Highland Park Votes to Exit Dallas Area Rapid Transit, First Suburb to Leave Since 1989
Why It Matters
Texas’ second-largest public transit agency is set to lose a member city for the first time in more than three decades, following a Saturday vote in Highland Park that will sever the suburb’s ties to Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). The departure raises questions about the long-term financial stability of North Texas public transit infrastructure at a moment when state transportation planners have identified expanded transit as a regional priority.
The exit will eliminate 15 bus stops and cut off paratransit services for riders with disabilities in Highland Park — a small but affluent enclave roughly four miles north of downtown Dallas.
What Happened
Voters in Highland Park approved withdrawal from DART on Saturday, making the city the first municipality to leave the agency since Flower Mound and Coppell departed in 1989. Final but unofficial returns showed nearly 70% of Highland Park voters chose to discontinue membership in the transit system.
Two neighboring suburbs — Addison and University Park — also held referendums on whether to exit DART. Both voted to remain. Addison mirrored Highland Park’s margin but in the opposite direction, with roughly 70% voting to stay. University Park’s result was closer, with 54% choosing to remain connected to the agency.
DART announced it will cease services in Highland Park on May 14, one day after the city council is scheduled to formally certify the election results.
By the Numbers
- $270 million — Projected sales tax revenue DART will forgo over the next 20 years as a result of Highland Park’s exit, according to agency projections.
- $6.3 million — Amount Highland Park contributed in sales tax to DART in fiscal year 2023.
- $1.9 million — Estimated value of DART services received by Highland Park in that same fiscal year, according to the agency.
- ~9,000 — Approximate population of Highland Park, which accounts for about 1% of total DART sales tax collections.
- 12 — Number of cities that will remain connected through DART following Highland Park’s departure.
- 15 — Bus stops slated for closure as a result of the vote.
Background on the Dispute
Saturday’s vote caps years of growing friction between DART and several of its suburban member cities. Officials in Highland Park, Addison, and University Park argued — citing a consultant’s report — that they pay disproportionately high sales taxes to DART relative to the transit services they receive in return. Highland Park, notably, does not have rail service despite contributing to the agency’s rail-heavy budget.
The fiscal imbalance was a central argument for departure. In fiscal year 2023, Highland Park sent more than three times as much to DART as it received back in services. Supporters of withdrawal argued the city could make better use of those funds by directing them toward locally controlled transportation alternatives.
DART Board Chair Randall Bryant acknowledged the outcome while emphasizing the agency’s commitment to its remaining partners. “The future of North Texas will be shaped by the cities that choose to move forward with DART,” Bryant said in a statement. “We are focused on expanding this system with partners who recognize that transit drives economic growth, connects people to opportunity, and strengthens communities.”
Zoom Out
The Highland Park vote reflects a broader national tension between urban transit agencies and their suburban members, many of whom question whether centralized systems deliver value commensurate with their tax contributions. As air travel disruptions continue to strain Dallas-area transportation networks, the pressure on ground-based transit infrastructure is growing across the region.
Texas state transportation planners have indicated that population growth across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex will require expanded — not contracted — public transit capacity in the decades ahead. Highland Park’s exit runs counter to that planning trajectory and removes a funding source that transit officials say is difficult to replace.
What’s Next
The Highland Park city council is scheduled to formally certify the election results on May 13, triggering DART’s service withdrawal the following day. The agency will proceed with closing 15 bus stops serving Highland Park and discontinuing paratransit services for residents with special mobility needs.
With University Park’s close 54–46 vote to remain, that suburb’s long-term DART membership may remain a point of political contention. Whether additional suburban cities pursue exit referendums will likely depend on how Highland Park’s departure reshapes both DART’s finances and its service footprint across a North Texas region already navigating significant infrastructure demands.