Irving leaders press DART for answers after proposal to cut two bus routes

Irving’s mayor and council pressed regional transit officials and city staff for clearer numbers and a faster plan after DART proposed removing two Irving bus routes.

Mayor Rick Stoffer opened the discussion by describing long-standing concerns about service changes and funding: “We’ve put over $30,000,000 in a 3 or 4 year timeframe into DART,” he said, arguing Irving needs a clearer return on that investment. He urged DART to explain how service reductions would affect riders who lack smartphones or who rely on fixed-route stops.

Dan, a city transit staff presenter, said his slides came largely from DART materials and the agency’s third-quarter reports and a cost allocation snapshot from Ernst & Young. He described performance thresholds DART uses to identify deficient routes and reported that two Irving routes were flagged for possible removal; the routes in question, 225 and 255, link rail stations, colleges and neighborhoods that staff said appear as high-use nodes on DART heat maps.

Councilmembers pressed for more transparency and questioned whether DART had attempted marketing, schedule or frequency changes before moving to eliminate service. Councilmember Dennis called the Heritage Crossing/Irving Boulevard corridor “Irving Boulevard — ain’t nothing to the west of it” and argued the Heritage Crossing standards and local context mean a one-size approach is inappropriate.

Several councilmembers voiced equity concerns about replacing fixed routes with DART’s GoLink on-demand zones. Councilmember Al described riders without cell phones or the ability to schedule trips: “What do they do? They don’t have cell phones. What do they use — a telephone? Really?” He and others worried that people who rely on predictable bus stops — seniors, people with disabilities and workers on fixed schedules — could lose reliable access to jobs and medical care.

The council also questioned cost accounting. The Ernst & Young snapshot allocates roughly $15.1 million of bus operational cost to Irving; staff noted that DART reported a smaller annual operating savings for the agency if routes are cut. “I don’t know how those numbers compute,” one councilmember said, asking DART for the underlying methodology and backup data.

Councilmembers discussed possible next steps: pressing DART for a clear notice and mitigation plan, exploring governance and finance alternatives through the regional mayor/city manager working group, and considering contracting options (for example, VIA or other providers) if service gaps remain. Councilmember Mark said Irving should have a strategy if it ultimately decides to leave DART: “We need to be really understanding what the implication will be of that vote…because we’re gonna have to put a lot of money up to get out.”

City staff committed to continuing coordination with DART and to bringing refined numbers back to council. The mayor said the council may draft a resolution asking DART for details and for a more robust mitigation plan before any service eliminations take effect.

What’s next: staff will request DART provide the detailed ridership, trip-count and cost-accounting backup, and the council signaled interest in a formal resolution asking for those materials and for assurances about service to transit-dependent residents.