Is DART worth it? University Park Holds Special Election to Decide

In a special election on May 2, 2026, voters in University Park, Texas, were asked whether to keep allocating a 1% sales tax to Dallas Area Rapid Transit, better known as DART, or end DART services.  A few months earlier, the University Park City Council voted to call the special election and let residents decide whether the city should withdraw from DART. Other Dallas-area towns, including neighboring Highland Park and the North Dallas suburb of Addison, also put DART on the ballot, while most cities opted for continued membership without a public vote. The decision to continue participating in the transit system occurs every six years. This is the first time University Park has opted for a majority public vote to determine the decision in decades.

In University Park, 1% of the local 2% sales tax helps fund buses, GoLink on‑demand rides, and paratransit for residents with disabilities who are unable to drive, on top of the 6.25% state sales tax for a total sales tax rate of 8.25%.

A “yes” vote keeps DART services unchanged.

A “no” vote would end DART service in the city in the mid-May 2026, but the transit tax would still be collected, potentially for years, until University Park’s share of DART’s financial obligations is paid off.

Outside a University Park polling place, supporters of DART framed their votes around access. One resident backed staying in “because people have to ride the bus,” recalling her own years commuting downtown and pointing to neighbors who rely on transit to get to work or church. Another frequent bus rider described the Preston Road route, DART line 237, as a necessity for restaurant workers, housekeepers, nannies, and other employees traveling into University Park.

Others focused on cost. One “no” voter argued University Park is “not getting as much, nearly as much benefit for the investment that we’ve made,” warning against a “fallacy of sunk costs” and questioning whether it makes sense to keep sending that penny to DART instead of eventually redirecting it to local priorities or tax relief.

Following the election, Addison and University Park opted to remain in the DART system, while Highland Park chose to withdraw. One near-term change will include the DART bus line 237, which connects downtown Dallas, Highland Park, University Park, and Addison, will not make any stops within the town limits of Highland Park.