TRANSIT UPDATE
The Fort Worth City Council on June 5 received an update on the city’s transit strategy from Assistant City Manager Susan Alanis.
Alanis said questions still exist after the 2016 adoption of the Trinity Metro Master Plan. That plan addressed the service lagging in regular growth, lagging its peers, having infrequent service and limited hours, offering too few premium services, needing a major investment to become a fully built system, and presenting a poor image of a transit provider.
However, she said several concurrent activities have “lit a fire.” They include:
• Economic Development Strategic Plan
• Tourism Master Plan
• Amazon headquarters
• Funding demand during the 2018 council budget process
• Tarrant County Mayors Council implementation study
• Restoration of free Molly the Trolley service
• Initiation of DASH, a bus connector between downtown and the Cultural District expected to be launched in spring of 2019.
• Arlington’s experiment with VIA ride-sharing vans through an app.
“The convergence of all of these issues has really primed us to be in a position to think about all of this,” Alanis said.
She said questions include the city’s goals and how they align with the county (reducing congestion, promoting economic development/job access, serving more people or places), how zoning decisions and capital investments are hindering or helping, and what the city’s priorities for funding are.
“Answers to those questions, and to what degree, makes a big difference in where those next investments need to be made,” she said.
Alanis said a project advisory team has been put together that includes members from the city, county, Trinity Metro and the Fort Worth community.
‘We feel like we’ve got a good group of people with a good foundation of knowledge,” she said.
Alanis presented a proposal that includes re-engaging the firm of Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates to update the 2013 original master plan, help the city to develop a vision, focus on growth and economic development issues, develop priorities to maximize investment returns, and provide information on funding with partner cities, NCTCOG, state and federal sources. Also, the firm will help those involved better understand emerging technologies and the sharing economy.
In addition, Alanis said, Trinity Metro will be urged to address shared-ride mobility, including para-transit and options for first mile/last mile pilot initiatives.
Alanis said the consulting work is expected to be concluded in October 2019.
“I know there is a way to fix all of these things. There are many people out there advocating us taking a hard look,” said District 9 Council Member Ann Zadeh. “I see this as a way forward.”