To ensure continuation, Dallas Area Rapid Transit is being asked to consider extending its contract for the program past Oct. 1 until the end of January, transportation authority CEO Paul Cristina said during a July 27 board of directors meeting.
“When this first came up, the message was, ‘Hey this’ll go very quickly, all these pieces are in place,’” Cristina said. “The dominoes will just start to fall, and we’re looking at an Oct. 1 start date. As we start to have these conversations we say, ‘This is a little more complex than we were thinking.’”
The gist
Cristina presented information on the program’s status during a discussion-only item on the board’s July 27 agenda. A staff presentation showed the transportation authority’s proposal for continuing the program and a potential timeline for assuming control.
“At this point we are comfortable saying we can assume service no later than Feb. 1 of next year assuming all the pieces get into place,” Cristina said.
Zooming in
The transportation authority’s proposal anticipates up to three years of services offered in Allen and Fairview at an estimated cost of $1.6 million. Under the proposal, three taxis would operate between 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Rider eligibility requirements and fare structure would remain the same, according to the presentation.
The Regional Transportation Council approved $1.8 million earlier in July for continuation of the program. The funds are made up of local council funds matched by Allen and Fairview, and federal grant funds.
The transportation authority has also requested funding for a full-time employee to oversee the program, according to the presentation. That request is still pending with the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
What’s next?
The transportation authority had not yet received funding agreements from the Council of Governments. The board of directors may take action on funding agreements and interlocal agreements in August, Cristina said. If not, the timeline for assuming control of the program will be pushed back.
“DCTA has not committed in writing to anything,” he said. “We’ve been in these conversations from a regional partnership perspective and an open mind as we try to see how this works for DCTA, but no contract has been signed yet.”
