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DART looks to end paid parking at light-rail, bus stations

 

DART patrons who don't live within the agency's 13 member cities pay $2 a day to park at Parker Road Station on the Red Line. (Eve Edelheit / Staff Photographer)

Dallas Area Rapid Transit is poised to stop charging people who don’t live in its member cities for parking at light-rail stations. The agency’s revenue committee unanimously approved the move Tuesday afternoon.

The agency still plans to give preferential parking at Plano’s Parker Road Station to people who live within its service area. If the full board approves the move next month, changes won’t take effect until April.

DART began charging for parking at some light-rail stations last year in part to dissuade people who live outside the agency’s service area from taking station parking spots from people who live inside the service area.

But the agency also hoped to make money off of what’s called the “fair share” parking program. Instead, the vendor operating the program has yet to break even and DART has yet to earn a penny.

“We thought we could make some money,” said board member Randall Chrisman, who chairs the revenue committee.

Parker Road Station, which is the northern-most stop on the Red and Orange lines, became the poster child of stations used by scores of people who don’t live in a member city. While Plano pays into DART, northern neighbors like Allen and McKinney do not. Yet residents of those Collin County cities still use the train to commute south to jobs in Dallas County.

There are also fair share lots at the North Carrollton/Frankford Station on the Green Line, the Belt Line Station on the Orange Line and at the Northwest Plano Park and Ride bus station. All are currently origin points or major hubs often used by non-member residents.

DART planning and development vice president Todd Plesko said Tuesday the agency could earn revenue off the program in the future.

“But it would be relatively small,” he said.

Plesko said the addition of paid parking didn’t affect ridership at stations. He said many people from outside the service area now drive past the paid lots and get on the train one or two stops down. That has caused overflow at the Green Line’s Trinity Mills Station. The Red Line’s Bush Turnpike Station is typically at about 90 percent capacity.

Plesko said the change will likely decrease cars at down-line stations and increase them again at end-stations. He said the station’s lots should be able to handle the changes.

The full DART board is expected to discuss the plan next week. A vote is scheduled for Dec. 10.

Toll agency: Call DFW for overcharges at airport

Workers at the South exit toll plaza help motorists at DFW International Airport on September 19, 2013. The new toll system has overcharged some motorists and led to backups at the entrance/exit gates. (Michael Ainsworth/Staff Photographer)

The North Texas Tollway Authority this morning is encouraging toll tag customers who have billing disputes brought on by DFW International Airport’s extremely problematic entrance and exit gates to contact the airport, not the toll authority.

“The NTTA does not own or operate equipment at the airport parking plazas,” the toll agency said in a prepared statement this morning. “The issues originated after the installation of DFW’s new parking center system in September. DFW advises that customers should expect a slightly longer wait for the gates to lift when exiting – the expected wait time is 3-5 seconds.”

People with problems can call DFW’s parking customer service line at 972-973-4840. The hours of that line have been extended. Calls are answered from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

“The airport has pledged to provide quick refunds to anyone who receives an inaccurate charge on their TollTag account,” NTTA’s statement said.

DART warns of mass-transit delays and detours during November 22 JFK event in Dealey Plaza

Don't expect to see -- or hear -- a DART train near Dealey Plaza during the JFK tribute on November 22.

Around 5,000 are expected for the rain-or-shine ticketed event in Dealey Plaza on November 22, when historian David McCullough and others are expected to pay homage to President John Kennedy. You can also expect some mass-transit inconvenience, at least during the event — and, perhaps, in the days leading up to the ceremony.

According to a briefing that will be presented to the Dallas City Council’s Transportation and Trinity River Committee at 1 p.m. today, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit will suspend light-rail service in parts of downtown that Friday. Per the briefing, the Red and Blue Lines, as well as the Trinity Railway Express, “will be shut down adjacent to Dealey Plaza for approximately one hour,” beginning around 12:30 p.m.

Also, says the briefing, the bus bridge between the Dallas Convention Center and the West End will be shut down during the event.

This too is worth noting: DART says there will also be “major” detours for all your regularly scheduled downtown bus routes — “some starting earlier in the week.”

Plan accordingly.

On November 4, downtown’s free shuttle rolls out, and DART introduces its first 24-hour route

This will be your new downtown Dallas-to-Oak Cliff shuttle. Note the absence of bunny ears.

It took a while, probably longer than it should have, but last month the Dallas City Council finally approved a two-year pilot project for a free downtown-to-Oak Cliff shuttle. OK, so it’s not exactly free: The so-called D-Link will cost $1.4 million, with the city, Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Downtown Dallas Inc. splitting the check.

DART reminds today that the downtown service will begin November 4 and run every 15 minutes from 11 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There will 14 stops along Route 722, all tied to what DART identifies as “major tourist attractions and employment centers in Downtown Dallas and Oak Cliff,” among them the Klyde Warren Deck Park, the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaxa, the Omni Hotel, Main Street, the Bishop Arts District, and the Kessler and Texas theaters. A route map is below.

Also, notes DART, “Evening service will be extended to serve Southside at Lamar and Cedars Station.”

You can now grab the schedule here.

But as DART reminds today the D-Link isn’t the only change coming November 4.

That’s also when the agency’s free shuttle connecting Parkland Memorial Hospital with UT Southwestern and the Medical District goes to 24-hour service — the first DART route that won’t stop running. Buses will run every 15 minutes along Route 703.

“It’s a huge 24-hour operation, for one thing,” says DART spokesman Morgan Lyons about the move to 24/7 service. “There’s a lot of activity in and around that campus, and it’s a good fit.”

Right now, says Lyons, there are no future plans for other non-stop routes — at least, not that he’s aware of. And it’s not for lack of people asking …

“We’ll hear it from time to time: ‘Why doesn’t rail service operate 24 hours?’” Lyons says. “There are a number of systems across the country that don’t operate 24 hours. Part of it’s time for maintenance. And we are a 24/7 operation because we’re doing maintenance or training. Very rarely are we just sitting idle.” Continue reading →

Another glitch delays drivers at D/FW Airport exit gates

Airport workers help drivers last month after a similar glitch with the newly automated gates ((Michael Ainsworth/The Dallas Morning News) )

Commuters trying to leave D/FW International Airport this evening through the north exit plaza may experience a short delay after a second glitch this week in the newly automated gates.

Airport spokeswoman Cynthia Vega said this is a different issue from Monday’s glitch, where the system failed to identify driver’s Toll Tags as they entered the airport, then had trouble letting them leave.

“The issue today is that the whole computer system is moving very slowly,” Vega said. “Electronically the parking control system is moving very slowly, it doesn’t matter what kind of transaction — with a Toll Tag — credit card or cash it is just processing very slowly.”

Vega said the issue is affecting only the north exit plaza and there are IT technicians out there troubleshooting the problem and helping drivers exit the airport.

“We have other personnel at every parking plaza helping people get out,” Vega said. “They are manually lifting the gates.”

Delays may be up to 15 minutes, but Vega said this is also a “high volume time,” which may contribute to the backups

TxDOT meeting, regional survey focus on the East

There’s active discussion in a couple forms on growth taking place east of Dallas.

Wednesday, the Texas Department of Transportation’s I-20 East Texas Corridor Advisory Committee meets in Terrell. Representatives from Dallas, Gregg, Harrison, Kaufman, Smith and Van Zandt counties will discuss maps, community features and concerns with TxDOT officials.

Meanwhile, the North Central Texas Council of Governments has initiated an Eastside Transit Alternatives Study to examine the need for expanding transit and passenger rail service to Balch Springs, Forney, Kaufman, Mesquite, Seagoville, Sunnyvale and Terrell.

Jerry Dittman, Mesquite assistant city manager, reached out this week to ask those who participated in the city’s transit initiative to take the regional transit survey by the Oct. 31 deadline. Mesquite contracts with Dallas Area Rapid Transit to provide shuttle service from Hanby Stadium to the light rail Green Line.

D/FW Airport says latest glitch with exit gates has been resolved

Airport workers, shown last month after a similar glitch, were once again forced to raise the automated gates manually Monday. (Michael AInsworth/Staff Photographer)

Staff writer Stephanie Embree reports:

Glitches with the newly automated gates at D/FW International Airport again caused headaches for travelers this week.

“It’s a new system that’s affecting 40,000 people that come in and out of the airport everyday,” said D/FW spokeswoman Cynthia Vega. “We really, really regret this is happening.”

Monday’s glitch caused motorists leaving through the airport’s north gate to wait in line as airport employees handed out fee tickets and manually lifted the exit gates.

Vega said the system began failing to identify drivers’ Toll Tags as they entered the airport, and when the unread tag tried to exit the airport the system became confused and would not let them pass through. She said the problem has since been fixed.

It’s not the first problem with the new system. Earlier this fall the debut of the entry and exit plazas had to be delayed, and in September thousands of drivers were overcharged for their visits to the airport.

Vega believes the issues with the new system have been resolved, and that it won’t happen again.

“We realize that it only affects a small number of people each day,” Vega said. “But we know that when it happens to you it matters. We really apologize for what’s going on and we hope people will hang in there with us.”

Ramp from I45 to I30 to close for three nights

An aerial view of Interstate 45 northbound crossing over Interstate 30 east of downtown Dallas in the bottom right of the picture. (David Woo / Staff Photographer)

State transportation crews plan to close the ramp connecting northbound Interstate 45 to westbound Interstate 30 this weekend and part of next week. The connector will be closed daily from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting at 9 p.m. Sunday and ending at 5 a.m. Wednesday. Officials suggest taking Interstate 45 north, exiting Hall, turning around, heading south on Interstate 45 and taking that connection to westbound Interstate 30.

TxDOT releases names of top toll violators

The Texas Department of Transportation on Thursday released its list of the top 25 scofflaw violators.

Sixteen primary vehicle owners from central Texas were exposed for owing more than $100,000 in tolls and fees, with two owing more than $200,000.

Brandon Formby reported that the department, which runs the toll roads in the Austin and Laredo areas, was following in the footsteps of the North Texas Tollway Authority by cracking down on motorists who don’t fork up the tolls. The move is meant to shame those drivers.

Here’s the full list:

Owner
 Co-Owner City/State Unpaid Toll Transactions
 Total Amount of Tolls and Fees Owed
Ronny Williams Cora Lewis Pflugerville, TX 14,358 $236,026.32
Mandy Dyment Stephen Dyment Hutto, TX 10,566 $217,619.79
Renee Lee Ferguson Hutto, TX 8,718 $166,506.35
Taniqua Evans Hutto, TX 7,777 $158,705.16
Theresa Twyefort Pflugerville, TX 6,280 $149,418.37
Amee J Geren Round Rock, TX 6,692 $145,341.08
Judy Blundell Taylor, TX 5,952 $141,755.21
Ashley A Canada Austin, TX 7,100 $139,344.62
Laura A Gregory Round Rock, TX 6,111 $132,750.33
Mina Henderson Hutto, TX 5,193 $124,132.84
Tracey N Smith Hutto, TX 5,138 $120,472.80
Carmilla Alberts Pflugerville, TX 4,722 $117,808.00
Roger Brooks Round Rock, TX 4,462 $111,596.74
David Richard Daly Richard Pflugerville, TX 5,236 $102,787.21
Stephanie A Davis Pflugerville, TX 4,912 $102,097.02
Yair Vanunu Austin, TX 4,447 $100,027.61
Durjuana Fresch Pflugerville, TX 4,137 $96,176.25
Robert Gervais Simon Gervais Round Rock, TX 4,065 $94,983.23
Lisa A Gonzales Pflugerville, TX 5,118 $94,855.95
Lori Millican Austin, TX 4,146 $87,732.50
Kathleen Rivera Leander, TX 3,529 $87,698.39
Mary Castaneda John Castaneda Austin, TX 6,003 $86,979.57
Tony Gutierrez Mary Gutierrez Hutto, TX 3,549 $86,134.98
Nicole Michell Brown Pflugerville, TX 4,476 $85,886.60
Alex Garcia Austin, TX 3,604 $82,297.26

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Transportation funding gap still haunting state officials

A look at traffic along Woodall Rogers headed north on US 75 on the north side of downtown Dallas on Oct. 8, 2013. (Brad Loper / Staff Photographer)

The effects of the Texas Legislature’s failure to guarantee more revenue streams to build and maintain highways are already starting to play out. State transportation leaders said Thursday their plans for new or renovated roads won’t meet expected demand.

For now, the strategy is to try and keep up with current needs instead of factoring in expected population growth. The state’s population is expected to explode in the next 50 years, putting more people on its roads.

The Texas Department of Transportation this year will spend $6.2 billion on new construction and maintenance. The best case scenario for 2015 would give the agency about $3.7 billion. But that requires voters to approve a Constitutional amendment next year.

If voters reject the amendment, the agency will only have about $2.5 billion to spend on new projects in two years. And since that’s the only amount TxDOT knows it’s likely to get, that’s the value of projects actively being worked on for the future.

“We can only plan to the dollars we know we have,” TxDOT executive director Phil Wilson said.

His and other state leaders’ comments came during a transportation symposium at Southern Methodist University produced by non-profit news agency The Texas Tribune. The lack of a long-term transportation funding solution was a constant thread.

State lawmakers went into this year’s legislative session ready to make transportation a priority. But the regular session ended with little to show.

“Transportation is not a sexy, emotional type of issue,” said Ted Houghton, chair of the Texas Transportation Commission.

Funding problems have lingered for years. Republican lawmakers are reticent to increase the state’s gas taxes or fees on car registrations.

“There are certain sources of revenue I will never be supportive of,” State Rep. Linda Harper-Brown of Irving said Thursday.

As North Texas drivers know, toll roads are helping fill the void. But state legislators worry that drivers could get fed up with having to pay to drive too many places.

“We can get to fatigue point where it gets to be too much,” said State Rep. Larry Phillips, who chairs the Texas House Transportation Committee.

Even after Gov. Rick Perry made transportation funding a topic in three special sessions this year, legislators declined to give TxDOT the $1.6 billion more a year it asked for. A bitter partisan war over abortion stole the limelight in the first two special sessions..

“People knew, but they were distracted by other things,” Houghton said Thursday.

In the final special session, lawmakers again failed to guarantee TxDOT any additional money. But they agreed to let voters decide if money could be diverted from a rainy day fund to build and maintain roads. That vote happens next year.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers said Thursday they support the measure. The fund’s balance in recent years has ballooned from $405 million to an expected $11.8 billion by the end of 2015.

Harper-Brown said opponents of the amendment are falsely saying that lawmakers want to loot the rainy day fund. The amendment wouldn’t draw money from the existing balance, but would allow lawmakers to divert new revenues to transportation instead of just the fund.

“They’re not being honest about what’s going on,” Harper-Brown said.

Democratic State Rep. Joe Pickett of El Paso said even if the measure passes, lawmakers will have to again talk about new funding sources as soon as the 2015 legislative session begins.

“We must start talking about something else,” he said.