Public Hearing on Bus Project Planned

By Susan Schrock, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas

Jun. 20–ARLINGTON — The public will get a chance this summer to weigh in on whether Arlington should subsidize bus service between its Park & Ride facilities and downtown Fort Worth.

The city is considering a one-year pilot project with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, known as the T, to provide daily, limited shuttle service for commuters in an effort to reduce highway congestion and improve regional air quality.

The Arlington City Council agreed Tuesday to move forward on the project as long as a public hearing is held before contract approval. The deal, which will be voted on this year, is expected to cost Arlington $75,000.

The T would pay the other half of the project’s expenses, which includes buying new low-emission buses, and would keep all fares collected from Arlington riders. The basic one-way fare would be a minimum of $1.25.

If approved, pickups and dropoffs would be scheduled three times in the morning and three times in the afternoon at the north Park & Ride lot at Interstate 30 and the Cooper Street exit. and at the south Park & Ride location at Interstate 20 and Park Springs Boulevard.

The T, which proposed the project, estimates that 100 Arlington commuters would use the buses each day. Service would begin, possibly this fall, depending on when the transportation authority receives its new buses.

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sschrock@star-telegram.com

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