DART’s Future Uncertain

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), a network of bus routes and light rail lines connecting Dallas and a dozen suburban cities, could potentially collapse as four member cities have scheduled elections for next year to discontinue funding and withdraw from the network.

Established in 1983 as an expansion of the Dallas Transit System, DART is funded by a one-cent sales tax collected in member cities, which represents up to 50% of their sales tax revenue since local collections are capped by law at two cents.

A 2024 study revealed that some member cities contribute more to DART than the value of the services they receive, sparking calls for reform. After a failed legislative effort earlier this year, Plano, Irving, Farmers Branch, and Highland Park scheduled withdrawal elections. 

Although DART celebrated a major milestone in October with the opening of the 26-mile Silver Line connecting Plano and DFW International Airport, three recent shootings have raised questions about its viability as a safe method of transportation. In response, DART allocated nearly $25 million to improve its security.

The withdrawal elections are scheduled for May—just a month before the start of the World Cup, which will feature nine matches at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Best Bites from Around Texas

Texas Monthly released its quadrennial “Top 50 Best BBQ” list in May, but its December issue includes a feature from the magazine’s barbecue editor profiling the “best smoked meats he’s eaten” since then. The edition also includes favorite bites from its restaurant critic and taco editor.

With three locations in Greater Houston, Killen’s BBQ sells a Churro French Toast Brisket Sandwich that’s “heavy on cinnamon and sugar,” while Schultze’s Pit Room in Seguin offers a Sausage Trio with smoked boudin, jalapeño-cheese, and floral black pepper links that “sing.”

Houston’s Asian American diner Agnes and Sherman has a Bean-offee Pie with a “flair for flavor.” It’s made with “bananas and a dulce de leche layer with salted and fermented black beans.”

Lubbock’s Jiménez y Friends offers a Pork Belly Taco with Corn and Queso Fresco, described as having “plenty of smoke, tinges of sweetness, and a salty punch of cheese.” San Antonio’s Gimme Gimme sells a Blue Corn Crispy Dog, and the “signature starter” at Elemi in El Paso is Oaxacamole, a guacamole with a “nutty crunch from roasted grasshoppers.”

➤ No. 16 Texas intercepted Marcel Reed twice in the final four minutes to seal a 27-17 win over No. 3 Texas A&M, handing the Aggies their first loss of the season. (Watch Video)

➤ Lights Spectacular Hill Country Style in Johnson City, Concho Christmas Celebration in San Angelo, and Santa Land in Tyler are among 10 “must-see” Christmas light displays across Texas. (More)

➤ Houston Texans tight end Cade Stover fulfilled a lifelong dream when he recently purchased a 330-acre farm in Mansfield, Ohio, just three miles away from his family’s farm. His mother still has a note he wrote as a child: “I want to play in the NFL and I want to farm.” (More)

➤ UTEP professor Jose Hurtado is a member of a team that will map the Lunar South Pole for NASA’s 2027 Artemis III mission, when two astronauts will land on the moon for the first time in 50 years. (More)

➤ Flower Mound’s average household holiday shopping budget is projected to be $3,941 this year—the fourth-highest in the nation—according to a report by WalletHub. (More)

➤ Crews are installing concrete drainage boxes along I-45 and I-69 in Houston that will carry floodwaters to a detention pond that holds up to 76 million gallons of water. The project is expected to be completed in 2028, at which time TxDOT will begin expanding the freeways. (Watch Video)

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Did you do any holiday shopping yesterday?

1. Yes
2. No

Thursday’s Results:

Do you watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? 

1. Some of it: 34%
2. Used to: 32%
3. From start to finish: 17%
4. Never have: 17%

What megachurch occupies the building that once hosted Houston Rockets home games?

Show me the answer