The pilot program will help out countless young people in Dallas, Perkins said.
“We’re going to affect so many lives through this, and so many people would be able to take advantage of such an important resource, such a needed resource,” he said. “And especially the fact that this is going to positively impact predominantly people of color, and poor and working-class people.”
The victory was roughly a year in the making.
The Observer reported last August on a petition started by Sunrise Movement Dallas. Members of the group argued at the time that if students could ride to school for free, their performance and attendance would improve, among other boons.
Perkins pointed out that a sizable share of students in Dallas County are considered economically disadvantaged. Education is a critical component to fighting poverty, and similar efforts have already benefited students in places like Seattle and Boston, he said.
There’s evidence that school attendance in Minneapolis has improved substantially thanks to free transit passes.
“It’s going to affect students and their families in so many more ways than we can even really wrap our head around at this point,” Perkins said.
Sunrise Movement Dallas views the pilot program as an investment in future ridership and clean air. Perkins said young people who develop good public transit habits early on will likely carry that over into adulthood.
Plus, he added, making public transit a realistic and appealing option will help lead to a greener society overall.
The program is being run by the city of Dallas, said DART spokesperson Gordon Shattles. DART already allows students in its 13 service area cities to ride for half-fare. Children under 5 can ride for free if they’re with an adult.
“The North Texas region has never had a very good score when it came to clean air,” Shattles said. “I think anyone who's ever suffered driving on 75 or 35 knows the benefits of getting out of your car when you can and taking DART.”
“Education goes beyond the classroom, and I think we owe it to the children here that they should have that opportunity.” – Jed Ullrich, Sunrise Movement Dallas
tweet this
After Dallas City Council approved $250,000 for the pilot, the city began to work with stakeholders on developing the program, a spokesperson for the city told the Observer via email. Officials will now start to determine program parameters, oversight and performance metrics ahead of its anticipated launch in January.
During Dallas ISD’s June school board meeting, trustees dedicated $500,000 over five years for DART passes, said David Bates, Dallas ISD’s chief of operations. The district has its own program in place and has already been offering DART passes to students who need them.
Caren Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the district, called the pilot program “the cherry on top.”
The city adopted a resolution in May 2022 to support a free transit program for students. In a press release at the time, council member Omar Narvaez, chair of the council's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, praised the effort as something that could be “transformative for our community.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson also backed the proposal.
“As we build for our future, Dallas must strive to be a city of opportunity,” Johnson said in the release. “Providing free DART fares for schoolchildren could be a game-changer that would open a world of opportunities for them.”
Mass transit has proven to help slash harmful emissions and reduce congestion on roads, said Jed Ullrich with Sunrise Movement Dallas. In addition to being more environmentally friendly, the program lets Dallas students check out museums, concerts, political events and the State Fair. They can also just explore the city or use DART to get to work.
“Education goes beyond the classroom, and I think we owe it to the children here that they should have that opportunity,” Ullrich said. “And on top of that, it makes it easier for their parents and family to go along and ride with them.”
Ullrich noted that it can be intimidating to learn how to navigate public transportation systems at first. The group hopes that figuring out how to ride DART at an early age can help demystify the system.
Sunrise Movement Dallas is continuing the fight for a Green New Deal. They hope that eventually students from anywhere can come to the North Texas area and ride DART for free.
“That’s what we would really like most,” Ullrich said. “It really just improves the quality of life, and people can see what we've built here in Texas.”
