Mid City Times

On Tuesday, the Fort Worth City Council received an update regarding the extension of TEXRail to the Medical District. This project aligns with Fort Worth's goals of enhancing connectivity and public transit while keeping costs and risks in check.

The significance of this development lies in its potential impact on over 300,000 residents who rely on Trinity Metro in Fort Worth. With concerns about traffic and mobility, a significant portion of the population—77%—supports investments in public transportation. The city also faces challenges related to population growth and congestion.

For Fiscal Year 2024, Trinity Metro reported a ridership of 7.8 million people, compared to 5.8 million in FY22. Notably, on-demand services experienced a 96.2% increase in ridership, contributing to an overall rise of 33.2% across all services.

Looking ahead, system ridership is projected to grow by 15-20% annually, nearing 800,000 riders per month. In addition to the existing Orange and Blue lines, new Maroon and Green Lines have been proposed. The Maroon Line will serve the Near Southside area while the Green Line will cover the Cultural District and Fort Worth Zoo vicinity. The recently launched Orange Line offers a Western-themed bus route connecting downtown Fort Worth with the Stockyards.

In response to increased ridership over the past three years, Fort Worth plans to extend TEXRail by two miles from the Fort Worth T&P Station to a new station in the Medical District. This extension will feature a park-and-ride lot with 100 parking spaces and opportunities for transit-oriented development alongside Baylor Scott & White.

The project is estimated at $295 million due to expenses such as new tracks, bridges, culverts, retaining walls, signals and communications infrastructure as well as a new rail station.

To support this initiative financially, Trinity Metro secured a $25 million RAISE grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for extending TEXRail into Near Southside.