In 2015, the City of Arlington, TX was the largest city in the United States without a fixed-route transit network. Arlington sits halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth, and it’s not a member city of either Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) or Fort Worth Transportation Authority (Trinity Metro). It is home to the stadiums for both the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys. Arlington operated a short-term pilot of the Metro Arlington Xpress (MAX) service to connect residents and commuters to the Trinity Railway Express (TRE). This project was initiated as the pilot drew to a close to determine whether service should continue, and evolved into a comprehensive operational analysis for Arlington to determine the feasibility of implementing a citywide fixed-route transit network. TMD worked together with Cambridge Systematics (CS) to analyze existing and future market conditions in order to determine the need and demand for different types of transit services. TMD conducted surveys of UT Arlington students and Handitran Paratransit riders, gathered information on commuter travel patterns, and collected ridership data from UT Arlington shuttles, Handitran Paratransit service, and the Arlington Entertainment District Trolley. TMD evaluated the feasibility of different types of transit services to serve different rider markets: crosstown fixed-route services on major corridors for general public use; campus circulators to transport students across campus and to shopping destinations; and, inbound and outbound commute express services to Park & Rides and Trinity Railway Express stations for people working in Dallas, Fort Worth, and at the UT Arlington campus. For each option, TMD developed operating and capital cost estimates, including headways, spans, revenue hours, revenue miles, and vehicle requirements by route. TMD also developed a list of proposed bus stop locations for the fixed-route services and associated capital costs. TMD supported CS’ work on alternative mobility options, including partnering with Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) or taxicab companies to provide subsidized trips within the city. Since this project concluded, Arlington has implemented a partnership with VIA and provides on-demand rides to residents within a certain geographic zone.

  • Arlington, TX