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PLANOMAGAZINE.COM|JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2026

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6 THE 94-YEAR-OLD TRAIN ENTHUSIAST 8 25 MOMENTS IN 2025 10 BRYA ZAN THAI NOODLE + BREW 14 CALENDAR 16 MADNESS GAMES & COMICS 20 THE DART DASH

Dear readers, First, I would be remiss if I did not mention how grateful and humbled I am by everyone who came, performed or vended at our anniversary celebration in November. The past 10 years of Plano Mag in the city and four that I have been with the publication have been so much fun, and we’re so excited for many more years and more celebrations to come. Now, some things to note: We’re changing up Best Of this year. Nominations will open early 2026 on our website, while voting will take place for Food & Drinks, Culture & Entertainment, Shopping and Local Services in April, with all winners announced in July. Additionally, I will be on maternity leave from mid-January to March. While I will be checking my email and phone intermittently, you will be seeing a little less of me during that time until I am able to share my daughter with you all. Best, Alyssa High-Coronado Editor

About the Cover: Meet cover contest winner Connor Huang Connor Huang, a sixth grader at Frisco ISD’s Wortham Intermediate School, is the winner of our cover contest. According to his family, Connor enjoys doodling and playing basketball in his free time and spends his weekends hanging out and making crafts with his family. Congrats Connor!

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Photography may include models or actors and may not represent actual patients. Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers or Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2025 Baylor Scott & White Health. 18-PL-1682230 DT

CHUGGIN’ BACK TO 1954 LLOYD KEYSER HAS A SERIOUS TRAIN COLLECTION Story by Carol Toler

THE FIRST FLOOR OF LLOYD KEYSER’S home is like most others in his neighborhood, with a dining room, kitchen and study. Climb the stairs to the second floor, though, and you'll be stepping into another world — one not unlike Plano's annual train show. The retired mechanical engineer from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has recreated locations — including his hometown — from his childhood. He’s installed a specialized framework to put HO gauge trains and their tracks at eye level, and he’s set up dedicated lighting to monitor tiny details. An enhanced air conditioning system keeps the temperature perfect year ‘round for people and trains alike. “I’ve been interested in trains since I could say ‘choo-choo,’” Keyser says. “All through elementary school, high school and college, I was into it deep.” Keyser is dedicated to realism and accuracy, and he’s focused on prototype models from one specific year — 1954. American trains that year were in the process of transitioning from steam to diesel, and each model he runs was operating in Belle Plaine, Iowa, where he often visited extended family. “I joined the National Model Railroad Association back in 1954, and I’ve gone to hundreds of national and local

conventions since then,” he says. “I’ve given over a hundred modeling clinics, written 42 magazine articles and had four books published on the Chicago Northwestern Railroad.” To build the extensive setup in his home, Keyser removed a large section off his roof. At the time, he reassured his dear, now-departed wife Mary that the move would only be temporary. “I got a 40-foot pool cover to put over the roof while we were working, and when I came home from work, I would roll back and remove the existing roof. I designed a truss from wall-to-wall, 14 inches deep. I put in 27 of those and decked it, and I got a contractor to help me build the walls, creating a 16-by-36foot open room.” Mary, he claims, was encouraging throughout. “She was a big supporter,” says the 94-year-old. “This is a fantastic hobby. It keeps me alive. It keeps me thinking. It keeps me going. She always knew where she could find me if I was missing.” Keyser was like many American children of that era — at the age of 3, he started with a windup train, and at 4, he found a Lionel set under his Christmas tree. That gift from his father sparked something inside him which has lasted 90 years, and

Lloyd Keyser’s love of trains began when he received a windup set at age three. He’s hoping more young people will take up the hobby. he keeps that first train on a shelf over the antique desk in his workroom. “I was ecstatic to get it,” he recalls. “My grandfather and dad built a train table in the basement 4-by-8-foot, I think it was. They had tracks and switches and so forth, and I played with that all the way into high school.” As a young boy, he recalls borrowing his cousin’s bicycle, riding to downtown Belle Plaine, sitting on the foundation of the signal bridge on Seventh Avenue and watching the trains. He admired a few relatives who worked on various aspects of the railroad system during World War II — from conductors to brakemen to roundhouse pipefitters. When he got to high school, he admits to bumming rides on the Illinois

Photo courtesy of Dallas Area Train Show/ North Texas Council of Railroad Clubs.

Central caboose from Cedar Rapids to Manchester. “You’ve got to talk your way into that,” he laughs. “I left my bicycle over in the weeds, and sometimes I’d ride a freight train from Cedar Rapids down to Silvis, Illinois, and back.” Keyser has meticulously researched the schedules for 1954 trains across the Midwest and recreated towns and structures from Belle Plaine, Iowa, to Plymouth, Wisconsin, to Wausau, Wisconsin. Each train car has a color-coded card, not unlike an old-fashioned library card used to check out books. The cards indicate whether the train car is a “set out” on a side track or a “pick up,” ready to be added to the train. “All of the cars you see here are ’54 or before,” he explains. “I’ve built a lot of them, but not all, and I’ve built the backgrounds, including buildings, silos, stations and trees. That bridge, for example, is on a highway in Missouri. I photographed, measured and drew and scratch built it.” It’s not enough, Keyser says, to just “put a bridge” on the track. He requires the period-appropriate scene from the burgh he is recreating. He visits the town and sizes it up, then heads straight to their library or preservation society. He looks for books with old photos which depict the downtown area from 1954. He wants to get it right. “I drove into this town on one of my trips and thought, ‘Man, there are some

super buildings here. I have a place for that town.’ So, I started taking photographs and doing building mockups.” Keyser’s idea of a perfect site is one with a condensed downtown or industrial district, with buildings clustered close together around the train depot. Of course, in 1954 small town America, trains were more pivotal to commerce than they are today. In some cases, he purchases train cars exactly as he wants them to look, and in some cases, he builds them from scratch. Often, it’s a mixture of the two. In a technique called “kit bashing,” he takes parts from different model kits and combines them to create exactly what he wants. “The black portion of this car is primed and ready for paint came from a car kit,” he says. “It’s very accurate — exactly what I needed. I just extended the sides, put a roof on it and detailed the ends. Everything you see that’s light in color I built from Styrene (a kind of plastic). It’s all scratch built.” Train enthusiasts generally fall into three camps — collectors, interested in finding mint condition train cars in their original boxes and displaying them, and freelance and prototype modelers, who select a specific era and railroad. Of the quarter million modelers in the United States, Keyser is part of the smaller subset called prototype modelers. He gets together with 10 fellow model railroaders to eat breakfast every Friday, and the long-time buddies make plans for their

next operating session. Once a month, they gather to run the trains. At age 94, Keyser is realistic about his future — and the future of the trains. When he’s gone, the new homeowner isn’t likely to want to keep the specialized setup, so he’s already making plans. The train set will be sold or given away, and the wires and switches will be salvaged. The benchwork will go straight into the trash. Keyser travels often to give clinics on modeling, but not as many young people are taking up the hobby these days. “There used to be people doing more of this,” he says of building cars and backgrounds from scratch. “Young people today like to take it out of the box, set it on the track and run it.” He does have advice for neighbors who’d like to spark an interest in their child or grandchild. “I suggest beginning with the Lionel set,” he says, pointing to the antique model on his wall. “You can always build on that with a little encouragement. And take them to the big train shows, like the ones held in Plano. Between Saturday and Sunday, close to 20,000 people walk through that show.” The Dallas Area Trail Show will be held Jan. 17-18, 2026, at the Plano Event Center, 2000 East Spring Creek Parkway. Admission is $11, and children under 13 are free. There will be two full days of clinics, plus tables, vendors and portable layouts on tour.

As we ring in 2026, let’s look back at the moments that shaped the past year in Plano.

25 THINGS IN 2025

In January, Plano West was again named in the top jazz bands in the nation.

6 7

The City of Plano was designated as a Tourism-Friendly TexasCertified Community by Gov. Greg Abbott in March.

Compiled by ALYSSA HIGH

In February, Plano created a comprehensive Cultural Arts Plan.

Mayor Jon and Joa Muns were the Plano Chamber 2025 Citizens of the Year.

In April, construction began on Medical City Plano’s $76 million tower expansion.

Attorney General Ken Paxton opened a now-closed investigation in April into the East Plano Islamic Center.

11 12 13

Elsie CookeHolmes was honored by the City of Plano as she finished her tenure as president of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. 8

On May 3, Plano voters approved a $648 million bond package, the largest in Plano history.

KFC announced the move of its corporate headquarters to Plano on Feb. 18.

Collin College celebrated its 40th anniversary with community events all April long.

The sale of a Plano estate broke Collin County’s previous price record, selling in just 48 hours in mid-May.

American Fitness Index named Plano the fittest city in Texas and #14 in the nation.

Plano remained the highest in Texas on the Trust for Public Land’s ParkScore Index. We also ranked #16 in the nation.

North Texas Wildlife Center was given a 60-day notice from the City of Plano to find a new property.

Plano Independent School District Board of Trustees was named one of five Honor School Boards by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA).

The Wooden Spoon owner, Gwen Workman, died after a weekend hospital stay.

Five finalists were selected to replace Hector Guzman at Plano Symphony Orchestra.

20 Plano City Council voted to add pulling out of DART to the May ballot.

North Texas Performing Arts launched a theater troupe for older adults. Their first performance will be in February.

18 19 Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) opened the Silver Line with a special celebration at 12th Street Station.

Sixth grader Connor Huang won our Jan/ Feb cover art contest, leaving his mark on the first issue of the new year.

Plano unveiled a major remodel of Fire Station 5.

We celebrated the Guide to the Good Stuff’s 10-year printaversary with performances from local artists, light bites and more.

Plano West Senior High School’s cheer team secured a spot at a national competition.

We took a look at what restaurants served the most alcohol in 2025, with Haywire taking the lead.

MAKING SCRATCH THAI DISHES FAST

Bangkok Street Rice (pad grapao) is a stir-fry with fresh herbs, green onion and cherry tomatoes, topped with a fried egg ($11).

BRYA ZAN BRINGS HANDCRAFTED NOODLES, WOK-FIRED FLAVORS TO PLANO Story by Alyssa High Photography by Kathy Tran

i c e f l o u r, t a p i o c a s t a r c h a n d s a l t a r e w h i s k e d t o g e t h e r. Wa ter is gradually added in. A little

bit of oil. The mixture is steamed in ¼ cup intervals in a wok. Everyone has their own measurements and techniques,

but

it's

universally

agreed

upon that preparing rice noodles is a delicate process. Ye t , f a s t c a s u a l T h a i e a t e r y B r y a Zan Thai Noodle & Brew makes all its noodles from scratch, following in the footsteps their primary restaurant, Malai Kitchen, whose menu and restaurant inspired its owners to create Brya Zan. Owners B r a d e n a n d Ya s m i n W a g e s s p e n t over a year per fecting the recipe, (even traveling to Vietnam to refine it). And the Southeast Asian inspiration isn’t a theme or aesthetic — the region plays a central part i n t h e Wa g e s l i v e s . T h e y t r a v e l there regularly, even now with children. “Thailand blew my mind,” Braden says. “The culture, the food, everything. I tell everyone to go. It’s the best place to visit.” In fact, after three years with the c o m p a n y , t h e Wa g e s s e n d t h e i r employees on an expenses-paid trip to Thailand or Vietnam. “When they come back and say, ‘ Wo w , t h e p a d t h a i r e a l l y d o e s taste like Thailand,’ that’s the b e s t c o m p l i m e n t , ” Ya s m i n s a y s . “ Ric e no o dl es a re w a y h a rd e r t o m a k e than Ital i an p a st a b e c a use there’s no gl uten , ” Br a d e n sa ys. “ N o one el se i n Dal l as m a k e s t h e i r ow n fres h ri ce n o o dl es. It ’ s a l a b or of l ov e .” Noodle dishes are the star of the menu, including pad thai, glass noodles (pad woo sen), broccoli noodles (pad see ew), tiger noodles and fan-favorite drunken noodles (pad kee mow). “[Drunken noodles are] just a great introduction,” Braden says. “The wok hei, the handmade noodles, the basil we get directly from a farm in Hawaii … it really

Brya Zan's yellow curry ($11) is a coconut milk curry seasoned with lemongrass, turmeric and coriander with pineapple, potatoes and veggies with a choice of protein and rice. Below are the restaurant's drunken noodles (pad kee mow), a wide rice noodle dish tossed in a savory soy with fresh vegetables and thai basil.

represents what we do.” The menu brings in some of Malai Kitchen’s favorites — noodles, curries, stir-fry, fried rice, salads and desserts. “ We haven’t sacrificed quality,” Braden says. “Everything is the same as what we serve at Malai. The only real difference is portion size and switching from beef tenderloin to sirloin, because we can’t serve tenderloin at an $11 price point.” We s t P l a n o i s a f a s t - m o v i n g a r e a , a n d t h e Wa g e s e s chose it deliberately. “P e o ple a re bu s y , ” Ya s min s a y s . “Yo u r o p t io n s a re u s u a lly b u r g e r s , c h ic ke n s a n dwic h e s , t a c o s . We wa n t pe o p le t o kn o w t h e y c a n s t ill h a v e a h e a lt h y , f re s h , we ll- ro u n de d me a l t h a t f it s in t o a t ig h t s c h e du le . ” For adults, the fast casual speed is met w i t h a f u l l b a r, f e a turing cocktails, wine and a selection of beer brewed at the Malai brewery in Southlake. “ We h a v e a g r e a t b a r program: fun cocktails, great wine and beers you can’t get anywhere else,” Braden says. “The Pilsner we brew is similar

to what you’d drink in Thailand, like Singha o r T i g e r, b u t f r e s h a n d made nearby.” T h e Wa g e s i n t e n t i o n ality carries over into each part of the restaurant. Even the takeout containers were carefully selected with sustainability in mind. “ We h a t e d t h e i d e a of food sitting in soggy cardboard,” Braden says. “So we found these new sugarcane-fiber bowls lined with a plant-fiber plastic. They don’t leak, they don’t disintegrate, and they’re compostable.” Already, the dining room has become a spot for post-work catch-ups, long lunches and quiet moments with a n e w s p a p e r a t t h e b a r, they say. “Come get to know u s , ” Ya s m i n s a y s . “ O u r t e a m i s a w e s o m e . We ’ v e priced ourselves so people can come once a week, a couple times a month. When you don’t have time to use your kitchen, use ours.” Brya Zan Thai Noodle & Brew, 1909 Preston Road, 469.498.4099, bryazan.com

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INSIDE MADNESS GAMES & COMICS

HOW A PLANO STAPLE BECAME A THIRD SPACE FOR EVERY KIND OF NERD Story by Niki Gummadi & Alyssa High Photography by Lauren Allen

O mixes

n any given afternoon inside

Madness

Games

Comics, the clatter of dice with

chatter

about

new

m a n g a r e l e a s e s , p a i n t e d Wa r h a m mer minis and which board game is worth taking home next. The Plano shop — now more than a decade into its current location and roughly three decades into its winding evolution — has become a community hub for newcomers, long-timers, families and fans who travel from across the country just to stop in. The sho p to day i s a c on g l om e r a t i on of several sto re s t h a t h a v e e xi st e d in th e area o ver t i m e , i n c l ud i n g on e cal l ed S pace Ma d n e ss. Usi n g i n sp i r a tion fro m that sp a c e , c ust om e r s re f e r to the current st ore c ol l oq ui a l l y a s, simpl y, Madness. Madness is a mix of comic shop, gaming hall, pop-culture marketplace and gathering space for just about anyone who loves anything “nerdy.” Its weekly and monthly event schedule includes Magic: The Gathering tournaments, craft nights, RPG (role-playing games) o n e - s h o t s , Wa r h a m m e r a n d G u n dam builds, open gaming, guest events, celebrity meet-and-greets and Dice Throne tournaments. Crowds for each event vary. Magic: The Gathering brings in 1228 players regularly. Dice Throne weekends can have 30-50 people. And managers say participation has only grown since recovering from the pandemic. A recent trunk-or-treat blocked off the parking lot, bringing in hundreds, they say. “ We watched communities shrink to their cores,” manager Logan Davis says. “But people still wanted that physical connection. They wanted to come back and hang out.”

Madness Games & Comics is part tournament space, part comic actor host, part comic book/board game store and part event host for those with niche, nerdier interests.

The staff isn’t shy about their passions — or their specialties. One manager handles events and social media and spent years building relationships with voice actors, authors, and artists. “I still hustle,” Sean Robison says. “But now people contact me wanting to come here.” Another staff member is known as t h e g o - t o We d n e s d a y c o m i c s e x p e r t . “It’s like the best NPC job e v e r, ” D a v i s j o k e s . Every employee has a niche — W a r h a m m e r, m a n g a , b o a r d games, toys, RPGs. — that comes together to create a team for any fandom. “That’s community,” Davis says. “It’s self-exploration. It’s people figuring out what they like t h r o u g h e a c h o t h e r. ” Families experience the same thing, especially during beginner-friendly RPG one-shots. Kids dive in first, but parents are often the ones who end up surprisingly hooked. “ Wa t c h i n g p e o p l e h a v e f u n — that’s my favorite part,” Robison says. “There’s so many people not on staff who go out of their way to help everybody. They’ll walk over and say, ‘Hey, my kid loves this, maybe yours will too.’ T h e y j u s t h e l p e a c h o t h e r. ” Often, the shop’s customer base is influenced by pop culture. The Big Bang Theory brought curiosity about comics. Stranger Things brought in aspiring Dungeons and Dragons players. Looking toward the future, management would love to outgrow the space — again. “I’d love to see every table full e v e r y n i g h t , ” D a v i s s a y s . “ To t h e point we need a bigger building.” Before the pandemic, the entire opposite side of the store was filled with gaming tables, often seating 300 people at once. The team dreams of returning to, and surpassing, that level of activity. More than anything, staff asks of the public: Come in. Ask questions. Play games. And it's a genuine request. At its core, Madness Games & Comics isn’t just a store. It’s a third space.

New Years Special RECEIVE FREE REGISTRATION (A $55 VALUE) WHEN YOU ENTER THE CODE “FREE” ON THE WEBSITE Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Lyrical Ages 3 and up Adult Classes Available

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Celebrate decades of dedication. Tickets now on sale!!

TASTE 2026 Sips, Savory Bites, Raffle and Live Auction

Thursday, March 5, 2026 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm Mercedes-Benz of Plano 6455 North Dallas Parkway Plano, TX 75024

VIP Reception General Admission Program / Live Auction

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See performance times Jan. 3, 10-11, 16-17 Courtyard Theater planometballet.org 19

WHERE THE TRACKS END WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT LOOK LIKE FOR PLANO? TBD. Story by Alyssa High

P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

n 1983, Plano and 13 other

suburbs

joined

Dallas

forming

Dallas Area Rapid Transit. It

was

our

metroplex’s

burgeoning attempt

creating a cohesive mass public transit system. Back then, Plano had approximately 75,000 residents, plenty of cattle and seemed disconnected from the big city down south. More than 40 years l a t e r, P l a n o h a s n e a r l y 300,000 residents and is a major suburb in the DFW Metroplex. Dallas is the main character when it comes to our county’s only public transit system. Sure, Planoites can get from some places in the suburbs to Downtown Dallas, but getting to destinations like L e g a c y We s t , c o r p o r a t e c o m p l e x e s l i k e To y o t a ’ s or even potential hockey arenas is difficult using our current system. What was once Plano farmland without a need for mass transit is now home to multi-million dollar development sprawl — and public transportation has not caught up. Two train lines, three stations and six bus routes simply isn’t enough. That’s why the City of Plano might be ready to q u i t t h e D A R T. Plano has contributed over $2.2 billion to DART since 2020, with sales tax contributions now topping $120 million per y e a r. This is more than Plano spends on police and economic development combined, according to Andrew Fortune, Plano’s director of policy and

government relations. A 2 0 2 3 E r n s t & Yo u n g f i s c a l year study showed Plano provides the largest sales tax contribution of any member city aside from D a l l a s . Ye t , t h e c i t y o n l y received $44.8 million in services. A rail service on the city’s west side, expanded GoLink zones and a circular route in Legacy We s t a r e s o m e o f t h e m o s t desired services. In a Nov. 5 Plano City Council meeting, members of the public spoke at a special session regarding the possibility of a vote to pull out of DART being added to the May ballot. City Council voted unanimously in support. “ To n i g h t ’ s v o t e e n s u r e s that Plano residents have a voice in shaping the city’s transportation future,” Mayor John Muns said at the meeting. “This decision begins a broader discussion about what system best meets Plano’s evolving needs while keeping our community connected.” That is, unless Plano and DART can come to an agreement 45 days or more before the May vote (or by March 19, 2026). The City contends it’s really about balancing the scales in the ratio of financial investment versus services offered. Plano’s consideration of withdrawal created a domino effect. In O c t o b e r, F a r m e r s B r a n c h , Highland Park and Irving followed suit. The same 2 0 2 3 E r n s t & Yo u n g s t u d y shows Farmers Branch contributed $24.3 million and received $19.3 million in services. Highland

P L A N O M A G A Z I N E . C O M

G L O S S A RY : COMMUTER RAIL – Electric or diesel-propelled railway for urban passenger train service consisting of local short-distance travel operating between a central city and adjacent suburbs. . EXPRESS BUS – A bus that operates a portion of the route without stops or with a limited number of stops. Typically transfers passengers between suburban areas and central urban locations.

PA R AT R A N S I T – C o m p a r a ble transit service required by the Americans with Disabilities Act for people with disabilities who are unable to use fixed route transportation systems.

FIRST MILE/LAST MILE CHALLENGES – Difficulty getting to/from public transit stations.

S TAT S : In 2023, DART spent $304.1 million on bus service with only $11.5 million spent in Plano. Of the bus stops in the DART system, only 4.11% are i n P l a n o . T h e s a m e y e a r, D A R T spent $14.9 million on GoLink with only $2.8 million spent in Plano. In 2024, DART reported an average of 5,302 rides per d a y i n P l a n o . Av e r a g e d a i ly rides in 2024 represented about 1.8% of Plano’s population, and because one person can take multiple rides in a day, the number of individual riders would be less than 1.8% of the population.

Park contributed $6.3 million and received $1.9 million in services. In contrast, Irving contributed $102.2 million and received $126 million in services. Addison, which contributed $16.3 million and received $9.5 million in services, voted (4-3) not to hold a withdrawal election. Even then, pulling out of DART is no one's preferred solution. If we back out of the agreement, all services would stop the next day, taking away the only public transit option for many residents, like commuters headed into Dallas and elderly and disabled individuals headed to appointments and activities. Any services or maintenance that are necessary in t h e s e c i t i e s w o u l d f a l l o n D A R T. "I have to be blunt and say that withdrawal, any disruption to services, even temporary, or a switch to an inferior system would drastically, negatively affect my quality of life and force me to find costly and unreliable alternatives,” Plano resident Saya Clark said. “I have never once felt unsafe or threatened while using DART in Plano. It is safe, secure, reliable and clean." "For adults in recovery with mental illness and substance use, public transportation is a lifeline,” said a case manager for LifePath Systems, Collin County’s mental health authority. “Without it, many Plano residents will be stuck where they're at, isolated. Instability in these communities can be a death sentence. Being realistic, any disruption to these services will be chaotic and messy." " We w a n t t o m a k e s u r e t h a t t h e P l a n o residents have a viable way to get a r o u n d P l a n o , ” s a i d N i c o l e Ta t e , c h a i r of the housing committee of the Collin C o u n t y N A A C P. “ T h e [ r e p o r t ] h a s b e e n a v a i l a b l e f o r m o r e t h a n a y e a r. S o , t h e related legislative bill failed in June, and we're wondering why we waited until now to address this." City officials emphasized that the ballot measure isn’t a reaction to the newly opened Silver Line rail but part of a six-year cycle built into the city’s m e m b e r s h i p a g r e e m e n t w i t h D A R T. Every six years, member cities can

vote to stay or withdraw — a process Plano leaders believe offers a timely opportunity for the community to weigh in. The City of Plano has proposed several solutions over the last few years. Officials met with DART before the last legislative session to determine if some funding could be returned for general transportation purposes and proposed a rail-only solution with a 50% general mobility program. "In the first legislative session where this issue came up, there was an attempt to compile many data and audit reporting requirements that was pulled down during that session with the promise that Plano would receive t h e i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t w e h a d a s k e d f o r, " Fortune said. "Unfortunately, in 2022, we received what we largely believed to be a qualitative analysis on, really, the benefits of transit. It didn't get to the heart of the question on where are the dollars being spent that we've invested in Plano." In that fateful November City Council meeting, DART CEO and President Nadine Lee was limited to a one-minute reply, considering her a member of the public. "In the spirit of collaboration and transparency, I want to underscore how DART has worked in good faith to address Plano's concerns,” Lee said. “Through five separate actions, the DART board authorized and funded the general mobility program requested b y P l a n o l a s t D e c e m b e r, o f f e r i n g t o P l a n o $ 2 8 m i l l i o n i n a s i n g l e y e a r. " The General Mobility Program was first conceived in early 2025 after state legislation was passed that would require up to 25% of DART sales tax revenue to be distributed back to all cities. This program also explicitly stated that any municipality that calls to withdraw from DART would forfeit these funds. Plano would have received $28.99 million as part of this agreement. The decision comes amid ongoing concerns about low ridership, particularly on bus routes. Officials say

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Plano residents continue to face “first-mile/last-mile” challenges — especially seniors and individuals with disabilities — making it difficult to access buses and rail s t a t i o n s . To a d d r e s s t h i s , t h e c i t y is exploring micro-transit options, such as app-based rides similar to V i a o r U b e r, t o p r o v i d e d o o r - t o door service. “ We n e e d t o m a k e c h a n g e s t o create a door-to-door service through different types of vehicles that work for our community,” the city spokesperson added. “That means options that help p e o p l e g e t t o t h e i r d o c t o r, t h e grocery store, or wherever they need to go.” If voters choose to leave D A R T, c i t y l e a d e r s s a y P l a n o could negotiate to keep use of the Silver Line while replacing m o s t b u s r o u t e s w i t h s m a l l e r, on-demand vehicles. The onecWHERE e n t s a lCAN e s t a Ix t h a t f u n d s D A R T w o u l d r e m a i n...? in place for up FIND LOCAL to seven to 10 years during a t CONCRETE/MASONRY/PAVING ransition period. S o m e Driveway r e s i dSpecialist ents have questioned CONCRETE, Repairs, w h e tReplacement, h e r t h Removal, e ballot initiative is References. Reasonable. aChris p214-770-5001 ressure tactic to secure a b e t t e r d e a l f r o m D A R T. O f f i c i a l s ELECTRICAL SERVICES rejected that notion, saying #1ANTHONY’S ELECTRIC Master Electrician tFamily h e yowned a r and e insured. g e n TECL u i n 24948 ely preparing for eAnthonyselectricofdallas.com. i t h e r o u t c o m e214-328-1333 . The City of Plano proposed a sixFENCING & DECKS year deal with DART that would AMBASSADOR FENCE CO. sAutomatic t o p Gates, t h e Fences/Decks, e l e c t i oPergolas, n, keep the rail lPatio i n eCovers, s an d e xpress buses, remove Arbors. AmbassadorFenceCo.com c214-621-3217 ity bus routes and include a new f iKITCHEN/BATH/TILE/GROUT nancial structure to increase the percentage of sales tax that is returned to Plano, which would go toward Plano’s transit options. As of the time of writing, DART is evaluating the proposal and has not publicly commented oJIM n 972-992-4660 whether the proposal is a feasible solution. LAWNS, U l t i mGARDENS a t e l y , &cTREES ity leaders say the g o a l A iBetter s no t t o sever ties but to Tree Company build a modern, efficient and accessible public transit system t hYour a t ctrees o n ncould e c t slook P l alike n o i t e s t oust P l a n o . rees

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