Author: Laura Hanna

Proposed major service improvements would be effective April 9, 2017

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) invites public review and comment regarding proposed bus service improvements affecting Routes 1 (N. Main, A, B, C & D), 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 46 & 62.

Also being proposed is new service along Beach Street (north of Loop 820) and three new Routes operating primarily along River Oaks, Long Avenue and Angle Avenue (to TCC NW Campus). If approved, changes would be effective April 9, 2017.

Public Meetings

Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016            Northside Community Center
6 p.m.                                       1100 N.W, 18^th St., Fort Worth, TX 76164

Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016             Riverside Community Center
6 p.m.                                       3700 E. Belknap St., Fort Worth, TX  76111

Monday, Dec. 12, 2016             Diamond Hill/Jarvis Branch Library
6 p.m.                                        1300 N.E. 35^th St., Fort Worth, TX 76106

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016            Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC)
5:30 p.m.                                    1001 Jones Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102

Monday, Dec. 19, 2016             The Club at Heritage
6 p.m.                                        9536 Courtright Dr., Fort Worth, TX 76244

A public hearing to receive comments will be held at ITC on Dec. 15, immediately after the public meeting.

Attending a public meeting or the public hearing is not required for offering input. You may also submit comments in one of three ways by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23:

– Write to FWTA, 801 Cherry Street, Suite 850, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, to the attention of Joanne Heredia.
– Call FWTA’s Comment Line: 817-215-8793.

Repairs to the Trinity Railway bridge near the junction of I-35E southbound and 183 will result in lane reductions on both highways for the following weekends:

·         10 p.m. Oct. 29  to 10 a.m. Oct. 30

·         10 p.m. on November 5 to 10 a.m. on Nov. 6

·         10 p.m. on November 12 to 10 a.m. on Nov. 13

·         10 p.m. on November 19 to 10 a.m. on Nov. 20

·        10 p.m. on December 10 to 10 a.m. on December 11

Prepare for delays if you travel southbound on I-35 and east on 183 during these times beginning on Oct. 29.  .

Passengers can soon enjoy more frequent trains and extended hours of service on the Trinity Railway Express (TRE).

The new schedule, which begins Oct. 24, features weekday train service every 30 minutes during peak periods. For evening, midday and Saturday service, the frequency will be every 60 minutes.

Riders will also benefit from greater weekend service, with later service hours on Friday and Saturday. In addition, Saturday service will start three hours earlier.

“These enhancements to TRE service are designed to meet the needs of our customers while giving them more options for maximum convenience,” said Paul Ballard, president/CEO of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority.

“Customers have been asking for these improvements, and we are pleased to put them in place,” DART President/Executive Director Gary Thomas said. “More convenient schedules benefit our current riders and we believe will help us attract new ones.”

To learn more about the new schedule, go to www.trinityrailwayexpress.org.

The Trinity Railway Express is jointly operated by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority and Dallas Area Rapid Transit. The 10-station route runs between Fort Worth’s T&P Station and Dallas Union Station.

Shawn M. Donaghy, chief operating officer and vice president for the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA), was chosen from hundreds of nominations for Mass Transit’s 2016 Top 40 under 40. Recipients are chosen for their innovation, leadership and commitment to impactful change in transit.

For Donaghy, working in public transportation is more than a career – it’s a family tradition. Following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, he has worked in the field of transportation for his entire career and has risen through the ranks to his current position at FWTA. Donaghy’s father is the CEO in Dayton, OH, and his grandfather is in the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Awards Hall of Fame.

At FWTA, Donaghy is responsible for transit operations fixed-route service, paratransit service, fleet maintenance operations, risk and safety, transit security, operations service scheduling, contract services and vanpool, information technology and operational performance metrics. Since joining the leadership team in 2015, he has reorganized the operations and maintenance departments for better efficiency and sustainability, and is overseeing the implementation of major IT infrastructure upgrades. He has put into place significant process improvements and changes to provide world-class service, and he has implemented a continuity of operations plan and additional security protocols.

Donaghy was a member of the Leadership Fort Worth Class of 2015 and his team won 2016 APTA Certificates of Merit for Safety and Security. He is also a member of APTA and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials.

A new commuter rail line that will run from downtown Fort Worth to the airport kicked off construction in bold fashion – with three groundbreakings in one day. Fort Worth Transportation Authority’s TEXRail project celebrated at Fort Worth’s historic Texas & Pacific Station, which will be the beginning of the route, as well as in Grapevine and North Richland Hills.

“We are delighted to have this project underway,” said Paul Ballard, president/CEO of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. “TEXRail is a tremendous achievement for our region and our customers.”

TEXRail’s 27-mile line will go through Fort Worth’s four stations and five others, including two in North Richland Hills and one in Grapevine. Service will begin in late 2018, and more than 9,000 daily riders are expected by the end of the first year of operation. By 2035, that number is projected to grow to 14,000 riders.

Bob Baulsir, vice president of railroads and procurement, said riding TEXRail will be hard to resist. “Once people have the chance to see how smooth and elegant this Stadler vehicle is, they will see that it’s the way to go. Why suffer through white-knuckle driving in traffic when you can sit back and enjoy the ride?”

TEXRail will operate 44 diesel multiple unit (DMU) passenger trains per day. The bidirectional train has the engine in the middle and the operator sits at either end of the DMU.

“One of the greatest features of TEXRail is that we’ll have positive train control for enhanced safety,” Baulsir said. “These trains feature state-of-art technology that will provide a great rider experience.”

Ballard said he is excited for all the project will bring with it. “We have transit-oriented development planned throughout the region, from residential living to retail to boutique hotels,” he said. “Public transportation has a very bright future in North Texas.”

This article was published in Passenger Transport on August 25, 2016.