Trinity Metro Turns 40, DCTA Ridership, & Arlington's Transit Needs

News & Updates

November 10, 2023 Issue

Trinity Metro Celebrates 40 Years with Free Rides

nbcfw.com

Passengers can enjoy free rides on Trinity Metro transportation for the entire month of November.

"Trinity Metro has been an integral part of the community for 40 years," said President & CEO Richard Andreski. "We want to celebrate our 40th anniversary by offering free trips throughout November as way to thank our loyal riders - and to invite new riders to try our transit network."

Free rides are included on the buses, TEXRail, ZIPZONE on-demand rideshare vans and ACCESS paratransit vehicles.

Rides will also be free on the Trinity Railway Express in the west zone; between Fort Worth T&P Station and CentrePort Station.

DART Board Approves $4M for Design Changes on Cotton Belt Project

communityimpact.com

Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s board of directors approved $4 million for design changes to the Cotton Belt Regional Trail project during an Oct. 31 meeting.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments is expected to fund the changes, according to the board agenda. The action brings DART’s design-build contract for the Silver Line Regional Rail project to about $1.47 billion in total value.

Funding will be used to address design changes requested by cities and railroads located along the Cotton Belt Trail corridor, said Trey Walker, capital design and construction vice president.

In the same action, the board also approved an additional $1.16 million for resolving any unnegotiated change requests in advance, according to the agenda.

Texas Rangers’ World Series Championship Spotlights Need for Regional Collaboration

dallasnews.com

With growth comes great responsibility, and North Texas, Arlington included, can do a better job in making it easier for residents to move about and enjoy what the area has to offer.

The Texas Rangers celebrated a World Series championship, fulfilling the dream of a young mayor — the late Tom Vandergriff — who in 1972 beat the odds to bring the national pastime to Arlington.

...

The region has used sports to enhance the quality of life for the nearly 8 million people who call the Dallas-Forth Worth area home. People move here every day, and the area is on pace to move past the Chicagoland area as the third-largest region in the county.

With growth comes great responsibility, and North Texas, Arlington included, can do a better job in making it easier for residents to move about and enjoy what the area has to offer. That includes sporting and concert events, as well as traveling about to check out a new restaurant or venerable tavern.

DCTA served 2.9M Riders in FY 2022-23, the Most Since FY 2018-19

communityimpact.com

The Denton County Transportation Authority completed more than 2.9 million rides during fiscal year 2022-23, according to a news release.

What you need to know

It marks the highest number of rides completed since FY 2018-19 before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the news release. Overall, the transportation authority saw 33% more riders in FY 2022-23 compared to FY 2021-22.

Plano Road Closure Planned as Work on Silver Line Continues

communityimpact.com

A section of K Avenue in Plano will be closed starting Nov. 11 while work continues on the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Silver Line project.

Southbound lanes on K Avenue will be closed from Nov. 10-13 while crews work on the K Avenue railroad crossing, according to a city news release. The road will be closed between 14th Street and Plano Parkway.

DART to Remove Cross Walk that Poses Safety Hazards

masstransitmag.com

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will be removing a center crosswalk at a Dallas rail station that the agency says will result in improved safety of its riders.

DART's rail stations are equipped with designated crosswalks at either end of the platform. Some stations also have center crosswalks. While using the center crosswalk to reach the other side of the platform may require fewer steps, using the crosswalk at either end of the station provides greater visibility for riders and operators. That is why DART has made the decision to remove the center crosswalk at Baylor University Medical Center Station.

Trains cannot stop on a dime or swerve to avoid people who have inadvertently crossed in their path. That means DART riders must stay alert, never try to beat a train and only cross at designated crosswalks.

Transportation at the Ballot Box – 2023 Edition

enotrans.org

The 2023 elections are fast approaching, and Eno is tracking around 70 transportation-related ballot measures across the United States. Compared to last year’s election, there may be fewer measures, but it is nonetheless important to cover transportation decision making. As we prepare for Tuesday, November 7, this will provide an overview of the playing field and some ballot measures to look out for.

Ballot measures are divided across four regions: North, South, Midwest, and West. Around 46 percent of ballot measures are in states that fall in the West, giving Western states the largest chunk of transportation ballot measures on the list. For the other regions, 22 percent of measures are in the South, 20 percent in the Midwest and about 10 percent of measures in the North.

Statewide Multimodal Transit Plan (SMTP)

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is developing its first-ever Statewide Multimodal Transit Plan (SMTP) to improve mobility and connectivity options for all Texans. The SMTP will identify needs and opportunities for public transportation policies and strategies and provide the framework for prioritizing future investments now through 2050.

TxDOT has launched a survey and is asking that TCNT shares it with our partners in North Texas:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TxDOTTransitSurvey (English) and https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/EncuestadeTransportedeTxDOT (En Español)

TxDOT’s goals for the SMTP are to: • Identify the strategies and investments necessary to equip the Texas mobility network for tremendous population growth. • Create a single consensus statement of value, needs, and priorities to establish public transit’s role in the broader transportation network. • Identify strategies for access, connectivity, safety, and congestion relief throughout the state. • Align with existing long-range public transportation plans and the Statewide Active Transportation Plan and Connecting Texas 2050. • Support regional and local public transportation plans and priorities on a statewide level. • Increase federal investments in transportation.

Learn More

Transit Coalition of North Texas

TransitNorthTexas.org