New DART Chair, Regional Transit Tour, and More

News & Updates

October 27, 2023 Issue

Regional Tour for Local Elected Officials

TCNT hosted a tour of North Texas transit systems in partnership with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA), Fort Worth's Trinity Metro. Local elected officials saw the way transit is transforming their own as well as neighboring communities and heard about future plans and opportunities. The tour started in three locations, highlighting the individual transit agencies, and then all parties joined together at the DFW airport and traveled on TEXRail to Grapevine Station, where they visited Grapevine's transit-oriented development at Harvest Hall.

Former Richardson Mayor Elected Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board Chair

communityimpact.com

The board nominated and unanimously approved officers for the chair, vice chair, secretary and assistant secretary positions. Officers will serve a two-year term before new board members are elected in 2025.

Chair: Gary Slagel, cities of Richardson, University Park and towns of Addison and Highland Park
Vice chair: Rodney Schlosser, city of Dallas
Secretary: M. Nathan Barbara, cities of Plano and Farmers Branch
Assistant secretary: Flora Hernandez, city of Dallas

Slagel was appointed to the board in 2011 by Richardson City Council, according to DART’s website. He’s a former Richardson mayor and works as president and CEO at CapitalSoft Inc. He also served as president of the Metroplex Mayors Association and the North Central Texas Council of Governments, according to a DART news release.

“Gary’s long history of exceptional leadership throughout the North Texas region makes him the ideal person for this role as we develop the future of our agency together,” DART President and CEO Nadine Lee said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with Gary to continue to ensure our agency makes a positive impact on the lives of our riders, our residents, and the many communities we serve.”

Congressional Leaders Pledge Progress on FY24 Funding Bills

ttnews.com

Newly elected Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer directed their chambers to proceed with fiscal 2024 budget legislation ahead of a mid-November government funding deadline.

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The Senate fiscal 2024 transportation measure would provide $98.9 billion for the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. It would dedicate $20.2 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration, $16.8 billion for the Federal Transit Administration and $3.4 billion for the Federal Railroad Administration. The Senate bill also would provide the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration with nearly $1 billion for fiscal 2024.

Fort Worth 'Paints the Town Red' With New Bus Lanes in Downtown

fox4news.com

The city of Fort Worth wants drivers to take notice of something new downtown – bus lanes that are now painted red on a busy street.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday morning for a freshly painted dedicated bus lane for a stretch of blocks along on Jones Street downtown near Trinity Metro’s largest bus transfer center.

The goal is for better efficiency by increasing visibility for buses and reduce delays often due to buses navigating around unaware motorists who drive and park in the lanes meant for buses only.

"It is always my goal that Fort Worth be a leader, not just regionally, not just in the state, but nationally," said Fort Worth City Councilmember Elizabeth Beck. "And I think this is just another example of how the city of Fort Worth tries to get out in front of innovation."

DART Extends West Dallas On-Demand Shuttle Pilot Program

focusdailynews.com

The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors has extended the West Dallas On-Demand Shuttle pilot program for an additional year through December 31, 2024.

DART and Toyota partnered with Circuit for a one-year pilot program in January 2023 to support a free ride-share transportation service that provides West Dallas residents with an easy way to get to grocery stores, doctor visits, and other services throughout West Dallas, as well as access to the larger DART network.

“DART has a long history of supporting programs that further our commitment to environmentally friendly shared mobility that supports local communities and economies,” said Jing Xu, DART assistant vice president of service planning and scheduling. “We are very happy to extend our partnership with both Toyota and Circuit for the continued support of the communities of West Dallas.”

Transit Coalition of North Texas

TransitNorthTexas.org