Author: Laura Hanna

On June 27, the Federal Transit Administration awarded a Letter of No Prejudice (LONP) to the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) for TEX Rail, which means that construction for the 27-mile commuter rail can break ground next month.

The LONP authorizes FWTA to proceed with procurement of all materials and construction activities planned for the first six months.

“We are delighted to receive the Letter of No Prejudice today,” said President/CEO Paul Ballard. “We can now secure the prime contract and all subcontracts while locking in current pricing. This has been a long journey and we can’t wait to get started on construction next month.”

Bob Baulsir, vice president of railroads and procurement, said the LONP means FWTA can start spending the local funding it has in reserves while awaiting the Full Funding Grant Agreement. “This is a great day for TEX Rail and FWTA – and it’s the beginning of a great rail system that will serve thousands in our region.”

TEX Rail will extend from downtown Fort Worth, across northeast Tarrant County, through North Richland Hills and Grapevine, and into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B. The commuter rail line, which will begin service in late 2018, is projected to serve more than 8,000 daily riders at nine stations by the end of the first year of operation. By 2035, nearly 14,000 daily riders are projected to ride the system.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) invites public involvement and comment regarding proposed bus service changes in Fort Worth to include new service to Alliance and Denton.

FWTA, in cooperation with the Denton County Transportation Authority, is proposing to provide bus service from the Intermodal Transportation Center in downtown Fort Worth to the University of North Texas in Denton on weekdays. An additional stop would be made at FWTA’s North Park-n-Ride at 10157 North Freeway where up to 200 parking spaces are available for commuters. Buses would operate between about 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. with trips departing every 90 minutes.

Anyone who wants to provide input can do so in one of four ways:

Email Tboard@fwta.org

Write to FWTA, 801 Cherry Street, Suite 850, Fort Worth, Texas 76102, to the attention of Detra Whitmore.

Call FWTA’s Comment Line, 817-215-8793.

Attend a public meeting. FWTA will host three public meetings June 14-16 and a public hearing on June 16.

Meeting Details

Tuesday, June 14

Noon, Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA), Lewisville Administrative Office,1955 Lakeway Drive, Suite 260, Lewisville, TX 75057

Wednesday, June 15

7 p.m., North Park YMCA, 9100 N. Beach Street, Fort Worth, TX 76244

Thursday, June 16

6 p.m., Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC), 1001 Jones Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102

The public hearing to receive comments will immediately follow the public meeting at the ITC on June 16.

Visit www.FWTA.org for information on the proposed changes. The deadline for submitting comments by email, phone or mail is 5 p.m. Friday, June 17.

New bus schedules touting an easier-to-read format and a size that’s just right to put in your pocket are available at the Intermodal Transportation Center, new downtown customer service center, Tarrant County College’s South Campus and Trinity River Campus, and onboard buses. Schedules are also posted online at https://ridetrinitymetro.org/.

Route adjustments

Service changes impact six routes, all of which are weekday routes, unless otherwise noted:

Route 9 Ramey/Vickery – Route will use Thrall Street to East Rosedale

Route 12 Greenway – Morning service will end at 8:45 a.m. (Friday)

Route 17 Central – Bus will leave 18^th and Harrington at 54 minutes past the hour.

Route 32 Bryant Irvin – Adding an ADA-compliant bus stop on Bryant Irvin by JPS for northbound service. Only southbound buses will use the turnaround at JPS. Minor time adjustments at stops for JPS and Camp Bowie.

Route 61 Normandale Express – Minor adjustments for second “To Downtown” trip to leave 1-4 minutes earlier to ensure connections at Ridgmar Mall.

Route 65 South Park & Ride Express – Adding a beginning time point at the I-35 service road and Altamesa.

To be more centrally located and more closely connected with the business community, the Fort Worth Transportation Authority’s administrative offices are moving from East Lancaster to Burnett Plaza over the weekend of April 9-10. The offices will be open for business at 801 Cherry St. on Monday, April 11.

“This move fulfills the need for us to be closer to the companies we collaborate with on transit projects,” said FWTA President/CEO Paul Ballard. “Having the headquarters downtown is a logical step, and it aligns with our existing downtown presence at the T&P Station and the Intermodal Transportation Center, where our board meetings are held.”

A customer service office will open across the street, at 800 Cherry St., for customers to purchase passes and tickets. They can also make purchases at the ITC or via a self-service ticket vending machine at 1600 E. Lancaster Ave.

The company’s operations and maintenance department will remain at the Lancaster location.

Making transit more attractive and convenient, connecting more people with more places, and making transit easier to use are among the objectives of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority’s Transit Master Plan, unanimously accepted by the FWTA Board of Directors in February

 

“The goals of the plan are to provide compelling and competitive transit service to help make Tarrant County more livable and to support continued economic growth,” said Paul Ballard, FWTA president and CEO. “This plan offers the opportunity to create a system that people will use because it gets them where they want to go, when they want to go, in a comfortable environment.”

 

With a focus on the next five years, the Transit Master Plan presents an opportunity to create an inviting transit system that will offer more places for more people – and more possibilities.

 

“Transportation options will become increasingly important as growth occurs and congestion increases,” Ballard said. “The Transit Master Plan lays out a vision for providing options to meet those needs.”

 

To develop this plan, FWTA conducted an extensive public outreach program over the course of a year to find out how services could be improved and how people could be encouraged to use transit in Tarrant County. Active community involvement played a big role in the planning process.

 

The Transit Master Plan is consistent with the City of Fort Worth’s Master Thoroughfare Plan, North Central Texas Council of Governments’ 2040 Mobility Plan and other planning initiatives. The board is committed to pursuing the vision and goals, and to work with funding partners to prioritize plan elements.

 

“This is a critical juncture in our ability to develop a system that will be successful over the long term,” Ballard said.  “We welcome discussions with any community to determine its level of interest in helping to build a transit system that will serve us all.”

 

For more details about the master plan, go to www.TMasterPlan.org.

The Feb. 29 edition of the Star-Telegram featured a four-page insert about the Fort Worth Transportation Authority’s Transit Master Plan.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA) is implementing some bus schedule changes on Sunday, Jan. 31, to make service more efficient for its customers.

Route 15 Stockyards Trolley – Extend service to downtown until 10:30 p.m. Discontinue 9 a.m. trip from Stockyards and 9:33 a.m. trip from downtown. (This is a Saturday-only route.)

Route 24 Berry Street – Adjustments in schedule to make weekday evening times consistent.

Route 25 Crosstown – Adjustments in schedule to make weekday evening times consistent.

Route 26 – Ridgmar/Normandale – Adjust weekday and Saturday times at Highway 580/Alta Mere to leave five minutes earlier to allow time for transferring at Ridgmar.

Route 63 Express/North Park & Ride – In response to demand, add new 7:45 a.m. trip to downtown (to replace 5:40 a.m. trip). On trips from downtown, leave 1-4 minutes earlier for the first two weekday afternoon trips.

Route 111 Express/Bell Helicopter – Single bus will serve both Park & Ride lots.

For information on all routes, go to Bus Routes & Schedules.

Laura Hanna has joined the Fort Worth Transportation Authority as Communications Manager. In this role, she will be responsible for strategic communications efforts, media relations, social media and public relations.

She has an extensive background in both internal and external communications, and has lived in Fort Worth for 25 years. Laura’s most recent position was with Texas Health Resources, where she was responsible for internal communications for three hospitals as well as system-wide initiatives. Prior to Texas Health, Laura worked in higher education communications at Texas Wesleyan University and the University of Texas at Arlington.