David Leininger, former interim president and CEO of Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), joins the Working Title show to unpack the complex realities of mass transit in the Dallas–Fort Worth region. With decades of experience, he offers a candid look at the challenges of serving a sprawling metropolitan area, the political dynamics between city and suburbs, and emerging innovations like on-demand transit solutions. This episode reveals why transit hasn’t lived up to expectations and explores what the future might hold for regional transportation.

Topics
- Why mass transit is both a necessity and a political challenge in Dallas–Fort Worth
- The divide between Dallas and its suburbs on transit priorities and funding
- How demographic and geographic factors affect transit ridership and service design
- Innovations in suburban transit: on-demand ridesharing and digital solutions
- The prospects and impact of potential city pullouts from DART

Highlights
David Leininger’s DART Credentials (00:01:10) David introduces his extensive background with DART, including a decade as CFO and serving as interim president and CEO.

The Purpose of Mass Transit in Dallas (00:05:03) “The argument for mass transit… is congestion mitigation because ultimately the highways are limited.” David explains the primary rationale behind regional transit systems.

Challenges of Serving a Distributed Metroplex (00:06:11) Dallas–Fort Worth’s sprawling geography with multiple employment centers and sprawling suburbs makes transit delivery “much more challenging” and dilutes ridership density.

Suburban Transit Preferences (00:07:28) While Dallas favors expanded bus service, suburbs want higher-speed rail and on-demand rideshare-like options, highlighting differing needs across the region.

Financial Contributions vs. Service (00:14:41) Plano alone generates approximately $130 million annually for DART but feels underserved, fueling tensions over equitable transit funding and benefits.

Ridership Trends and Pandemic Impact (00:17:34) Ridership plummeted from 80 million to 35 million during the pandemic but has rebounded to about 58 million, with peak times still seeing full trains.

Practical Transit Limitations (00:18:47) David shares why multi-transfer commutes like riding from Argyle to the LBJ Freeway office complex are impractical, cutting down willingness to use transit.

Plano’s On-Demand Transit Innovation (00:22:27) After shuttle services failed, Plano partnered with a Vancouver startup to launch an on-demand Uber-like system catering to dynamic lunch-hour rider patterns.

Digitalizing Senior Transportation (00:24:02) Transitioning from paper taxi vouchers to digital wallets improved efficiency and became the foundation for Dallas-based Gozo, enhancing suburban mobility.

The Political Dynamics at DART (00:16:39) Dallas historically wields overweight control of the DART board, contributing to suburban dissatisfaction and potential city pullouts to gain service autonomy.

Express Trains and Airport Access (00:35:27) David confirms express trains on DART’s double-track system are possible, addressing calls for faster, direct service between Downtown Dallas and DFW Airport.

Transit Success in Dense Urban Areas (00:39:56) Drawing lessons from Chicago, David highlights the importance of transit nodes with concentrated retail and walkable neighborhoods to sustain ridership.