Fort Worth Transportation Authority

Fort Worth Transportation Authority

#557 idling at the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC).
Headquarters 1600 East Lancaster
Fort Worth, TX 76102-6720
Locale Tarrant County, Texas
Service area Tarrant County, Texas
Service type Bus, commuter rail
Routes 37
Hubs 5
Fleet 147 fixed route
76 demand response[1]
Operator McDonald Transit
Chief executive Paul J. Ballard
Website www.the-t.com

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (popularly known as The T) is a transit agency located in Fort Worth, Texas.

The T primarily operates Fort Worth's bus system which also serves several Fort Worth suburbs. The T also partners with Dallas Area Rapid Transit to operate the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), which offers commuter rail service from downtown Fort Worth to DFW Airport and downtown Dallas.

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), with transportation services for the handicapped (MIPS) being added in 1979.[2]

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 MIPS 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 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.

In 2001, the T saw its cooperation efforts with DART pay off as the Trinity Railway Express 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[3] and is the thirteenth most-ridden commuter rail system in the country.

Services offered

The bulk of the T's operations involve 36 bus routes within the service area. Most route through downtown Fort Worth, where the TRE has two train stations, Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC) and the T&P Station. The ITC is the major transit station for the T, as the TRE trains and twenty bus routes meet.

The T also operates a vanpool/carpool 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 The T offers is the Mobility Impaired Transportation Service (MITS). It offers door-to-door transportation within the service areas of Fort Worth, Richland Hills and Blue Mound. Trained drivers are available to assist passengers in boarding and alighting vehicles specially designed to accommodate the mobility impaired.

Route List

Expansion

Labor relations

From November 6, 2006 through November 11, 2006, around 100 of The T's union workers went on strike, 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 Local 997. Service continued with delays the next morning by non-striking drivers, and The T began advertising for replacement drivers. During the dispute, bus rides on The T 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.[4]

The T 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".[5]

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.

Fare increase/fuel surcharge

The T's Board of Directors are allowing public comments on a proposed a fare increase.[6] The fares last increased on October 1, 2007 to pay for extremely high fuel costs that were the result of the oil price increases since 2003. The 25-cent increase in this case is effectively a fuel surcharge, and also covers the cost of compressed natural gas (which is pegged to diesel fuel costs). Below is a list of the new fares as of 2 December 2012. No fare to kids below 6 with fare-paying rider, limit 3.

Service Type Previous Fare New (Current) Fare Pct Inc
Local Single Ride $1.50 $1.75 16.7%
Local Day Pass $3 $3.50 16.7%
Local Monthly Pass $50 $60 20%
Regional Single Ride $2.50 $5 100%
Regional Day Pass $5 $10 100%
Regional Monthly Pass $80 $160 100%
MITS (Paratransit 1-way) $2.75 $3.25 18.2%

[7]

This is their 2nd fare increase since October 2003. The Premium Day Pass is valid on all DART, T, and TRE services for one day.

Roster

Fleet
Number(s)
Thumbnail Year Manufacturer Model Engine Transmission Notes
50-52 2004 JR East E231-500 series From Japan.
101-165 1973 Flxible 45096-6-1 Detroit Diesel 6V71N Allison
201-215 (1st) 1973 Flxible 45096-6-1 Detroit Diesel 6V71N Allison
201 (2nd) 1999 OBI Orion II CNG
(02.501)
Cummins B5.9G
  • Ex 900.
  • Possibly renumbered when converted to CNG?
202-220 (2nd) 2000 OBI Orion II CNG
(02.501)
Cummins B5.9G
  • Ex 901-912, 914-920.
  • Possibly renumbered when converted to CNG?
301-320 (1st) 1975 Flxible 53102-8-1 Detroit Diesel 8V71N Allison
301-320 (2nd),
321-331
2001 NFI C35LF
332-343 2002 NFI C35LF Repainting to Fernl Artist
401-432 2002 NFI C30LF
501-513 1992 Flxible Metro "C" CNG
(35102-6C)
Cummins L10G Voith D863.2
510-512 (1st) 1968 GMC T6H-4521A Originally Fort Worth Transit Company.
513-515 (1st) 1969 GMC T6H-4521A Originally Fort Worth Transit Company.
514-527 1995 Flxible Metro "E" CNG
(40102-6C)
Cummins L10G Voith D863.2
551-558 2004 NFI C40LF
561-575 2006 NFI C40LFR
576-595 2008 NABI 40LFW.39
601-610 2009 NFI C40LFR
701-703 1984 MCI MC-9
701-733 1988 Flxible Metro "B"
(35102-6T)
Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison V731
704-705 1990 MCI MC-9
706 1996 MCI 102-DL3
710-714 (1st) 1974 GMC P8M-4108A Ex-DART 1021, 1036, 1032, 1042 bought in 1985 & 1044 bought in 1986.
710-715 (2nd) 1999 MCI 102-DL3
751-769 1992 Flxible Metro "C" CNG
(35102-6C)
Cummins L10G ZF 4HP590
801-835 1986 Flxible Metro "A"
(35096-6T)
Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison V730
875-878 1990 Flxible Metro "B"
(35102-6T)
Detroit Diesel 6V92TA Allison V731
881-883 1990 Flxible Metro "B" CNG
(35102-6C)
Cummins L10G ZF 4HP590
884-892 1991 Flxible Metro "B" CNG
(35102-6C)
Cummins L10G ZF 4HP590
900 Renumbered 201.
901-912,
914-920
Renumbered 202-220.
921-930 2000 OBI Orion II
(02.501)
931-937 2003 OBI Orion II
(02.501)
1001-1008 2010 NABI 60BRT.18

References

External links

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