Residents of the historic Southside want better transportation options. Here’s what they recommend

Fort Worth residents in the 76104 ZIP code say they need improvements to existing transportation services and related infrastructure to give them better access to shopping, schools and health care facilities.

Express buses with faster and more direct connections, especially to hospitals and shopping centers, are needed to ensure residents can get the services and products they need. They also want to see more sidewalk improvements and safer, well-lit buses and bus stops.

These are the first recommendations of the residents of the city. Southside Historic Districtan area of chronic poverty that had the lowest life expectancy in Texas in 2019.

Information provided by residents is used to study public transportation in the North Central Texas 76104 zip code, specifically looking at the historically Black Southside, Hillside and Morningside neighborhoods near Evans Avenue.

During a Nov. 19 meeting at the Ella Mae Chambly Library, government council staff released initial results of a spring 2024 transit study as a time frame for public contribution continues until January.

“This is a special project for us,” Gypsy Gavia, the research project manager, told 25 community members at the meeting.

Most residents surveyed earlier this year said they use Trinity Metro buses and trains. About 59% use the Trinity Railway Express commuter train, which connects Fort Worth and Dallas, and 54% use agency buses. About 53% of residents also used TEXRail, the rail line that extends from downtown Fort Worth to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

On-demand car sharing service was preferred by 42% of residents, while 41% relied on renting a car or driving to their destination. About 28% traveled by bicycle, and 22% used Fort Worth’s bike-sharing program. About 9% used paratransit vehicles.

The Council of Governments’ planning study will identify transport solutions that will help residents improve their mobility and access to food, healthcare, housing and jobs. The study is funded by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s Areas of Persistent Poverty program, which is designed to improve transit in low-income areas identified by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Morningside resident Ornelle Hynex, 68, said bus service used to be a better way to get to her home.

“It used to be easier to get around,” she said. “I used to go everywhere by bus. Now I have to walk further to catch the bus. This makes life difficult for the elderly population.”

June 17, Trinity Metro Board of Directors unanimously approves new fare structure as a result, some passengers began paying less for rail and car-sharing programs.

The changes, which took effect Sept. 15, included reducing the cost of a regular day pass by $5. Frequent flyers now pay $7 less for a seven-day pass, which has dropped from $25 to $18. Other passes sold monthly or annually have been cancelled. The transit agency’s research has shown that riders prefer capped fares, said Chad Edwards, the agency’s executive vice president of strategy, planning and development.

In June, Edwards said Trinity Metro has created a “simpler, clearer fare system” that is attractive to the public and will help increase ridership in the coming years.

Residents say other transportation barriers include a lack of usable sidewalks, bus frequency, limited bus hours and unsafe waiting conditions.

Safety on board buses is also a concern.

November 19 Fort Worth police posted the video on their Facebook page. It shows the suspect assaulting a bus passenger on Oct. 30 while the bus was stopped on East Lancaster Avenue at 2268 Handley Drive. The suspect allegedly took the man’s cell phone and punched the passenger during the fight before he got off the bus. He remains at large.

The results of the transit study will help government council staff identify ways to potentially assist with planning and funding opportunities. Public feedback on the draft recommendations will be accepted until January 17 at publicinput.com/76104survey. The final results of the survey will be published in March.

Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected].

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