8 June 11 - 17, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents “At some point, when council has the ap- petite for it, we really should pick this ordi- nance back up. It’s a hot potato; no one really wants to touch it,” said West. “I think we would do justice for the city if we actually comb through and get it right, instead of leaving it in litigation.” The city does have some tools to handle nuisance STRs. In a statement to the Ob- server, a city spokesperson said that al- though the STR ban “is currently enjoined, other applicable Dallas City Code provisions, including the Habitual Nuisance Property ordinance, remain en- forceable.” That means the city’s code compliance department can take action against viola- tions such as illegal land use, litter and un- mowed weeds. Three or more citations within 365 days qualify a property as a habit- ual nuisance. The designation can result in fees and litigation if unresolved. A three-strikes-you’re-out policy is diffi- cult to accept, though, when gunfire erupts. When the anti-STR lobby launched in Dal- las, it pointed to busted prostitution rings, increased traffic and late-night parties as ev- idence that the operators couldn’t be trusted to be good neighbors. In a statement to the Observer, Council member Laura Cadena, whose district in- cludes the STR where the Memorial Day party took place, said some additional public safety tools have been leveraged in the wake of the shooting. “The District 6 office is working dili- gently with city manager’s office, Code Compliance and the Dallas Police Depart- ment to ensure that we take the necessary steps to enhance safety,” the statement said. “Increased patrols have already been imple- mented by DPD to help ensure the safety and well-being of our community.” Now, the city and STR operators throughout it face their next test, as the FIFA World Cup brings a flood of visitors in the mood to get rowdy. According to data from AirDNA, DFW short-term rental occu- pancy during the group stage of the World Cup is up nearly twice what it was during the same time last year. At least one organization is urging the city to get aggressive, but in a targeted way. The Dallas Short Term Rental Alliance, which sued Dallas over the 2023 STR ban, supports enforcement actions such as nui- sance abatement and civil action against re- peat offenders. The group cautions the city against seeing the Memorial Day shooting as evidence that all STRs are bad, though. According to Linda Young, a spokesper- son for the alliance, the overwhelming ma- jority of short-term rentals never generate a 911 call, and zoning is unlikely to deter a criminal. Violence such as shootings occurs at long-term rentals, hotels, and private resi- dences regularly, Young notes. “We urge the city to resist conflating a tragic, isolated criminal act with a systemic nuisance property problem,” Young said. “Targeting the small number of repeat-of- fender properties across all property types is what will make Dallas neighborhoods safer. Broad restrictions that sweep in thousands of responsible STR operators will not.” ▼ PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION THROWING A DART FOR A STRIKE CITING POOR WORKING CONDITIONS AND PAY, DART PARATRANSIT WORKERS VOTE TO AUTHORIZE STRIKE. BY AUSTIN WOOD D ART paratransit workers may be headed for a strike after more than a year of negotiations. Last week, organizers for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1338 announced that union employees had voted 160-1 to autho- rize a strike after prolonged and unsuccess- ful negotiations with DART’s paratransit provider, Transdev. The employees, who provide door-to-door transportation for dis- abled individuals unable to use DART’s other services, say they have been subjected to poor working conditions, retaliation and intimidation. ATU Local 1338 authorized a strike last May, but ultimately called it off after prom- ises of further negotiations. As those negoti- ations have stalled, employees are now set to go on strike at midnight on March 14 if ne- gotiations taking place that week do not yield significant results. In a statement, a representative for Trandev said the company was “aware” of the vote and noted that a strike was not yet set in stone. “Transdev remains committed to bar- gaining in good faith with ATU Local 1338 to reach a fair and balanced agreement,” the statement reads. “We recognize and value the hard work and dedication of all employees and are focused on securing a contract that reflects their contributions while also ensuring the long-term sustain- ability of Transdev’s operations in the Dal- las community.” In 2024, Transdev was awarded an eight- year contract by DART to provide paratran- sit services, which was valued at more than $600 million. In a release announcing the procurement, DART noted that there are “approximately 11,000 riders certified to use Paratransit services and with Microtransit ridership of over 886,000 in fiscal year 2023.” ‘Not Being Treated as Adults’ Bernard Wade, vice president of ATU Local 1338, said the union has met with Transdev twice a month since calling off last year’s strike, but added the negotiations haven’t felt sincere. “We just haven’t been doing fair bargain- ing,” Wade said. “We don’t feel it’s fair bar- gaining.” Among workers’ complaints, he said, are retaliation and intimidation from manage- ment. Employees are often called into man- agement offices and are denied the opportunity to have the union representa- tive present, Wade said. He also added that the employee health- care plan is “sad” and said that most of the 210 paratransit employees working under Transdev are paid $19.25 an hour. “A kid getting out of high school can go work at McDonald’s, Burger King, or what- ever and make $20 an hour,” Wade said. We have employees that work for Transdev, and they’re having to work Lyft and Uber services.” The way employees are treated in the workplace is also an issue, Wade said. “They feel like they’re not being treated as adults, and you’re not treating them and talking to them as if they are adults,” he said. Wade and other union organizers will meet with Transdev representatives from June 11 through June 13. He said he feels that the union will get “some resolutions now that they see that we’re serious about this year,” but if not, a strike will go into ef- fect on June 14. “The sad part about it is, those people that need to get to dialysis may not have an opportunity to get to their dialysis,” Wade said. “Those people that need to get to their doctor’s appointment may not be able to get to their doctor’s appointment, and they may not be able to get back from their doctor’s appointment. … That’s not what we want.” Photo-illustration by Sarah Schumacher Dallas is in a bind with short-term rentals. Unfair Park from p7 WE LIKE YOU, LIKE US BACK! /dallasobserver
