Thanks to a new agreement between Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the city of Dallas, the city has received millions in excess funding for key transportation infrastructure projects, such as ADA-compliant ramps at DART stations and sidewalk improvements.

What happened

Dallas City Council voted to enter into the agreement with DART on June 14, ending a months-long battle between the entities. The agreement allows the city to accept about $90 million in excess sales tax revenue from the transit agency.

How we got here

Because of an influx of federal COVID-19 relief money, DART had $214.3 million in leftover sales tax revenue, which the agency decided to allocate to its 13 member cities.


Originally, DART promised Dallas $111.1 million from the excess funds, according to a December memo from the city manager’s office. However, the agency lowered that amount to less than $30 million in February, saying the city was responsible for millions in project delays, including ones on DART’s Silver Line rail project.

Since then, the North Central Texas Council of Governments helped mediate a deal that bumped Dallas’ allocation up to $90 million.

By the numbers

The funds are meant to be used “to support DART’s public transportation system or for complementary transportation services,” according to the December memo.


In a June 2 memo, the city manager’s office outlined these recommended uses for the funds:
  • $10 million to fund two major hiking and bike trail projects;
  • $11.55 million to reconstruct traffic signals on major DART bus route corridors;
  • $10 million to finish priority projects identified in the city’s Sidewalk Master Plan;
  • $50 million to address a “backlog” of missing ADA ramps;
  • $2 million to fund the fiscal year 2024 traffic lane markings program budget;
  • $2.2 million to pilot new bike lane safety measures and maintenance'
  • $750,000 to fund a study to evaluate parking lot redevelopment options;
  • $500,000 to offer free DART transit for youth in grades K-12 and to support homeless transit services; and
  • $3 million to fund ongoing maintenance and studies to optimize operations.
What's next

Dallas received the $50 million to address missing ADA ramps immediately after entering the agreement. But the rest of the funding will come in increments, based on specific criteria, such as making progress on the Silver Line project.