In a video posted to her , Francis Zalace makes the trek from a grocery store in Dallas to the First Unitarian Church in University Park.
Along the way, she finds an obstacle.
鈥淥h no! What is this? There鈥檚 no sidewalk," she says in the video. "Whatever shall I do?"
Zalace is a quad-amputee after a medical event two years ago. She lost her arms and legs and uses a wheelchair.
She filmed the video to show people the challenges of getting around the area in a motorized wheelchair without public transit.
In the video, it takes her about an hour to get to her church, which she attends sometimes several times a week.
Zalace told 四虎影院 she would feel isolated without DART's paratransit services helping her to get to church and other activities.
鈥淚'm very limited on the type of vehicles that can transport me, but all of DART vehicles are equipped to be handicap accessible for my needs," she said.
Zalace is one of thousands of paratransit riders who rely on DART鈥檚 services daily. The system recorded more than 700,000 paratransit rides last year alone.
After May 2, three North Texas cities 鈥擜ddison, Highland Park and University Park 鈥� could lose those services, including bus, rail and paratransit. That's when voters will decide whether to stay in DART, or withdraw from the system entirely.
The elections could have a regional impact for paratransit riders across North Texas.
鈥淚t is really important for people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities to use DART, paratransit, for the future,鈥� said Ian Rawn, who lives in Plano and has Down syndrome.
He said without those services, he couldn鈥檛 be independent or hold a job.
鈥淚 would stay home, have my parents drive me everywhere,鈥� he said.
That potential loss of service is what prompted Kevin Wright to begin raising awareness of the need for DART. He lives in Irving and has cerebral palsy, autism, and limited vision.
It was his first time getting involved in any kind of local activism.
鈥淚 emailed my mayor and city council twice and ... then I went to the meeting so I feel very good about that," Wright said. "Hopefully the other three cities, the voters will make the right choice."
Plano and Irving had called their own withdrawal elections but rescinded them after reaching deals with DART. It was a small victory for residents like Wright.
Meanwhile, leaders in Park Cities and Addison are moving ahead with the elections 鈥� they say they鈥檙e not getting their money鈥檚 worth from DART.
That鈥檚 why they鈥檙e proposing an alternative rideshare service similar to Uber or Lyft if residents vote to withdraw.
鈥淭he election would take place in early May, we would canvass the results and then hopefully have a plan in place so that if DART services end, we鈥檙e able to provide a seamless transition to those riders," Amanda Hartwick, a staffer with the city of University Park, told city council members earlier this month.
Addison has already called Addison Orbit ahead of the city's election.
Meanwhile, Francis Zalace said those alternatives are premature.
鈥淲e don't have enough information on how or if it would improve the current transportation that we already have," she said.
DART paratransit service is not perfect: Zalace still has to book any trip a day in advance before 5 p.m. so her mobility is limited.
But she鈥檚 still encouraging voters in the three cities holding elections to choose to keep DART.
鈥淥ur goal is just to make sure that they have all the information to make a, you know, to make a firm decision,鈥� Zalace said.
Pablo Arauz Pe帽a is 四虎影院鈥檚 growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org.
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