(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.