Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) appointed David Schulze as its new Chief of Staff.
Chosen after a competitive internal recruitment, Schulze becomes DART’s first executive level chief of staff, serving as senior advisor to the president/executive director. He will lead a variety of strategic, tactical, and operational activities in the new role and focus on issues that have an agency-wide impact.
Schulze, a 29-year lawyer in public service, previously served DART in the legal department from 1994 to 2001. Following a special three-year assignment with the City of Dallas, he rejoined DART in 2004. He joined the deputy executive director’s staff in 2013 and served as VP, policy and strategy, to the president/executive director.
Most recently, he led strategic initiatives, managed policy development and provided analysis of critical issues for DART’s executive team while overseeing the creation of the agency’s Historical Archive.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.