PLANO, Texas, November 6, 2025 – Today, Vice Chair Mihaela Pleºa (HD 70 – Collin County) issued the following statement in response to the Plano City Council's decision to place DART withdrawal on the May 2026 ballot:
“As your State Representative, I’m deeply concerned that Plano’s decision to place DART withdrawal on the May 2026 ballot moves forward without a clear mobility plan in place. Fiscal accountability matters, but so does responsibility to the families who keep our community moving.
If this measure passes as written, DART buses and trains would stop running in Plano at 12:01 a.m. the next day—leaving workers, students, and members of our IDD community without reliable transportation overnight.Accessibility is part of what makes Plano exceptional. A sudden cutoff would devastate families who rely on DART to reach jobs, schools, and vital programs like My Possibilities, the very people who make our community excellent.
From a financial standpoint, the numbers don’t add up. If Plano leaves DART, the city would still be responsible for making debt payments to the agency for up to a decade. That means taxpayers could be paying for a service they no longer receive while simultaneously funding the creation of a new regional mobility plan. That’s not fiscal reform—that’s double spending.
If Plano truly wants to remain a growing, innovative city, we must plan transit throughout Collin County, not dismantle it piecemeal. Growth doesn’t stop at city limits, and neither should our vision for mobility. With parts of Dallas extending into Collin County, our future depends on regional cooperation, not isolation.
Before voters are asked to decide, the City owes residents a responsible, data-driven plan. One that ensures fiscal accountability without sacrificing accessibility or economic vitality. Anything less puts our families, businesses, and shared future at risk. In the Legislature, I will continue to stand up for responsible planning, fiscal transparency, and the families who depend on reliable transportation. But Plano deserves more than a question on a ballot—it deserves a plan.”
