TEXRail Sees 2 Million Riders, DCTA Helps Seniors, Amtrak Expansion & More

News & Updates

June 9, 2023 Issue

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September 22, 2023, 11:30 AM-1:30 PM --TCNT Annual Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport, with Congressional Update and Transit CEO Panel Discussion.

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Fort Worth’s Eastside Transportation Plan Offers Comprehensive Approach to Safety, Land Use

fortworthreport.org

Across the many signs placed in the room during the Eastside Transportation Plan open house at the Handley Meadowbrook Community Center, residents have placed stickers and notes on items that are very important to them: safety, ease of use for different transportation modes, bringing a grocery store and more walkable retail.

Those new amenities could soon come to Fort Worth’s eastside as the city works to implement comprehensive projects that tackle land use, transportation and road safety.

Kelly Porter, assistant director of transportation and public works for the city of Fort Worth, said this is about moving things forward previously explored in past vision plans like Advancing East Lancaster.

“It’s taking all those things that came up with some good vision and putting them to a level of detail and taking you through a process that we can then move forward with and actually get designed and constructed,” Porter said.

Read Mor e

How is DART Making its Buses Cleaner? You Might be Sitting on the Answer

dallasnews.com

In an effort to make public transportation a cleaner experience for riders, DART installed vinyl seats on its buses — replacing its cloth cushions that have been the standard for several years.

The new vinyl seat backs and cushions were primarily installed because they are easier for operators to clean and sanitize, said spokesman Gordon Shattles.

“A lot of times we’ll have someone who may be drinking a coffee on the train, and they spilled their cup of coffee,” Shattles said. “The last thing we want is for someone to sit in that.”

Spills from coffee and other beverages are easier to address with a vinyl material rather than cloth, he added.

Amtrak Proposes Extending Passenger Rail to Connect Fort Worth to the East Coast

star-telegram.com

Amtrak is looking to expand, with its eye on the Metroplex. Amtrak has applied for $716 million in federal funds for 16 projects including the extension of its I-20 corridor service to Fort Worth. If approved, passengers could use Amtrak to travel from the Metroplex to Shreveport in Louisiana, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and New York City.

The project would use existing tracks to fill a 345-mile gap between Marshall, Texas, and Meridian, Mississippi. The result would create an East-West connection between the Lone Star State and the East Coast, as well as a transcontinental connection between Los Angeles and New York City, according to the I-20 Corridor Council.

Dallas City Hall Must End Fight with DART, Claim Its $90 Million (Opinion)

dallasnews.com

When we last wrote about Dallas City Hall’s fight with Dallas Area Rapid Transit in March, things looked dire.

Dallas demanded that DART turn over $111 million in excess tax revenue that the transit agency had promised. But DART withheld the money to press City Hall to stop delaying its Silver Line rail project. Nadine Lee, CEO of the transit agency, complained that some problems with design review and permitting wouldn’t get resolved unless DART escalated the matter to City Manager T.C. Broadnax.

After months of mediation with DART, city staff members have come back with a good deal, and the Dallas City Council should approve it. That deal would give the city $90 million — a loss of $21 million vs. the original $80 million that DART had threatened to keep to make up for construction document review delays and additions to the Silver Line project.

Trinity Metro Milestone: TEXRail Celebrates 2 Million Rides

fortworthbusinesspress.com

Trinity Metro TEXRail has had many milestones to celebrate as ridership continues to rebound from pandemic slowdowns.

Over the busy Memorial Day weekend. the commuter rail agency celebrated two million rides on the 27-mile commuter rail line that runs between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B. Employees rode the trains and handed out commemorative T-shirts to riders.

“There’s nothing better than visiting with our customers and hearing their feedback,” said Jon-Erik “AJ” Arjanen, vice president of rail. “We strive to deliver a dynamic customer experience every time, and we consistently exceed our 98 percent on-time performance goal.”

Trinity Metro introduced the commuter rail service in 2019, the year before the COVID pandemic outbreak. All transportation agencies faced pandemic challenges but TEXRail has rebounded with a 30 percent increase in pre-pandemic customer trips, agency officials said.

New Grant Program Offers Rental Assistance to Lewisville Seniors

communityimpact.com

Senior citizens in Lewisville can soon receive rental assistance through a new grant program.

The details

Lewisville City Council approved a resolution authorizing an agreement to launch a rental assistance program during the June 5 meeting.
The Lewisville Senior Rental Assistance Grant Program will be specifically for low- to moderate-income seniors who have received an increase in their apartment rent for the months remaining on that lease, according to the agenda item.
United Way of Denton County and Christian Community Action will work with the city to support the program.
Applications will open June 8.

Also of note

Those needing help with their online application can receive assistance from a United Way staff member at the Lewisville Public Library starting June 13. United Way is scheduled to be at the library Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and Wednesdays from noon-4 p.m.
City staff plans to partner with the Denton County Transportation Authority to provide GoZone day passes to provide to any senior in need of transportation to the library, according to the agenda item.
Funding for the program is available through city funds in the amount of $123,400. CCA and United Way will both access funding set aside for the program until all funds have been exhausted.

Urban Transport Industry News Round-Up

railwaygazette.com

Trinity Metro’s TEX Rail commuter line between Fort Worth and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has carried 2 million passengers since opening in January 2019, and reports a 30% increase in ridership from pre-pandemic levels.

TX: Dallas Might Settle DART Dispute by Forgoing $21 Million in Sales Tax Refund

masstransitmag.com

Dallas officials say they could get $21 million less than promised from Dallas Area Rapid Transit to settle disputes over the city causing construction delays during the transit agency’s commuter rail extension project running through Far North Dallas.

Assistant City Manager Robert Perez says Dallas agreed to have its initial $111 million cut to $90 million as part of a mediation process with DART and the North Central Texas Council of Governments. The city agreed to give up $16 million to cover delay costs for the planned Silver Line extension and $5 million to cover project changes requested by the city. Perez told the mayor and city council members in a memo Friday that Dallas could have been on the hook for as much as $43.5 million in delay costs alone.

The decreased payment means Dallas will have to change plans on how to help pay for improved sidewalks, traffic lane markings and other transportation-related projects that the money from DART was earmarked for.

Transit Coalition North Texas

TransitNorthTexas.org