DART Chair now APTA Chair, State Fair, and Trinity Metro gets a Best of 2023 Award!

News & Updates

October 13, 2023 Issue

TCNT at APTA TRANSForm Conference & EXPO

The Transit Coalition of North Texas celebrated TCNT board member and DART Board Chair, Michele Wong Krause, as she became Chair of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). The reception saw over 100 of Chair Krause's friends and colleagues that came together to congratulate her, including FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez.

Chair Krause is the first APTA Chair of Asian descent, and she let the crowd know that she is proud of her roots, especially those she has firmly set in North Texas. Her focus, as chair of APTA this coming year will be to emphasize recruiting, retaining, and empowering the next generation of skilled, future-ready transit workers.

APTA is a nonprofit international association of more than 1,500 public and private sector member organizations. The organization benefits its members with advocacy for federal funding and policies, research, technical expertise and consulting services, workforce development programs, educational conferences and seminars, and 135 subject-matter working committees.

Regional Tour for Local Elected Officials

Are you a local elected official and are interested in learning more about transit in North Texas? Sign up for our Regional Transit Tour for Local Elected Officials! The tour will take place on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, between 2:00-5:00 PM. For more information, email Christy Willhite at cwillhite@transitnorthtexas.org.

Stay Savvy When Spending at the State Fair

shorthorn.com

Visiting Big Tex doesn’t have to break your bank.

Every year, the State Fair of Texas attracts millions of fairgoers from across the country to its corner of South Dallas — creating a hub of diverse Texas culture, colorful spectacles and unique foods.

The fair offers various ways to save money, so affordability concerns shouldn’t be the reason locals miss out on the event before it closes Oct. 22. Here are some tips on how to take advantage of the fair’s sales and discount programs.

Transportation

Taking the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Rail System to the state fair saves money on gas and parking, which comes at a double-digit price tag of $20 to $40 dollars.

DART Finishes Repairs After Train Derailment in Richardson in Time for Texas-OU Game

dallasnews.com

Repairs were complete at a DART light-rail station in Richardson on Friday, a day after a Red Line train derailed due to a mechanical failure.

The derailment happened about 7 p.m. Thursday near Galatyn Park Station in Richardson along U.S. Highway 75. The Galatyn Park Station services the Red and Orange lines.

DART said a little after 8 p.m. Friday that repairs at the station were complete and that light-rail service had been fully restored.

DART rail operations and maintenance teams worked to repair the line since the failure, which also caused damage to the overhead catenary lines that supply electricity to the trains.

Silver Line Construction Work Expected to Affect Traffic in Richardson

communityimpact.com

As construction continues on Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s Silver Line project, more impacts to traffic are expected in Richardson.

According to Archer Western Herzog, the design-build contractor for the Silver Line project, work on the pavement and traffic signal installations along Alma Road between the existing rail track and the entrance to the President George Bush Turnpike began Oct. 11.

The Future of Downtown Fort Worth Includes More Housing and Walkable Public Spaces

keranews.org

Every 10 years, the future of downtown Fort Worth is reimagined through an updated strategic plan.

Plan 2033, presented to City Council Oct. 10, charts a future that includes more housing and small businesses, better public spaces and improved public transportation.

The plan studied the areas at the core of downtown and surrounding areas, including areas east of the city’s core around Samuels Avenue. The plan produced an official vision that emphasizes a walkable, vibrant and romantic downtown.

“This has been a long time coming,” Andy Taft, president of Downtown Fort Worth Inc., told council members. “Downtown should be clean, attractive, efficient, safe, inviting during the day and at night, all of these overlaid with a sense of romance.”

Consultant group Interface Studio worked on the new strategic plan for a year and a half. The city of Fort Worth, Trinity Metro and Downtown Fort Worth Inc. funded the strategic plan.

People & Places // Best Of 2023

fwweekly.com

Use of Taxpayer Money

Critic’s Choice: Trinity Metro

With a population topping 1 million, Fort Worth is heading toward more frequent traffic jams unless we make better use of and expand public transportation. Trinity Metro has built the framework for a car-free urban core via buses, ridesharing, and TEXRail. Operating with an annual budget of around $192.9 million from sales tax and grants, Trinity Metro services several Texas cities with innovative public transit options. Fort Worthians can use Trinity Metro’s vast bus fleet (reduced tickets for seniors, the disabled, and other qualified passengers), while newcomer The Dash is a sporty, red, all-electric bus that cruises Fort Worth’s urban core. Connecting the rail-based TEXRail and bus options is the sleek black ZipZone fleet that can be hailed using Trinity Metro’s easy-to-use app.

Transit Coalition of North Texas

TransitNorthTexas.org