DCTA: A-Train

[dfwcre8tive]

I went to the meeting tonight, and even spoke in favor of DCTA (I hate public speaking). 6 people spoke in favor, 12 against. But in the end the council voted 3-2 to put the issue up for vote on November 7th. Now it gets interesting.


Corinth to talk taxes, DCTA
07:32 AM CDT on Thursday, August 17, 2006
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe / Staff Writer

CORINTH — The City Council will consider two items at tonight’s meeting that could have a big impact on next year’s budget: the property tax rate and possible membership in the Denton County Transportation Authority.

City staff proposed a $22.2 million budget for 2006-07 that contains no increase in property taxes, but does restructure the city’s water rates. The city has been losing money on water and wastewater services since 2001. A modest water rate increase in 2004 did little to reduce the utilities’ red ink, flowing at about $1 million annually for the past three years.

At the proposed levels, the price tag for the average Corinth homeowner will be about $960 in annual city property taxes and a monthly $40 water bill.

Although city staff proposed no property tax increase, the certified rolls from the Denton Central Appraisal District brought Corinth a 5.05 percent increase in property value over last year, so the budget does include several new hires and pay raises to help with employee retention.

“We’re almost 30 percent behind other cities,” Finance Director Kathy DuBose said of an employee salary survey conducted of 13 area cities. “Turnover is incredible,” she said, adding that the city’s budget director, Chad Wetzel, recently gave notice that he would resign.

The 2006-07 budget rolls out the second year in a three-year salary increase for police and fire department employees, and starts a four-year rollout of civilian salary increases. The budget also provides for three new hires: a police clerk, a purchasing agent and a new town attorney. Previously, legal services were provided by contract.

Also at tonight’s meeting, the council will consider different options on how to fund its membership in DCTA, if the city joins. DCTA is working to bring commuter rail to Denton County that will eventually hook up with Dallas Area Rapid Transit to bring mass transit from Denton to Dallas.

To join DCTA, the city must call an election to make room for a 1/2-cent sales tax dedicated to DCTA. Currently, three sales tax streams — dedicated to economic development, street maintenance and crime control — raise a total of about $474,000 each year.

The proposed 2006-07 budget factors in neither the one-time payment of $197,038 to DCTA, if voters approve the measure, nor the reduction in dedicated revenue, DuBose said. Depending on which option the council selects, the council may revisit some of the staff’s budget recommendations, she said. The potential loss of street maintenance money was singled out by staff as a major issue for the city, alongside the water rate issue.

The Corinth Economic Development Corporation stands to take a hit in revenue no matter how the council decides to fund DCTA, but John Lugenheim, its chairman, takes the long view.

“To the average person, the benefits [of joining DCTA] are obscure, and may not seem tangible at this point, but there’s an economic development benefit that occurs around [train] stations,” Lugenheim said. “I don’t see a political risk putting it before the voters … versus not doing it and finding out after the fact that it [joining DCTA] was popular.”

DCTA spokeswoman Kelly Doherty said that if Corinth joins, residents still have the opportunity to give input on locations for both the rail station, as well as the maintenance and layover station, where trains are parked. However, the rail station is likely to be in Denton and the maintenance and layover station is most likely to be in Carrollton, she said.

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6872. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com .

CORINTH BUDGET
The following chart shows highlights of Corinth’s proposed 2006-07 budget.

Total expected revenue: $22,317,881

Total expected expenditures: $22,207,856

Proposed tax rate:
55.698 cents per $100 valuation

Current fiscal year tax rate: 55.698 cents per $100 valuation

Average home value in Corinth: $172,374

Average home valuation increase from last year:
5.05 percent

Total average property tax* on an average-priced home: $960


BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS:

* Increases the “Over 65/Disabled” exemption to $20,000

* Includes pay raises for police, fire and civilian employees

* Includes new hires, including an attorney, police clerk and a purchasing agent

* Sets new water rates, including a $20 minimum for monthly bills and a $1.58 per 1,000 gallon increase for commercial customers using 50,001 gallons and up

* without exemptions

SOURCE: City of Corinth


IF YOU GO
What: Corinth City Council meeting

When: 7 p.m. tonight

Where: Corinth City Hall, 3330 Corinth Parkway More information: www.cityofcorinth.com


CORINTH AND DCTA
A proposition to join the Denton County Transportation Authority, if approved by Corinth residents, will affect the 2006-07 budget two ways. First, a one-time, buy-in payment of $197,038 must be sent to DCTA after the election. Second, depending on the option put before the voters, about $474,000, or 1 cent out of every 8 1/2 cents collected in Corinth annual sales tax revenues, will need to be reallocated to DCTA each year. Currently, the Corinth Economic Development Corporation receives 50 percent of that tax money while street maintenance and crime control each receive about 25 percent.

The council may call for an combined election on one of the following five options which allows for a 1/2-cent sales tax rate going toward DCTA:

* Reduce allocation for economic development from 1/2-cent to 1/4-cent sales tax; reduce allocations for streets and crime control from 1/4-cent to 1/8-cent each.

* Eliminate allocation for streets; reduce economic development to 3/8-cent; reduce crime control to 1/8-cent

* Reduce crime control and economic development to 1/8-cent; keep streets tax at 1/4-cent

* Reduce streets and economic development to 1/8-cent; keep crime control tax at 1/4-cent

* Eliminate allocation for economic development; keeps both streets and crime control at 1/4-cent

SOURCE: City of Corinth

[FoUTASportscaster]

I went to the meeting tonight, and even spoke in favor of DCTA (I hate public speaking). 6 people spoke in favor, 12 against. But in the end the council voted 3-2 to put the issue up for vote on November 7th. Now it gets interesting.

I don't get it. Why on Earth would they vote not to put it before a general vote? If it passes, they look bad, and if it fails, then they let democracy work. There are no details to work out at this point, no negotiations with anyone on finances. This is a simple yes or no vote. I just don't get it.

Any news on Shady Shores?

Edit:Found out

DCTA board to extend offer to Corinth
Shady Shores interested in joining transit group; town would pay $10,000



08:04 AM CST on Friday, February 24, 2006
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe / Staff Writer




LEWISVILLE — Preliminary plans for a rail station in Corinth inched forward Thurs*day when the Denton County Trans*por*tation Authority’s board of directors voted to extend an offer of services to the city.

The rail station is part of a family of services the board proposed after Corinth formally expressed interest in joining the group. DCTA also offered to include Corinth in its commuter bus services, in*cluding an express route launching in May and a suburban-connector service. How*ever, the board postponed offering specific local routes until the population grows.

Corinth Mayor Vic Burgess said the proposal sounded like a win-win for the city and DCTA, but expressed concern about routes for North Central Texas College students.

“I sure would like to see us hook up the colleges,” he said.

Corinth was the first city to formally declare an interest in joining after DCTA revised its new member policy, which offers membership to cities that initially rejected it and the accompanying sales tax needed to pay for it. The deadline to join under the new policy is Dec. 31, DCTA President Charles Emery said.

Shady Shores declared its interest on Feb. 6. DCTA Executive Director John Hed*rick said the town must pay about $10,000 to join. By rejecting membership during the first DCTA vote in 2003, residents don’t escape paying the amount that would be owed from the beginning. Cor*inth leaders learned last month the city will owe about $200,000.

Tom Spencer, Shady Shores DCTA representative, said some residents were surprised their town would owe so much. He said that most of the taxes collected are on utilities, and overall, the town’s membership won’t afford much revenue to DCTA since Shady Shores has no commercial zoning.

“We’re paying that half-cent sales tax somewhere else when we shop, so we might as well get the benefit,” he said, adding that the bus comes at a cost that’s reasonable for the town’s aging population.

In addition, even if Corinth doesn’t end up joining DCTA, Shady Shores is close to rail stations planned for north Lewisville and southern Denton, Spencer said.

A preliminary plan for Shady Shores is under review, Hedrick said, but because Corinth’s entry into DCTA is more complicated, the agency pressed ahead with its offer.

DCTA has committed $7 million to an environmental impact study of the rail line, which will take about 18 months. In order for a Corinth rail station be a part of the impact study, Corinth voters need to have two sales tax elections, said Paul Ruggiere, the city’s DCTA representative.

Corinth city taxes are at the legal maximum, so all or part of a current tax has to be rescinded to make room for a DCTA tax. Corinth has sales taxes dedicated to economic development, streets and crime control. Since uniform election laws permit elections only in May and November, the Corinth City Council has to call an election on the possible rescinding of taxes in May in order for DCTA to have an election in November.

Without favorable votes going ahead in this time frame, a Corinth rail station would likely be more than a decade away, since the findings of the current environmental study would not apply, Hedrick said.

Emery said that other cities also are considering the offer to join, including Flower Mound.

“Now that rail is on the screen, it’s starting to get huge for the region,” he said.

Spencer said that gas prices changed the issue for voters, too.

“It changed the psychological plateau when gas hit $3 a gallon,” Spencer said.

[dfwcre8tive]

Corinth calls vote on DCTA
Voters to decide again if city should join group after move failed in 2003
07:32 AM CDT on Friday, August 18, 2006
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe / Staff Writer

CORINTH — Come November, Corinth residents will get another pass at the question of whether to join the Denton County Transportation Authority.

The Corinth City Council voted 3-2 Thursday night to allow the matter to come before voters again, even though they’d first rejected membership in a countywide election in 2003.

In addition, the council followed the previous council’s recommendation that the city reduce the dedicated taxes for streets, crime control and economic development in equal proportions to make room for the half-cent sales tax needed for DCTA.

John Hoeffler, one of about 40 residents who packed the chambers offering input in about an hour of public testimony, told the council the matter was too important to not allow public participation. “I hope you wouldn’t short-circuit the democratic process,” Hoeffler said.

Council members Joe Harrison, Lynn Mayfield and Paul Ruggiere cast the aye votes for a motion to call the election. Shannon Bryan and Ronnie Glasscock dissented.

Glasscock said that because residents had already voted on DCTA and the other taxes, he didn’t believe the council was disrupting the democratic process. “But the arguments against [joining DCTA] are very compelling,” Glasscock said.

Currently, three sales tax streams — dedicated to economic development, street maintenance and crime control — raise about $474,000 each year, or 1 cent out of every 8 1/2 cents collected in Corinth’s annual sales taxes.

The council voted 4-1 to send residents a proposition that reduces the allocation for economic development to one-quarter cent, and the allocation to streets and crime control to one-eighth cent each. Bryan cast the lone dissent in that vote.

If voters approve the measure, the total sales tax rate will remain the same, but DCTA will receive a half-cent out of every 8 1/2 cents collected in Corinth.

In addition, if Corinth voters approve the proposition, the city would need to come up with a one-time, buy-in payment of $197,038 to DCTA. North Central Texas College has already pledged $40,000 to help Corinth with that payment if voters approve the measure and if Corinth’s rail station is built as currently proposed: near Interstate 35E between NCTC and City Hall.

DCTA is working to bring to Denton County commuter rail that will eventually hook up with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, bringing mass transit from Denton to Dallas. DCTA plans to open the first rail stations, connecting Lewisville to Carrollton, by 2010. By 2013, the rest of the line would be operational, up through the terminal station planned for Denton.

DCTA buses are already shuttling commuters from Denton, Highland Village and Lewisville to Dallas; Corinth residents could also ride DCTA’s commuter buses if they approve the measure.

DCTA Executive Director John Hedrick told the council that a series of meetings this week all but eliminated Corinth as a possible site for proposed maintenance and layover yards for the rail line, an issue that touched a nerve with several residents who came to give public testimony.



PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6872. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com .

[dfwcre8tive]

I don't get it. Why on Earth would they vote not to put it before a general vote? If it passes, they look bad, and if it fails, then they let democracy work. There are no details to work out at this point, no negotiations with anyone on finances. This is a simple yes or no vote. I just don't get it.

Any news on Shady Shores?

Edit:Found out

I think the arguments against allowing a general vote is that joining the DCTA was rejected in 2003 and many people don't see that there has been a change of opinion in the general public since that time. But several of the leaders against DCTA in 2003 are now in support of it.

I just hope when it is presented in November it's not presented as a vote to reduce city funds for streets, crime control and economic development.

The main argument against it seemed to be, 'Why should Corinth pay $xxx amount of money and be in financial jeopardy when those that want rail can drive a few miles to a station in Denton or Highland Village at no cost to the city."

No news on Shady Shores, as far as I know.

[dfwcre8tive]

Shady Shores misses train
Town, DCTA officials run out of time to call election
06:34 AM CDT on Wednesday, August 30, 2006
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe / Staff Writer

SHADY SHORES — Shady Shores residents won’t have another chance to vote on joining the Denton County Transportation Authority after all.

Time ran out on town and DCTA officials as they pressed toward this month’s deadline to call an election in November. Town officials were poised to call a special meeting on the matter, but didn’t. The deadline for calling an election for the Nov. 7 general election date was Tuesday, according to state statute.

Tom Spencer, the town’s representative to DCTA, which is working to provide mass transportation to Denton County via commuter rail and buses, said that the attorneys for both sides negotiated in good faith, but time ran out on putting together the interlocal agreement. DCTA’s new-member policy requires that an interlocal agreement, which spells out services to be provided, be in place before the election is called.

DCTA Executive Director John Hedrick said that town officials questioned whether they could have an “out” clause in their interlocal agreement, which meant another round of negotiations and review between the DCTA board and the Shady Shores Town Council.

Mayor Olive Stephens called the situation unfortunate, since she thought it was important to give residents the opportunity to vote. “We needed a little more time,” Stephens said. “That’s just one of those things that happens; but I’m sorry that it happened.”

DCTA offered the same second-chance, buy-in to Shady Shores as it did to other cities that did not approve membership in a countywide election in 2003. At the time, only residents in Denton, Lewisville and Highland Village agreed to the half-cent sales tax to fund the transportation authority.

But unlike other cities offered the second chance, Shady Shores has no retail properties inside its town limits and little sales tax revenue. Hedrick estimated about $10,000 per year would have come from Shady Shores had the election gone forward and the proposition approved, but the main benefit to DCTA was having an additional city participating in a regional solution to transportation.

“It’s like sending your contribution to KERA [public television station], or watching for free,” Hedrick said.

Corinth is the only city pursuing DCTA’s second-chance offer, and residents there will have another chance to vote on the matter in November.

DCTA is working to bring commuter rail to Denton County that will eventually hook up with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, bringing mass transit from Denton to Dallas. DCTA plans to bring the first rail stations on line, connecting Lewisville to Carrollton, by 2010. By 2013, the rest of the line would be operational, up through the terminal station planned for Denton. DCTA currently runs a daily commuter bus line to Dallas from member cities.


PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6872. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com.

[FoUTASportscaster]

Well, that's a bummer. Sucks that the voters won't even get a chance to decide.

But in the end, this is a small town with nothing going for it in the scope of things. A town with 1500 residents and no attractions isn't a big loss. Would have been nice for the DCTA, but it isn't like this is Addison.

At least Corinth got all their ducks in a row.

[CTroyMathis]

Corinth may derail DCTA vote dot dot dot

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedconten....74aa7bdc.html

[dfwcre8tive]

Corinth may derail DCTA vote dot dot dot

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedconten....74aa7bdc.html

yeah... what a mess! just let the people vote on it!

[FoUTASportscaster]

Mayfield heard criticism from neighbors against the proposition after her vote. She described her neighborhood as one of the older, established neighborhoods, adding that it may be different from what people in other neighborhoods think.

“I ran into 40 people who said ‘no’ and only two or three people who said ‘yes,’” Mayfield said.

If they are truely against it, then let them decide at the polls in a true democratic way, you stupid career politician.

These people are so out of touch with the common people.

[dfwcre8tive]

So it looks like the hopes for Corinth to join the DCTA, and for voters to be able to decide on the matter, is coming to an unfortunate end...

Corinth rethinks vote on DCTA
Three council members work toward rescinding call for vote on buy-in
07:06 AM CDT on Friday, September 8, 2006
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe / Staff Writer

CORINTH — Emotions ran high as three council members began pulling the threads of Corinth’s rules of self-governance Thursday night in order to rescind the call for an election to join the Denton County Transportation Authority.

In a procedural move with more gravitas than a simple suspension of the rules under parliamentary procedure, council members Ronnie Glasscock, Lynn Mayfield and Shannon Bryan tabled the election rescission vote in order to first amend, or delete, the ordinance that currently prohibits such a vote.

The council will take up both steps at a special meeting Monday.

The council’s rules of self-governance require that any call to change a vote occur at the next meeting. The council has had a workshop and three executive sessions since the Aug. 17 vote calling the election to join DCTA.

Council member Lynn Mayfield, who changed her mind after voting in favor of the election, said that she didn’t mean for her request to be in violation, believing that having the item on the agenda of a regular meeting was sufficient. “I’m sorry that wasn’t clarified when I asked,” Mayfield said to the more than two dozen people in the council chambers who waited while the council spent an hour in executive session with the city attorney discussing the matter.

Several people continued to press the council to rescind the election, including former Mayor Shirley Spellerberg, who continues to be an outspoken opponent of Corinth’s opportunity for a second-chance buy-in to join DCTA. She told the council that voters agreed to tax themselves for roads, crime control and economic development after they rejected the DCTA tax in 2003. “Riders can catch the train at Mayhill Station,” Spellerberg said.

DCTA is working to bring commuter rail to Denton County that will link with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, connecting Lewisville to Carrollton by 2010, with the rest of the line operational through Denton by 2013.

Resident Tina Moyer reminded the council that it was voters who gave them the opportunity to sit in their seats. “How many more times are we going to gauge on 2003 and ignore the voters who’ve moved here since then?” Moyer said.

Council member Joe Harrison, a 29-year veteran of the Air Force, opposed both moves by the other council members. “I spent the majority of my life defending the right that each citizen has to vote,” Harrison said.

Council member Paul Ruggiere said the council was being too hasty in rewriting the ordinance simply to make the rescission vote permissible, citing the amount of time and thought that went into crafting Corinth’s rules of self-governance in the first place. “It could have an impact on other things that we haven’t quite realized yet,” Ruggiere said.



PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com.

[RobertB]

So it looks like the hopes for Corinth to join the DCTA, and for voters to be able to decide on the matter, is coming to an unfortunate end...

Don't be too depressed yet. The recalcitrant council member is clearly running into serious hurdles in her attempt to change a major part of the way the city operates just so she can satisfy some bigshot -- I mean, I don't know what changed her mind, but I'm sure whatever it was has a nice fat campaign contribution attached to it. Is there any other plausible explanation? (And while we're speculating, who would even have an interest in killing transit -- does Wendell Cox own property in Corinth or something?)

[dfwcre8tive]

DCTA seeks input on stations
11:54 PM CDT on Friday, September 8, 2006
By Monty Miller Jr. / Staff Writer

Denton County Transportation Authority officials are seeking public input on where its commuter rail stations will be located and have scheduled a public meeting to get feedback.

DCTA officials announced a community roundtable meeting scheduled for 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14, at Fred Moore High School in Denton.

“We are going to talk about the impact of the stations, noise levels and things that really matter to the public,” DCTA spokeswoman Kelly Doherty said. “We’ve got concepts now but what we’re looking to do, is to get community input.”

DCTA officials said they are carefully considering local comments and are hoping for a large turnout at the two scheduled meetings. The other meeting is will be Monday in Highland Village.

The final location recommendations are expected to be complete by the end of September.

Residents who are not able to attend the meetings are encouraged to visit the DCTA Web site at www.RailDCTA.net, to submit their comments.

“We are always looking for public comments and we really value them,” Doherty said.

DCTA is funded through sales tax dollars from Denton, Lewisville and Highland Village. The authority is working to bring mass transit to Denton County via commuter rail. The line would connect Denton to Carrollton, and ultimately link to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit line. Officials hope that parts of the line will operate as early as 2010 and service to Denton by 2013. DCTA is already running commuter buses from Denton to downtown Dallas.



MONTY MILLER JR. can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is mwmiller@dentonrc.com.

[dfwcre8tive]

Corinth pulls plug on DCTA
Residents remind council of importance of voting; money still main concern
07:15 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 12, 2006
By Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe / Staff Writer

CORINTH — The City Council pulled the plug on the proposition to join the Denton County Transportation Authority, despite pleas from many who came to Monday night’s special meeting to remind the council of the day’s significance and the right to vote.

Resident Susan Romero, who said that she doesn’t come to council meetings very often, linked the council’s action to the day it was happening, the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11. “We need to have freedom to vote, whether for DCTA coming in and stopping in Corinth, or not,” Romero said, adding that she did not live in Corinth when the city first voted, and rejected, membership in DCTA in a countywide election in 2003.

Several other residents also asked the council not to change its rules of self-governance on such short notice. “It gives the appearance that you are not interested in the public’s opinion,” David Barrett said.

But council members Shannon Bryan, Ronnie Glasscock and Lynn Mayfield had dug in after Mayfield changed her mind about her previous vote to call the election. The trio voted not only to cancel the election, first called on Aug. 17, but also to change their rules of self-governance that prevented them from canceling the election last Friday.

Those rules did not prevent a council member from changing his or her mind, but specified that a call to change a vote must happen at the next council meeting.

Before the vote to rescind the election was called, council member Paul Ruggiere, a former DCTA opponent, who served as the town’s representative to the DCTA board of directors until May, read a statement calling the legality of the cancellation into question. “I hope no one sugarcoats the position — our only action tonight is to take away an election,” Ruggiere said. “I think history calls that kind of government other names.”

His comments elicited applause from the more than two dozen residents who waited for an hour while the council consulted with the town’s attorney in executive session before deliberating publicly.

Comments by resident Jerry Goodale, who said he helped on the campaigns of all who were elected to the council, also received applause. “I think what we have here before us is an intoxication of power, and sometimes I wish I didn’t care,” Goodale said. “Three people voted to change the law so that … they have the right to change their minds, but not the people of Corinth.”

Glasscock took umbrage at the characterization, and said that from his position, he was not impressed with the power in his seat. Instead, he said the issue was about money. “Right now, we can’t afford it. Maybe someday in the future we can,” Glasscock said.

Mayfield also said it was about the town’s small budget and the ability to afford membership. “Don’t worry about this being political,” Mayfield said. “I’m not running again.”



PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com.
Online at:

[FoUTASportscaster]

Wow, that's pathetic.

[RobertB]

Mayfield also said it was about the town’s small budget and the ability to afford membership. “Don’t worry about this being political,” Mayfield said. “I’m not running again.”

Well, the payoff makes a lot more sense now.

Picture this: a company has a financial interest in preventing rail -- or perhaps the owner just doesn't like public transit. They can spend several thousand dollars fighting a losing battle against a popular proposition, or they can take the sure bet: offer the swing vote on the council a cushy "consulting" job after she leaves office, if she'll do one leeeeeetle favor...

This stinks to high heaven. Someone -- preferably someone with a dog in the fight -- ought to track down the Federal Election Commission and get her prosecuted for betraying the citizens of Corinth for thirty pieces of silver.

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said [unto them], "What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?" And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

If there is any other explanation, I'd like to hear it.

[dfwcre8tive]

...ought to track down the Federal Election Commission and get her prosecuted for betraying the citizens of Corinth for thirty pieces of silver.

Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said [unto them], "What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you?" And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

Lynn Mayfield


Yeah, that sounds about right.

[RobertB]

Leaving politics for the much more manageable realm of engineering, I drove to Denton (twice) last week. One of the more interesting design obstacles to the DCTA line is a little spot called Garden Ridge Blvd. near Highland Village. If you take a look at the Google aerial view, you'll see the problem: the exit is a right turn off of the I-35E pavement across the railroad tracks! All TxDOT has been able to do is widen the highway enough to provide a somewhat long deceleration lane, marked with several large Exit: 5 MPH signs.

No problem at the moment, with only the rare freight train (if even that much) crossing the side road. But it would be a *big* problem if you have a dozen or more trains crossing the poorly-designed intersection, mostly during rush hours.

If I recall correctly, TxDOT has or had plans to work on this stretch of I-35E, but was thwarted by the bankruptcy of the primary contractor. In fact, at the next exit to the south (FM 407), you can see where a large chunk of embankment was removed, and then hastily stabilized when the project crumbled. So maybe there won't be a problem by DCTA rail's projected opening date of late 2010. But DCTA can't be happy being bound by someone else's project timeline -- especially when that someone else has already had one set of unexpected delays.

[FoUTASportscaster]

Forgot about that. Though I am not sure about the length of the DCTA commuter train, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Peak afternoon time is roughly 4 pm to 7 pm at this stretch, which means we are looking at 9 total trains along this stretch in that time, which shouldn't hurt too much. If it is like the TRE, there will be 4 -5 cars, which will take seconds to clear through this part.

Now my biggest concern would be safety. I can see a lot of idiots on this stretch.

[RobertB]

As though on command, I just received today two update notices from the DCTA. For mucho detail, check out http://www.raildcta.net/documents.asp?area=rail and scroll down to "Community Roundtables". The "18-Sep-2006 Community Roundtable Presentation" has a great overview of where DCTA is now.

One interesting note is that they're planning to use "Diesel Multiple Units" (DMUs) instead of "Locomotive-Hauled Coaches" like the TRE uses. The systems will be compatible, but the DMU looks a lot more like a LRT car than an Amtrak train. The presentation also includes an overview of proposed station locations and layouts -- if you want the details, they seem to be available on the RailDCTA.net page linked above.

The doc also reflects the latest political reality. There are virtually no references to Corinth in the presentation. This matches the other update that DCTA notified me about (not that I'm all that important -- it's a mailing list). The July Public Meetings Summary has a question that boils it all down:

Q: If Corinth does not pass to have a station, would we still have the operations facility there?
A: No they will not. The maintenance/operations facilities will be in an area only with taxing authority.

The Denton meeting's notes reflect several comments on Corinth, mostly positive:

Corinth Station
• Like
o Great access from I-35E – conveniently located between two overpasses, Corinth Parkway and Post Oak for easy commuter access.
o Wonderful! I’ll be posting this on Corinth HOA websites. Everyone already thinks Cinemark bus location is great.
o Look into whether parking is required – students riding – no cars & utilize South Denton Concept 3 for commuters.
o This could be main attraction of line if coordinated with future business development – i.e. Town Center

• Dislike
o Too much parking
o What happened to multi-use development?
o No room for future growth if area grows
o Only reason to use this facility to commute or college
o What is forecast for breakdown of residents vs. students?

Strange dislikes, don't you think? Everything in that list would apply just as much to the widening of I-35E, especially "Only reason to use this facility to commute or college". "Too much parking" is a perfect description of rush-hour I-35E. I get the feeling opponents were grasping at straws, before they found the string attached to Lynn Mayfield's pinky finger.

[FoUTASportscaster]

Good lord tha still pisses me off. What a dumb B she is.

Thanks for posting Robert. It is much appreciated.

[dfwcre8tive]

WFAA NEWS REPORT OF DCTA SERVICE

[FoUTASportscaster]

Discovered? Where the heck have these people been the last couple of years when this was all being planned?

Well it is good pub nonetheless. 200 riders a day equals 50,000 riders a year. Not bad for one route, especially considering that it is in its infancy and likely to grow as the year progresses. For a comparison, DART had 40.1 million bus riders FY 05 on 117 routes. The agency is established with multi-modal connection points on the way, like the West End Station/West Transfer Center. This is basically a linear line. The average DART bus route serves 342,735. passengers a year.

This will be a good judge for what the rail line does in general. That alone will make the ridership estimate for the green line invalid. They are estimating around 60,000 riders daily, right. That number could swell if 500 riders get on board. the bus by the end of the year. The rail should entice more riders which could put the rider totals from the DCTA around 1,000 to 2,000 daily in the beginning. The TRE serves 7,636 daily riders. So I don't know that it is out of the question to expect 3,000-4,000 by 2015. That number could raise the daily ridership by 5-10% on the green line.

[FoUTASportscaster]

Found this while searching for something else. A good look at how fast it has grown.

Saturday, June 24, 2006
...
Kelly Doherty, DCTA spokeswoman, said the buses transport between 60 and 75 people daily, but could easily accommodate four times that many. Doherty said each week the number of Denton-area residents who ride the buses increases slightly.

This link, posted on 10-10 states the express bus service is 200 a day.

WFAA NEWS REPORT OF DCTA SERVICE

So in around three and a half months, it has more then doubled in ridership. That's about one new rider a day or 35 new riders a month.

[dfwcre8tive]

Arts hub considered for station
City proposes Center for the Visual Arts for possible rail, bus site
07:20 AM CDT on Friday, October 27, 2006
By Lowell Brown / Staff Writer



Denton city staff members have identified the Center for the Visual Arts as a possible home to a future downtown transit station, meaning the Hickory Street arts hub could have to find new quarters.

Talk of a possible move swept through the arts community last week, and community representatives filled City Hall for a City Council meeting on the topic.

Mark Burroughs, board president of the nonprofit Greater Denton Arts Council, which leases the city-owned Center for the Visual Arts building, said uprooting the center without having an alternative location ready would be a major blow to the arts community.

If the arts center moves, the city’s plans to revamp Hickory Street into a pedestrian-friendly “arts walk” corridor could change, also.

Council members sought to reassure the crowd, saying such talk was premature. The center is only one of the locations under consideration for a transit station, they said. “What’s being proposed is a proposal; nothing’s been cast in stone,” Mayor Perry McNeill said. “We’re not going to do anything that’s going to destroy … the great opportunity we have to enhance the arts in the city of Denton.”

City Council member Pete Kamp, who also is a member of the arts council, said the city would work to ensure the center had a better home, before approving any move.

City officials said the proposed downtown transit station could incorporate bus and rail service through the Denton County Transportation Authority, which plans to bring a commuter rail line between Denton and Carrollton, connecting with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit line that stops in Carrollton.

The station also could be a springboard for transit-oriented development, or pedestrian-friendly areas centered on rail systems, city officials said. Officials are tapping a variety of funding sources, including federal and state money, to pay for the project.

DCTA plans call for five regional rail stations, including one in downtown Denton and one in south Denton. The transportation authority wants to start rail service to Lewisville as early as 2010, with service to Denton not likely until 2013. In the meantime, DCTA is offering commuter bus service from Denton to downtown Dallas and back, with stops in Lewisville and Carrollton.

Denton officials have discussed building the transit station on land the city owns on East Hickory Street. The site is across the street from City Hall East and east of the Union Pacific railroad tracks; the proposed DCTA rail line would run between the railroad tracks and transit station.

But some say that location isn’t ideal for the station. “If we build the rail depot on the east side of Union Pacific [tracks], essentially we’ll have brought people to Denton and dropped them off in the middle of a rail yard,” City Council member Bob Montgomery said. “That is not the way I want people to see Denton.”

Montgomery said he’s not advocating using the arts building, which is west of the railroad tracks, for the transit station. He favors building a bus station west of the railroad tracks and a rail station east of the tracks, with an underground tunnel allowing pedestrians to walk back and forth between the two. The city then would encourage transit-oriented development between the bus station and the downtown Square, he said.

Like Montgomery, other council members seemed reluctant to support displacing the arts center. At last week’s meeting, they told staff members to develop a plan showing the pros and cons of such a move for presentation at a future meeting.

Linda Ratliff, Denton’s economic development director, said the city staff brought the idea to the council to see if it was a possibility. “We just wanted to have permission from council to investigate all our options,” she said. “And it may end up that’s not the best site.”

However, the arts center actually could benefit from a new home, since the sound of train horns disrupts events in the current building, Burroughs said.

But, he said, “It’s going to take very precise coordination and a very determined effort to make sure the alternative location for the CVA comes in first. If that doesn’t happen, it could be absolutely disastrous for the groups that utilize the building.”

The arts council has not discussed a move or onsite expansion prior to the rail station proposal, executive director Margaret Chalfant said. The arts center is a good spot for the arts council’s programs, despite the train noise, Chalfant said. “It’s a wonderful site and everybody knows where we are,” she said. “That’s always nice.”

In the past months, the arts council has watched the rail issue and has seen it as a chance to increase Denton’s tourism. City leaders have envisioned the railway as a feeder to a Hickory Street arts corridor, with galleries, restaurants and music venues leading from the arts center to downtown Denton.

Chalfant said the latest proposal doesn’t necessarily endanger that vision. “I don’t think so because if we did move, we would still want to be in the arts corridor,” she said. Chalfant said she’s not worried about the proposal. “The city is so supportive of the arts that if we do move, we’ll be taken care of,” she said.



Features Editor Lucinda Breeding contributed to this report.

LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is lmbrown@dentonrc.com .
FAST FACTS

Center for the Visual Arts usage:

* The arts center is available five days a week for use by about 20 member organizations of the Greater Denton Arts Council.

* Hope Fellowship meets in the center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays for worship services.

* The building is used on weekends for private parties and receptions.

* Groups and visitors have access to two galleries, a workshop, a boardroom, an upstairs dance studio and Festival Hall.

—Lucinda Breeding

[dfwcre8tive]

The October 2006 RailDCTA Newsletter is now available online.

[dfwcre8tive]

The updated facility concepts are also online here .

[mrowl]

The updated facility concepts are also online here .

I don't see the point in a Garden Ridge station with 407 so close by.

And it seems like the garden ridge station doesn't fit well into that area.

Just leave it out and use that money for a nicer 407 station.

[dfwcre8tive]

I don't see the point in a Garden Ridge station with 407 so close by.

And it seems like the garden ridge station doesn't fit well into that area.

Just leave it out and use that money for a nicer 407 station.

I think those are 2 options, and only 1 will be chosen. Either Garden Ridge (which, I agree, doesn't fit) or 407 for the Highland Village station.

It's the same as the South Denton station. They have 3 options, all with pros and cons, and will have to narrow it down to one choice soon. They have already chosen the Downtown Lewisville and South Lewisville locations (if you look at the station details, they show a rejected 2nd option for each).

During their citizen meetings over the past months they have narrowed their options for each of the 5 stations: South Lewisville, Downtown Lewisville, Highland Village (North Lewisville), South Denton, and Downtown Denton (the city of Denton prefers the underpass option to the overpass option... see the article about an intermodal station in post #113 ).

Everything seems to be moving along pretty quickly... it's exciting! In the recent newsletter they also discuss the hike/bike trail that will be built along the rail line.

I also think it's nice that you can add comments or suggestions to each of the station designs on DCTA's website. They are trying to get each community highly involved in the design of the rail line.

[dfwcre8tive]

Local bus service to debut on Wednesday with free rides

Denton County Transportation Authority will begin circuit bus service in Lewisville on Wednesday, Nov. 15. The service, called "Connect" by DCTA, will run both directions of a single figure-eight path through the city with stops at Vista Ridge Mall, City Hall, Municipal Annex, both Wal-Mart stores and multiple points in between. Service will run 5:35 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, with no Sunday service at this time. Rides are free until Jan. 2. After that date, fares will cost $1.25 per ride, with many discount options. For more information, visit www.dcta.net.

DCTA will kick off its new service on Tuesday, Nov. 14, with a Bus Roadeo competition involving mayors Gene Carey of Lewisville, Dianne Costa of Highland Village and Perry McNeill of Denton. The competition will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Lewisville City Hall, 151 W. Church Street

CONNECT BUS MAPS AND SCHEDULES

[dfwcre8tive]

Click here for the November 2006 newletter.

[mrowl]

I didn't see anything about the east west line that runs through highland village in the documents...

If I remember right though, there are plans for DCTA to include that as a route?


And is it going to cost Flower Mound more to join DCTA now, than the initial offering?

[RobertB]

I didn't see anything about the east west line that runs through highland village in the documents...

If I remember right though, there are plans for DCTA to include that as a route?


And is it going to cost Flower Mound more to join DCTA now, than the initial offering?

As I recall, the Highland Village route didn't meet the criteria -- it would be a longer commute, and wouldn't serve as many riders as the current plan to use the line that parallels I-35 all the way to Denton.

I don't know about Flower Mound's status.

The new service to Lewisville rocks. I've got to find an excuse to try it out someday.

[dfwcre8tive]

I wonder if Highland Village will get the 'Connect' bus service once their rail station opens. Since the city only touches the rail line in a few spots, it would be nice to have the bus run down FM 407 from the rail station.

[dfwcre8tive]

New documents from November have been uploaded to the DCTA website (link here). These include environmental constraints, noise mitigation, and new station renderings in the public presentation (I hope the Colorado Railcar DMU green paint job is just a rough mock-up).

I'm surprised at how much information they immediately make public on the website. They make planning a rail line look too easy, while also being very accommodating to public comments and suggestions. Thinks are moving quickly. Go DCTA!

[dfwcre8tive]

Free DCTA bus service to come to an end Tuesday
12:02 AM CST on Saturday, December 30, 2006
By Monty Miller Jr. / Staff Writer

The six weeks of free bus rides in Denton and Lewisville will end Tuesday, as new higher rates for the Denton County Transportation Authority Connect bus service take effect.

DCTA President John Hedrick said he is encouraged by the initial response in Denton and Lewisville, and hopes that people see the benefits of public transportation.

“Generally, it’s looking good,” Hedrick said. “Ridership is steadily increasing so we’re encouraged.”

A one-way adult cash fare now costs $1.25, up from $1. Monthly passes now cost $35, instead of $31, and a 10-ride pass costs $11, up from $10.

For children, a one-way fare costs 75 cents instead of 50 cents, and the price for a monthly pass is $15. Children younger than 5 years old can still ride free with an adult.

The cost of a one-way fare for seniors 60 and older rose from 50 cents to 60 cents. For the first time, seniors can buy a monthly pass at the discounted price of $15.

The higher rates were spurred by rising fuel costs, the start-up costs of the Lewisville service and a desire to keep pace with the rates of other area transportation authorities, Hedrick said.

“We’re working toward seamlessness between DART, The T and the DCTA,” he said.

He said the company is optimistic about the new Lewisville service after its successful launch in November.

“We’re starting fresh in Lewisville and establishing fares for the first time,” Hedrick said. “But we’ve had consistent runs of days with over a hundred riders, which is good for a new service.”

The final statistics on ridership for 2006 will be available in mid- to late January, he said.

Since 2005, Connect in Denton has had approximately 2.9 million boardings. The service had about 1.4 million in 2005 and 1.5 million in 2006, according to statistics released earlier this year. The statistics, from the 2007 DCTA budget, show that officials are forecasting a 9.1 percent increase in ridership in 2007, due mainly to the new Lewisville service.



MONTY MILLER JR. can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is mwmiller@dentonrc.com.

[dfwcre8tive]

DCTA tickets now available on Internet
07:56 AM CST on Wednesday, January 17, 2007

The Denton County Trans*por**tation Authority (DCTA) recently announced that Com*muter Ex*press, Access and Con*nect passengers can now purchase tickets at www.dcta.net.

The online DCTA ticket store allows passengers to purchase multiple-ride passes for Com*mu*ter Express, Access and Con*nect routes through an “Author*ize.net” secure server with the use of a MasterCard or Visa credit card. Users can simplify future purchases by registering their information with the Web site.

Previously, DCTA passengers could only purchase tickets and passes at the Sack-n-Save locations in Lewisville or Denton or at the “Park and Ride” locations during the first and last three days of the month. Because this new on*line service eliminates the need for purchases to be made at the park-and-ride locations, multiple-ride passes for Connect and Com*muter Ex*press will be available only at Sack-n-Save or through www.dcta.net after March 1.

Customers can call 940-243-0077 or visit www.dcta.net for more information.

[dfwcre8tive]

Denton County mass transit use rises
Nearly all bus, shuttle services see 2006 gains in ridership
06:35 AM CST on Monday, February 5, 2007
By MONTY MILLER JR. / Denton Record-Chronicle
mwmiller@dentonrc.com.

Denton County residents are warming up to mass transit, according to figures recently released by the Denton County Transportation Authority.

Ridership for all but one of the transportation services provided by the DCTA increased in 2006, said DCTA spokeswoman Dee Leggett.

The DCTA provides commuter buses running from Denton and Lewisville to Dallas, as well as a Connect bus service in and around the cities of Denton and Lewisville. The authority also provides a shuttle service to University of North Texas students and staff, and buses for the elderly and people with disabilities in Lewisville, Highland Village, Denton, Hickory Creek and Corinth.

The only DCTA service showing losses was the paratransit service for the elderly and disabled people, but Ms. Leggett said the paratransit service is used less now because the Connect service area expanded its reach and costs less.

"We're hoping a lot of that service's riders are taking the fixed-route [Connect] service," she said. "That's a more efficient operation and more cost effective."

The paratransit service saw a 7 percent decrease in ridership, or about 3,000 riders.

Overall, DCTA's various routes posted a 5 percent increase in ridership from 2005 to 2006, Ms. Leggett said.

The Connect service, which runs buses in Denton and Lewisville, saw a 17 percent increase in the number of riders. Connect had 171,000 riders in 2005 and 200,000 riders this year. In November, a Lewisville route was added to the Connect service and accounts for a small percentage of the final amount.

"We are happy with the Denton service," said DCTA Transportation Manager Jarod Varner. "And we are working to increase ridership there" in Lewisville.

By far the most heavily traveled DCTA service, the University of North Texas shuttle, saw an increase of 1.8 percent, or about 23,000 riders, Ms. Leggett said. The service transported 1.3 million riders in 2006.

In its first year, the Commuter Express – the service to downtown Dallas – transported more than 30,000 passengers. The ride costs $5 for a one-way trip and $45 for a 20-ride pre-paid ticket.

The DCTA is also working to add a stop in Highland Village on the Commuter Express Service, Ms. Leggett said, but nothing is finalized yet.

The DCTA also recently announced that riders of DCTA buses now can purchase tickets online. Until recently, bus tickets were available only at Sack N' Save, park and ride locations and by mail.

"We definitely feel that being able to purchase online tickets is a much more convenient way to go about it," Ms. Leggett said.

The DCTA's longer-term goal is to provide commuter rail service linking Denton County to downtown Dallas and Fort Worth, by offering rail that will link to both Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the T, Fort Worth Transportation Authority's system. Officials hope to have commuter rail in Denton County by 2010.

[dfwcre8tive]

DCTA to meet in Southeast Denton
Public rail scheduled to go through neighborhood
07:15 AM CST on Monday, February 26, 2007
By Lowell Brown / Staff Writer
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedconten....137d8992.html

When commuter rail arrives in Denton in coming years, Audrey Battle probably won’t have to read about it in the newspaper.

It may be just outside her door.

The Southeast Denton resident’s house is across the street from the planned path of the Denton County Transportation Authority commuter rail line, she said.

“We need transportation, but it’s coming right through our neighborhood,” Battle said. “This is the thing that I’m concerned about.”

Tonight, residents like Battle will get another chance to share their concerns with DCTA representatives during a meeting at Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.

“We want them to understand the scope of our project, and we want to understand the scope of their concerns,” said Scott Neeley, chief operating officer for DCTA.

The regional transportation group plans to bring commuter rail to Denton from Carrollton by 2013. The line is expected to follow the path of the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad line and connect with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system in Carrollton.

Area residents last year raised a variety of concerns about the project during public meetings with DCTA.

Carolyn Phillips heads the Southeast Denton Neighborhood Association, which is hosting tonight’s meeting. She said last week she didn’t oppose the project but had lingering concerns over its impact on neighborhood quality and individual property rights in the predominantly minority area.

“I think that people will be affected more than they know,” Phillips said. “And my concerns stem from a lack of public concern for the area in the past and that those past issues could easily come back to haunt us.”

Neeley said the former railroad corridor was identified for the commuter rail line in part because its right of way is free of homes and other structures.

During tonight’s meeting, DCTA officials will discuss the expected environmental impact of the project and their plans for mitigating that impact, he said.

Denton City Council member Charlye Heggins, whose district includes Southeast Denton, said she wholeheartedly supports the rail project.

“Having the rail come through, to me, is one of the best things that can happen to this city,” Heggins said. “It’s going to upgrade their properties [in Southeast Denton] a lot. It’s going to be an economic boom to that particular area.”

LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is lmbrown@dentonrc.com .




RAIL MEETING

What: Southeast Denton Neighborhood
Association meeting

When: 6:30 p.m. today

Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 1300 Wilson St.

Why: Representatives of the Denton County Transportation Authority will provide information on their plans to bring commuter rail to Denton by 2013.

Details: Visit www.raildcta.net .

[FoUTASportscaster]

Officials hope to have commuter rail in Denton County by 2010.

Representatives of the Denton County Transportation Authority will provide information on their plans to bring commuter rail to Denton by 2013.

So did the latest article have their facts wrong or has the rail line been pushed back 3 years?

[RobertB]

Got this by email:

Public Event Information

* Subject: Community Walk
* Type: Meeting
* Event Description: A Community Walk in Denton along the proposed
rail corridor, south of Wilson Street and north of Shady Oaks Drive, in
the Southeast Denton neighborhood to observe the right-of-way lines of
the rail corridor and see how they relate to adjacent properties. The
walk will begin with an introductory meeting at the Martin Luther King
Recreation Center, located at 1300 Wilson Street in Denton. Following
the meeting, a bus will provide transportation to the starting point of
the walk and return to the MLK Recreation Center after the walk has been
completed.
* Location: Martin Luther King Recreation Center, 1300 Wilson
Street, Denton, TX 76205
* Contact: Judy Meyer
* Date/Time: Saturday, April 28, 2007 at 10:00 AM CDT
* Duration: 2 hour(s) 00 minute(s)

For more information about this project, go to http://www.raildcta.net/

[dfwcre8tive]

March 23, 2007

For Immediate Release:

More Emphasis on Non-Federal Funding
Being Considered To Advance RailDCTA Project Towards 2010


Lewisville, TX - The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is in the process of finalizing its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for regional rail service. This process is part of an evaluation of the project’s eligibility for funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

On March 22nd, DCTA staff updated its Board of Directors on the current status of the RailDCTA project. The process of qualifying for the federal program is proving to be a lengthy and complicated one which threatens to delay the project. DCTA will consider all available options to keep the project on schedule. Therefore, while DCTA remains committed to working with its federal partners in pursuing additional funding, DCTA staff is reviewing non-federal funding options to deliver RailDCTA in a timely manner. Staff will present strategies to the board at a future meeting.

“To expedite our project and meet DART in Carrollton in 2010, DCTA staff will move forward with its rail funding program utilizing current revenue and other funding partnerships,” stated John Hedrick, DCTA president. “We will continue to seek other sources, including federal funding, wherever possible to complete the regional rail system.”

Regional rail is the central component of DCTA’s Service Plan, which was approved by Denton County voters in 2002 and 2003. The Service Plan’s initial concept was to implement rail service from Lewisville to Carrollton by 2010-2011, with continuation of service from Denton by 2012-2013. DCTA is currently reviewing options to expedite full implementation of rail service between Denton and Carrollton to connect with DART by the end of 2010.

[dfwcre8tive]

March 26, 2007

For Immediate Release:

DCTA Announces Enhancements to Interim Commuter Express Service


Lewisville, TX – The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) recently announced changes to its Commuter Express Service. These modifications will take effect on Monday, April 2, 2007.

These changes, which will provide improved commute options and create a more efficient service, include minor time adjustments in the a.m. and p.m. schedules, expanded service to the University of North Texas (UNT), new service to Texas Women’s University and new commute opportunities from Lewisville to Denton.

Riders commuting to Dallas in the morning will not experience any disruptions to their current schedule. All afternoon pick-up times in downtown Dallas will remain the same except for the last afternoon pick-up which changed from 5:40 p.m. to 6:10 p.m.

Riders using the reverse commute to Denton can take advantage of three new trips from Dallas to Denton and UNT on Route 102. This provides more frequent service in the mornings. Route 102 will also stop at the Lewisville Park and Ride located at Movies 8 at 420 Oak Bend Blvd to carry commuters and students from the Lewisville area to Denton and the University of North Texas.

Faculty, staff and students at Texas Women’s University are now directly served by Commuter Express with a new Commuter Express stop at Bell Avenue, south of University Drive on the campus of TWU.

Some minor modifications to the time have been made and will affect current riders traveling to Denton. Trips from the North Carrollton Transfer Center to Denton will leave ten minutes earlier in the morning. Afternoon trips from Denton and UNT to Carrollton and Dallas will leave 10 minutes earlier. The last trip remains at 6:00 p.m.

Commuter Express, launched in May 2006, serves as a regional commuter service connecting Denton, Lewisville and downtown Dallas.

[3rd time the charm]

Do alot of people use these buses?

[dfwcre8tive]

The DCTA picture begins to take shape
07:21 AM CDT on Wednesday, April 4, 2007
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedconten....2f51f94c.html

Keeping track of the Denton County Transportation Authority’s progress requires patience. Its bus service is up and going, but its raison d’etre, a rail system connecting Denton to Dallas, is still pupating. Getting the big picture is sort of like working a jigsaw puzzle: We search in the pile of pieces and occasionally find one that fits. Sometimes it tells us something about the big picture; sometimes it doesn’t.

Two pieces of the DCTA picture were slipped into the puzzle this week. One was small but significant, and one could tell immediately what it contributed to the overall picture. The other was a piece of blue sky, necessary to the composition but not very revealing, at least not yet.

On the front page of Tuesday’s paper, we saw that the DCTA had added a stop on the Texas Woman’s University campus for its Commuter Express bus service. The stop is on Bell Avenue just south of University Drive, on the northeast edge of the TWU campus.

This is immediate good news for TWU students who commute from Dallas every day, and is a selling point for TWU as it attempts to attract new students from our neighboring city to the southeast.

Eventually, of course, DCTA plans to link Denton to Lewisville, Carrollton and Dallas by rail, but a TWU bus stop will still remain relevant when Denton enters the age of rails. The train commute from Dallas to the Denton station will, it is hoped, be even faster and more trouble-free than the bus trip, and Dallas TWU students will be able to de-train at the station and catch a bus to a stop at TWU.

The other new piece of the puzzle was found the day before, and it wasn’t in the stack; it was found under the table, where frisky puzzle pieces often hide.

The Record-Chronicle’s Monty Miller Jr. reported on Monday that the DCTA was altering its funding plans to rely less on federal money and more on funding sources, as yet unnamed. Doing so, officials said, could shorten the process of getting DCTA trains on the rails and running by as much as three years.

That’s a tasty prospect, and one worth pursuing, but it is, as we said earlier, a blue-sky scenario, and blue skies can turn stormy pretty quickly.

DCTA officials said they would have more information about these tantalizing alternative funding possibilities at a “future” board meeting, and we eagerly await the particulars. Bumping up the starting date of rail travel to 2010 instead of the originally projected 2013 would be a real accomplishment, but it could also turn out to be pie in the sky.

We will wait and see, and carefully sift through the remaining loose puzzle pieces on our table, checking occasionally for that stray piece on the floor.

[dfwcre8tive]

Authority looks to accelerate rail project
07:12 AM CDT on Monday, April 2, 2007
By Monty Miller Jr. / Staff Writer
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont....23661662.html

The Denton County Transportation Authority is working to bring its regional passenger rail line to Denton as soon as 2010, three years earlier than projected.

The board of directors wants to fund the project without using as much federal funding, DCTA President Jon Hedrick said.

“We are looking at all available options so we can accelerate the project and get to Denton earlier,” he said.

The goal is to have a service that will eventually connect with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit line in Carrollton by 2010, instead of 2013, he said, but the project was being held up by “lengthy and complicated” delays in the application process with the federal government.

The authority will still exhaust all available options for receiving federal funding, Hedrick said, but there will be more of an emphasis on non-federal funding.

No new funding strategies have been implemented as of now, but DCTA staff is expected to present funding options to the board at a future meeting.

Work on the project continues. DCTA will soon complete an environmental study on the impact of the rail system, which is an important step, Hedrick said.

The original plan for the rail system, which was approved by voters in 2002 and 2003, was to have rail service from Lewisville to Carrollton by 2011, and service from Carrollton to Denton by 2013. If the board approves a non-federal funding strategy, Hedrick said, all services could be up and running by the end of 2010.

MONTY MILLER JR. can be reached at 940-566-6875. His e-mail address is mwmiller@dentonrc.com

[RobertB]

Do alot of people use these buses?

I'd like to see the numbers, but you don't generally add more service to a route that doesn't have riders.

[dfwcre8tive]

Council backs new station site
Center for the Visual Arts would be spared under proposal issued Monday
07:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 24, 2007
By Lowell Brown / Staff Writer
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedconten...4.17a00b9.html

Denton’s proposed downtown transit station likely won’t displace the Center for the Visual Arts after all.

City Council members on Monday endorsed a bus station site on city-owned land at the southeast corner of East Hickory Street and Railroad Avenue — just east of the Center for the Visual Arts building. A parking lot and facilities management building currently occupy the space.

The site is also the anticipated location of the Denton County Transportation Authority’s downtown commuter rail platform. DCTA plans to bring commuter rail to Denton from Carrollton as early as 2010, linking Denton to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit line that stops in Carrollton.

“Rail [service] won’t work for the city unless we can put bus [service] with it,” Denton council member Bob Montgomery said. “And by doing it this way, rail and bus will go side by side.”

Officials hope the bus and rail service would be a springboard for pedestrian-friendly development around the site.

The $3.72 million bus transfer facility would include indoor and outdoor public amenities, including benches, canopies and restrooms, city officials said.

The facility would become DCTA’s central bus hub in Denton, supplanting the area known as Williams Square east of the Wells Fargo building, DCTA spokeswoman Dee Leggett said.

“It also would provide the city and DCTA more of a transit presence in the community,” Leggett said. “It would really establish the city of Denton as a leader in the provision of transit services.”

Council members indirectly approved the bus station site as part of an ordinance dealing with the city’s application for $3.1 million in federal aid for the project.

The city and DCTA would work together to fund the required $620,000 local contribution, said Mark Nelson, Denton’s chief transportation officer.

If funding is secured on schedule, the station could be completed as early as 2009, he said.

City staff members recommended the site over two other possibilities: the Center for the Visual Arts building on East Hickory Street and another undisclosed location to the south, Nelson said.

Local arts leaders had expressed concern over losing the visual arts building, especially in light of the city’s plans to revamp Hickory Street into a pedestrian-friendly “arts walk.”

Officials hadn’t decided whether to renovate or replace the facilities management building on the selected site, or how they would make up for the lost parking lot, which serves the facilities management building and City Hall East across the street, Nelson said.

Although the city owns the site, council members met behind closed doors to discuss acquiring land around it as part of the project.

After the meeting, Montgomery said the city expected to buy one additional piece of land and would be entering into negotiations with its owner, whom he declined to name.

LOWELL BROWN can be reached at 940-566-6882. His e-mail address is lmbrown@dentonrc.com

[mrowl]

is it true that the DCTA board scrapped the 407 station in favor of Garden Ridge?

HUH?

the 407 option has better access, more parking, and better ROD potential.

garden ridge is just a parking lot on the side of the highway...

[dfwcre8tive]

is it true that the DCTA board scrapped the 407 station in favor of Garden Ridge?

HUH?

the 407 option has better access, more parking, and better ROD potential.

garden ridge is just a parking lot on the side of the highway...

I don't think that has been decided yet. Where did you hear that? The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project will be presented to the public at July meetings.

[RobertB]

is it true that the DCTA board scrapped the 407 station in favor of Garden Ridge?

HUH?

the 407 option has better access, more parking, and better ROD potential.

garden ridge is just a parking lot on the side of the highway...

I'd have to look at the plans in detail, and I don't have time at the moment. But as I recall, TxDOT has big plans (oops, that should read "Big Plans") for the Garden Ridge intersection, which is currently way, way below Interstate highway design specifications. DCTA has to build around TxDOT's plans (which is putting the cart before the horse, but I digress), so their plans will hopefully make more sense once I-35E is rebuilt through the area.