How the DART fare hike will unfairly burden low-income people

The impending fare hike is particularly worrisome given that it will have a disparate impact on low income communities and communities of color within the Dallas area.

I am a citizen of Dallas, a medical anthropologist, and a public health professional concerned about the 20 percent Dallas Area Rapid Transit fare hike that was approved, with an 8-7 split, by the DART board. The impending fare hike is particularly worrisome given that it will have a disparate impact on low income communities and communities of color within the Dallas area.

Many DART stops are located near two important sites: major hospitals, especially Parkland, which is disproportionately used by people without cars, and food pantries. The ability to connect to these sites via public transportation is part of basic mobility and access to essential services. People who are transit-dependent are more likely to be minorities, seniors, low-income or have disabilities. Their basic mobility is likely to be impacted by the impending fare hike.

Food deserts are a real, well-researched, established problem in all U.S. metropolitan areas. That's especially true in Dallas. We know that people in Dallas have uneven access to healthy food, and poorer people have to travel farther to get to grocery stores. Residents of communities without local grocery stores suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related health problems.

People without access to private transportation regularly use public transportation to get to areas where fresh food is available, whether grocery stores or food pantries. It makes sense that a rise in fares would lead to increased food insecurity among low-income people, which in turn leads to poorer health outcomes. What seems to many like a small fare increase can make a difference in whether or not some people can feed their children.

Residential segregation by income and race contributes to health disparities. Dallas, according to the Pew Research Center, is one of the most segregated cities in terms of race and income and, according to the Urban Institute, has the highest level of overall neighborhood-by-neighborhood inequality in the U.S.

One way to counter the effects of urban segregation in Dallas is to give those without private transportation in underserved areas a public option that is affordable. In an analysis done by the University of Texas at Arlington, transportation is unaffordable to 99.1 percent of the population in the "transit dependent core" and 97.4 percent of the population of Dallas.

These same low-income communities also likely feel the burden of pollution coming from single-use cars more strongly than people in other areas. Dallas does not have adequate monitoring of air pollution by neighborhood to truly assess the impacts of industry, high truck traffic, and single-use vehicles on communities. A doctor would never diagnose patients without information; policy making should not happen without an understanding of all impacts on communities. Public transit, especially electric energy, reduces the toxic burden of transit-dependent communities.

It is my professional opinion that DART should revoke the fare hike and include an option for public transportation that is free to users based on stated need, without a maximum cap on the number of free passes offered. There are numerous public health benefits to an affordable public transportation option, such as food security and access to clinical care. Affordable public transportation can reduce traffic crashes and pollution emissions and, according to one study, improve physical fitness and mental health.

Prevention will save our city money and will contribute to an equitable city for all people, regardless of ability to pay.

Molly Beyer is a member of North Texas Transit Riders. She wrote this column for The Dallas Morning News.

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