELECTION DAY ITSELF TO CALL THE ELECTION OFF.
UM, IF VOTERS DO CHOOSE TO WITHDRAW FROM DART ALL SERVICES WITHIN THOSE CITIES, UM, ALL OF OUR MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, BUSES, TRAINS, PARA-TRANSIT, MICRO TRANSIT, UM, THEY WILL ALL CEASE UPON THE CERTIFICATION OF THOSE ELECTIONS.
AND THE SALES TAX, UH, WILL BE CONTINUED, UH, TO BE COLLECTED.
THAT SHOULD BE UNTIL WE APOLOGIZE FOR THAT TYPO, UH, UNTIL THEIR FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ARE FULFILLED.
THAT'S A BROAD RANGE, UH, FOR EVERY CITY BASED UPON WHAT THEIR GENERAL AND SPECIFIC DEBT THAT IS OWED.
THERE ALSO ARE SETS, UM, A CERTAIN SET OF POLICY DECISIONS THAT THE DART BOARD WOULD HAVE TO TAKE.
THAT'S ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 4 52.
UM, SO THE EXACT NUMBERS, THE EXACT AMOUNTS AND WHAT THAT TRANSLATES INTO PROJECTED YEARS, WE DO NOT HAVE THOSE, THOSE, UM, ACTUAL, UM, DOLLAR AMOUNTS RIGHT NOW OF, OF COURSE, AGAIN, BECAUSE CHAPTER 4 52 MANDATES THAT IF A CITY DOES WITHDRAW, THE DART BOARD WOULD HAVE TO VOTE ON WHAT THOSE POLICIES ARE TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS.
UM, 90 DAYS OUT PRIOR TO ANY, UM, WITHDRAWAL ELECTIONS AT, AT AT LEAST 90 DAYS OUT, THE DART, UM, STAFF WILL HAVE TO CONDUCT A SERIES OF PUBLIC HEARINGS AND TOWN HALLS THAT'S IN ACCORDANCE WITH, UM, FDA GUIDELINES.
UM, AND, AND THAT WILL BE IN EVERY CITY BECAUSE AS NOTED EARLIER, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A 22 ROUTE.
UM, IT TRAVELS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN ADDISON AND THE CITY OF DALLAS.
SO RESIDENTS OF THE, THESE RESPECTIVE CITIES THAT ARE CONTEMPLATING THESE ELECTIONS, THEY WILL BE AFFECTED.
[00:30:01]
WHETHER THAT'S FOR JOB OR WORK OR, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, CITIES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THESE, UH, CITIES THAT ARE TAKING THE VOTES, THOSE RESIDENTS AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE IMPACTED AS WELL.AND SO WE WILL, UM, HAVE TO CONDUCT TOWN HALLS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS IN EVERY CITY, UM, BECAUSE THEY ALL COULD BE IMPACTED IN SOME VARIANT WAY.
UM, AND AGAIN, OF COURSE, THE, THE, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WHAT THE SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE A DAY AFTER OR WEEKS AFTER, UM, ANY SUCCESSFUL WITHDRAWAL ELECTION TAKES PLACE, UH, WILL BE.
WE, WE CAN'T GIVE HYPOTHETICALS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT WOULD COULD BE.
UM, I WOULD POINT OUT THOUGH, BEFORE WE, UH, OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS THAT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT DART HAS BEEN IN THIS PLACE.
UM, WITHDRAWAL ELECTIONS HAVE HAPPENED SINCE 1985.
THERE WERE TWO CITIES TWO YEARS AFTER DART OPENED THAT, THAT UNSUCCESSFULLY TRIED TO WITHDRAW FROM DART.
THERE WERE EIGHT CITIES THAT TRIED TO WITHDRAW FROM DART TWO WERE SUCCESSFUL IN 1996 WHEN WE OPENED THE RED LINE IN THE BLUE LINE.
UM, FIVE CITIES TRIED TO WITHDRAW FROM DART.
AND SO THIS IS NOT A PLACE THAT WE'VE, UH, NOT BEEN IN BEFORE.
IT'S NOT THE BEST PLACE FOR US TO BE IN RIGHT NOW, BUT WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR CITIES, THOSE THAT ARE, UH, CONTEMPLATING THESE ELECTIONS, BUT ALSO THOSE THAT ARE NOT BECAUSE WE CANNOT PENALIZE THE CITIES THAT HAVE, THAT ARE STRONGLY SUPPORTING DART, UM, AT THE EXPENSE OF, UH, ACCOMMODATING THE REQUESTS OF THE CITIES THAT ARE CONTEMPLATING THESE VOTES.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE CHAIR AND WE'LL OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY STAFF OR FOR, FOR THE DART STAFF ON THE PRESENTATION OR OTHERWISE? UH, MR. ROTH, UH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND IT'S REALLY ENLIGHTENING FOR ME AND APPRECIATE ALL THE, THE WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN DONE AND ALSO, UH, AND, UH, APPRECIATE THE, THE DIFFICULTIES THAT YOU'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW IN THE PUBLIC WITH THIS.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, I, I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS JUST, UH, ON YOUR, UM, ON YOUR RIDERSHIP, UH, UH, ANALYSIS.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE, THE AVERAGE, UH, RIDE PER PER HOUR.
ARE THOSE BASED ON 12 HOUR DAYS OR HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THE PER PERSON? UH, RIDERSHIP? THE RIDERSHIP PER HOUR IS BASED ON OUR TOTAL OPERATING HOURS, WHICH FOR LIGHT RAIL WAS FROM 4:00 AM TO, TO 1:00 PM SO TOTAL RIDERSHIP ACROSS THAT DEBATE DAY, DIVIDED BY THE OPERATING HOURS 1:00 AM SORRY.
DOES THAT CLARIFY FOR YOU? WELL, IT SEEMS, IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THE NUMBERS DIDN'T MATCH UP.
YOU HAD A THOUSAND RIDERS AND 600, AND THEN IT WAS ABOUT FIVE RIDERS PER HOUR, SO I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S BASED ON.
DIFFERENT HOUR OF OPERATIONS ON, ON.
ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE GO LINK RIDERSHIP? IT WAS ON THE, UH, THE GO LINK IN PARTICULAR, YES.
AND THEN ALSO ON THE RIDERSHIP, THE TOP BUSTER OUT RIDERSHIP HOURS, JUST WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT KIND OF A YES, WE OPERATE MULTIPLE BUSES ON THOSE ROUTES IN A GIVEN HOUR.
SO IF YOU'RE AT 20 MINUTE FREQUENCIES, UM, WITH, WITH GOLINK, IT'S A DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE.
SO IT, IT'S CALCULATED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN YOUR, THAN YOUR BUSES, BUT YOU'VE GOT MULTIPLE ROUTES OPERATING AT THAT, THAT SAME TIME.
SO EVERY, EVERY ANALYSIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
THAT'S WHY THEY MADE A DIFFERENT NUMBER, CORRECT, YES.
UM, I WAS, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE NEW, UH, SILVER LINE THAT'S COMING OUT, UM, AND IT'S REALLY SORT OF, UH, BEEN PROMOTED AND IT'S BEEN, UH, VERY POSITIVELY, UH, PRESENTED.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S GOING TO BE A, A MAJOR, UM, ACTIVITY FOR THE, FOR THE AIRPORT.
UM, I WOULD, I WOULD A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED, BUT BUT NOT ADVERSELY SURPRISED AT YOUR, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR NEW POLICIES ABOUT HAVING MAYBE LIMITATIONS ON BAGGAGE.
'CAUSE THAT IN, IN MANY COUNTRIES, MANY CITIES THAT, THAT UTILIZE TRANSPORTATION TO THE AIRPORTS, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING, A POLICY THAT YOU MAY WANT TO REALLY LOOK AT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S USER FRIENDLY, THAT IT'S ACCOMMODATES PEOPLE THAT REALLY ARE ENCOURAGING TO BE TRAVELING, UH, IN THAT.
SO JUST AS A, JUST AS AN FYI THANK AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SO FOR THE SILVER LINE IN PARTICULAR, THERE ARE LUGGAGE RACKS ABOVE THE, AT THE ABOVE THE SEATS THAT ACCOMMODATE LUGGAGE.
UM, THE, THE POLICY ITSELF IS TO DRIVE, UM, UM, DOWN BEHAVIORS OF LARGE EXTREMITIES OF ITEMS THAT WE'VE SEEN, UM, SOME OF OUR RIDERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND IS TO TRY TO ENSURE
[00:35:01]
THAT IT, YOU KNOW, THE RIDERS ARE NOT ENCROACHING ON, UM, THE, THE, THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE OTHER RIDERS THAT ARE ADJACENT TO THEM.UM, BUT FOR CIVIL LINE IN PARTICULAR, THERE ARE LUGGAGE RACKS THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE THE LUGGAGE.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS, IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, RIDERSHIP SEEMS TO BE, UH, STABILIZING OR POSSIBLY DECLINING A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I, I'M CONCERNED THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, UH, IN A, IN A PART OF THE WORLD WHERE OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ARE INCREASING, WHERE WE'RE GETTING TREMENDOUS INCREASES IN POPULATION, UM, I'D LIKE TO, TO HOPE THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE A FOCUS OF TRYING TO STIMULATE MORE RIDERSHIP, ENCOURAGE MORE RIDERSHIP, AND PREPARE FOR MORE RIDERSHIP, UH, AND ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES OF SAFETY, SECURITY, UH, CONVENIENCE AND, UH, AND USER FRIENDLY OPERATIONS, UH, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT WE'RE SERVING THROUGH DART.
WELL, FIRST I WANNA SAY RANDALL, I WANNA COMMEND YOU, THIS PRESENTATION IS DEFINITELY THE MOST TRANSPARENT AND COMPLETE OF ANY I'VE SEEN SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY ESPECIALLY THANK YOU ON THE RIDERSHIP NUMBERS FOR STARTING WITH PRE COVID, SO IT DOESN'T LOOK ALL SKEWED.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN THAT KIND OF TRANSPARENCY, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, CRIME DATA IS NOW ON THE WEBSITE.
I WOULD PREFER IT BE IN THE NEIGHBORS FORMAT, WHICH I BELIEVE IS HOW YOU REPORT IT TO THE FBI.
BUT, UM, SEE IF YOU CAN'T MAYBE DO THAT INSTEAD OF A SUMMARY.
IT IT IS IN THE, IT IS IN THE S FORMAT ON THE CRIME ON THE WEBSITE, YES.
I HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE, UM, CRIME REPORTS, SO I MAY HAVE THAT MIXED UP.
I DO HAVE THE NEIGHBORS REPORT, SO THANK YOU.
UM, SO NEXT TIME I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE SAME KIND OF PRESENTATION, UM, THAT YOU'VE GOT FOR RIDERSHIP, WHICH IS, AGAIN, MUCH MORE COMPLETE DEALING WITH FINANCE.
SO IF THAT WITH FINANCE, OKAY, SO PERHAPS THAT COULD BE, UM, A FOCUS, UM, AND I'LL JUST SAY I WANNA ADD THIS COMMENT, YOUR, UM, NOTE ABOUT THE ARREST THAT DART HAS MADE.
I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
THAT'S ACTUALLY NECESSARY FOR YOUR CONTINUED RIDERSHIP.
AND PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA CHOOSE DART IF CRIME IS HAPPENING AND THERE AREN'T ARRESTS.
SO IT MAY NOT BE THE POPULAR THING TO SAY, BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU IT'S NECESSARY AND YOU SHOULD NOT FEEL LIKE THERE'S AN APOLOGY WITH THAT.
IT'S, IT'S WHAT'S NECESSARY FOR GOOD MANAGEMENT.
I, I CAME ACROSS AS IF I WAS APOLOGIZING FOR IT, THEN I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
UH,
AND THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I THINK WE'VE PROVEN THAT WE'VE, WE HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF A PROGRAM THAT WORKS.
UM, I, WELL, I THINK HAS, HAS BEEN HAPPENING IS THAT THE DATA THAT SHOWS INCREASE IN EITHER CRIMES OR RESPONSES TO CRIMES ARE BEING SHOWN IN THE NEGATIVE LIGHT AS IF CRIME IS UP.
AND WHEN THE REALITY IS WE ARE ADDRESSING CRIME AT HIGHER NUMBERS BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE TO RESPOND TO THEM.
OKAY, SO LET'S LOOK AT THE RIDERSHIP.
UM, RIDERSHIP IS ACTUALLY DOWN.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, UM, INCREASING.
AND SO WHEN YOU COMPARE FISCAL YEAR 25, QUARTER FOUR WITH FISCAL YEAR 24, QUARTER FOUR RIDERSHIP'S DOWN, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND IF YOU DO THAT FOR THREE QUARTERS, GOING BACK, SO QUARTER FOUR, QUARTER THREE, AND QUARTER TWO, COMPARING FISCAL YEAR 25 WITH 24, ALL OF THOSE ARE DOWN.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS LARGELY CORRECT, YES.
SO RIDERSHIP THAT YOU'RE SHOWING IN FISCAL YEAR 20 QUARTER ONE, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST, I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T RETURNED TO PRE COVID LEVELS.
THAT WAS ALREADY NATIONALLY ONE OF THE LOWEST RIDER SHIPS OF ANY MAJOR SYSTEM IN AMERICA.
AND SO I JUST HAVE TO ASK YOU IF DALLAS IS 75% OF THE RIDERSHIP, I MEAN, THESE SUBURBS MUST HAVE A VERY MINUSCULE AMOUNT OF RIDERSHIP.
IS THAT TRUE? IS THE QUESTION WHERE THE, WHERE THE RESIDENTS LIVE? BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
IN FACT, IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT 75% OF OUR TRIPS CROSS MULTIPLE CITY LINES.
WE PUT, WE INCLUDED THAT IN THE REPORT.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE REGIONAL SYSTEM THE REGIONALISM OF OUR SYSTEM MOST IMPACTFUL, IS THAT IT'S NOT ALWAYS INNER CITY COMMUTING.
[00:40:01]
SOLUTIONS THAT WE'RE SOLVING FOR.UM, I'M A, I'M A NATIVE DALLAS SIDE DART STARTED A LITTLE BIT BEFORE I WAS BORN, BUT I'M, I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE IN THE CITY AND I'M, I'M A HISTORIAN OF THE CITY, AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE, THE ORIGINATION OF THE CONCEPT OF DART WAS TO, WAS TO ENSURE JOB CONNECTIVITY FROM FROM CITIES TO CITY, RIGHT? AND NOT JUST A, AND THAT'S WHY I SAY SALES TAX MODEL AND NOT A PROPERTY TAX MODEL BECAUSE IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITIES THAT ARE PAYING FOR THE SYSTEM THAT ARE IMPACTED BY IT, IT'S A SALES TAX MODEL THAT, THAT ALL REGION, EVERYONE FROM THIS REGION AND EVERYONE THAT TOUR THIS REGION PAYS INTO THAT SALES TAX MODEL.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THE BENEFIT AND THE VALUE OF TRANSIT FOR DART IS NOT JUST WHAT IS HAPPENING FOR OUR RESIDENTS ONLY IN A SMALLER POPULATED CITY THAN DALLAS.
UM, I GUESS THE POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS THE MOST RECENT CENSUS OF THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY, WHICH IS 2023 SHOWS FOR THE CITY OF DALLAS, LESS THAN 2% OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE USING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO WORK.
AND SO IF WE'RE 75% AND IT'S LESS THAN 2% OF OUR POPULATION USING IT, THE RIDERSHIP ISSUE IS JUST CRITICAL.
WE NEED PUBLIC TRANSIT IN DALLAS.
ABSOLUTELY CAN'T, CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT.
WE MUST HAVE THIS, THERE'S NOBODY HERE TALKING ABOUT WE NEED TO PULL OUTTA DARK.
BUT WE ALSO NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE USE THE SERVICE.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M QUESTIONING THINGS LIKE SAFETY AND CLEANLINESS AND FREQUENCY AND ALL THOSE THINGS, BUT WE'RE NOT GETTING THE RIDERSHIP FOR THE INVESTMENT WE'RE MAKING EITHER.
SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, I THINK THIS YEAR OUR PLAN IS $460 MILLION A YEAR AS A CONTRIBUTION OF OUR SALES TAX, 460 MILLION FOR LESS THAN 2% OF OUR PEOPLE USING IT TO GET TO WORK.
THAT'S REALLY DIFFICULT CONCEPT.
AND WE NEED RIDERSHIP TO EXPAND.
AND I'M JUST GONNA TELL YOU, I'M ALREADY SEEING EMPTY SILVER LINE TRAINS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO THE PLACES PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO.
AND I'M JUST GONNA ASK YOU TO EXPLORE WHAT THAT OTHER THING IS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING IT DONE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY QUESTION ON THAT.
THE CITIES THAT ARE GROWING IN NORTH TEXAS ARE NOT THE MEMBER CITIES OF DART BECAUSE THEY'RE USING THAT PENNY TO TAKE AWAY OUR BUSINESSES AND ATTRACT SPORTS TEAMS AND OTHER THINGS, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS VALUE PROPOSITION WORTH IT.
SO YOU SAY YOU ARE NOT EVEN BORN WHEN DART STARTED.
THAT'S, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE THAT YOUNG.
UM, I BELIEVE THERE IS A CITY THAT HAD A VOTER REFERENDUM AND PULLED OUT COPPEL AND FLOWER MOUNT AND FLOWER MOUNT IN 1989, AND THEN THEY CAME BACK.
AND HOW MANY CITIES HAVE JOINED SINCE DART BEGAN? NONE.
AND IT COULD I MAKE A POINT TO THAT IN MY, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, UM, IN 1983, WELL, FIRST, THE, THE ORIGINAL DART VOTE IN 1978 FAILED FIVE YEARS LATER.
A BETTER PLAN CAME BEFORE THE VOTERS IN 1983, AND IT PASSED.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO UNDERSTAND, WHEN YOU LOOK AT LARGE, COMPLEX, UH, CONCEPTS AS SUCH AS DART, YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AND YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MORPH IT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT IN 1983, DART MADE A COVENANT WITH THE CITIES AND THE VOTERS TO BUILD A SYSTEM.
AND WITH THE SILVER LINE, IN MY OPINION, THIS IS THE CULMINATION OF IT, GIVEN KIND OF WHERE THE SENTIMENT OF SOME OF THESE CITIES ARE, AS FAR AS WHAT THEY'RE GETTING OUT OF DART.
IMAGINE IF A NEW CITY WOULD'VE CAME IN FIVE YEARS AGO AND WE STARTED BUILDING CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROJECTS IN THEIR CITIES WITHOUT DELIVERING ON THE ORIGINAL PROMISE THAT WAS MADE TO AN ADDISON THAT HAD NOT GOT THEIR RAIL IN 40 YEARS.
IMAGINE WHAT THE SENTIMENT OF THEM WOULD BE.
SO IN MY OPINION, 40 SOME ODD YEARS LATER, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE GOOD ON THE PROMISE, THE ORIGINAL PROMISE, AND NOW IT'S HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD? BUT I DON'T THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR ANY CITY OR A GOOD IDEA FOR ANY CITY, GIVEN WHERE A LOT OF THESE CITIES ARE.
AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE CONTINUOUSLY BEEN TRYING TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THE SYSTEM OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
IMAGINE IF WE STARTED BUILDING, EXTENDING THE RED LINE FROM WEST FROM WESTMORELAND INTO DUNCANVILLE FIVE YEARS AGO AND HAD NOT COMPLETED THE, THE ADDISON SILVER LINE PROJECT, THAT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE WORKED OUT WELL FOR US.
SO AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND IT AS A TALKING POINT, BUT IN REALITY, WE'VE MADE GOOD ON THE PROMISES FROM 1983 THIS YEAR WITH THE SILVER LINE, AND NOW IT'S TIME TO MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE NEW PROMISES AND NEW COVENANTS WITH NEW CITIES, IN MY OPINION.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF YOU REALIZE THAT ACTUALLY THE SILVER LINE THEN CALLED THE COTTON BELT, UM, THE PROMISE WAS NOT
[00:45:01]
FOR RAIL, IT WAS FOR BUS RAPID TRANSIT.THAT'S WHAT THE PROMISE WAS WHEN THAT LINE WAS PURCHASED.
AND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DELIVERED AT A FRACTION OF THE COST AND ALLOWED A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, CHANGES, UM, AS OPERATIONS DICTATED.
SO ALL THAT TO SAY, UM, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU ON HERE.
YOU, YOU SAID THAT SHOULD A CITY, UM, SUCCESSFULLY PASS A VOTER PROPOSITION TO PULL OUT A DART THAT ALL SERVICE ENDS IMMEDIATELY, YES.
BUT HAVE YOU VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT, UM, ALL YOUR LOAN COVENANTS MEAN THAT THAT'S TRUE, THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO ACTUALLY STOP THE RAIL SERVICE? I'M HEARING THAT PERHAPS THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
I AM A TAGGING A FRIEND OUR CFO.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT JUST IN CASE.
JAMIE EDELMAN, EVP AND CFO FOR DART.
UM, YES, WE CAN STOP SERVICE IMMEDIATELY, BUT WE DO HAVE TO POTENTIALLY REPAY THE FTA FOR THEIR INTEREST ASSOCIATED WITH ANY ASSETS, UM, RELATED TO THAT SERVICE.
SO, UM, CHAPTER 4 52 IN THE WITHDRAWAL OBLIGATION CALCULATION INCLUDES A PROVISION FOR ANY FTA INTEREST IN PROPERTY, AND THAT BECOMES A PORTION OF THE WITHDRAWAL OBLIGATION FOR THE WITHDRAWING CITY.
UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS SORT OF A, A BIGGER ONE.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE RIDERSHIP AND YOUR LISTING TRIPS, AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS MULTIPLE TIMES, FOR ME TO GET TO CITY HALL, IT TAKES THREE BUSES AND A TRAIN.
YOU COUNT THAT AS FOUR TRIPS, NOT ONE.
CAN YOU BUILD A CLOSED SYSTEM, WHICH WOULD GREATLY IMPACT, UM, THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE A SAFE EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE, BUT ALSO TO COUNT RIDERSHIP AND TRIPS IN A MORE TRANSPARENT WAY OR MORE ACCURATE WAY.
SO WE, WE COUNT BOARDINGS JUST LIKE AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC COUNTS, COUNT TRAFFIC ON A STREET.
SO MY COMMUTE IN INTO WORK WHEN I DRIVE INTO THE CITY OF DALLAS, I MAKE FOUR TURNS.
I GET COUNTED FOUR TIMES FOR EVERY TIME I TURN ON A DIFFERENT ROAD.
SO WE COUNT BOARDINGS, EVEN ON A CLOSED SYSTEM, WE WOULD COUNT THE BOARDINGS.
WE ARE AS PART OF OUR FY 26 BUDGET, LOOKING AT WHERE WE MIGHT COULD CLOSE OUR SYSTEM.
CITY PLACE IS, IS THE BEST PLACE TO PILOT THAT BECAUSE THAT IS A SUBSURFACE STATION.
WE'RE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH OUR DART TRANSFORM TO, UM, ESCALATORS, THE INCLINATIONS AND THE STATION PLATFORM.
SO IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO FIGURE OUT HOW COULD WE SAFELY CLOSE THE SYSTEM.
IT WOULD HELP WITH, WITH SAFETY AND SECURITY AS WELL.
SO THE ONLY PEOPLE DOWN AT CITY PLACE ARE THOSE THAT EITHER NEED TO BE THERE FOR WORK OR NEED TO BE THERE TO BOARD THE TRAIN.
WE THEN, THEN LOOK AT OUR ELEVATED STATIONS.
THOSE ARE KIND OF THE NEXT OBVIOUS ONES THAT MAY CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIMIT THOSE PEOPLE THAT GO UP TO THE PLATFORMS. THE HARDER ONES ARE THE AT GRADE STATIONS, THINK CITYLINE RICHARDSON, THINK, THINK THE CBD.
SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT 'EM IN KIND OF THREE TRANCHES.
FIRST STARTING WITH WITH CITY PLACE, THEN LOOKING AT OUR AERIAL STATIONS AND THEN LOOKING AT, UM, THE AT GRADE STATIONS AND THE CHALLENGES THOSE WOULD POSE.
UM, FIRST IS YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE ADDITIONAL CITIES CONSIDERING A VOTER PROPOSITION TO PULL OUT? I, I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THAT, BUT CHAPTER 4 52 ALLOWS ALL CITIES TO CONTEMPLATE IT EVERY SIX YEARS.
SO I ALL 13 CITIES COULD BE CONVENING AND DISCUSSING IT RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR RIGHT AND OBLIGATION TO THEIR VOTERS UNDER CHAPTER 4 52.
AND UM, THE LAST ONE IS, UM, THE SLIDES YOU HAVE IN THERE ABOUT STREETCAR AND D TWO FUNDING.
UM, ARE WE GONNA GO THROUGH THAT SEPARATELY? YES.
OR IS THAT PART OF THIS? NO, SEPARATELY.
OKAY, THEN I'LL WAIT AND HOLD THAT.
UH, CHAIR BRIAN, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND, AND THE LEVEL OF DETAIL.
I HAVE REALLY THREE QUESTIONS BROKEN DOWN BY SAFETY RIDERSHIP AND THEN THE WITHDRAW ELECTIONS.
AND MOST OF IT IS JUST FOR CLARITY.
UM, UNDER THE SAFETY, YOU SAID THERE'S A GOAL TO HIRE A HUNDRED OFFICERS PER YEAR, UM, SO THAT YOU WOULD HAVE ONE OFFICER PER CAR.
HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO THAT NOW? DO YOU KNOW? SO, UM, THE NUMBER OF ACTUAL UNIFORMED OFFICERS, WERE TRYING TO PINPOINT THAT DOWN EXACTLY HOW MANY IT WILL TAKE.
WE THINK, WE THINK IT WILL BE ABOUT A HUNDRED.
AND SO IF WE USE THE EXISTING TSO CONTRACT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, THAT'S ABOUT $9 MILLION, UM, GIVEN WHEN THE LAST TIME WE APPROVED IT, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE SOME INFLATIONARY COSTS, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
UM, AND WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER, OTHER FUNDING MECHANISMS OUTSIDE RESOURCES TO HELP US AT
[00:50:01]
LEAST FUND IT FOR ONE YEAR TO CONTINUE A NEW PILOT UNDER THAT PROGRAM.AND THAT'LL HELP CONTINUE THE, THE HIRING OF THOSE A HUNDRED OFFICERS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO SCALE.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE BEST PART ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR GROUP OF, OF UNIFORM PRESENCE.
SO WE HAVE THREE, WE HAVE FAIR ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, WHICH ARE DART EMPLOYEES, WE HAVE DART POLICE, WHICH ALSO ARE DART EMPLOYEES.
AND THEN IN THE MIDDLE ARE THE TSOS, THE TRANSIT SECURITY OFFICERS.
UM, AS THE CHIEF MENTIONED, THEY ARE LICENSED.
THEY, THEY CARRY A WEAPON, THEY CARRY, UM, UH, HANDCUFFS.
THEY CAN'T MAKE ARRESTS, WHICH IS WHAT ONLY DARK POLICE CAN DO.
UM, BUT THEY CAN REMOVE FROM THE SYSTEM.
THEY CAN, UM, DO ALL THE OTHER INTERMEDIARY THINGS, UH, ON BEHALF OF THAT PERCEPTION THAT I WAS GETTING AT EARLIER.
WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING ON THE TRAINS? UH, WE WILL ALWAYS NEED DARK POLICE AND BE QUITE HONEST, WE'LL ALWAYS NEED THE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS OF OUR CITIES, UH, TO WORK WITH US ON, ON THESE SYSTEMIC ISSUES THAT ARE PLAGUING OUR COMMUNITIES.
IT'S, IT'S GONNA TAKE A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH FROM BOTH OF US RIGHT NOW TO, TO, TO SOLVE FOR THESE PROBLEMS. UM, BUT WE'RE NOT NAIVE TO THEM AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN UNDER THE, THE RULES THAT WE HAVE TO WORK UNDER.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF A PERSON BUYS A, A, A $6 FARE TO RIDE THE SYSTEM THE ENTIRE DAY, UNLESS THEY ARE UNRULY, I CANNOT REMOVE THEM FROM THE SYSTEM.
UM, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THAT, THAT, THAT CONSTRAIN US NO DIFFERENT FROM THE PANHANDLING ORDINANCE THAT CITY CONTEMPLATED NOT TOO LONG AGO, RIGHT.
ALL OF THOSE SAME RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO US JUST AS THEY APPLY TO YOU ALL.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
I'M JUST, AND AGAIN, MY POINT IS THAT YOU'RE, YOU ARE, YOU'RE AWARE AND YOU HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE TO ADDRESS IT AND CONTINUE, UH, TO ADDRESS IT IN THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, I JUST WANNA GET CLARITY ON THE RIDERSHIP SIDE ON SLIDE 15.
I'M JUST, I'M GOING TO ASK THIS QUESTION TO MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS CHART.
AND I'M NOT PICKING ON ANYONE CITY, BUT I JUST HAPPEN TO WRITE THIS ONE DOWN.
UH, BUT FOR THE CITY OF IRVING, IF THEY WERE TO WITHDRAW, AM I TO UNDERSTAND THAT 63% OF THEIR RIDERS FROM IRVING TO DALLAS WOULD NEED TO FIND NEW TRANSPORTATION INTO DALLAS? DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? YES.
AND THEN IN THAT SAME ROW, YOU HAVE 29% AND THAT, UH, THAT'S RIDERS IN IRVING THAT ARE TAKING THE TRAIN SOMEWHERE IN IRVING.
SO THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL 29% OF RIDERS THAT WOULD ADDITIONALLY NEED TO FIND NEW MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION WITHIN IRVING.
SO THAT 29% ACCOUNTS FOR GOLINK BUS AND RAIL, SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE ACCOMMODATED WITH SOME OTHER MEANS.
SO A TOTAL OF, I CAN'T DO MY MATH ON THE SPOT.
WHAT WAS THAT? ALMOST 90%, 93% OF THEIR RIDERS WOULD, WOULD NEED TO, WELL REALLY ALL OF THEM ESSENTIALLY, BUT ESPECIALLY THERE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE THERE.
AND THEN AS FAR AS, AND SHE'S ALREADY ASKED THAT IN THE CLARIFICATION THERE, UH, IN TERMS OF WITHDRAWALS, ALL RIDES WOULD STOP.
WOULD THEY JUST GO THROUGH A PARTICULAR CITY TO THE NEXT STOP? IT DEPENDS ON WHICH CITY WE'RE WE'RE REFERRING TO, RIGHT? IF THEY'RE AN END OF LINE CITY LIKE PLANO, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THEN THE SERVICES WOULD STOP AT THE PRECEDING, UM, CITY.
IF THEY ARE PART OF THE SYSTEM, LET'S SAY HIGHLAND PARK, RIGHT? WE HAVE A BUS THAT TRAVELS NORTH AND SOUTH ON PRESTON ROAD, UM, THAT BUS WOULD CONTINUE.
IT JUST WOULD NOT STOP IN THE CITY OF HIGHLAND PARK ANY LONGER.
AND, UH, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, TELL ME, OKAY, SO YOU'VE GOT YOUR, UH, POINT TO BE STRATEGIC PLAN AND I WANNA FOCUS ON THE PLACES AND THE PARTNER AND THE STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, CAN, AND YOU'VE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'VE GOT 37, UM, PROPER OR PROJECTS AROUND DART LINE.
HOW MANY DART LINE STATIONS DO YOU HAVE IN THE SYSTEM? WE HAVE 65 LIGHT RAIL STATIONS IN OUR SYSTEM.
SO THEN HALF OF THEM DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT AROUND IT.
IS THAT A, IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO IS FANTASTIC PLACES, PUBLIC ART, GREAT, WHATEVER.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE NEED SALES TAX AND WE NEED PROPERTY TAX.
HOW CAN WE PARTNER BETTER? I KNOW WE HAVE THE BUCKNER GO THAT STATION HAPPENING.
HOW DO WE MAKE THINGS HAPPEN LIKE THAT FASTER? I KNOW EVEN IN MINE, MOCKINGBIRD STATION, A PARKING LOT'S BEING CONVERTED, YOU KNOW, INTO A, INTO HOUSING.
SO WHAT TO HELP WITH THIS PILLAR OF YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WILL AFFECT YOUR RIDERSHIP NUMBERS, WHICH I'M GONNA GET TO IN A LITTLE
[00:55:01]
BIT.SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? YEAH, AND, AND, AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND A GREAT POINT.
SO AT THE NEXT DART BOARD MEETING, WE'LL ACTUALLY GET A UPDATED BRIEFING ON ALL OF OUR TODS UNDERSTAND.
PAUL'S STATION, WHICH IS WHERE I LIVE, THERE IS NO PARKING RIDE THERE, RIGHT? SO SOME OF OUR STATIONS IN THAT OTHER HALF WOULDN'T EVEN QUALIFY FOR A TRD PROJECT BECAUSE THERE'S NO, UM, LAND AROUND IT.
BUT, UM, IF PATRICK WANTS TO KIND OF CHIME IN ON IT, PATRICK IS THE CHAIR OF OUR DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION COMMITTEE.
HE'S BEEN LEADING THAT, UH, COMMITTEE FOR A FEW TERMS NOW AND IS, AND HE'S OUR DEFACTO LEADER ON ALL TOD PROJECTS.
AND OF COURSE, DEE IS US ON THE STAFF SIDE.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, TO PATRICK.
THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BLACKMAN FOR THE QUESTION.
UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UH, VP OF REAL ESTATE, KAITLYN HOLLAND ON THIS 'CAUSE I SHARE, UM, THE FRUSTRATION I GUESS AND THE, THE LACK OF WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH OUR REAL ESTATE OVER 40 YEARS.
WE SIT ON 200 ACRES OF SERVICE PARKING LOTS.
UH, WE HAVE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES THAT WE'RE NOT FULLY USING AND WE'RE MOVING OFF SOME OF THOSE IN, UH, IN PROGRESS RIGHT NOW, SUCH AS, UH, ALONG JEFFERSON AND, AND OAK CLIFF.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON IS, AND I'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THIS WITH WITH CAITLIN QUITE EXTENSIVELY THE LAST FEW YEARS, IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UH, HOW TO DEAL WITH ZONING.
BECAUSE MOST OF OUR PROPERTIES ARE NOT ENTITLED TO DO DEVELOPMENT OR DO THE RIGHT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WE WOULD NEED TO, TO ACTIVATE THOSE STATIONS AS PROPER TODS.
AND WE HAVE BEEN KIND OF HOLDING BACK, WAITING FOR, UH, THE CITY TO WORK THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT CODE AND FORWARD DALLAS UPDATE, AS WELL AS THE VARIOUS STATE HOUSING BILLS TO SEE, OKAY, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER ALL OF THESE THINGS MOVE FORWARD? WHERE DO WE STAND? WHAT STILL NEEDS TO MOVE FORWARD? SO ONE THING THAT WE HAVE DONE TO BE MORE PROACTIVE IS ESSENTIALLY CREATED AN INVENTORY OF ALL OF OUR PROPERTY AND THEN CREATED A NEEDS LIST OF ALL OF THEM TOO, TO SAY, OKAY, WHAT NEEDS, WHAT NEEDS ZONING OR UPZONING, WHAT NEEDS UTILITY WORK? AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO WE CAN EVEN BE THINKING ABOUT WHERE DO WE INVEST TO HELP WITH SOME THINGS? LIKE DO WE NEED UNDERGROUND UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS? WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO INVEST IN SOME OF THAT STUFF AS WELL.
UM, SO WE'RE, I'D LOVE TO SAY WE HAVE A FULLY BAKED PLAN ON THAT RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS, IS NOT QUITE THERE, BUT, UM, IT IS A MOTIVATION OF BOTH CHAIR AND MYSELF TO, UM, MOVE A LOT OF THAT FORWARD.
AND MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN EXPEDITE PROCESSES LIKE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOCKINGBIRD STATION THAT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE I JOINED THE BOARD, UH, TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE PROCESSES.
SO INSTEAD OF BEING SEVEN TO 10 YEARS TO BE MORE LIKE TWO TO FOUR, BECAUSE A LOT OF DEVELOPERS ARE TURNED OFF BY THOSE LONG PROCESSES AND DON'T WANT TO WORK WITH US BECAUSE THEY CAN'T PREDICT WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT CYCLE'S GONNA BE LIKE BY THE TIME IT'S READY TO BREAK GROUND.
AND, AND OUR CFO WANTS TO ADD SOMETHING TO IF SHE, IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, SO ONE THING THAT WE JUST DID THIS LAST YEAR REALLY AT THE SPEED OF MARKET WAS PUT INTO PLACE ILAS WITH OUR SERVICE AREA CITIES TO CONTRIBUTE TO TAX, UM, INVESTMENT TAX, INVESTMENT TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONES, THANK YOU T UM, SO THAT WE CAN PARTNER BETTER WITH OUR SERVICE AREA CITIES.
UM, AND WHAT WE ARE DOING IS CONTRIBUTING 50% OF THE GROWTH ON THAT INCREMENT, THE TAX INCREMENT IN THOSE ZONES, UM, TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAND AROUND OUR FACILITIES.
AND WE TRIED TO MAKE THAT AS FLEXIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
WE GOT TO A POINT WHERE WE WANTED TO HAVE AN AUTOMATIC YES, UM, SO THAT THERE WAS NO DART SLOWING DOWN THE PROCESS.
IF THE CITY BROUGHT FORWARD A REASONABLE PLAN, THERE WAS A TRANSIT, UH, FIXTURE TRANSIT ASSET WITHIN THAT TURS WE'RE A YES AND WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD AND INVEST IN THAT DEVELOPMENT.
WELL, AND PATRICK, THE, I USED TO WORK AT DART AND IT WAS ACTUALLY INTENTIONAL TO BUY THAT LAND AND PUT IT AS PARKING TO DEVELOP IT.
SO I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS YOU MAKE A, A POSSIBLE THREAT INTO AN OPPORTUNITY OR A STRENGTH.
AND I THINK YOU'VE, WE'VE GOT THE EDC, WE'VE GOT, I THINK IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY NOW FOR ALL THE PARTS TO COME TOGETHER BECAUSE WE ALL NEED THE SAME THING.
YOU NEED SALES TAX, WE NEED PROPERTY TAX, AND YOU NEED RIDERSHIP, WHICH NOW WANNA GO INTO THAT.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU HAVE WEEKEND P YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN WEEKEND PEAK, WEEKEND TRAVEL INCREASING, I GUESS AT A DIFFERENT RATE THAN THE WEEKDAY.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY INDICATIVE OF A NATIONAL LESS TIMES, RIGHT? I MEAN IT'S LIKE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT AS FREQUENT AS THE WEEKDAY.
WHICH, AND SO WE'VE INVESTED MORE FREQUENCY IN THE WEEKEND OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
HAVE, DO YOU KNOW THE REASON WHY, UM, IT'S REALLY BECAUSE HOW TRAVEL PATTERNS HAVE CHANGED POST COVID.
YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR SYSTEM WAS BUILT ON GETTING COMMUTERS INTO AND OUT OF, OF DALLAS AND COMMUTE PATTERNS HAVE CHANGED BECAUSE OF HYBRID WORK SCHEDULES.
SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS GROWTH DURING THE MIDDAY AND GROWTH IN THE WEEKENDS BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE MORE DISCRETIONARY TIME.
AND SO, UH, WHAT, WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING TO AC ACCOMMO? I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, DO YOU KEEP YOUR SAME MODEL OR DO YOU CHANGE YOUR MODEL TO ADAPT TO THE NEEDS OF THE WRITER? WE ARE CHANGING OUR MODEL TO ADAPT THE NEEDS OF THE WRITER.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE, WE ARE DOING
[01:00:01]
IN FEBRUARY OF 2026 IS SMOOTHING OUT OUR FREQUENCIES ON LIGHT RAIL SO THAT IT'S 20 MINUTES THROUGHOUT THE DAY.SO WE NO LONGER HAVE THESE PEAK OFF PEAK PERIODS.
WE'RE OPERATING A CONSISTENT 20 MINUTE FREQUENCY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF, OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE YOU ARE SHOWING INCREASE AND IT'S INTERESTING, BUT IT'S NOT PRE COVID, WHICH WAS ALREADY, I MEAN, AS IN, SO I GUESS, I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITY TO FIGURE OUT, AND I KNOW A BIG SHIP IS HARD TO TURN, BUT, UM, BUT WE CAN'T GET, WE, WE NEED TO KEEP A REGIONAL MODEL.
AND SO I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT INCREASING, WHICH I DO BELIEVE THE FINANCIAL PART OF THIS BECAUSE I THINK YOU HAD A ONE POINT, IT LASTED 1.76 BILLION AND IT WENT UP BY ALMOST 3% TO 1.81 BILLION.
WHAT YOUR PROJECTIONS ARE GOING INTO THE NEXT YEAR.
'CAUSE I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING THAT 2% ON AND WHATEVER ELSE.
BECAUSE IT SHOULD BE INITIATIVES THAT PUSH THE, THE AGENCY FORWARD NOT TO JUST PAY X.
IT REALLY NEEDS TO GO TO YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN, IN MY OPINION.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT ON THE NEXT ONE TOO.
IF YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CADE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I ALSO WANNA THANK Y'ALL.
I KNOW WHENEVER MY OFFICE REACHES OUT WITH ISSUES, Y'ALL ARE SO QUICK TO RESPOND.
I KNOW THE OTHER DAY WE JUST REACHED OUT WITH SOMETHING AND WITHIN A DAY IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF.
SO THANKS FOR ALWAYS BEING SO RESPONSIVE.
UM, I THINK I JUST REALLY HAVE SOME COMMENTS IN TERMS OF DISTRICT SIX.
WE'RE SUPER EXCITED THAT THE SILVER LINE HAS NOW CONNECTED UP IN CYPRESS WATERS.
UM, THAT'S A NEW AND UP AND COMING AREA THAT'S GROWING A LOT.
SO THAT'LL BE OUR THIRD LINE CONNECTION IN DISTRICT SIX.
AND THEN, UM, ONE THING I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS JUST THE NUMBERS FOR THE TOYOTA WEST DALLAS CIRCUIT.
UM, I KNOW OVER THE YEARS THAT'S EXPANDED QUITE A BIT AND OUR RESIDENTS LOVE THAT SO MUCH AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE THAT THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE.
UM, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE RIDERSHIP NUMBERS INCLUDED.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT JUST CONTINUES TO GROW AND OUR, OUR RESIDENTS LOVE IT SO MUCH.
AND WE JUST APPROVED THE EXTENSION OF THAT CONTRACT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
UM, SO IT WILL BE CONTINUING IN YOUR DISTRICT AND IT'S GREAT 'CAUSE IT'S AN INNOVATIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER MODE OF TRANSPORTATION, ELECTRIC CAR THAT RUNS AND, UM, NOT JUST A BUS.
AND SO IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT IN OUR, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER BLAIR.
UM, I'M TRYING TO GET MY LAPTOP JUICED UP SO IT DOESN'T DIE ON ME.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, AND, AND I'M GONNA DEPART FROM THE CITIES THAT ARE LEAVING TO NEW OPPORTUNITY THAT COULD COME.
UM, A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT HAS HAPPENED IS HAPPENING, WILL BE HAPPENING IN THE SOUTHERN AREA, NOT ONLY IN THE SOUTHERN AREA OF THE CITY OF DALLAS, BUT IN THE SOUTHERN MUNICIPALITIES.
LOOKING ON SLIDE 15, I SEE WHERE GLEN HEIGHTS HAS A 83% RIDERSHIP COMING IN TO DALLAS.
IS, IS THAT AM I'M READING THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST NUMBERS.
I KNOW THAT THAT FACILITY QUITE WELL.
UM, FRIEND WHO LIVES OVER THERE.
SO IT DOES, IT, IT TELLS ME THAT THE OPPORTUNITY DOES EXIST.
RED OAK, UM, IN, IN THAT AREA, EITHER IN CEDAR HILL, DUNCANVILLE, DESOTO, UM, I CAN'T GET, AND AND IF YOU COME DOWN HAMPTON ON, UM, OFF OF I 20, IT'S ALWAYS JAMMED WITH CARS.
BUT GUESS WHAT? THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY TO GET ON ANY TYPE OF DART SERVICE AT THAT LOCATION IN ORDER TO STIMULATE RIDERSHIP.
EVERYONE IN THAT AREA HAS TO HAVE A CAR.
I KNOW I GOT THREE AND I LIVE IN THAT AREA BECAUSE I HAVE TO HAVE A CAR.
ONE BREAKS, I NEED ANOTHER ONE.
SO, BUT THAT, SO THAT TELLS ME THERE'S, THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY IF WE WANNA GET RID OF PARKING, RE YOU KNOW, REQUIREMENTS AND, AND, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET PEOPLE FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.
YOU NEED TO PROVIDE US WITH SERVICES THAT ACTUALLY GETS PEOPLE WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.
MY DISTRICT, THE MOST SOUTHERN DISTRICT IN THE CITY ONLY HAS ONE RAIL.
THAT'S THE BLUE LINE THAT GOES TO UNTD.
I HAVE A WHOLE COMMUNITY ON THE SOUTHERN EAST, THE MOST SOUTH SOUTHEASTERN SECTION OF THE CITY.
[01:05:01]
I KNOW YOU CAN'T GET A BUS OUT THERE, BUT SO THERE'S NO SERVICES.IF THE PEOPLE WANTED A JOB, THEY CAN'T GET TO A JOB.
SO HELP US UNDER UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN BETTER HELP YOU BY BETTER PARTNERING TO PROVIDE SERVICES WHERE YOU NEED IT.
I KNOW THE BUCKNER STATION, I ACTUALLY WORKED AS A ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSIONER, WORKED ON THAT ZONING AND PLANNING TO MAKE BUCKNER STATION CHANGE.
SO THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES EVEN ON THE BLUE LINE AT U AT, UM, RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET TO UNTD AT THE CAMP WISDOM STATION, YOU HAVE A, A BIG PARKING LOT THAT HAS VERY LITTLE USE.
UM, WHEN YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT THE ZONING AND PLANNING PROCESS TAKES TOO LONG, I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING TO CHANGE THOSE IN, UM, TIMELINES THAT WOULD BETTER SERVE YOUR NEEDS AS WELL.
I ASKED, I'M ASKING, I'VE BEEN ASKING AND I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO ASK.
I HAVE, UM, THE INLAND PORT, YOU GUYS CHANGED AND REMOVED SERVICES AND WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO GET RIDERS TO THAT LAST MILE TO WORK.
SO INSTEAD OF HELPING YOU REMOVING, I NEED YOU TO CONTINUE.
I MEAN, I NEED YOU TO FIND A PLAN THAT ACTUALLY GIVES EVEN THE CITY OF DALLAS IN THE SOUTHERN AREA FULL SERVICE.
IT'S, IT'S A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY THAT SEEMS TO BE MISSING.
SO CAN YOU PLEASE HELP US HELP YOU? SO I WILL FIRST SAY THAT, UM, YOU ALL MAY NOT BELIEVE WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY NEXT, BUT IN, IN, IN THIS SHORT PERIOD OF TIME OF DISCOURSE BETWEEN, UM, DART AND AND OUR CITIES, UM, WHAT I'VE APPRECIATED MOST IS ACTUALLY HEARING SPECIFICALLY FROM OUR CITIES EXACTLY WHAT THEY, THEIR WANTS AND NEEDS ARE.
UM, DART'S TASK IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE TO USE OUR INTRINSIC KNOWLEDGE AND INDUSTRY STANDARD KNOWLEDGE, UH, TO PROVIDE HIGH LEVELS OF SERVICE FOR THE ENTIRE REGION.
UM, BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY CITY, EVERY COMMUNITY, EVERY, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, GROUPS OF OUR CITIES, UM, NEED TAILORED SERVICES AT TIME, FROM TIME TO TIME.
UM, YOU BROUGHT UP THE INLAND PORT, THAT'S ACTUALLY OUR, ONE OF OUR MOST, UM, HIGHEST RIDERS, UM, UH, GOING ZONES IN THE, IN THE, IN THE NETWORK.
UM, IT'S, IT'S IN, IT'S IN THE, IT'S IN THE BRIEFING MATERIAL.
UM, BUT IN BROOK RILEY, WE DON'T HAVE BUSES, BUT WE DO HAVE A GOAL LINK SERVICE, RIGHT? AND SO WE HAVE TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION THAT WE HAVE, WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE CONNECTIVITY ISSUES, BUT ALSO WHAT MAKES SENSE, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.
RIGHT? WE'RE HEARING FROM CITIES THAT DON'T WANT BUSES BECAUSE OUR BUSES ARE TEARING UP THEIR STREETS.
BUT THEN IN, IN THAT SAME COUNCIL MEETING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, A COUNCIL MEMBER DOESN'T WANT GOLINK BECAUSE HIS, HIS, UM, HIS, UH, RIDERS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO PHONES AND THEY CAN'T BOOK A A, A TRIP ON THEIR PHONE, RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO THREAD THIS NEEDLE, UM, BY PROVIDING AS MANY DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT ARE THE NEEDS SPECIFICALLY OF THE COMMUNITIES AND THEN WORK WITH YOU ALL.
BUT, BUT THAT IS KNOWLEDGE THAT WE NEED TO DEEPLY LIKE, DIVE INTO AND, AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT ARE THE NEEDS SO THAT WE CAN CREATE BETTER PLANS THAT WORK FOR BOTH YOU AND US.
WELL, I WILL SAY THAT IN CLEAVER RILEY, WE'RE GROWING WHETHER IT, SO WE'RE GETTING LOTS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT, LOTS OF NEW HOUSING, AND WHICH MEANS OUR ROADS HAVE TO CHANGE.
SO IT WOULD BEHOOVE BOTH OF US TO SIT DOWN AND MAKE A PLAN TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH DART SERVICES OPPOSED TO CARS.
UM, IT WOULD ALSO BEHOOVE US TO LOOK AT THE INLAND PORT.
UM, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO SAY, YOU'RE GOING TO GO, YOU'RE GONNA DO AN INTENSIVE RIDE FROM EARLY MORNING, LATE NIGHT, FIVE O'CLOCK, MIDNIGHT, WHATEVER THE, THE, THE TIMES THERE ARE, YOU HAVE A DATA THAT SAYS WHEN YOU NEED THE SERVICES THE MOST, PUT IN COMPLETE SERVICES AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
I JUST WISH THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT, OR, OR THAT, THAT THERE WOULD BE A, A VISION THAT INCLUDES THOSE SOUTHERN C CITIES TO GET PEOPLE WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.
AND OFF THE STREETS, I'D EVEN TRY DART.
[01:10:01]
ON DART ONCE OR TWICE 'CAUSE YOU DON'T SERVE ME.SO I WOULD EVEN TRY IT IF THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF.
AND I AM NOT ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT REALLY APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION AND WANTED TO BE HERE TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR, UH, YOU ALL.
UM, BUT I, I FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW WHAT'S GOING ON, SINCE WE'RE THE HOLIDAY SEASON, WE'RE KIND OF DEALING WITH GHOSTS OF DARK PAST AND THAT IS WHY, UH, THERE'S GLOMMING ON TO, UM, YOU KNOW, A TREND ON, UH, THESE ELECTIONS.
HOWEVER, I KNOW THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, THAT THERE HAS BEEN A REALLY THOUGHTFUL EFFORT TO APPOINT PEOPLE WITH YOU ALL'S QUALITIES FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND COLLABORATION.
AND THAT EVEN STARTING, I THINK WITH CHAIR NVAS ON, ON THIS COMMITTEE TO START HAVING THESE JOINT MEETINGS IS A GREAT STEP FORWARD.
I LAMENT THAT THIS HAD NOT BEEN HAPPENING IN THE PAST BECAUSE THAT MIGHT HAVE REALLY BEEN HELPFUL, DON'T YOU THINK?
BUT, UM, I, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU ALL ARE PUTTING IN.
IT'S NOT EASY RIGHT NOW AND CERTAINLY TO DART STAFF AS WELL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ISSUES AND I THINK YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP THOSE IN THE CROSS HAIRS OF WHAT GOT US TO THIS UNFORTUNATE SITUATION.
AND SO WITH EVERY, UH, REPORT AND PRESENTATION LIKE YOU HAVE GIVEN TODAY, IT IS A STEP TOWARD I THINK, REBUILDING SOME CONFIDENCE AND TRUST.
UM, MY CONCERNS ARE AROUND, UH, GOLINK AND THEN ALSO SOME SPECIFIC INSTANCES AROUND, UM, THOSE WITH DISABILITIES WHO NEED TO USE THE PARATRANSIT AND SOME WHO ARE ON A BUBBLE AND THEREFORE AREN'T ABLE TO USE IT, BUT REALLY SEEM LIKE THEY SHOULD.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING FOR ME TO HASH OUT WITH YOU HERE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS SOME SPECIFICS AND JUST SEE WHAT CONSIDERATION THEY COULD BE GIVEN.
I'D LIKE FURTHER EXPLICATION ABOUT THE IMPACT ON DART OF THE POSSIBLE WITHDRAWALS OF MEMBER CITIES.
UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ELECTIONS IN THE PAST AND TWO CITIES HAVE WITHDRAWN IN 1989.
UM, ARE THERE ANY RECORDS THAT INDICATE WHAT PLANNING DART DID AT THAT TIME TO ADDRESS THE WITHDRAWAL OF THOSE CITIES? OR HAVE THOSE BEEN LOST TO TIME? I THINK THE CHALLENGE WITH LOOKING BACK AT THAT TIMEFRAME IS SO LITTLE OF, OF THE SYSTEM WAS BUILT AT THE TIME THAT THOSE CITIES PULLED OUT.
SO WE HAD NOT ISSUED DEBT, WE HAD NOT BUILT LIGHT RAIL.
UM, SO I I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT WOULD TELL US MUCH OF HOW TO, TO PLAN THIS SITUATION MOVING, MOVING FORWARD.
WELL, UM, I UNDER CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR SOME POTENTIAL HISTORICAL, UM, ADVICE THAT COULD INFORM US TODAY.
UM, CHAIR BRYANT, YOU'VE INDICATED THAT THE SITUATION IS VERY FLUID, WHICH OF COURSE IT IS, BUT IT STRIKES ME THAT AT SOME POINT YOU WILL NEED TO LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF WITHDRAWAL OF THESE CITIES AND, UM, ROUTE PLANNING AROUND THOSE CITIES.
AT WHAT POINT DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU WILL BE UNDERTAKING THAT KIND OF STUDY? YES, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION CHAIR.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING BOTH AT THE SAME TIME, BUT I THINK THE, THE, MY BIGGEST, UM, TASK RIGHT NOW IS TO TRY TO STOP THESE ELECTIONS.
UM, I, BEFORE THE ELECTIONS, BEFORE THE VOTES TOOK PLACE, UM, THE WEEK OF THE, THE FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER, I ISSUED A LETTER TO ALL OUR, THE CITIES THAT WERE CONTEMPLATING ASKING FOR A 30 DAY REPRIEVE.
UM, THEY MOVED FORWARD IN SPITE OF WHICH IS THEIR CHOICE TO DO SO.
UM, BUT AGAIN, EVEN WITHIN A WEEK, BOTH PLANO AND IRVING SUBMITTED PROPOSALS, UH, FOR US TO REVIEW.
UM, WE ARE NOW DOING WHAT'S CALLED A RATE STUDY, UM, THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BE RETURNED BY JANUARY.
THAT'S IN COORDINATION OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING, UM, WITH THE NTC AND COG AND THAT SMALL WORKING GROUP OF CITIES TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND PER COST, PER MODE OF TRANSPORTATION WHAT THINGS ARE COSTING US AND WE CAN BETTER BE ABLE TO, UH, UM, ADDRESS THE PROPOSALS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.
UM, BUT WE SHOULD BE DOING BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT MY BIGGEST FOCUS AS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD, UM, IS TO TRY TO STOP THESE ELECTIONS AND WORK WITH ALL OF OUR CITIES, UM, THOSE THAT ARE CONTEMPLATING IT, BUT ALSO, AGAIN, THOSE LIKE DALLAS THAT AREN'T CONTEMPLATING AND ENSURE THAT WHATEVER WE AGREEMENTS WE COME TO OR UH, WITH THOSE FOUR OR FIVE POSSIBLE CITIES DOESN'T, UH, HURT OR HARM, UH, THE CITIES THAT ARE NOT, UH, TAKING UP THOSE ELECTIONS AGAINST US RIGHT NOW AS WELL.
SO OTHER THAN IRVING AND PLANO, WHICH I KNOW HAVE SUBMITTED PROPOSALS FOR DART'S CONSIDERATION, HAVE THE OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE APPROVED WITHDRAWAL
[01:15:01]
ELECTIONS PROVIDED ANY GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT WOULD CAUSE THEM TO CANCEL THEIR ELECTIONS AND STAY AND DART FORMALLY? NO.AND I ASSUME THAT YOU'RE HAVING ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH AT LEAST PLANO AND IRVING ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE RAISED WITH SERVICE AND THE TERMS UNDER WHICH THEY WOULD AGREE TO STAY AND CANCEL THEIR ELECTIONS.
UM, ARE THOSE BEING HELD ON ANY KIND OF REGULAR, UH, SCHEDULED BASIS OR, UH, JUST WHEN THE INITIATIVE STRIKES? AS OF RIGHT NOW, THERE IS NO, UH, INTERVAL OF, OF MEETINGS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AGAIN RIGHT NOW.
UM, BE, AND THIS IS KIND OF WHAT'S BEEN SOME OF THE CHALLENGE WITH ALL OF OUR CITIES, IS TRYING TO CREATE A MODEL THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.
UM, YOU HAVE TWO DIAMETRICALLY DIFFERENT, UM, POSITIONS FROM TWO CITIES THAT ARE SEEKING WITHDRAWAL ELECTIONS RIGHT NOW.
ONE WHICH WITH THE CITY OF PLANO AS OFFERING OR PROPOSING A RAIL ONLY OPTION AND A FEW OTHER SERVICES.
WHEREAS IRVING, IN THE SPIRIT OF, UH, UH, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, WILLIS HERE, UH, THEY SENT A CHRISTMAS LIST WORTH OF THINGS THAT THEY ASKED FOR, RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THOSE THINGS WORK.
WHAT IS THE ACTUAL COST? WHAT WOULD BE THE OPERATIONAL IMPACT OF THEM, UM, ON THE SYSTEM ITSELF? AND SO WE'RE NOT THERE AT A POINT, I THINK WHERE WE CAN START HAVE, WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ACTUALLY MEAN AND, AND HOPING THAT THEY'VE DONE SOME INVESTIGATORY WORK ON THEIR END THAT COULD HELP SPEED UP THAT PROCESS ON OUR END TO, TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
SO DO YOU BELIEVE THAT A BUFFET STYLE OF SERVICE AS PLANO IS REQUESTING, IS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR MEMBER CITIES? IF IT WERE APPROVED BY DART FOR PLANO, WOULD IT HAVE TO BE APPROVED FOR OTHER CITIES AS WELL? SO RIGHT NOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE A POLICY THAT DOESN'T ALLOW US TO PROVIDE A 3.07 A RAIL OPTION, UH, A LA CARTE TYPE OF SERVICE.
SO WE WOULD FIRST HAVE TO CHANGE THAT POLICY.
AND SO AGAIN, THESE ARE SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO CONTEMPLATE, WHETHER THAT'S POLICY, UH, A RAIL OPTION ONLY.
UM, SYSTEM DOESN'T EVEN WORK IN THE SENSE OF FTA GUIDELINES FOR PARATRANSIT.
NOW THEY'VE COME BACK AND SAID THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE ON THE PARATRANSIT PART OF IT, BUT THAT WASN'T A PART OF THE, THE CONTEMPLATION OF THE ORIGINAL OFFER, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF FEDERAL GUIDELINES.
THERE'S CHAPTER 4 52, WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HELD AND BOUND TO.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GREAT THAT WE HAVE A STARTING POINT, UM, AND HOPEFULLY THAT IS NOT THE ONLY, UM, NEGOTIATION OR THE ONLY THING THAT ANY OF OUR CITIES ARE WILLING TO TAKE IS THEIR FIRST OFFER.
WELL, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY THE CONSENSUS OF THE COMMITTEE THAT, UH, WE WISH YOU SUCCESS IN YOUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THOSE CITIES THAT ARE, UM, UH, CHOOSING TO HOLD WITHDRAWAL ELECTIONS BECAUSE I THINK WE'D ALL LIKE TO SEE DART REMAIN WHOLE AND WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK IN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THIS COMMITTEE OR INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS CAN DO TO ASSIST YOU IN THAT EFFORT, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL UPON US.
THANK YOU AND THANK YOU ALL AT THIS POINT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM DART BOARD MEMBERS OF YOUR STAFF? OKAY, UM, MS. MENDELSON, YOU INDICATED THAT YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT STREETCAR.
I NOTICED THAT THE LAST PAGE OF THE APPENDIX IN ITEM A DEALS WITH STREETCAR COORDINATION.
IF YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ABOUT THAT SUBJECT, FEEL FREE TO ASK THEM.
NOW WE DO HAVE ITEM C COMING UP ON THE AGENDA, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH STREETCAR PLANNING PROJECTS.
SO IF IT RELATES TO THAT SUBJECT, PLEASE HOLD THOSE QUESTIONS UNTIL ITEM C IS CALLED, MY SUBJECT IS ABOUT D TWO IN THE STREETCAR.
SO, UM, THE EXPLANATION FRANKLY IS UNACCEPTABLE.
IT GOES AGAINST THE ACTUAL RESOLUTION THAT OUR CITY COUNCIL PASSED ABOUT D TWO, WHICH SAID, ANY DECISION NEEDS TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
AND SO THE FACT THAT YOU USED, UM, CAPACITY THAT WAS AVAILABLE INTENDED FOR D TWO FOR OTHER RAIL LINES DOES NOT MITIGATE YOUR OBLIGATION FOR D TWO AND D TWO WAS PROMISED TO THE CITY OF DALLAS IN EXCHANGE FOR ACCEPTING THE COTTON BELT SILVER LINE.
MY COMMUNITY, WHICH HAS TRACKED THIS PROJECT SINCE CLEARLY BEFORE YOU WERE BORN
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THOUGH D TWO OFTEN HAS MEANT DIFFERENT THINGS TO PEOPLE DOWN HERE, THERE'S AN UNUSUAL, UM, ATTENTION TO D TWO IN FAR NORTH DALLAS, WHICH ISN'T EVEN SHOWN ON SOME OF YOUR RIDERSHIP MAPS.THERE'S NO GO LINK, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO ALMOST ANYTHING FOR DART UP IN MY DISTRICT, BUT FOR DALLAS DISTRICT 12 WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT INVESTMENT HAPPENED BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS DOWNTOWN STILL IMPACTS OUR ENTIRE CITY AND WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT TRANSIT NEEDS, ESPECIALLY IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
AND SO WHILE THE RIDERSHIP GOALS FOR THE TRAIN WERE NEVER MET TO TRIGGER D TWO, SO IT SPECIFIES WHAT WAS REQUIRED.
WE'RE NOT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO IT.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S GOTTA BE FRACTIONAL LIKE LESS THAN 25%.
I THINK THERE STILL SHOULD BE THIS COMMITMENT THAT, WELL, WE PROMISED YOU THIS CAPITAL PROJECT, JUST AS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDISON AND THEIR THREATS FOR NOT GETTING THE SILVER LINE.
WELL, DALLAS WAS PROMISED THIS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, I I'VE HEARD COMMENTS THAT PERHAPS OUR PRIOR CITY MANAGER AND DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION MAY HAVE AGREED TO SOMETHING.
THE, THE, THE ORDINANCE, THE RESOLUTION DID NOT SAY, GO BACK AND TALK TO OUR CITY MANAGER.
AND WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE A VERY STRONG PRIORITY AND IDEA ABOUT HOW THE TINY STREETCAR THAT COSTS US OVER $2 MILLION A YEAR TO OPERATE NEEDS TO CONNECT TO THE MATA, UM, TROLLEY SO THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT WORKS.
AND WHETHER IT'S THAT OR SOMETHING ELSE, I'M JUST GONNA SAY WE ARE OWED THAT PROJECT.
AND SO THIS, THIS EXPLANATION THAT, WELL, WE SPENT IT UPDATING OUR OTHER RAIL LINES, I'M JUST GONNA SAY FOR ME THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
UM, THANK I, I'LL JUST COMMENT THAT IF, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN THAT HOW THAT PROJECT PLAYED OUT WAS BEFORE I EVEN JOINED THE BOARD, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WHICH WAS FEBRUARY OF 24.
UM, AND, AND I'VE RAISED IT AND I, AND I'M NOT TOO IN, IN, UH, I'M NOT FULLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENED AT THIS POINT TO PROVIDE COMMENTARY ON THAT, BUT I KNOW IT'S BEEN QUITE SOME TIME.
UM, AND, AND I HAVE SHARED IN THAT FRUSTRATION AS WELL BECAUSE I AM A DALLAS SITE, UM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT QUITE SURE ON THE DETAILS OF WHERE THE MONEY THAT WAS PROMISED.
I KNOW THERE WERE FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT WERE APPROPRIATED TO IT.
OBVIOUSLY NO ONE GOT ANY OF, NO ONE RECEIVED ANY OF THOSE DOLLARS.
UM, BUT THERE WERE, WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD, SOME DOLLARS THAT WERE APPROPRIATED OVER THE 20 YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN THAT WERE REAPPROPRIATED.
HOW MUCH OF DALLAS GOT THAT? I DON'T, I I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
WELL, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, I, I AGREE, YOU KNOW, DEE'S SITTING THERE, I THINK YOU WERE THE THIRD, MAYBE FOURTH PERSON INVOLVED IN THE SILVER LINE PROJECT JUST SINCE I WAS INVOLVED, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TURNOVER AND LEADERSHIP CHANGES.
AND SO PERHAPS SOME OF THE STORY AND HISTORY IS MISSING.
THESE, THESE WERE OPEN DEBATES, THEY'RE ON, ON THIS CITY'S WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN WATCH RESOLUTIONS THAT ARE LOGGED IN.
AND SO, UM, I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO BACK.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT ISN'T GONNA BE DECIDED TODAY, PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE SET ASIDE A LITTLE BIT GIVEN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE VOTER PROPOSITIONS, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU COULD BE LOOKING AT SOMETHING RADICALLY DIFFERENT FOR DART.
SO IT'S PROBABLY NOT A BIG DISCUSSION POINT TODAY, BUT WHAT I COULDN'T DO IS SAY NOTHING GIVEN WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THERE.
AND YOU KNOW, TO THAT POINT I'LL ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU TALK ABOUT ALL THE NEW, UM, BUSES AND, UM, LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES THAT YOU'RE GONNA PURCHASE.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU'RE GONNA DEFER THAT ALSO WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THESE ELECTIONS BECAUSE TO MAKE THAT KIND OF CAPITAL EXPENSE WHEN WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN SEEMS VERY FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE.
SO I'M, I'M FINE TO PAUSE THAT PERHAPS YOU CAN ASK YOUR STAFF AND OUR STAFF TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
BUT THIS CONVERSATION SHOULD NOT STOP BECAUSE IT VERY CLEARLY SAYS IN THE RESOLUTION, UM, TWO RESOLUTIONS ONE WAY BEFORE ANY OF US WERE HERE, WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS WERE TO GET THE D TWO PROJECT.
BUT THE SECOND ONE WAS ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT THAT PROJECT WILL BE AND WHAT IT'LL LOOK LIKE HAS TO
[01:25:01]
COME TO COUNCIL.AND I WAS THERE FOR THAT ONE AND WE PURPOSELY WANTED THAT ITEM TO BE, UM, CLARIFIED.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSON.
AND UH, I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE, UH, TO THE DART BOARD MEMBERS HERE THAT THE DOWNTOWN STREETCAR CONNECTOR IS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR THE CITY.
WE FEEL THAT IT IS A MEANS OF INCREASING RIDERSHIP FOR THE EXISTING CITY OF DALLAS STREETCAR SYSTEM AS WELL AS MA AND A GREAT CONVENIENCE IN CONNECTING THOSE TWO SYSTEMS FOR RIDERS IN, UH, PARTICULARLY THE CORE OF DALLAS.
AND SO, UH, PLEASE DO NOT THINK THAT THIS IS OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.
IT IS INSIGHT AND IN OUR MINDS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH YOU ON THAT CONNECTOR PROJECT.
AT THIS POINT IT IS NOW 2:30 PM AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE, LET'S SEE, WELL WE HAVE TWO MEMOS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA.
UH, ITEM B, THE DART INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE K BAILEY HUTCHINSON CONVENTION CENTER MASTER PLAN.
UM, AND ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABOUT THAT MEMO ITEM B? UM, I HAVE A QUESTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER MENDELSON, UM, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD BE PAYING THEM TO CLOSE A STOP.
WELL, THAT'S A VALID QUESTION.
UM, ROSA, CAN YOU ANSWER THAT? GOOD AFTERNOON.
ROSA FLEMING, DIRECTOR OF CONVENTION AND EVENT SERVICES AND AS WE DISCUSSED AT THE COUNCIL MEETING ON NOVEMBER 12TH, THE CLOSURE OF THE STATION WAS SOMETHING THAT WE CONTEMPLATED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE MASTER PLAN PROJECT.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DART TO LESSEN THE IMPACT OF THAT CLOSURE.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR IN WHAT WE BROUGHT TO COUNCIL IS ONE, A LIMITED GOAL LINK SERVICE THAT WILL FUNCTION FOR AN INITIAL PERIOD OF 18 MONTHS.
WE'RE COVERING THE FIFA PERIOD, RIGHT? AND THEN THE OTHER COST ARE RELATED TO THE COCOONING OF THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH THAT WE DON'T CAUSE DAMAGE TO THAT AS WE DO CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION AROUND THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ABOVE THEM.
AND THEN THERE ARE COSTS RELATED TO WORKING AND COORDINATING WITH THEM AS WE WORK THROUGH DEMOLITION PLANS AND AS WE WORK THROUGH CON, UH, CONSTRUCTION PLANS SO THAT THEIR STAFF CAN REVIEW THOSE IN COLLABORATION WITH US SO THAT THERE'S NO PERMANENT DAMAGE AGAIN TO THEIR EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL BRING BACK A CONSTRUCTION COMPONENT THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT INTEGRATION OF THE STATION AND CONTINUITY OF THEIR OPERATIONS.
SO AGAIN, UM, PERHAPS I SEE THE CFO IS STILL HERE.
IF WE WERE ASKING FOR A NEW STATION TO BE BUILT, DART WOULD SAY, WOW, WE HAVE EXPENSES WITH THAT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE SECURITY, WE HAVE TO HAVE MAINTENANCE, WE HAVE TO EMPTY OUT THE TRASH CAN CHANGE THE LIGHT BULBS.
WE'VE GOTTA DO ALL THE WORK ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING A STATION.
SO IF WE'RE GETTING RID OF A STATION, THEY SHOULD HAVE REDUCED COSTS.
UM, WHO SAID THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A GO LINK? THE STATION IN DEEP EL IS STILL OPEN.
THE STATION AT UNION STATION'S STILL OPEN.
THERE'S NO REASON TO GET OFF AT THE CONVENTION CENTER WHILE IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
WHY WOULD WE NEED TO HAVE A GO LINK? WHY IS THAT ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT'S BEEN? HI D LEG EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF CHIEF DE AND OFFICER.
SO, UM, I THINK THERE WERE MULTIPLE QUESTIONS ASKED.
UM, SO I'LL START WITH THE, THE LATTER OF, OF THE TWO.
WELL, YES, THERE WILL BE PORTIONS OF THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT WILL BE CLOSED DURING CONSTRUCTION.
NOT EVERYTHING IN THE AREA WILL BE CLOSED DURING CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT OUR WRITERS STILL NEED TO BE SERVED BY THAT TRIP.
SO THAT'S WHY WE LOOKED AT AND WORKED WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS ON THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO MAKE SURE THERE IS AN APPROPRIATE TRANSIT CONNECTION BETWEEN UNION STATION AND CEDARS FOR THOSE RIDER THAT STILL NEED TO GET TO THIS AREA.
SO WE'VE AGREED THAT GOLINK, UM, WHICH IS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, AS A DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE CAN BE OPERATED, THEN WE'LL MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THAT AND IF WE
[01:30:01]
SEE THAT THERE IS NOT THE DEMAND, THEN WE'LL MAKE THE APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENTS NECESSARY.UM, THERE ARE COSTS THAT, UM, THIS PROJECT IS PUTTING ON DART RELATED TO THIS STATION BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A DART PROJECT, WE'RE ASKING THAT THE CITY COVER THOSE COSTS.
THERE IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT OPERATIONAL SAVINGS FROM US CLOSING THIS STATION.
THERE ARE STILL ASSETS IN THAT STATION THAT HAVE TO BE OPERATED AND MAINTAINED.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CONTRACTOR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STILL HAVE ASSET ASSET ACCESS TO THAT.
UM, SO THERE'S NOT AN OPERATIONAL SAVINGS AND, AND IF THERE WERE AND SUCH IN SOME OF OUR, UM, OPERATING COSTS ON THE BUS SIDE, WE'VE ALREADY NEGOTIATED THAT INTO THE COST.
AND WHAT IS THE RIDERSHIP FOR THAT STATION? DO YOU HAVE THAT? SURE, THE RIDERSHIP FOR THAT STATION IS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT 700.
THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE FORECASTED FOR THE PERIOD OF FIFA.
SO THE WEEKDAY DAILY RIDERSHIP IS 700 AT THE CONVENTION CENTER TO RIGHT NOW.
SO IF I WENT AND SPENT THE DAY AT THE CONVENTION CENTER AT THE STATION, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO COUNT 700 PEOPLE IN A DAY GETTING OFF THAT STATION? YES.
UM, I I DO THINK WE SHOULD PAY YOU FOR THE COCOONING OF THE TRAIN TO GO THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT, BUT, UM, EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEANT, ROSA, ABOUT PAYING THE STAFF TO REVIEW PAYING THE DART STAFF TO REVIEW OUR PLANS.
WE ARE PAYING A PORTION OF THEIR STAFF COSTS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH THEM AS WE HAVE BEEN DOING WEEKLY AS WE GO THROUGH OUR DESIGNS FOR DEMOLITION AND FOR CONSTRUCTION AROUND THEIR STATION SUCH THAT WE DON'T CAUSE ANY DAMAGE.
AND DID DART PAY THE CITY OF DALLAS TO REVIEW PLANS WHEN THEY HAVE BUILT THINGS IN OUR AREA? SO IF I, IF I COULD, IF I COULD CLARIFY, UM, ROSA'S STATEMENT.
UM, SO DART IS HIRING CONSULTANTS TO HELP EXPEDITE DESIGN REVIEW.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE CITY IS ON A TIGHT TIMELINE.
WEED STAFF DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO PRIORITIZE THESE DESIGN REVIEWS.
WE ALSO HAVE THE TECH STOP PROJECT HAPPENING IN THIS AREA AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WE HAVE HIRED A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT TO EXPEDITE REVIEWS.
THIS IS PAYING FOR THE, THE TIME ASSOCIATED WITH A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT.
UM, I WOULD SUBMIT THAT WE DO NOT NEED A GO LINK AND SHOULD NOT BE SPENDING THIS MUCH MONEY ON THIS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON AGENDA ITEM B? SEEING NONE.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT AGENDA ITEM C, WHICH IS THE STREETCAR PLANNING PROJECTS UPDATE? SEEING NONE, I BELIEVE WE HAVE DISPOSED OF ALL OF THE BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA TODAY FOR THE JOINT MEETING.
IT IS NOW 2:37 PM AND I ADJOURN THE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE AT, UH, 2:37 PM AND AT THAT SAME TIME, GIVEN THE UH, SPECIAL CALL MEETING FOR DART AREA RAPID TRANSIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE TODAY.