Plano Appoints Citizens to Study Transit Options Before DART Vote

Plano City Council on November 24 appointed 12 residents to a new Collin County Connects Committee charged with examining alternatives to Dallas Area Rapid Transit as the city prepares for a May 2, 2026 ballot on whether to withdraw from DART. Former Plano Mayor Phil Dyer will chair the citizen led panel, which was formed after the council unanimously called a special election on November 5.

The committee is scheduled to meet five times, from December 2 to December 16, to hear presentations from potential vendors and study service models that include microtransit along with other configurations. Members will evaluate options against criteria set by the council, including accessibility, safety, cost, wait times and connectivity to existing transit and regional networks. The quick December schedule is designed to give council and the public a baseline understanding of viable alternatives well in advance of the spring ballot.

In parallel with the committee process, the city formally submitted a six year, rail focused proposal to Dallas Area Rapid Transit on November 14 as one possible path forward before voters decide whether Plano will remain a DART member. That submission represents a simultaneous effort to negotiate within the regional authority while investigating municipality managed or contracted service alternatives.

For Collin County residents the outcome will affect how public transit is funded and delivered, how the city coordinates with neighboring jurisdictions and how riders access work, school and medical services. Withdrawal from DART would have implications for local tax allocations, service coverage and connections to the broader Dallas area. The citizen committee process creates a public forum to test options, hear competing proposals and flag trade offs between cost, coverage and equity.

Council members and city staff have said the committee's findings will inform public communications and council deliberations ahead of the May ballot. Residents interested in transit outcomes should monitor the committee schedule, vendor presentations and council briefings to understand how proposed changes could affect daily travel and long term municipal budgets.