Councilmember Howard Fried proposed a resolution asking Dallas Area Rapid Transit to move two bus routes off Quorum Drive and onto Addison Road sooner than DART’s current timetable, saying residents along Quorum have endured repeated nighttime noise and safety concerns.
Fried cited resident petitions and survey responses and said he wanted the change completed as soon as possible, arguing “I don't want to wake these people up for 2 more weeks when they've put up with it for this long.” The council debated the item at its July 22 meeting and then held a vote; the motion to approve the resolution failed after a split roll-call.
Why it matters: Fried and other council members said the bus routing affects sleep, pedestrian safety and quality of life in dense residential areas along Quorum Drive. DART staff and town officials countered that the agency is executing a systemwide service change that requires coordinated steps—stop placement, printed and electronic rider information and operational training—and that September 15 is the established implementation target for this round of schedule changes.
What DART says: Rob Smith, DART vice president for service planning and scheduling, told council the two affected routes do not require the agency’s formal public hearing process but do require the usual operational preparations. He said the routes that run on Quorum currently have modest boarding counts at the Quorum stops and that most system ridership for Addison congregates at the Addison Transit Center. Smith said DART is targeting September 15 for the changes because that is a regular date when multiple route and schedule updates take effect and when rider information can be distributed in both printed and digital forms.
Council reaction: Several council members questioned the timeline and communication steps; some criticized the way individual councilmembers engaged directly with DART staff outside of formal council direction. Councilmember Brandy Smith and others said they supported moving the routes but emphasized the town must maintain a professional, coordinated approach with DART and protect rider safety during the transition.
Next steps: DART staff said they would proceed toward the September service-change implementation and continue to work with town staff on stop placement, pedestrian crossings and rider communications. Council members who pressed for a faster move said they will continue outreach on behalf of residents; Fried said he would continue to press DART on schedule and safety details.