DART's Budget Priorities, TM has a New VP of Rail, State Fair Transit, & More

News & Updates

September 29, 2023 Issue

TCNT Annual Luncheon Recap

On September 22, 150 transit industry professionals and elected leaders gathered together to learn about the Future of Transit in North Texas and honor Representative Yvonne Davis for her long-time support of transit. The group also heard the latest news on federal transit funding from US Representative Colin Allred.

A panel of transit CEOs, including DART's Nadine Lee, Trinity Metro's Richard Andreski, and DCTA's Paul Cristina were asked about their agency plans and how they are leaving their own mark on the agency by NCTCOG's Michael Morris. Lee discussed her customer focused approach, while Cristina talked about alignment and accountability with the communities DCTA serves. Andreski spoke in detail about the value proposition of transit and how Trinity Metro is working to make improvements across its entire network.

Michael Morris wrapped up the discussion with a review of a presentation given at the September Regional Transportation Council meeting (item 8), discussing a study to make improvements in the region's approach to transit and partnership between communities and transit agencies.

TCNT would like to thank our partners and sponsors that made this event possible, including DART, DCTA, Trinity Metro, Archer Western, Billingsley, Kathy Ingle, WSP, Huitt Zollars, Mary Kay, AECOM, Stadler, City of Plano, Kimley Horn, City of Richardson, City of Lewisville, and Star Transit.

Reed Lanham named Trinity Metro's Vice President of Rail

masstransitmag.com

Trinity Metro has named Reed Lanham as the agency’s new vice president of rail. In this capacity, he will put new programs into place to elevate the quality, reliability and consistency of Trinity Railway Express and TEXRail services.

Lanham, who was selected following a competitive national search, joined Trinity Metro in 2015. He has held a variety of leadership roles in rail, most recently as deputy vice president of rail. During his tenure, Lanham played a key role in the start-up of TEXRail and successfully led Trinity Metro’s implementation of positive train control on both Trinity Railway Express and TEXRail. For the last four years, he has overseen TEXRail operations and he brings 16 years of commuter rail experience to the position.

Here's the 411 on How to Take the TRE to the State Fair of Texas

fortworth.culturemap.com

The countdown is on to the State Fair of Texas, taking place September 29-October 22, and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is here with transportation tips.

You can take DART and enjoy an air-conditioned ride without having to find parking or battling traffic and get dropped off at one of two gates on the fairgrounds.

Green Line

To get to the Fair, ride DART’s Green Line to Fair Park Station, located on Parry Avenue at the entrance to the fairgrounds, or to MLK, Jr. Station, located south of R.B. Cullum Boulevard and convenient to the Gate 6 entrance and the Cotton Bowl Stadium.

To get to the Green Line:

Southbound Red, Blue, and Orange Line passengers – transfer to the Green Line at Pearl/Arts District Station.
Northbound Red and Blue Line passengers – transfer to the Green Line at Akard Station.
Eastbound Orange Line passengers – transfer to the Green Line at Bachman Station.

Other Transit Information Here

Denton County Transportation Authority Offers Day Pass for Stress-Free Texas State Fair Travel

communityimpact.com

As the Texas State Fair returns this fall, the Denton County Transportation Authority is providing an easy and cost-effective way to get to the fairgrounds: a regional day pass that includes transportation and entry to the fair for $25.

“It’s the easiest way to get to the State Fair, and you don’t have to stress about the traffic or the parking,” said David Magaña, DCTA’s director of marketing and communications.

DART Board Approves $1.8 Billion Budget for 2024

dallasnews.com

Dallas Area Rapid Transit approved a $1.8 billion budget for the next fiscal year on Tuesday night after a tussle over whether to make last-minute cuts to operations costs as the transit agency faces challenges with lower ridership, safety and rising expenses.

After a 10-hour stretch of meetings, the board voted 8-5 to approve the budget as put forward by DART staff. It includes continued funding for a program begun in July where the agency is hiring 100 transit security officers, unarmed guards who ride trains, as well as funds for replacing 95 of DART’s aging light rail cars and installing backup generators to prepare for extreme weather events.

DART is also channeling resources into the next phase of redesigning its bus network. The objective is to increase the frequency of its most heavily used bus routes and add five additional routes. In 2022, the public transit agency made significant efforts to increase the number of routes where buses stop every 15 minutes during peak hours, raising the count from seven to 22.

DCTA Board to Consider Contract Extension for GoZone On-Demand Service

communityimpact.com

If approved, the item authorizes an approximately $10.46 million contract extension with Via, according to the meeting agenda. The contract assumes about 234,895 hours of van service estimated to cost about $42.11 per hour. Operations are expected to cost more than $9.8 million.

The customer service portion of the contract is broken into two six-month periods. Each period will cost $283,500, according to the agenda.

The contract extension is already budgeted for in the fiscal year 2023-24 operating and capital budget approved by the board in August.

FTA Triennial Review of Trinity Metro Yields Perfect Score

busride.com

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently completed its triennial review of Trinity Metro – and the results couldn’t be better. The triennial review focused on Trinity Metro’s compliance in 23 areas. No deficiencies were found with the FTA requirements in any of these areas.

“During our review of Fort Worth Transportation Authority [dba Trinity Metro], the FTA transit recipient demonstrated best practices in the following areas: Maintenance, Procurement & Financial Management and Capacity,” said Ketnah Parchment, one of the reviewers. “It was a pleasure working with a team of professionals who implements the FTA CORTAP [Comprehensive Oversight Review and Technical Assistance Program] requirements in an exemplary manner. Congratulations on a review with no findings/deficiencies.”

The months-long process occurs every three years and ensures that transit agencies are adhering to regulations and making any necessary improvements. Positive results are essential because they are tied to future eligibility for federal funding.

Transit Coalition of North Texas

TransitNorthTexas.org