Government
Plano officials outline potential 2025 bond A bond proposal could be heading before Plano voters in May 2025. What you need to know Director of Budget Karen Rhodes-Whitley said a 2025 bond would primarily focus on streets, parks and recreation and public safety. Council members are expected to appoint a bond committee. Rhodes-Whitley said the preliminary proposal for a 2025 bond is $700 million, but that estimate has not been finalized. She added that around $50 million from the 2021 bond remains for street projects, and it is expected to run out next year. What’s next? Rhodes-Whitley said there will also be three public hearings dedicated to the main focuses of the bond scheduled tentatively for the following dates: • Nov. 25 for facilities • Dec. 9 for parks and recreation projects • Dec. 23 for streets projects Council would have to place propositions on the ballot by Feb. 10, 2025.
DART ridership Ridership on Dallas Area Rapid Transit has recovered to around 80% of levels from the 2018-19 fiscal year, according to data from the transit company.
Total number of riders 69.08M
80M 60M 40M 20M 0
48.8M
41.12M
50.2M
35.34M
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
SOURCE: DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Plano approves reduced DART contribution Plano City Council has called to decrease the city’s sales tax contribution to Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Council unanimously approved the resolution— which calls for a quarter-cent reduction in sales and use tax collections by DART—citing a need for greater financial transparency from DART, during its June 24 meeting. The transit authority’s board of directors—which have two Plano representatives—has to approve a resolution to place the reduced contribution before voters. The election would be called for a future date, and would be on the ballot for residents in all of DART’s 13 member cities. “The city of Plano does not have the authority to unilaterally reduce this tax rate exclusively for Plano,” a statement from Dallas Area Rapid Transit said. “Any reduction in the voter-approved 1% use tax that funds Dallas Area Rapid Transit would have devastating effects on the most vulnerable popu- lations in all cities that rely on DART to access jobs, health care, education and more.” The overview Director of Policy and Government Relations
said shared concerns of the 13 member cities include: • Cleanliness • Fiscal responsibility • Quality of service • Reliability of service • Safety The resolution also calls for capping all sales and use tax collections by the agency at $870.8 million, which is the projected collection in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Plano currently contributes the second-most sales and use taxes—trailing only Dallas—to Dallas Area Rapid Transit at $115 million, based on the one-cent contribution, which is required of all 13 member cities. Additionally, city officials are calling on Dallas Area Rapid Transit to provide the same levels of current service, but utilize growth and increasing ridership to offset lower projected revenues of a potential contribution decrease. They also want greater transparency on how DART spends its money and the value member cities receive. “We have no intention of leaving DART,” Mayor John Muns said. “We would like to lower our cost that we’re putting into DART because we’re not seeing the ridership that justifies $115 million a year from Plano.”
“We have been very, very successful when we’ve gone out for bond authority.” KAREN RHODES-WHITLEY, PLANO DIRECTOR OF BUDGET
City to replace over 240 traffic signal cabinets Plano staff are overseeing a project to replace more than 240 traffic signal cabinets, which are used to control traffic lights at nearly 300 intersec- tions in the city.
Traffic light upgrades
improvements portion of the Community Invest- ment Program. Two-minute impact Traffic signal cabinets throughout the city are between 12 and 20 years old, according to city documents. Transportation Engineering Manager Brian Shewski said that switching to new software will save the city around $100,000 in wireless control fees. Replacing all traffic cabinets will take two-to-three years.
Improved computer speed
Enhanced signal timing
Plano City Council approved the $1.4 million purchase of upgraded controller hardware and software for all of the city’s traffic signal cabinets, which includes those for eight new signalized intersections, during its June 24 meeting. Fund- ing comes from the fiscal year 2023-24 street
Automated performance measures
Flexibility to upgrade to transit signal priority and traffic responsive signal operation
COURTESY CITY OF PLANO/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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