Trinity Metro

Trinity Metro is a transit agency located in and serving the city of Fort Worth, Texas and its suburbs in surrounding Tarrant County, 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 2023, the system had a ridership of 5,717,800, or about 20,500 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.

Trinity Metro
Overview
Locale	Tarrant County, Texas
Transit type	Bus, Commuter Rail, Paratransit
Number of lines	40+ (bus) 2 (commuter rail)
Number of stations	5 (bus hubs) 2,000+ (bus stops) 17 (commuter rail)
Daily ridership	20,500 (weekdays, Q4 2023)
Annual ridership	5,717,800 (2023)
Chief executive	Richard Andreski
Headquarters	801 Grove Street Fort Worth, Texas
Website	ridetrinitymetro.org
Operation
Operator(s)	RATP Dev
Number of vehicles	147 fixed route 76 demand response
TEXRail TEXRail planned extension Sycamore School Road Chisholm Trail Parkway I-20/Granbury Road I-20 TCU/Berry planned extension Medical District I-30 T&P Station Fort Worth Central Station Trinity Railway Express to Dallas Union Station Grapevine Vintage Railroad to Fort Worth Stockyards North Side SH 183 I-35W TEXRail Equipment Maintenance Facility Mercantile Center Fort Worth & Western RR US 377 I-820 North Richland Hills/Iron Horse North Richland Hills/Smithfield SH 114 Grapevine–Main Street Silver Line to Shiloh Road (2025) DFW Airport North Orange Line to LBJ/Central or Parker Road DFW Airport Terminal B All stations are accessible

Trinity Metro primarily operates the region's bus service, and TEXRail, a hybrid rail system connecting downtown Fort Worth with DFW Airport via Northeast Tarrant County. The agency is also involved in the operation of the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) commuter rail line between from downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas in partnership with Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the North Texas Xpress (Route 64) express bus service in partnership with Denton County Transportation Authority.

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), 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 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 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, head South along Union Pacific owned track to the Fort Worth Central Station, 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 and Haltom 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

At its creation in 1983, Trinity Metro, then known as the Fort Worth Transit Authority, consisted of only one city, Fort Worth. In the following years, three small communities joined Trinity Metro: Lake Worth, Blue Mound, and Richland Hills. Only Blue Mound remains a member city.

Joining Trinity Metro requires the new member to levy a 1⁄2¢ sales tax. Because the state of Texas caps the total sales tax for a municipality at 2¢, many municipalities are unable to join.

Trinity Metro allows cities to gain service through interlocal agreements. Grapevine and North Richland Hills made agreements in 2006 and 2016, respectively, to obtain stations on the then-planned TEXRail line. While these two cities are usually listed as member cities, including by Trinity Metro itself, they do not pay the 1⁄2¢ sales tax and all non-TEXRail public transit is provided by third parties.

Current members

City	Year Joined	Notes
Fort Worth	1983	Fort Worth is the first, and by far largest, member city of Trinity Metro.
Blue Mound	1992	Blue Mound is the oldest continuous member city outside of Fort Worth. While it has no bus routes, it is serviced by Trinity Metro programs: ACCESS (paratransit) and ZIPZONE (curb-to-curb).
Grapevine	2006	Grapevine levies a 1⁄2¢ "economic development tax", of which 3⁄8¢ is earmarked for Trinity Metro. This levy was approved by voters in 2006 through a referendum. Grapevine is not serviced by Trinity Metro bus routes or paratransit. Three shuttle bus routes are operated by the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau, and paratransit is provided by Northeast Transportation Service (NETS).
North Richland Hills	2016	North Richland Hills funds its two TEXRail stations under an agreement with Trinity Metro. North Richland Hills is not serviced by Trinity Metro bus routes or paratransit. Paratransit is provided by Northeast Transportation Service (NETS).

Former members

City	Year Joined	Year Left	Notes
Lake Worth	1991	2003	Lake Worth was the first community outside of Fort Worth to join Trinity Metro, as well as the first to leave. Prior to leaving, the city was serviced by a flexible-service route, Lake Worth Rider Request (route 46).
Richland Hills	1992	2016	Richland Hills was serviced by the TRE Richland Hills station and by a flexible-service route, Richland Hills Rider Request (route 41). In November 2016, just over 55% of voters in Richland Hills voted to leave Trinity Metro. The city continued to pay off its contracts with Trinity Metro before cutting the half-cent sales tax. The TRE station is still in operation but is set to be replaced by Trinity Lakes station (located in Fort Worth) in late 2023.

Services

Rail

TEXRail, opened in 2018, is a hybrid rail service connecting downtown Fort Worth and DFW Airport. The train travels through northeast Tarrant County with four stops in Fort Worth, two stops in North Richland Hills and three stops (including at the airport) in Grapevine.

Trinity Railway Express, opened in 1996, is a commuter rail service connecting downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas. The train travels on a former Rock Island throughway with four stops in Fort Worth, one stop in Richland Hills, two stops in Irving, and three stops in Dallas. The line is jointly operated with Dallas Area Rapid Transit; Trinity Metro manages the stations in Tarrant County (from T&P Station to CentrePort/DFW Airport).

Bus routes

As of September 18, 2022, Trinity Metro operates twenty-seven regular bus routes, six Xpress/Limited routes, and four specialty services. The bus network travels throughout Fort Worth, with its main hub at Fort Worth Central Station. The system has three additional transfer locations and five park-and-rides.

Prior to Fort Worth Central's 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.

Category		Routes	Peak Frequency (min.)	Notes
	Local	1, 2, 4, 6, 15, 89	15
	Local	5, 11, 12, 16, 21, 22, 24, 25, 46, 54, 55, 91	30
	Local	23, 28, 29, 33, 45, 51, 52, 53, 72	60
	Limited	30, 31	20 - 30	Limited routes travel to locations around CentrePort/DFW Airport station.
	Xpress	61X, 63X, 65X, 66X	30 - 60	Xpress routes connect suburban park-and-ride locations to Fort Worth Central station using local highways. These routes only operate during weekday peak times.
	Specialty	991, LL	15	Specialty routes are short shuttle routes.
	Trolley	MOLLY, THEDASH	15	Trolleys are tourist-friendly routes with unique branding and vehicle colors. Despite the "trolley" designation, they do not use trolley-replica buses.

Trolley Routes

Molly the Trolley is a free shuttle route which loops around downtown Fort Worth. It stops at major downtown destinations such as Sundance Square, the Fort Worth Convention Center, and the Fort Worth Water Gardens, as well as Fort Worth Central station. The route uses dark green buses.

The Dash is a shuttle route which travels from Fort Worth Central station to the Museum District, which includes Will Rogers Memorial Center, Dickies Arena, and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. The route uses red-colored electric buses.

ZIPZONE

Launched in July 2019, ZIPZONE is an on-demand curb-to-curb service operated in partnership with Via Transportation. The service allows riders to book trips on-demand using the ZIPZONE app (or a phone number) so long as each trip starts and ends within specially designated zones. Travel between zones is not permitted. The service costs $1-3 per ride and is included with multi-ride passes.

Zone	Hours	Points of Interest	Connections
Mercantile	5:30 AM - 9:00 PM	Fort Worth Meacham International Airport Medical City Alliance	TEXRail: North Side and Mercantile Center Buses: 11, 12, 15, 16, 45, 54, 91
Southeast	7:00 AM - 7:00 PM	Tarrant County College, South and Southeast Campuses City of Forest Hill	Buses: 5, 24, 25, 28, 33, 54, 55
Southside	6:00 AM - 8:00 PM (Sun - Wed) 6:00 AM - 12:00 AM (Thu - Sat)	Fort Worth Botanic Garden Fort Worth Zoo Medical City Fort Worth Texas Christian University Texas Wesleyan University	TEXRail and TRE: T&P Station Buses: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 24, 28, 52, 53, 54, The Dash
South Tarrant	7:00 AM - 7:00 PM	City of Crowley City of Everman Tarrant County College, South Campus	Buses: 5, 6, 33, 52, 65X, 66X, 72 South Park & Ride

Alliance ZIPZONE

Trinity Metro offers the Alliance ZIPZONE in Fort Worth's Alliance neighborhood in partnership with Lyft. While it shares the same branding as the other ZIPZONE services, it is not operated in the same manner. Instead, the service offers a complimentary Lyft ride (up to $50 value) within the zone via a promotional code if the rider has a multi-ride pass.

Fort Worth Bike Sharing

Operated in association with BCycle, Fort Worth Bike Sharing is a short-term bike rental service. Users check out electric bikes from docking stations across Fort Worth and ride them for up to two hours. This service is not included with any Trinity Metro tickets, though bike-exclusive memberships, which allow unlimited rides for their duration, are available.

VANPOOL

VANPOOL is a service which allows groups of five to fifteen people to collectively rent an SUV or van for travel to and from work, with prices varying based on the type of vehicle and distance traveled by each rider. Trinity Metro covers the cost of registration, insurance, fuel, and maintenance, though they do not cover tolls.

The service is open to riders in eleven counties: Dallas, Ellis, Erath, Hood, Johnson, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise. A similar service operated by DCTA operates in the rest of the Metroplex.

ACCESS Paratransit

ACCESS Paratransit (originally Mobility Impaired Transit Services, or MITS) is an ADA-compliant paratransit service for riders with disabilities that prevent them from using standard Trinity Metro services. The service allows eligible patrons to schedule curb-to-curb transportation to any location in Blue Mound, Fort Worth, or River Oaks.

List of Bus Routes

Current

• 1 – Hemphill
• 2 – Camp Bowie
• 4 – East Rosedale
• 5 – Evans Ave/TCC South
• 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/Azle 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–DFW Airport Terminal B station)
• 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)
• 3 Riverside/TCC South
• 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)
• 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
• 82 Southeast Zone Rider Request
• 83 Southeast Zone Rider Request
• 90 Long
• 111 Bell Helicopter Shuttle

Labor relations

From November 6, 2006 through November 11, 2006, around 100 of FWTA'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 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".

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.

External links

• Trinity Metro
• Transit-Oriented Development