(Courtesy of the Texas Transit Association)

Roger Snoble says "goodbye" to DART; Heads to L.A.

Roger Snoble, Dallas Area Rapid Transit's top executive since 1994, left that post in October to take the helm of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority with its annual budget of $2.7 billion.

During Mr. Snoble's time at DART, the transit agency opened 20 miles of light-rail and 27 miles of commuter-rail lines, expanded DART’s bus service, and implemented four interim HOV projects.

METRO legal victory announced

The Texas Supreme Court denied the petition for review in the Todd vs. METRO case on June 28.  This ruling solidifies the Harris County (Houston) Metro’s legal right to proceed with its METRORail project from downtown Houston to the Astrodome-Reliant stadium areas.

According to METRO President & CEO Shirley A. DeLibero, the ruling was "another important victory for METRO (that) one more time establishes our right to implement the region's first light rail system – and … reaffirms that the Houston City Council followed the proper section of the city charter when approving an agreement allowing us to use city streets to build the rail line."

Also, last may, the METRO’s board of directors authorized focused studies of four corridors recommended for some form of advanced high-capacity transit, such as light rail or high-speed bus. The plan emphasizes the importance of transportation alternatives as a key to alleviating some of the existing and future congestion problems on Houston's roadways.

Northside Corridor proponents (primarily neighborhood and business groups) favor extending the study corridor which begins in downtown Houston well north beyond Harris County and into Montgomery County.

"We recognize that the Brazos Transit District serves that area, but the corridor study must extend at least to The Woodlands, which has a large base of commuters," said a corridor group spokesman. "We have to figure out how we will work that into the scope."

VIA uses persuasion to counter the growing cost of paratransit.

VIA in San Antonio has adopted new technologies and a powerful incentive to facilitate the switch from paratransit to fixed-route bus rides. 

Adopting an approach that has been used with great success in other metropolitan areas, VIA has purchased low-floor, wheelchair ramped buses that allow for swifter access for passengers, the added economic incentive of a free fixed-route ride for previous paratransit passengers who move to fixed route service, and freedom from reservations.

While the specialized paratransit services used primarily by persons with disabilities provides an important linkage in transportation, many of its users have felt constrained by the need to make advance reservations.  But the skyrocketing costs of service often compel transit agencies to require advanced scheduling.

With its new moves, VIA has successfully transitioned nearly one-third of its previous paratransit customers to fixed-route service.

The T promotes “smart growth development” in Fort Worth.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (“The T”) is seeking a developer for a four-acre tract between Vickery Boulevard and Interstate 30 downtown.  This location, where The T plans to open a commuter rail station in October, is presently without a fixed concept for its development.

Anticipating a mix of retail, office and residential development, John Bartosiewicz, The T’s general manager, affirmed that "What we care about is meeting the needs of the station."

Currently, the T’s only requirement for the station is for 100 rail station parking spaces on the property. The transit agency anticipates 1,000 boardings a day at the commuter rail station with a shuttle bus running between the station’s lot and downtown.

Arlington may go it alone in establishing transit system.

The Arlington City Council is expected to authorize a sales tax referendum for November with the following items to be funded by the local sales tax:

Higher than expected use of Trinity Railway Express reported

"After only about one month of service in Tarrant County, the parking lots were already full, so we started plans to expand them," said Suzy Smola, director of marketing for the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. "That's a good problem to have." 

The overflow lots at the Richland Hills and CentrePort stations opened less than a year ago.

It’s good news, too, for drivers who are increasingly moving to the Trinity Railway Express as gasoline prices in the Metroplex reached record levels. With many of these new riders saving up to $50 a week, those using employer-paid E-passes estimate they are saving $2,000 to $3,000 each year.

RTA in Corpus Christi will get new headquarters.

The Corpus Christi Regional Transit Authority’s Bear Lane facility is being replaced by a new facility and construction should be finished soon.

However, this new facility is not the only "new" or improved service: RTA has also been busy re-tooling paratransit vehicles to meet the needs of persons with disabilities using larger motorized wheelchairs and is squeezing more bus routes out of a relatively static operating budget.

By strategically extending and interlining a formerly seasonal tourist route with a much-used fixed route, the RTA has provided riders of both routes with more opportunities at more locations.