The Heat is On-Budgets, Service, and Funding

News & Updates

August 9, 2024 Issue

DART Riders Say They Need Transit Services. Several North Texas Cities Want to Cut Funding

texasstandard.org

It’s a hot and humid Tuesday afternoon and Devin Langley steps off a train car at the downtown Rowlett station.

A month ago he lost his car, and the only way for him to get around is using DART’s services.

“I can’t pay for Uber every day so I really, really, really need DART,” he said.

But those services could be at risk: Since May, more than half of DART member cities have discussed reducing their contributions to the agency by 25 percent. That includes Rowlett.

Langley said inflation makes living hard, and he’s against any funding cuts to the agency.

“Times are really bad, so I think the funding should stay where it is because people are going to have a harder time,” Langley said.

Where cities stand on DART funding

Last month, Rowlett joined a growing list of cities that have passed symbolic resolutions supporting reducing their contributions to DART.

“We value our transit, we value having the light rail and the GoLink service that we have in the city of Rowlett,” said Mayor Blake Margolis, “but we’re concerned about multiple issues surrounding DART’s business.”

DCTA Looks to Tighten the Belt, Bring in Extra Dollars to Avoid Projected Losses in Long-Range Plan

dentonrc.com

The Denton County Transportation Authority may see a negative net income in the future if it doesn’t begin to lower operating costs.

Jane Filarowicz, senior manager of budget and grants, told the DCTA Board of Directors during last Thursday’s meeting that the transit agency could see a negative net income in 2035 and 2036.

Net income is the amount of money remaining after subtracting expenses from total revenue or sales. Negative net income means a company has incurred more expenses than its revenue — resulting in a loss.

This was part of the long-range financial plan of the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget presented by Filarowicz.

Filarowicz told the board that inflation and expenses had led the agency to this point.

“Under 2035 and 2036, you see that we started to go negative on net income,” Filarowicz told the board.

“That’s another reason why we have to be very conservative on what we’re doing today to be sure that we don’t go negative in the future.”

DCTA CEO Paul Cristina said the agency needs to do business differently to avoid a potential negative net income. That means lowering operating costs, getting more partnerships with other cities and getting more riders through the University of North Texas.

See How the Shell of an Old Bus Tells the Story of the Civil Rights Movement in Fort Worth

masstransitmag.com

The No. 4 Trinity Metro bus slows to a stop near the corner of East Rosedale Street and Evans Avenue, rolling past a new monument that highlights connections between public bus transit and the civil rights movement.

The monument — 10 feet tall and eight feet wide — is a hollowed out vintage white bus with orange, yellow, and red stripes. Silhouettes of children’s heads and arms are in the windows of the bus.

Inside the bus are black and white photographs and engraved panels about the Mansfield High School Desegregation conflict, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Freedom Riders and a picture of a young Opal Lee, the grandmother of Juneteenth, carrying a banner for the first Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Parade in Fort Worth in 1986.

Trinity Metro Feels the Heat, Warns of Delays on TRE and TEXRail Trains

fortworthreport.org

Train commuters could see slowdowns Wednesday and Thursday as the Texas heat may affect local passenger rail service.

Trinity Metro, which operates the Trinity Railway Express and TEXRail trains, announced on Wednesday that weather delays could occur for its passenger rail service this week.

“The hot weather could have an impact on Trinity Metro rail services this afternoon and possibly tomorrow,” the agency said in a statement. “The most likely scenario would be heat restrictions on speed, which means that TEXRail and Trinity Railway Express would operate at reduced speeds, which will likely generate schedule delays.”

Laura Hanna, director of communications for Trinity Metro, said the agency modifies its operations during extreme heat.

Trinity Metro to Reduce Fare Price for Fort Worth Bus Riders

fortworth.culturemap.com

Changes are coming for public transportation users in Tarrant County — including reductions in fare.

According to a release, Trinity Metro, the Tarrant County transportation agency is rolling out an array of changes to make taking public transportation simpler and easier-to-navigate. This includes fare reductions plus rebranding of certain lines.

The changes will begin on September 15.

Trinity Metro is upgrading its fare system to make riding public transit easier and more convenient. They say that the new system will be simpler to understand and use, which they hope will encourage more people to use Trinity Metro.

Single rides for buses, trains and On-Demand will be just $2 for regular local services, and $1 for seniors, youth, and veterans.

DCTA to Increase GoZone Availability in Lewisville, Highland Village

communityimpact.com

The Denton County Transportation Authority is planning to redirect additional resources to GoZone services in Lewisville and Highland Village later in August.

The DCTA is implementing service changes Aug. 19 that will see frequency and hours of service increased for the Connect Bus service in Denton, according to a news release. The agency aims to use the Connect Bus to serve all trip demand near routes 3, 6 and 7.

GoZone riders beginning or ending their trips near either of those routes will be directed to the Connect Bus instead. The service change frees up additional resources for GoZone in Lewisville and Highland Village.

Additional resources means increasing the capacity to deliver more rides in both areas, CEO Paul Cristina said in a statement.

Highland Park Wants to Cut its Funding for DART

keranews.org

Highland Park has joined the list of North Texas cities hoping to cut their funding to Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

The town council approved a resolution Tuesday calling to reduce its contribution to DART by 25%.

Tobin Maples is Highland Park's town administrator, equivalent to a city manager in the municipality of about 8,000 residents.

Maples said the council voted unanimously on the resolution calling to reduce DART's funding because Highland Park isn't getting "the bang for the buck." The resolution states that the town expects to contribute $6.8 million through a one-cent sales and use tax this fiscal year.

"It's our it's our job as leaders... to ask DART, you know, what are you doing with our taxpayers' money?" Maples said. "So we're asking those questions, and it's been difficult at times to get answers to those questions."

TCNT Annual Luncheon, September 20, 2024

Registration is Open!

The Transit Coalition of North Texas is hosting its annual luncheon on September 20, on the State of Transit. We will hear a report on the TxDOT Multimodal Plan and the results of a TTI economic impact analysis of transit. In addition to individual speakers, the luncheon will feature a panel of our transit CEOs who will discuss what the State's plans and the statewide economic impact analysis mean for North Texas.

Transit Coalition of North Texas

TransitNorthTexas.org