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Disability advocates urge Dallas-area riders to weigh in on proposed DART paratransit cuts and fare hikes
Summary
Speakers at the Dallas Commission on Disabilities meeting urged commissioners and residents to attend DART public meetings after proposed paratransit service-area reductions and fare increases that advocates say would disproportionately affect riders with disabilities.
Mary Witherspoon, a visually impaired member of District 6 and a DART paratransit rider, told the Dallas Commission on Disabilities on Thursday that proposed changes to Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) services could sharply affect people with disabilities and urged commission members and residents to attend upcoming DART community meetings.
Advocates say the proposal under consideration would raise paratransit fares and reduce the geographic area served. "They're looking at increasing paratransit rides from $3.5 to $6," Witherspoon said during public comment. She also said DART has proposed cutting the paratransit service area by 17 percent and cited agency estimates about budget reductions she described as "$50,000,000 in the Paratrans in the DART budget" with about $10,000,000 coming from a paratransit-related program. The speaker asked commissioners and council members to attend or submit testimony; the DART board is scheduled to vote on the proposal in August, and any changes would take effect in 2026 if adopted as proposed.
Vice Chair Reedy (District 1) echoed Witherspoon’s plea and encouraged people to participate in the remaining public hearings. "Show up or call in or go online for 1 of the DART hearings," Reedy said, noting the proposed $6 fare would be a substantial increase for riders on small incomes and that some existing services used by older residents have been cut entirely.
Commissioners did not take formal action on the DART proposal during the meeting; the item appeared in the public-comment section and was presented to inform commissioners and to request their participation in DART hearings. Commission staff directed no formal follow-up motion during the meeting record.
The commission’s public-comment speakers provided specific dates and a URL cited by Witherspoon (dart.org/2026proposal) for the DART meeting schedule. Witherspoon said one in-person pre-meeting would be held at noon on a Saturday and mentioned a July virtual meeting; commissioners and staff present said they would publicize meeting details and encourage participation.
Details provided by public speakers and commissioners about the DART proposal included: - Proposed paratransit fare increase from $3.50 to $6.00 per ride (as stated by a public commenter). - Proposed reduction of the paratransit service area by 17 percent (as stated by a public commenter). - A referenced $50 million reduction in DART’s paratransit-related budget with a $10 million subset attributed to a specific paratransit program (language in the comment was indistinct; program name not specified in the record).
The commission did not vote on or endorse a position at this meeting. Speakers urged residents and elected officials to attend DART’s public meetings ahead of the board vote in August.
