Dallas, TX – My name is Brinda Gurumoorthy. I am a high school math teacher in Dallas, Texas, public schools. I teach high school AP precalculus and calculus, helping younger generations learn fundamental skills that will help shape the future. I am also a proud union member with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). When I moved to Dallas a couple of years ago, I was under the impression that it was like other big cities like New York, where everyone could use public transit to get around where they need to go. However, I realized quickly that this isn’t the case and that we don’t have world-class public transit across the country.
I don’t own a car, so I needed to pick a neighborhood to live where there was close access to the DART bus and rail. I use the bus to get to and from work every day. I’m fortunate to live within walking distance to my main grocery store, but if I need to get to Target and other places, I need to use the bus. Also, after a certain hour of the day, the frequency decreases, so if I have to stay late at work, then I end up waiting much longer to get home. On a demanding teacher’s schedule, with lesson planning and grading to do, more-frequent transit is vital to creating a healthier and more sustainable work/life balance.
On the weekend, frequency slows down as well. There have been instances where I’ve had to pay significantly more for a ride when I’ve missed a bus or wanted to go somewhere that service didn’t operate. For others in even worse financial positions than me, I can see it being an extremely difficult and stressful situation.
For socializing and activities outside of work, I’ll often also use transit but will sometimes need to catch a ride with a friend. Sometimes it’s hard because you really have to plan ahead to budget for time and stuff to get around to certain places, including to hang out with friends and have fun. Things like dating can be hard because you might have to get there super early, or if there is a scenario where you have to leave an uncomfortable situation but can’t really leave because the bus hasn’t come and you’re still there.
In Dallas, there are some neighborhoods where transit is stronger than others, especially the lack of service in the southern half of Dallas, where more low-income and Black and brown communities are. Depending on where you are and where you want to go, it may take significantly longer, to the point where sometimes you just need to catch a ride instead.
One of the biggest ways that better transit would improve our community is by improving traffic. Traffic congestion is a huge complaint that I hear from everyone I know here, so better transit would mean fewer cars clogging up highways, which also leads to less tailpipe emissions, which would lead to better air quality. Dallas and Tarrant County air quality is often poor, And we also have lots of accidents and pedestrian deaths. Cutting down on traffic, emissions, and ozone would be better for people, mobility, and public and environmental health.
I’ve also been worried about climate change since I was little, and it seems like it’s only getting hotter now. We owe it to people in our communities, to my students and their futures, but also to people all over the world and in the Global South to reduce our emissions. Transit is a core solution.
If Congress made more federal funds available for transit service, more frequency across the board, even after peak hours, would very much improve my daily life. Also, more crosstown route options, where we have very little right now, would be a huge benefit for me and others here. I’d also want to see more transit for neighborhoods that would benefit the most but don’t have it, plus beefed up paratransit service for our neighbors with disabilities. It would be excellent to have consistent federal funding, because it’s very stressful to have funding and service under attack by the state government here in Texas. Even now, as we speak, state representatives from surrounding suburbs are threatening to pass legislation that would cut an essential funding stream to DART by 25%. Federal funding would help ensure a stable and consistent service for me and my community members.
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This story is from our report, Working Families Ride the Bus, which focuses on workers from across the country who rely on public transit to stay connected with their livelihoods, their families, and greater opportunities.