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Irving reviews proposed DART interlocal agreement that would return mobility funds but leaves service questions unresolved
Summary
City staff and council discussed a draft interlocal agreement with DART that phases GMP returns to member cities (starting at 5% in year 1, phasing upward to a 10% combined DART+RTC match), with Irving's estimated share around $55 million over six years; council members pressed DART service restoration and alternatives for riders of cut routes.
City Manager Chris Homan briefed the council on Feb. 26 about a proposed interlocal agreement (ILA) with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) that would return general mobility program (GMP) dollars to member cities over a six-year schedule and was offered as a potential alternative to the city's previously authorized ballot question on DART membership.
Homan said the ILA structure would phase DART contributions back to member cities beginning at 5% in year 1 and increasing through a match with Regional Transportation Council (RTC) funds up toward a 10% combined return in later years. He presented an Irving-specific forecast under that proposal of roughly $54—5 million in GMP dollars over six years of the ILA, with known figures for the first two years (about $5.1 million and $6.8 million) and estimated amounts for later years dependent on future sales-tax collections.
The presentation placed the proposed finance arrangement in the context of three areas cities have emphasized in negotiations: governance (board composition and voting weights), finance (the X/Y/Z allocation model separating regional vs. local costs), and service (restoring routes and assuring local mobility alternatives). Homan emphasized that while governance principles have been discussed and a draft vote apportionment chart circulated, any governance changes requiring state law would need legislative action.
Council members asked whether the ILA would restore specific local bus routes Irving had recently lost (the 225 and 255). Homan said the ILA as drafted does not automatically restore those routes and that route restorations or urban circulators remain outstanding service items that require further negotiation; he also raised the need for DART to identify concrete alternative services when routes are cut.
The work session discussion was framed as part of multi-city negotiations facilitated by regional bodies (NTC, COG, RTC); council members pressed staff to press DART for clear service commitments and for outreach to riders who would be affected if routes are removed. No final decision was recorded at the work session; staff said the mayor and manager would continue discussions and that council would consider the ILA and any subsequent agreements in future meetings.
