February 4, 2026 - TRA Newswire -

Members of Dallas Area Transit Alliance (DATA), a grass roots organization, went to a public meeting in the city of Addison last week and witnessed more than 30 speakers who came in despite weather issues to voice opposition to a May withdrawal election from Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). 

According to a news release from DATA, the vast majority of speakers were residents or workers in Addison, and most speakers opposed the idea of a May withdrawal election. Despite the advancement in negotiations and overwhelming public sentiment to delay the election until November, the Addison council still voted 5-2 to call the May election. 

DATA is a rider-run advocacy group, not affiliated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) or any other transit or government agency, whose purpose is preserving and advancing public transit. 

A statement from the public group reads "The Dallas Area Transit Alliance (DATA) continues to stand opposed to withdrawal elections that have been called in DART member cities, including the election recently called in Addison. The recent pledge by the DART board to not issue new debt until after the November 2026 election and continued progress on DART governance negotiations with the Dallas’ city council transportation committee are seen as evidence that good-faith conversations are working. Or at least they should be."

The DATA statement said "leadership and members in Addison are already working to connect voters to resources and build a network opposing this withdrawal, as we are in other cities. We encourage all supporters of public transportation to ensure they are registered to vote ahead of the May election, to engage with their neighbors and city leaders on the importance of transit, and to join DATA or an allied network to help ensure the future of public transit in the metroplex."

Five cities will hold pull-out elections on may 3rd. They are Plano, Irving, Farmers Branch, Highland Park and University Park and Addison.

Cities leaving the DART service area will find that rail and bus service will immediately be terminated, leaving tens of thousands of riders without a public transportation option. 

Cities will still incur debt payments for DART long term projects that will need to be paid. The 1% sales tax would be lowered to 7.25% and cities would have to fund their own fragmented public transportation system, should they choose.

A DATA report indicates that some cities may choose to spend the 1% on economic development corporations to entire more business and industry to locate within their boundaries with special incentives. One offshoot of that would be more jobs, creating more vehicles on the roads without a sustainable public transportation network. 

DATA was founded in 2024 and advocates for the continued funding and improvement of services, ensuring that all residents have access to safe, reliable, and efficient public transportation. 

Photo credit: Texas Rail Advocates, Addison Silver Line station