Transit

Regional Transit Ridership

Transit ridership continued to bounce back in 2023 from its COVID-induced decline. Data suggests NCTCOG’s partnership efforts with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Trinity Metro and Denton County Transportation Authority have helped push ridership higher across the region. The three major transit authorities combined provided nearly 57 million rides to customers in 2023, a 13.4% increase over 2022. For more information, visit www.nctcog.org/transittrends

Microtransit

As the population grows, transit agencies and local governments are collaborating to efficiently connect riders. Microtransit is using technology to introduce services in new places and enhance services in lower-density areas. Passengers using this on-demand form of transportation schedule rides directly by phone or through a mobile app. Trinity Metro’s ZIPZONE serves riders in the Alliance, Mercantile, Southeast, Southside and South Tarrant zones. DCTA operates GoZone in Denton, Lewisville and Highland Village. DART GoLink covers over 30 zones across cities in Dallas and Collin counties.

Arlington and Grand Prairie offer microtransit through the VIA rideshare service. Arlington’s microtransit service fleet continues to operate autonomous vehicles integrated into its operation in 2021. Additionally, STAR Transit’s STARNow, which operates across select cities in Dallas and Kaufman counties, introduced service to Cedar Hill and Duncanville in 2023.

Vanpool Program

The North Central Texas Regional Vanpool Program is managed by DCTA and Trinity Metro. With over 280 vanpools in the region, this program offers commuters opportunities to share rides to and from the office. Individuals can form or join groups to commute to work together, while splitting the cost of the vehicle lease. Saving over 476,000 commuter trips and over 18.4 million miles in 2023, the vanpool program continues to be an effective transportation option in the region. The program has also reduced over 13.9 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to improved air quality. For more information, visit www.nctcog.org/vanpool

2023 Passenger Trips for Smaller Providers

Total

The region’s three major transit authorities combined to provide customers 13.4% more rides in 2023 than in the previous year.

Transit Studies

NCTCOG continued to work with partners in the region in 2023 on two transit planning studies. One focuses on developing a comprehensive approach to planning and implementing transit in Denton County, while the other is looking at public transportation options in eastern Dallas, Kaufman and Rockwall counties outside transit authority service areas. Each study seeks to examine transit needs and demand and identify opportunities to expand service. Following analysis and stakeholder input, recommendations will be developed for each study area. For more information, visit www.nctcog.org/transitstudies

Additionally, NCTCOG completed the Intermodal Transportation Hubs for Colleges and Universities Study, which developed a comprehensive guide for planning and implementation of mobility hubs at campuses around the region. For more information, visit www.nctcog.org/trans/plan/transitmanagement-and-planning.

Non-SOV Travel

NCTCOG tracks the proportion of commute trips that use a mode other than driving alone (“non-SOV” trips) as part of the broader suite of federal performance measures. This measure has spiked in recent years primarily due to the rise in telecommuting brought on by the pandemic. The latest available census data shows a non-SOV commute rate of 26.7% in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Urbanized Area, 28.2% in the Denton-Lewisville Urbanized Area, and 33.4% in the McKinney-Frisco Urbanized Area. These percentages are expected to continue increasing due in part to the ongoing normalization of telecommuting and NCTCOG’s efforts to diversify trips.

Transit Safety

As important as it is for the region’s public transportation agencies to offer a variety of service options, they must do so safely. NCTCOG collaborates with the region’s transit providers to set and monitor targets for fatalities, injuries, safety events and system reliability as part of the responsibility to report federal performance measures. The number of safety events reported in fiscal year 2022 showed performance continued to exceed established targets. There were 172 events, far below the target of 490. The region also exceeded the target for transit system reliability based on an increase in average miles between major mechanical failures of vehicles. The overall goal is to realize a 5% improvement over the regional baseline average performance by 2025. The fatality goal remains zero, in line with the RTC’s safety position.

Transit Asset Management

Asset Category Rolling StocK (Transit Vehicles)

Equipment (Support Vehicles

Infrastructure (Rail Track)

(Buildings, Stations, Park & Rides) industry

(FTA Useful Life Benchmark or custom agency below “adequate”

Transit Asset Management

Federal legislation also requires NCTCOG to set regional transit asset management targets and evaluate the performance of transit assets to ensure public transportation vehicles, rail lines and other capital assets are in a state of good repair. Updated targets were set in coordination with transit agencies and adopted by the RTC in September 2022. Separate targets were established for the region’s three large transit agencies and smaller providers. This acknowledges the potential operating advantages of larger agencies. These targets are compared with regional performance data from Fiscal Year 2022 in the accompanying table. More information: www.nctcog.org/pm/fed

The North Central Texas Regional Vanpool Program is managed by DCTA and Trinity Metro. With over 280 vanpools in the region, this program offers commuters opportunities to share rides to and from the office. Individuals can form or join groups to commute to work together, while splitting the cost of the vehicle lease. Saving over 476,000 commuter trips and over 18.4 million miles in 2023, the vanpool program continues to be an effective transportation option in the region. The program has also reduced over 13.9 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to improved air quality. For more information, visit www.nctcog.org/vanpool

The North Central Texas Regional Vanpool Program is managed by DCTA and Trinity Metro. With over 280 vanpools in the region, this program offers commuters opportunities to share rides to and from the office. Individuals can form or join groups to commute to work together, while splitting the cost of the vehicle lease. Saving over 476,000 commuter trips and over 18.4 million miles in 2023, the vanpool program continues to be an effective transportation option in the region. The program has also reduced over 13.9 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to improved air quality. For more information, visit www.nctcog.org/vanpool