TxDOT Statewide Multimodal Plan, Arlington, & Trinity Metro turns 40!

News & Updates

November 3, 2023 Issue

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

From World Series to World Cup, Arlington has to Rethink Transportation

dallasnews.com

If you are one of the lucky Texas Rangers fans with a World Series ticket, you also know that parking near Globe Life Field does not come cheap. It could easily go over $100 depending on the event. Getting in and out of Arlington’s Entertainment District is another hassle, especially if there are competing events nearby.

North Texans have learned to live with this nuisance. Cowboys and Rangers fans know it, even Swifties know it. But that doesn’t mean there should not be transportation alternatives to get to the entertainment district that also encompasses AT&T Stadium, Choctaw Stadium and Six Flags Over Texas.

That is why we are glad to hear that the North Central Texas Council of Governments is taking a look at how people travel to the entertainment district. Some solutions would be tested in the near future, others are long-term. The entertainment district draws tens of thousands of fans every week, and relying on car transportation is often impractical.

Two major sports events are in the offing: The 2024 MLB All-Star Game and the 2026 Soccer World Cup. The latter would be a much larger event that will bring fans from all over the world, probably expecting to use public transportation to go to the event venue.

Why is There No Mass Public Transportation to Get to the World Series in Arlington?

dallasnews.com

The Texas Rangers hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series last weekend in a stadium that can hold just over 40,000 fans but lacks any direct mass transit link.

Arlington is the self-proclaimed entertainment capital of Texas, home to the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys and their stadiums that have hosted other major events — notably a Super Bowl in 2011 and three nights of Taylor Swift’s Eras tour this summer, with the Major League Baseball All-Star Game coming in 2024 and the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

But even with thousands of people convening in Arlington’s entertainment district for scores of events every year, the city remains the largest in the United States without mass public transit.

In April, over 30,000 fans took the Houston Metro to NRG Stadium to see Swift’s Eras Tour. During the Texas State Fair in 2022, around 75,000 people daily rode DART Light Rail trains in Dallas, according to data from a spokesperson, with ridership jumping to 120,000 on the day of the Red River Rivalry game between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma.

Why can’t you do that in Arlington?

DART’s West Dallas Shuttle Could be Model for Last-Mile Connections

dallasnews.com

If you want to get around the Dallas area without a car, you may not need a fortune, but you will need an abundance of time.

Long wait times at bus and light-rail stations that are hard to access on foot are a side effect of our region’s urban sprawl.

Closing these gaps is an ongoing challenge for Dallas Area Rapid Transit as it tries to balance its role as a mover of people inside cities and across a region in its vast, 700-square-mile service area.

Trinity Metro Celebrating 40 Years of Service with Free Rides in November

masstransitmag.org

To celebrate its 40 years of service, Trinity Metro is offering free rides for all passengers traveling in Tarrant County for the month of November, including all buses, TEXRail, ZIPZONE on-demand rideshare services and ACCESS paratransit.

Passengers will also enjoy free rides in the west zone (between Fort Worth T&P Station and CentrePort Station) of Trinity Railway Express.

Texas Receives $345M for Bicycle, Pedestrian Safety Improvements

communityimpact.com

The Texas Transportation Commission approved a "historic" $345 million in funding for bicycle and pedestrian mobility improvements across the state, the group announced Oct. 26.

The multimillion-dollar funding comes as bicycle and pedestrian fatalities are rising statewide.

Both bicycle and pedestrian fatalities have risen nearly 30% statewide over the past five years, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. In 2022, 830 pedestrians and 92 bicyclists were killed.

“People who walk and bike make up about 1 out of every 5 deaths on roadways here in Texas,” Texas Transportation Commissioner Alvin New said in a news release. “These projects will help the state move closer toward the goal of zero deaths by giving people a place to walk and bike separate from traffic.”

Highland Village to Receive $90K Reimbursement for Sidewalk Project

communityimpact.com

The city of Highland Village is slated to receive a $90,797 reimbursement for sidewalk construction on Highland Village Road.

Denton County Transportation Authority’s board of directors approved the reimbursement with an amendment to the agency’s 2021 Transportation Reinvestment Program agreement with Highland Village. The amendment enables Highland Village to fully apply its program allocation—about $380,000—to the project, according to the board agenda.

The project is estimated to cost about $921,656 in total and was funded by the city's 2018 bond program.

STARNow Saturday Service Coming to Terrell

startransit.org

STAR Transit will offer STARNow service on Saturdays in Terrell beginning November 11. The addition of Saturday service provides riders greater flexibility to access safe, affordable, and convenient public transit across the city.

“Our residents rely on STAR Transit every day, so we are pleased to support Saturday service to increase our citizens’ mobility options,” said Terrell Mayor Rick Carmona. “As the headquarters of STAR Transit, Terrell has a long and positive relationship with the agency, and we look forward to continuing to expand public transit options in our great city.”

STARNow offers same-day trips within city zones serviced by STAR Transit, with fares between $1 to $2. Saturday STARNow service in Terrell will be available 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. In addition, Saturday service is available in Balch Springs and Mesquite.

Transit Coalition of North Texas

TransitNorthTexas.org