Dallas – On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, the Dallas City Council approved a resolution in support of the development and implementation of a Student Transit Program offering free fares for kindergarten through twelfth grade students on DART’s bus and rail transit system. DART is in the early stages of researching this potential program. Omar Narvaez, District 6 Councilmember and Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the Dallas City Council, requested that the resolution be considered by the Council. It was unanimously supported by members of the Committee and 14-1 by the City Council.  

Chairman Narvaez said, “The potential for a free fare program for school-age children is something the City Council overwhelmingly supported. The opportunity to remove barriers to accessing school, work and extra-curricular could be transformative for our community. DART is working expeditiously to study the financial, operational, legal and security factors. I look forward to seeing the next steps when they are available.” 

DART has begun their preliminary discussions to vet a Student Transit Program in the context of their broader agency goals, which will be presented at a future date to be considered by the board of directors. “Board members Jon Killen and Hosanna Yemiru have been instrumental in bringing this idea forward for study. The agency will examine the pros and cons of a variety of student fare subsidy programs as part of our comprehensive fare policy study,” said DART Board Chair Michele Wong Krause.  

“As we build for our future, Dallas must strive to be a city of opportunity,” Mayor Eric Johnson said. “Providing free DART fares for schoolchildren could be a game-changer that would open a world of opportunities for them. I am grateful to Chairman Narvaez and the members of the Dallas City Council for supporting this important effort. We look forward to working with DART to make this happen for our kids.” 

The City of Dallas and DART continues to encourage everyone to take advantage of the existing fare discounts for students, seniors and individuals currently utilizing an assistance program.