Category: News Release
Sal Espino joins Trinity Metro as Director of Government Relations
Sal Espino joins Trinity Metro as Director of Government Relations
Former Fort Worth City Council Member served six terms
(FORT WORTH, TEX
AS) July 16, 2018 – Trinity Metro announces the hiring of former Fort Worth City Council Member Salvador Espino as the agency’s Director of Government Relations. In this capacity, he will manage Trinity Metro’s governmental relationships at the local, state and federal level. Espino also will develop and implement a strategic legislative plan for Trinity Metro, analyze legislation affecting transit and work with elected officials and their staffs.
During his tenure on city council, Espino served as chairman of the Infrastructure and Transportation Committee and the Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. He also served on the Regional Transportation Council, the independent transportation policy body of the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
“We are pleased to have Sal join our agency,” President/CEO Paul Ballard said. “He brings a wealth of Fort Worth knowledge and legislative experience to this role. His background in public policy and his transportation leadership will be essential, as he develops a strategic legislative plan for the future of transit in Tarrant County.”
In addition to city council, Espino served as president of Cassata High School from 2006 to 2010 and has worked in the field of law since 1995. He has managed a title company in his law office since 2003 and has experience as a staff and litigation attorney. Earlier in his career, Espino worked in accounting roles at Accounting Professionals CPE Institute and NTCS, Inc.
Since 1995, he has held various leadership positions at All Saints Catholic Church. He has also served the community, volunteering with the St. Joseph Health Care Trust Grants Committee, Imagination Celebration Fort Worth, the Kimbell Art Museum, the Rose Marine Theater, and Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts/Texas Boys Choir.
Espino graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas Christian University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University.
About Trinity Metro
Trinity Metro is a regional transportation system that provides public transportation to meet the mobility needs in Tarrant County and offers connections throughout the North Central Texas region. Trinity Metro annually provides 10 million passenger trips on buses, vanpools and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE). Trinity Metro jointly owns and operates the TRE with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro is constructing TEXRail, a new commuter rail line that will operate from downtown Fort Worth to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B, with revenue service to begin in January 2019. Trinity Metro is governed by an 11-member board of directors, consisting of eight Fort Worth City Council appointments and three Tarrant County Commissioners Court appointments.
TEXRail and Trinity Habitat for Humanity to dedicate home near bus route
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contacts:
Laura Hanna
Director of Communications
Trinity Metro
817-215-8973 (office)
817-721-0734 (cell)
Mark Rummel
Marketing Manager
Trinity Habitat for Humanity
817-926-9219 ext. 107 (office)
214-223-9571 (cell)
TEXRail and Trinity Habitat for Humanity
to dedicate home near bus route
TEXRail sponsors Trinity Habitat for Humanity home
(FORT WORTH, TEXAS) June 21, 2018 – Trinity Metro, owner of the new TEXRail commuter rail line from downtown Fort Worth to DFW International Airport, and Trinity Habitat for Humanity (THFH) will dedicate the home at 941 Irma Street, at 7:30 a.m. Friday, June 22. TEXRail is sponsoring the home, which is the 49th one that Trinity Habitat has built in Fort Worth’s Hillside Morningside neighborhood, and which is located near a Trinity Metro bus route.
Speakers for the dedication ceremony include Senior Vice President Bob Baulsir, THFH CEO Gage Yager, THFH Sponsor Relations Manager Sandra Houston and the Thang family, who are the new homeowners. After the ceremony, Trinity Metro’s senior leadership and employees will don hardhats to work on the home, which is currently under construction. June 22 is the third “build day” undertaken by Trinity Metro employees and volunteers.
“With TEXRail nearing completion, we think this is the perfect time to provide a home to a family in our community,” Baulsir said. “The construction phase of TEXRail will be finished by the end of the year and our Trinity Habitat for Humanity house will be completed in the same timeframe. We appreciate the support of Archer Western Herzog, Huitt-Zollars, Jacobs, Parsons/Transystems and other donors who made this project possible.”
President/CEO Paul Ballard said the Habitat project reflects Trinity Metro’s commitment to the community. “Our mission is to help Tarrant County residents have access to public transportation. We are delighted to sponsor this project. The location is ideal because we have Route 4, which runs on Irma Street, and provides access to downtown Fort Worth and TEXRail.”
About the Family
The TEXRail-sponsored home is being built for H. Lian Thang and his wife, Mary Kai. They moved to the United States in December 2009 from Myanmar. Nine years later, they will have their own home. The Habitat program allows families to have an affordable 30-year mortgage (averaging $550 per month). The Thangs will invest 250 “sweat equity” hours in place of a down payment.
H. Lian Thang, who works as a stocker at Walmart, is excited about this opportunity. “I am the only one working to help provide for my family. Owning a Habitat home is the best program for my family to help keep the payment affordable,” he said. “I love to read, play soccer and go on walks. A Habitat home will allow me to have more free time to do these activities I love.”
About Trinity Metro
Trinity Metro is a regional transportation system that provides public transportation to meet the mobility needs in Tarrant County and offers connections throughout the North Central Texas region. Trinity Metro annually provides 10 million passenger trips on buses, vanpools and the Trinity Railway Express (TRE). Trinity Metro jointly owns and operates the TRE with Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Trinity Metro is constructing TEXRail, a new commuter rail line that will operate from downtown Fort Worth to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s Terminal B, with revenue service to begin in early January. Trinity Metro is governed by an 11-member board of directors, consisting of eight Fort Worth City Council appointments and three Tarrant County Commissioners Court appointments.
About Trinity Habitat for Humanity
Trinity Habitat for Humanity builds strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable housing. Together, with our supporters and volunteers, we empower low-income families to transform their lives and neighborhoods. As families need to dedicate more of their income to cover housing costs, they have less available for other basic needs such as food, clothing, and medications. Poverty housing casts low-income families into an unforgiving cycle of physical and emotional duress, compromising their health, academic achievement, and sense of security. Having a safe and adequate place to live can bring stability and hope to families who have spent years struggling to get ahead.
July 4, 2018 Independence Day Service
Trinity Metro bus services will operate on a Sunday and Major Holiday Schedule in observance of Independence Day.
Trinity Railway Express will not be in service.
Trinity Metro Customer Service locations and Lost and Found will be closed.
Customer Service phone lines will operate from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Rail Safety Tips
1. STAY ALERT.
Trains can come from either direction at any time and can be very quiet. Around train tracks or in stations, obey all warning signs and signals and use caution when using headsets or cell phones.
2. WATCH THE OVERHANG.
Trains are wider than the tracks; never sit on the edge of a station platform.
3. STAND AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM EDGE.
Pay attention to painted or raised markings at the platform edge, and stay at least three feet from the train while it is coming in or out of the station.
4. WHEN ON BOARD, HOLD ON.
Hold on tight to poles or seats, and listen carefully to directions from the train operator or conductor.
5. WATCH YOUR STEP.
Be careful getting on and off the train – there may be a gap between the train and platform or steps.
6. DON’T TAKE SHORTCUTS WITH YOUR LIFE!
Follow directional signs and markings that let you know where it is safe to cross the tracks. Crossing the tracks anywhere else is dangerous and illegal.
TRE Shuttle Service between South and CentrePort Station to be reduced June 4, 2018.
TEXRail unveils new Equipment Maintenance Facility in Fort Worth
The new home of TEXRail trains will be on display at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 22. The Equipment Maintenance Facility (EMF), located at 3137 E. Long Ave., is celebrating the grand opening with tours of the facility – and tours of a TEXRail train.
“Watching this facility come together has been very gratifying,” said Paul J Ballard, president and chief executive officer of Trinity Metro. “The craftsmanship and quality of the equipment maintenance facility lay the groundwork for efficient TEXRail operations and maintenance.”
Located on a 27-acre site, the EMF building is a 53,000 square-foot-facility that includes three maintenance pits (two indoor and one outdoor) and a train washing area. All eight TEXRail train sets will be housed and maintained at the EMF. The site also includes offices, a warehouse for parts and dispatch operations.
“TEXRail will be a premium commuter rail that will transform how people view train service,” said Bob Baulsir, senior vice president, who oversees rail construction for Trinity Metro. “These trains have a European design that is very sleek and modern. What might surprise riders and residents is how quiet TEXRail is.”
About EMF Operations
TEXRail and the Trinity Railway Express will both be dispatched from the EMF. Dispatchers will control movements for all trains on Trinity Metro’s lines, including Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Union Pacific, Dallas Garland Northeastern, Fort Worth and Western Railroad, Grapevine Vintage Railroad and Amtrak.
About the TEXRail Train
The FLIRT 3 (Fast Light Innovative Regional Train) vehicles, which are built by Stadler Bussnang AG of Switzerland, are assembled in Utah as part of the Buy America program. Two TEXRail train sets are in Fort Worth and a third will be arriving in Texas later this month. All eight train sets will be delivered by the end of the year.
The diesel multiple unit (DMU) trains are configured with an operator cab at either end for bidirectional movement. At the center of the train is a power pack with two diesel engines. This style of train is much quieter than traditional commuter rail. TEXRail amenities include a quiet car, work tables, lap trays, level boarding, bike racks and overhead storage for bags.
Tarrant County College EasyRide Program for Students FAQ
Rail Safety: Be Alert Around Tracks
May 2018 Northside Transfer Center Temporary Relocation
Due to construction on North Houston Street, routes 12, 14, 15, 44, 45 and 91 will be temporarily relocated to the northwest area of Houston along NW 26th Street. See image below for reference. Routes 12, 14 and 15 will be stopping on the north side of NW 26th Street. Routes 44, 45 and 91 will Boe stopping on the south side of NW 26th Street.
Construction will begin May 1st, 2018, with a pending completion date of June 1st, 2018.
