Trinity Metro is a
transit agency
A transit district or transit authority is a government agency or a public-benefit corporation created for the purpose of providing public transportation within a specific region.
A transit district may operate bus, rail or other types of tra ...
located in and serving the city of
Fort Worth
Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
and its suburbs in surrounding
Tarrant County
Tarrant County is located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2020, it had a population of 2,110,640. It is Texas' third-most populous county and the 15th-most populous in the United States. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County, one of 2 ...
, part of the
Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. Since 1983, it was previously known officially as the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA), and branded itself as The T. As of January 29, 2018 the Board of Directors has voted to rebrand bus services as Trinity Metro, replacing the previous and long standing name. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .
Trinity Metro primarily operates the region's
bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
service, and
TEXRail
TEXRail is a hybrid rail (light rail with some features similar to commuter rail) line in Tarrant County, Texas, United States that provides service between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport via Grapevine and other ...
, a
hybrid rail
Light rail in the United States is a mode of rail-based transport, usually urban in nature. When compared to heavy rail systems like commuter rail or rapid transit (subway), light rail systems are typically designed to carry fewer passengers and ...
system connecting downtown Fort Worth with
DFW Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , also known as DFW Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas Region in the U.S. state of Texas.
It is the largest hub for American Air ...
via Northeast Tarrant County. The agency is also involved in the operation of the
Trinity Railway Express
The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) is a commuter rail line in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It was established by an interlocal agreement between Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Trinity Metro. Each transit authority owns a 50% stake in ...
(TRE)
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
line between from downtown Fort Worth and
downtown Dallas
Downtown Dallas is the central business district (CBD) of Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States, located in the geographic center of the city. It is the second-largest business district in the state of Texas. The area termed "Downtown" has tradit ...
in partnership with
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a transit agency serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex of Texas. It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and twelve of its suburbs. In , the system had a ...
and the North Texas Xpress (Route 64) express bus service in partnership with
Denton County Transportation Authority
The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is the transit authority that operates in Denton County, Texas. It operates transit service in three cities within Denton County, as well as the A-train, a regional commuter rail line to Carrollto ...
.
History
Through the early 1970s, bus transit services in Fort Worth were provided by City Transit Company, a private enterprise. Starting in 1974, the city's Traffic Engineering Department began coordinating bus operations. In 1978, the city established the Fort Worth Department of Transportation, which took over public transit operations. These operations included the City Transit Service (CITRAN) and the Surface Transportation Service (SURTRAN, a service jointly owned between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, shuttling passengers to and from DFW from stops in Dallas (including
Dallas Union Station
Dallas Union Station, officially Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station (or simply EBJ Union Station), also known as Dallas Union Terminal, is a large intermodal railroad station in Dallas, Texas. It is the third busiest Amtrak station in Texas, beh ...
), Fort Worth and Arlington), with transportation services for the handicapped (MITS) being added in 1979.
On November 8, 1983, voters approved formation of The T. To finance the system, voters levied a half-cent sales tax. The CITRAN, SURTRAN, and MITS services were folded into the new agency, along with carpool and vanpool coordination.
The agency's first addition came on November 5, 1991 when the small suburb of
Lake Worth voted 344–206 in favor of joining the T. That prompted three more elections on May 2, 1992 when
Blue Mound,
Forest Hill and
Richland Hills
Richland Hills is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. The population was 7,801 at the 2010 census.
Government
Richland Hills operates under a charter adopted in 1986, which provides for a "Council-Manager" form of government. The Cou ...
had the issue of joining the agency on the ballot. Blue Mound and Richland Hills voted in favor while Forest Hill declined the measure nearly 2–1.
The T saw its first departure when voters in Lake Worth approved a pullout in September 2003. Service withdrawal became effective on March 21, 2004. Lake Worth had previously tried to pull out in 1996, but that measure failed. On November 8, 2016, Richland Hills residents voted to withdraw from the agency's services. FWTA's final day of service in Richland Hills was November 23, 2016.
In 2001, the FWTA saw its cooperation efforts with DART pay off as the
Trinity Railway Express
The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) is a commuter rail line in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It was established by an interlocal agreement between Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Trinity Metro. Each transit authority owns a 50% stake in ...
reached downtown Fort Worth. The other end of the line terminates in downtown Dallas.
The TRE commuter line has a daily ridership of 9,100 and is the
thirteenth most-ridden commuter rail system in the country.
On August 24, 2016, Trinity Metro broke ground on TEXRail, the second commuter rail project undertaken by the agency, and the first built solely by Trinity Metro. The rail line was initially envisioned to run along the existing Cotton Belt Railway Corridor from DFW airport to the
Fort Worth Stockyards
The Fort Worth Stockyards is a historic district that is located in Fort Worth, Texas, north of the central business district. A portion encompassing much of the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Fort Worth Sto ...
, head South along Union Pacific owned track to the
Fort Worth Central Station
Fort Worth Central Station is an intermodal transit center in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. It serves the TEXRail and Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail lines, Amtrak intercity rail, Greyhound Lines intercity bus, and as the main transfer ...
, and continue along
Fort Worth & Western Railroad tracks to Benbrook Lake.
As of the FWTA 2015 master plan, citing "project costs and other considerations", the agency decided to build the 27 mile Minimum Operable Segment (MOS) between downtown Fort Worth and DFW Terminal B. The other considerations likely included stalled negotiations with Fort Worth & Western, Union Pacific, and DART, over securing right of way for TEXRail trains. The MOS included 2 new stations in Fort Worth, one in Grapevine, two at DFW Airport, and 3 potential stations in
North Richland Hills
North Richland Hills, commonly known as NRH, is a city inside Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a mid-to-high end suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 69,917 at the 2020 census, making it the third largest city in Tarrant County. In ...
and
Haltom City
Haltom City is a city, part of the Dallas–Fort Worth region, in Tarrant County, Texas, United States. Its population was 46,073 at the 2020 census. Haltom City is an inner suburb of Fort Worth, a principal city of the DFW Metroplex. The city ...
. The three potential stations were conditional on either city joining the Trinity Metro service area, which requires imposing a half-cent sales tax to help fund the agency. North Richland Hills joined Trinity Metro in 2018, while Haltom City never did, as a result, two stations were built in North Richland Hills, and the Haltom City station was not.
The MOS was completed, and TEXRail began service between downtown Fort Worth and DFW airport on January 10, 2019, with free rides until January 31, 2019 to " give everyone an opportunity to ride".
On January 29, 2018, the transit agency's board of directors voted to rebrand FWTA/The T as Trinity Metro, and revealed a new logo, that depicts three triangles forming the letter "M" in its negative spaces. The name change officially took place on March 23, 2018 on its website and social media presence.
Member cities
In its 1983 creation, Trinity Metro, then known as the Fort Worth Transit Authority, consisted of only one city, Fort Worth. Over the next 10 years, three small communities joined Trinity Metro, only one of which remains a member city. No new cities joined Trinity Metro until 2006, when
Grapevine
''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 79 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, b ...
joined the authority in response to the promise of TEXRail. Later, in 2018, the city of
North Richland Hills
North Richland Hills, commonly known as NRH, is a city inside Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a mid-to-high end suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 69,917 at the 2020 census, making it the third largest city in Tarrant County. In ...
joined Trinity Metro, also in response to potential economic development associated with TEXRail.
This made North Richland Hills the second largest member city behind Fort Worth.
Below is a table displaying current and former Trinity Metro member cities, when they joined the authority, and if applicable, when they left.
Services offered
The bulk of Trinity Metro's operations involve 37 bus routes within Tarrant County. Most route through downtown Fort Worth, where the TRE has two train stations,
Fort Worth Central Station
Fort Worth Central Station is an intermodal transit center in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. It serves the TEXRail and Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail lines, Amtrak intercity rail, Greyhound Lines intercity bus, and as the main transfer ...
and
T&P Station
Texas and Pacific Station, commonly known as T&P Station, is a terminal Trinity Railway Express and TEXRail commuter railroad station is located at 1600 Throckmorton Street in Fort Worth, Texas, on the south side of downtown. It is the current we ...
. Fort Worth Central Station is the major transit station for Trinity Metro, where the TEXRail and TRE commuter rail lines and twenty-five bus routes meet. Prior to opening in 2001, the main downtown transit hub centered around bus lines all converging along the Houston/Throckmorton corridor, with northbound service on Throckmorton Street and southbound service on Houston Street – between Lancaster Avenue and Belknap Street.
Trinity Metro also operates a
vanpool
Vanpools or Vanpooling is an element of the transit system that allow groups of people to share the ride similar to a carpool, but on a larger scale with concurrent savings in fuel and vehicle operating costs and thus usually a lower cost to the ...
/
carpool
Carpooling (also car-sharing, ride-sharing and lift-sharing) is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car, and prevents the need for others to have to drive to a location themselves.
By having more people usi ...
service. A vanpool/carpool is a group of at least seven people who share the costs of getting to and from work. These individuals usually live and work near each other. Monthly fares will vary, depending on the origination point of the van and the daily miles involved. Riders pay only for the portion of the trip they use. For instance, if the service picks up riders in different counties, it's possible for some riders to pay more than others.
The last service Trinity Metro offers is Trinity Metro ACCESS (formerly MITS - Mobility Impaired Transportation Service). It offers door-to-door transportation within the service areas of Forest Hill, Fort Worth, Blue Mound and River Oaks. Trained drivers are available to assist passengers in boarding and alighting vehicles specially designed to accommodate the mobility impaired.
Rail
*
TEXRail
TEXRail is a hybrid rail (light rail with some features similar to commuter rail) line in Tarrant County, Texas, United States that provides service between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport via Grapevine and other ...
, a
hybrid rail
Light rail in the United States is a mode of rail-based transport, usually urban in nature. When compared to heavy rail systems like commuter rail or rapid transit (subway), light rail systems are typically designed to carry fewer passengers and ...
(light rail with some features similar to commuter rail) line connecting downtown Fort Worth with
DFW Airport
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , also known as DFW Airport, is the primary international airport serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and the North Texas Region in the U.S. state of Texas.
It is the largest hub for American Air ...
through Northeast Tarrant County
*
Trinity Railway Express
The Trinity Railway Express (TRE) is a commuter rail line in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It was established by an interlocal agreement between Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Trinity Metro. Each transit authority owns a 50% stake in ...
, a commuter rail service connecting downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas, jointly operated with
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a transit agency serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex of Texas. It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and twelve of its suburbs. In , the system had a ...
(DART)
Bus routes
, Trinity Metro operates 27 regular bus routes, six Xpress/Limited routes, and four trolley/special services.
* 1 – Hemphill
* 2 – Camp Bowie
* 4 – East Rosedale
* 5 – Evans Ave/Sierra Vista
* 6 – 8th Ave/McCart
* 11 – North Beach/Mercantile Center
* 12 – Samuels/Mercantile Center
* 15 – Stockyards/North Main
* 16 – Alliance Town Center/Mercantile Center Station
* 21 – Boca Raton
* 22 – Meadowbrook
* 23 – TCC Northeast Campus/TRE
* 24 – Berry Street
* 25 – Miller/E. Seminary
* 28 – Mansfield Hwy/Sierra Vista
* 45 – TCC Northwest/Angle Ave
* 46 – Jacksboro Highway
* 51 – Bryant Irvin
* 52 – Hulen
* 53 – University
* 54 – Riverside/Sylvania
* 55 – Handley
* 72 – Hemphill/Sycamore School Rd
* 89 – SPUR/East Lancaster
* 91 – Normandale/North Side Station
Xpress/Limited routes
* 30 – CentrePort Circulator (Amon Carter Loop / East Loop / West Loop)
* 31 – TRE Link (
CentrePort/DFW Airport station
CentrePort/DFW Airport station is a Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail station in Fort Worth, Texas. It is located on Statler Boulevard just south of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. It opened on September 16, 2000, and is a stati ...
–
DFW Airport Terminal B station
DFW Airport Terminal B station is a current terminal Trinity Metro TEXRail station and future Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Silver Line station located at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport between Terminal B and is located near DFW Airpor ...
)
* 61X – Normandale Xpress
* 63X – North Park & Ride Xpress
* 65X – South Park & Ride Xpress
* 66X – Candleridge/Altamesa Xpress
Trolleys/Special services
* 991 – Juror Shuttle
* LL – Burnett Plaza Lunch Line
* Molly the Trolley
* The Dash
Eliminated
*1N North Main (now 15)
*1S Hemphill (now 1)
*2W Camp Bowie
*2E East Lancaster (now 89 SPUR)
*7 University Drive
*8 Riverside/Evans (Sunday Only)
*9 Ramey/Vickery
*10 Bailey
*16 Downtown Trolley
*16 Rosedale/Montgomery
*17 Central Avenue
*20 Handley
*23 Mercantile
*26 Ridgmar Mall/Normandale
*27 Como/Ridgmar Mall
*28 Diamond Hill
*29 TCU Frog Shuttle (earlier TCU Circulator)
*31 Sycamore School Road
*31 Stonegate/TCU Shuttle
*32 Bryant Irvin
*40 Bridgewood
*41 Richland Hills Rider Request
*42 Southeast Rider Request
*43 Town Center Rider Request/Fixed
*44 Central/Azle Ave
*44 Alta Mesa Rider Request
*45 Forest Park/Mistletoe Heights
*46 Lake Worth Rider Request
*47 Northsider Rider Request
*48 Northside (originally Samuels)
*57 Como/Montgomery
*60X Eastside Xpress (Temporarily Suspended)
*61X Normandale Xpress
*62 Summerfields Express
*64 East Lancaster Express
*64X North Texas Xpress (Denton)
*67X TCC Southeast Campus XPress
*67 Dallas Express
*67 Lamar Blvd. Park & Ride
*68 Park Springs Park & Ride
*69 Alliance Express
*71 Forest Hill
*72 Hemphill/Sycamore School Road
*82 Southeast Zone Rider Request
*83 Southeast Zone Rider Request
*89 SPUR/East Lancaster
*90 Long Ave
*91 Ridgmar Mall/Stockyards
*111 Bell Helicopter Shuttle
Labor relations
From November 6, 2006 through November 11, 2006, around 100 of FWTA's
union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
workers went on
strike
Strike may refer to:
People
* Strike (surname)
Physical confrontation or removal
*Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm
*Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
, citing the agency's policy regarding termination of employees who had used up their short-term disability benefits. This represented about a third of the workers represented by
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), also known as the Teamsters Union, is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of The Team Drivers International Union and The Teamsters National Union, the u ...
Local 997. Service continued with delays the next morning by non-striking drivers, and FWTA began advertising for replacement drivers. During the dispute, bus rides on FWTA were free, and the agency announced that monthly pass holders will receive a 25% discount on their December passes. By Friday, replacement workers and other drivers willing to cross the picket lines had restored service to normal levels.
FWTA offered a new contract proposal late in the week, which was rejected on Saturday by a vote of 37 to 21. But because less than half of the 155 union members voted, a 2/3 majority of the vote was required to reject the contract. That would have required 39 of the 58 votes, so the contract was declared "accepted".
Story
T strike coverage from the ''Star-Telegram''
Service on the Trinity Railway Express was not affected, as the rail line's employees work under a different contract.
Nine years earlier, a four-day strike in 1997 shut down 75% of The T's service.
Notes
References
External links
Trinity Metro
Transit-Oriented Development
{{Authority control
Bus transportation in Texas
Intermodal transportation authorities in Texas
Organizations established in 1983
Transportation in Fort Worth, Texas