Collin County Transit board to weigh service cuts, long-term plans

Seniors, disabled riders and low-income commuters who depend on Collin County Transit will be watching a McKinney board meeting that could shape service levels across six cities. The McKinney Urban Transit District board is set to meet Tuesday, July 7, at 4 p.m. in Council Chambers at McKinney City Hall, 401 E. Virginia St., with a regular City Council meeting listed for 6 p.m. the same day.

Collin County Transit now operates as a subsidized, on-demand shared-ride service for eligible riders in Celina, Lowry Crossing, McKinney, Melissa, Princeton and Prosper. Dallas Area Rapid Transit describes the program as a rider assistance service for people 65 and older, people with disabilities and low-income riders, with weekday hours from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekend hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Riders use it for medical appointments, work trips and grocery store runs, and bookings go through the GoPass app or by phone.

The stakes are high because transit coverage in Collin County has long been uneven. A 2021 North Central Texas Council of Governments study described the county’s existing service as a patchwork and said Collin County needs a more structured approach to governance and funding if public transportation is going to improve. That warning is now colliding with a broader regional fight over how much service the Dallas area can afford.

DART approved 2026 service cuts in September 2025 to close a budget gap. The plan eliminated seven bus routes, reduced peak-hour rail frequency, changed some GoLink zones and added shuttle pilots in Addison and Plano. Agency leaders said the changes were expected to save $18 million in the first year and $24 million a year after that. The cuts drew more than 170 speakers at a July 2025 public hearing, where riders and advocates raised objections, and DART’s Title VI equity assessment found minority riders would bear a disproportionate impact.

Plano has become part of the same transit argument. The city’s timeline shows a February 23, 2026 agreement that canceled a scheduled withdrawal election and paired an interlocal deal with a complementary microtransit contract with Via. Plano’s Collin County Connects Committee also sent written feedback to the city council on Dec. 16, 2025, with discussions centered on cost, coverage, reliability, safety, accessibility and paratransit.

For McKinney and nearby suburbs, Tuesday’s meeting comes down to a practical question: whether the current ride service, built around medical trips, commuting and basic errands, can hold steady for the riders who have the fewest alternatives.