CTroyMathis
21 December 2002, 02:41 PM
Rail survey contains some surprises
12/15/2002
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON – The surveys are in, and more mid-cities residents than expected are riding the Trinity Railway Express.
Commuter trains have been running between Dallas and Fort Worth for almost a year, and they now carry about 8,000 riders a day. Mid-cities residents make up about 20 percent of that number.
The numbers came as a pleasant surprise to the North Central Texas Council of Governments, which had predicted that 15.5 percent of all riders would hail from the mid-cities.
Nine cities, in an unprecedented agreement, consented several years ago to pay a share of the Trinity Railway Express' operating costs. The $775,000 annual payment was agreed upon because those cities do not belong to either Dallas Area Rapid Transit or the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, which jointly pay to operate the rail line.
Those cities' contributions are based on their total share of rail riders, and the council of governments survey sought to verify original predictions used for the cost-sharing agreement.
Arlington residents are riding the trains in twice the numbers expected, while Grand Prairie residents' rail use has been about half of what was expected. Bedford, Euless, Grapevine, Haltom City and North Richland Hills residents are using the trains more than predicted, while Colleyville and Hurst residents' rail ridership is down from original projections.
"The results are pretty much what we predicted," said Grand Prairie City Council member Harry Englert, whose city's northern boundary straddles the west Irving station. "Our population is pretty much to the south. We have the alternative of going to the Westmoreland [light-rail] station at DART."
The numbers give a snapshot for each of the cities, but it also means Grand Prairie will save about $100,000 this year. The eight other cities decided to pay a fixed amount annually from 2002 to 2004, but Grand Prairie chose to have its annual contribution adjusted each year based on new ridership surveys. Arlington pays the highest fixed amount – $140,000 a year.
Cities should expect to pay more when new contribution levels are set in a few years. The rail line's operating costs are running higher than planned, and the amount collected from fares so far has been lower than expected, said Michael Morris, director of transportation for the council of governments.
"The real hope is to eventually have more cities in transportation authorities," he said.
In the short term, Mr. Morris said he will look at placing more signs in and around Grand Prairie to point the way to train stations. More riders will come from all cities, he predicted.
"You've got to remember we're still in the infancy of this new service," Mr. Morris said. "I'm not convinced that Grand Prairie ridership will stay at this level. As public education continues, I think you'll see ridership continue to grow."
12/15/2002
By TONY HARTZEL / The Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON – The surveys are in, and more mid-cities residents than expected are riding the Trinity Railway Express.
Commuter trains have been running between Dallas and Fort Worth for almost a year, and they now carry about 8,000 riders a day. Mid-cities residents make up about 20 percent of that number.
The numbers came as a pleasant surprise to the North Central Texas Council of Governments, which had predicted that 15.5 percent of all riders would hail from the mid-cities.
Nine cities, in an unprecedented agreement, consented several years ago to pay a share of the Trinity Railway Express' operating costs. The $775,000 annual payment was agreed upon because those cities do not belong to either Dallas Area Rapid Transit or the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, which jointly pay to operate the rail line.
Those cities' contributions are based on their total share of rail riders, and the council of governments survey sought to verify original predictions used for the cost-sharing agreement.
Arlington residents are riding the trains in twice the numbers expected, while Grand Prairie residents' rail use has been about half of what was expected. Bedford, Euless, Grapevine, Haltom City and North Richland Hills residents are using the trains more than predicted, while Colleyville and Hurst residents' rail ridership is down from original projections.
"The results are pretty much what we predicted," said Grand Prairie City Council member Harry Englert, whose city's northern boundary straddles the west Irving station. "Our population is pretty much to the south. We have the alternative of going to the Westmoreland [light-rail] station at DART."
The numbers give a snapshot for each of the cities, but it also means Grand Prairie will save about $100,000 this year. The eight other cities decided to pay a fixed amount annually from 2002 to 2004, but Grand Prairie chose to have its annual contribution adjusted each year based on new ridership surveys. Arlington pays the highest fixed amount – $140,000 a year.
Cities should expect to pay more when new contribution levels are set in a few years. The rail line's operating costs are running higher than planned, and the amount collected from fares so far has been lower than expected, said Michael Morris, director of transportation for the council of governments.
"The real hope is to eventually have more cities in transportation authorities," he said.
In the short term, Mr. Morris said he will look at placing more signs in and around Grand Prairie to point the way to train stations. More riders will come from all cities, he predicted.
"You've got to remember we're still in the infancy of this new service," Mr. Morris said. "I'm not convinced that Grand Prairie ridership will stay at this level. As public education continues, I think you'll see ridership continue to grow."