Dallas Transit Faces Deep Cuts Amid Funding Clash With Suburbs

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is set to implement service cuts and fare increases beginning in January 2026, amid a longstanding clash with suburban cities who argue their contributions to the regional agency outweighs the service they receive. Several leaders are looking to reduce their funding share, even as DART warns that a smaller budget would hinder the system’s ability to operate effectively.

The tensions mirror broader financial and political pressures on US transit agencies, including Philadelphia’s SEPTA, San Francisco’s BART and the Chicago Transit Authority. The stakes are particularly high in the sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, one of the worst places to live in the country without a car, contributor Benton Graham reports. Today on CityLab: In Dallas, Transit Cuts Reflect Long-Simmering Suburban Tensions