tracking pixel
Alerts

Chat with Us

Month: February 2020

Federal funding announced for TEXRail extension

(FORT WORTH, TX – Feb. 28, 2020) – Congresswoman Kay Granger announced Friday that Trinity Metro is authorized to use remaining federal funds from the TEXRail project for an extension of the commuter rail line. The 27-mile route was completed on time and $80.6 million under budget, with roughly half of those funds coming from federal and half from local.

The $38.9 million in federal funds can now be used to extend TEXRail another 2.1 miles from the Fort Worth T&P Station to a new station in the Medical District. In 2016, Trinity Metro and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the United States Department of Transportation signed a $499.39 million Full Funding Grant Agreement for the $1.034 billion TEXRail project.

The new station will be located behind Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center, by the Mistletoe neighborhood.

Trinity Metro President and CEO Bob Baulsir shared his excitement about the expansion. “The Fort Worth Medical District is an ideal location for the next station because of the 40,000 people who work and visit that area. Extending TEXRail is perfect for medical professionals, patients and visitors.”

“We appreciate the FTA for allowing us to use the unspent funds toward expanding our TEXRail line,” said Trinity Metro Board Chairman Jeff Davis. “The support of Kay Granger and our other congressional delegates has meant the world to us.”

A timeline for the extension has not been determined. Baulsir said the first steps will be to define the scope and to undergo a competitive process of bids.

TEXRail began operating in January 2019, and the existing route runs between downtown Fort Worth and the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B. The line has nine stations in Fort Worth, North Richland Hills and Grapevine.

TEXRail train at FWCS with Downtown Fort Worth in backgroundAbout Trinity Metro

Trinity Metro is a regional transportation system that provides public transportation to meet the mobility needs in Tarrant County. The agency offers connections throughout the North Central Texas region, annually providing 8 million passenger trips on buses, TEXRail, vanpools and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), a 34-mile commuter rail line jointly owned and operated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro is the sole owner and operator of TEXRail, a 27-mile commuter rail line that runs between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B.

 

Spring break service to the zoo

(FORT WORTH, TX – Feb. 28, 2020) – During spring break, Trinity Metro passengers can enjoy a quick ride between downtown Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Zoo. The Safari Xpress will operate every 30 minutes from 9:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. March 7-15.

The Safari Xpress bus will depart from Bus Bay A, which is adjacent to the Trinity Railway Express platform, at Fort Worth Central Station, 1001 Jones St. The bus drops off on Colonial Parkway – a short walk from the zoo’s main entrance.

Tickets are $2.50 one way or $5 for day pass. Youth ages 5-19 and seniors 65 and older ride for $1.25 one way. Children younger than 5 ride for free.

Zoo visitors connecting to the Safari Xpress from Trinity Metro TEXRail or the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) can ride the Safari Xpress from Fort Worth Central Station free of charge with a one-day ticket or a monthly or annual pass.Gorilla at the Fort Worth Zoo

For more information about the Safari Xpress, call Customer Care at 817-215-8600.

Admission to the Fort Worth Zoo is $16 for adults, $12 for seniors (65+) and children (ages 3-12). Toddlers 2 and younger are free. Admission is half-price every Wednesday. Zoo hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

About Trinity Metro

Trinity Metro is a regional transportation system that provides public transportation to meet the mobility needs in Tarrant County. The agency offers connections throughout the North Central Texas region, annually providing 8 million passenger trips on buses, TEXRail, vanpools and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), a 34-mile commuter rail line jointly owned and operated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro is the sole owner and operator of TEXRail, a 27-mile commuter rail line that runs between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B.

 

Media contacts:
Laura Hanna, Trinity Metro Director of Communications, Laura.Hanna@RideTM.org
Avery Elander, Fort Worth Zoo Asst. Director of Communications; aelander@fortworthzoo.org

Trinity Metro plans Bus Rapid Transit on East Lancaster

(FORT WORTH, TX – Feb. 25, 2020) – Trinity Metro’s highest ridership area will be pioneering a new service in North Texas – the East Lancaster Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Features are similar to light rail and will provide a faster and more convenient bus service. BRT includes dedicated lanes, stations in the center of the road, and platform ticket validation to speed the boarding process.

The BRT project will be developed as a highly collaborative effort with the City of Fort Worth, Texas Department of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Highway Administration.

“This first-of-its-kind partnership in North Texas will bring countless improvements for our residents, including pedestrian safety, faster travel times, and increased frequency of service for all riders in the corridor,” said Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. “Investing in mobility in this corridor will spark an increase in ridership, while also bringing positive attention to the economic opportunities in East Fort Worth.”

On Monday, the Trinity Metro Board of Directors authorized the agency to move forward with Simon Engineering & Consulting, Inc. for professional planning and engineering services. The first phase, which will last approximately six months, is for BRT concept development and sketch planning.

Wayne Gensler, vice president and chief operating officer for bus and paratransit, said East Lancaster is the perfect location for this innovative service. “The corridor is ideal because of the high ridership, right-of-way availability, and the opportunity to advance urban design integration and implement state-of-the art technology.”

The BRT project also represents an opportunity to incorporate solutions for needs identified in the City of Fort Worth’s pedestrian and bicycle plans to improve multimodal facilities in the corridor.

About Trinity Metro

Trinity Metro is a regional transportation system that provides public transportation to meet the mobility needs in Tarrant County. The agency offers connections throughout the North Central Texas region, annually providing 8 million passenger trips on buses, TEXRail, vanpools and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), a 34-mile commuter rail line jointly owned and operated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro is the sole owner and operator of TEXRail, a 27-mile commuter rail line that runs between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B.

 

Free rides for Cowtown Marathon

(FORT WORTH, TX – Feb. 27, 2020) – Trinity Metro will be offering free rides on The Dash for The 2020 Cowtown Marathon racers and guests between downtown Fort Worth and the event starting area this weekend, Feb. 28-March 1.

The pickup points are the Courtyard Fort Worth Downtown/Blackstone, Embassy Suites by Hilton Fort Worth Downtown, The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel, Omni Fort Worth Hotel and Sheraton Fort Worth Downtown Hotel.

Passengers can ride for free for all three days, including service to the 2020 Cowtown Health & Fitness Expo. The Expo, which is 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday is at Will Rogers Memorial Center in the Amon G. Carter Jr. Exhibits Hall. 

The 5K and 10K races will be held on Saturday and the half marathon and full marathon will be run on Sunday. All races start and finish at Will Rogers Memorial Center.

Trinity Metro will operate on The Dash route, but most vehicles will be the regular buses with “The Dash” on the exterior digital displays. The larger articulated buses can accommodate a higher passenger volume. Some of the operations will be on The Dash, which is a bright red battery-electric bus.

About Trinity Metro

Trinity Metro is a regional transportation system that provides public transportation to meet the mobility needs in Tarrant County. The agency offers connections throughout the North Central Texas region, annually providing 8 million passenger trips on buses, TEXRail, vanpools and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), a 34-mile commuter rail line jointly owned and operated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro is the sole owner and operator of TEXRail, a 27-mile commuter rail line that runs between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B.

View new website in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge

Trinity Metro has launched a new website that is designed for an enhanced customer experience. The website should be viewed using the newest versions of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge. Less than 5 percent of customers use Internet Explorer, so the website strategy was to focus on the web browsers that are most utilized. In addition to Chrome and Edge, the modern web technology also works with the newest versions of Safari, Firefox and most up-to-date software on mobile devices.

During the last year, Trinity Metro conducted surveys and held focus groups to gather feedback from passengers and non-riders. They listened to those suggestions and adapted elements to create a better user experience. They also compared other transit agency websites to look for common themes and best practices. The result is a new website with better interactive options and an emphasis what customers are seeking.

The web address will continue to be RIDETRINITYMETRO.org, but users will soon be viewing an engaging and innovative website.

In June: Crowley ZIPZONE

(FORT WORTH, TX – Feb. 13, 2020) – Trinity Metro and the City of Crowley are partnering to provide a new transportation option to Crowley residents. The Crowley ZIPZONE, which will begin in June, will provide transportation to medical facilities and shopping options within the city as well as connections to four bus routes (route 6, route 65X,  route 66X and route 72) in Fort Worth, plus the South Park & Ride.

“This will be a big benefit because it’s an affordable way to get around town, especially for our seniors,” said Jack Thompson, assistant city manager and economic development director for Crowley. “We are excited to work with Trinity Metro and Via (the contracted service provider).”

The Crowley ZIPZONE will operate 6:30-10 a.m. and 3:30-7 p.m. weekdays and will include service to Texas Health Huguley Hospital Fort Worth South and the Gateway Station shopping center. The cost for a one-way trip will be $3.

Primary funding for the ZIPZONE was provided by the North Central Texas Council of Governments through a $333,000 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grant.

Roy C. Brooks, Tarrant County Commissioner Precinct 1, said, “It is important to work toward feasible transportation options for all of our Tarrant County cities. Thanks to a partnership between the Regional Transportation Council, Trinity Metro, and Tarrant County Precinct 1, residents of the City of Crowley will have a new way to move within their city and to connect to the larger public transportation network.”

The new service in Crowley the third on-demand service for Trinity Metro. A fourth option, the Near Southside ZIPZONE, is planned for late spring.

“Helping customers reach their destination requires a combination of traditional transit and innovative solutions,” said Wayne Gensler, vice president and chief operating officer of bus and paratransit at Trinity Metro. “By introducing service in new areas, we are able to connect passengers with our existing services to provide a better customer experience.”

About ZIPZONES

Trinity Metro has two other ZIPZONES. The Mercantile ZIPZONE connects Trinity Metro TEXRail and bus passengers (route 11, route 12 and route 16) to first-mile/last-mile service near Mercantile Center Station. The Alliance ZIPZONE connects with bus route 16 and route 63X/64X, which is a partner route between Trinity Metro and Denton County Transportation Authority.

About Trinity Metro

Trinity Metro is a regional transportation system that provides public transportation to meet the mobility needs in Tarrant County. The agency offers connections throughout the North Central Texas region, annually providing 8 million passenger trips on buses, TEXRail, vanpools and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), a 34-mile commuter rail line jointly owned and operated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro is the sole owner and operator of TEXRail, a 27-mile commuter rail line that runs between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B.

Free rides for voting

(FORT WORTH, TX – Feb. 12, 2020) – When early voting starts on Feb. 18, Tarrant County voters will be able to catch free rides to the polls on six transit options.

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved a partnership with four transportation services in Tarrant County to pay for customer trips to voting locations for the entire early voting period (Feb. 18-28) and Election Day on March 3.

The Commissioners Court approved the plan, which is not to exceed $20,000, on Jan. 28.

Last month, the Commissioners Court also approved early voting locations at nine college campus sites. The Texas Secretary of State also signed off on countywide vote centers, meaning Tarrant County voters can go to any polling place on Election Day.

“With vote centers, early voting sites on college campuses and free rides to the polls, Tarrant County is giving voters every opportunity to participate in the upcoming March 3 primaries,” said Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley. “We

 are including as many public transit providers as possible within Tarrant County, from accessible services for the elderly and mobility-impaired, to on-demand service in Arlington.”

Tiffany Moore-Turner, general manager at Trinity Metro, said this partnership encourages voter participation. “Providing free transportation is an excellent way to help voters get to the polls. We appreciate the Tarrant County Commissioners Court for funding this initiative.”

For Trinity Metro buses, passengers should show a voter registration card or driver’s license to the bus operator.

The six transit services included in the program are Trinity Metro’s fixed-route bus, ACCESS paratransit, Tarrant County Transportation Services (TCTS), Northeast Transportation Services (NETS), Arlington’s Via and Handitran.

Those who qualify and want to ride to vote on ACCESS, TCTS, NETS or Handitran should call the provider at least 48 hours ahead of the trip to schedule their free ride to any of the Tarrant County Vote Centers.

To use Via’s on-demand service in Arlington to vote, riders simply download Via’s app, enter the address of a Vote Center within Via’s service area along with promo code ARLINGTONVOTE, or call 817-794-7382 to hail a ride by phone. The rider will not be charged for trips scheduled to or from a Vote Center location.

United Way offers tax prep help

The United Way of Tarrant County is providing Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) for individuals and households with an annual income of $58,000 or less. Those who qualify will receive help from IRS -certified volunteers. See which routes will take you to a tax site.

United Way Tax Center Map & Hours of Operations