As Tarrant County rapidly grows, the need for more transit options is increasingly apparent. Just take a drive if you want proof.
Fort Worth is exploring bringing a fixed rail system to the city with Mayor Mattie Parker by establishing a diverse committee charged with examining the creation of a rail system between city entertainment districts, including the Stockyards and Cultural District.
The effort comes as North Texas is , including a proposal to establish a high-speed rail route that could connect Tarrant County鈥檚 two largest cities with Dallas and Houston.
Parker will join Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, Trinity Metro President and CEO Richard W. Andreski and North Central Texas Council of Governments Transportation Director Michael Morris for a free Aug. 29 Candid Conversation event with the Fort Worth Report on the future of transportation in Tarrant County.
If you go
鈥淔ull Speed Ahead: The Future of Transportation in Tarrant County鈥 is part of Fort Worth Report鈥檚 Candid Conversation series. The discussion will be led by the Report鈥檚 publisher and CEO Chris Cobler from 8-9 a.m. Aug. 29 in the second-floor ballroom at the Nick and Lou Martin University Center, 3165 E. Rosedale St., on the Texas Wesleyan University campus. Register for free . Coffee and light breakfast refreshments will be served starting at 7:30 a.m.
Note: We anticipate the ballroom will be full. Other than our sponsors鈥 tables, seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. We also will livestream the conversation at and have a recording posted there after the event ends.
North Texas leaders are considering transit options as Fort Worth claims its spot as the in the nation, and Arlington, the , prepares to host .
The Mayor鈥檚 Urban Rail Committee Supporting Economic Development & Tourism, launched with Trinity Metro, includes members in the business, tourism and transportation industries. The committee, , is charged with exploring the creation of a rail system to connect Fort Worth鈥檚 entertainment districts and determine potential financial support and mechanisms for construction and operations. Jay Chapa, a consultant for the Texas A&M Fort Worth campus and a former deputy city manager, is chair of the committee.
Parker said the committee is set to begin meeting with a focus on determining how to better connect the city鈥檚 entertainment districts and provide residents with options that improve walkability, trail connections and other transit infrastructure.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going in with open minds,鈥 she told the Fort Worth Report.
She said the committee will work with Trinity Metro to determine the best approach to urban rail, especially since the agency is already planning to expand the Trinity Railway Express to the Near Southside area. The partnership will be key to urban rail projects, which often require a multilayered approach when it comes to funding, she said.
Parker cited the city鈥檚 South Main Street project as an example of transit changes that are beneficial.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a catalyst for economic development,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e slowed traffic and added a bike lane, and we鈥檝e seen all types of new growth and housing develop in that area.鈥
In addition to urban rail within the city, Parker also supports high-speed rail to address future needs.
鈥淗igh-speed rail is an integral part of our transportation future, and it will include Tarrant County,鈥 she said earlier this summer.
鈥淭丑别 regional long-term success of DFW is connected to regional partnerships, such as the high-speed rail project, as the region is poised to be the third-largest metro region in the country by 2030 鈥 with a majority of the growth occurring west,鈥 the mayor said in a statement. 鈥淐ollectively, our success is dependent on world-class mobility solutions that connect not just DFW but the entire state of Texas.鈥
Arlington, with its massive entertainment district that includes the Six Flags Over Texas theme park, AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field and a sprawling array of restaurants and hotels is supportive of efforts to bring high-speed rail service to the city.
Arlington currently operates an on-demand rideshare program that connects riders to anywhere in the 99-square-mile city, as well as Trinity Railway Express鈥 CentrePort Station to the north and the Eastchase Parkway shopping and residential area of far east Fort Worth. That service supplements an on-demand service that connects downtown Arlington and the University of Texas at Arlington as well as Handitran, the decades-old rideshare transportation program for people with disabilities or those age 65 and older.
Ross said a proposed high-speed rail line, which would run east and west from Fort Worth to Dallas along Interstate 30, could help generate jobs for the entire region.
鈥淵ou know, any time you have the ability to connect with other major metropolitan areas outside of your city, that has the ability to quickly and rapidly transfer employees to and from their job sites, it鈥檚 going to be a job generator,鈥 Ross said in an interview in May with the Arlington Report.
Morris, who is also staff director of the Regional Transportation Council, an independent policy group of elected and appointed officials involved in the North Central Texas Council of Governments, cited the need for more transit options as the North Texas population is expected to double from 8 million to more than 15 million by 2050.
He advocates denser infill development in large cities to eliminate the projected sprawl that is advancing into rural parts of North Texas.
鈥淭his growth outside the city centers follows a pattern we鈥檝e seen developing for years,鈥 Morris wrote in a July for the Report. 鈥淧eople have gravitated toward the suburbs, where developers can take advantage of building in unincorporated areas with large swaths of open land.鈥
As North Texas adds residents and workers to fill the jobs created by the fast-growing economy, Morris said, there is a critical need to examine how best to integrate them into a region that is expected to surpass 12 million people within 25 years.
鈥淭丑别 is being developed, and the horse is out of the barn,鈥 he said.
鈥淎s NCTCOG and the Regional Transportation Council plan for 2050, the critical question is: Can local governments reduce congestion through land-use density, resulting in higher holding capacities and shorter trip lengths with a balance of jobs to housing? In other words, how can cities help reduce traffic congestion while providing opportunities for jobs and housing near the workplace?鈥 Morris said.
Trinity Metro is also exploring ways to create transit-oriented developments that provide residential, work and play options. One proposal would bring a to 1,600 acres near the agency鈥檚 Trinity Lakes train station just east of the crossroads of Interstate 820 and State Highway 121 in northeast Fort Worth.
Officials are seeking a Federal Transit Authority pilot grant to help create a strategic plan for transit-oriented developments along the Trinity Railway Express route in three cities: Fort Worth, Irving and Dallas.
鈥淎s Fort Worth and Tarrant County continue to grow at a rapid pace, public transportation is playing an increasingly important role in this economic success story,鈥 Andreski, the Trinity Metro president and CEO, said. 鈥淓very dollar invested in Trinity Metro generates $3.05 in benefits to businesses and residents alike.鈥
Trinity Metro, he said, 鈥渕ust continue to innovate and expand its services, but we need everyone鈥檚 help to embrace and advance this opportunity.鈥
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
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