Tarrant travelers need mass transit system
Bernie Scheffler, ne news editor

    A recent accident totaled my car. Luckily, I was not injured, but my sudden lack of mobility reminded me of an important problem: the lack of a public transportation system in the Mid-Cities area.

   The Trinity Railway Express, a commuter train between downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas, does make stops in Richland Hills and Hurst (near Bell Helicopter), but no bus or light-rail routes exist to take riders to other Mid-Cities locations.

   Apparently, since a majority of Mid-Cities residents are affluent enough to own cars (or SUVs), mass transit has not yet been deemed necessary.

   Texans traditionally think of mass transit as something reserved for people who cannot afford pickup trucks.

   However, just because a person owns a vehicle does not mean one should view it as his only means of transportation. Even auto owners need public transportation.

   Fewer cars on the road mean less traffic, something everyone can appreciate. Urban planners admit they cannot build new roads fast enough to help reduce traffic. Mass transit may be the only other option.
   Fewer cars also mean fewer emissions, which can help reduce the air quality problems the Metroplex has experienced in the past few summers.

   Mass transportation also can save riders time and money. A monthly pass costs $60. Does anyone have car, insurance and gasoline payments less than $60 a month?

   Fewer miles on a car mean less wear and tear, which translates into lower maintenance costs. Resale value also improves for cars with lower mileage.

   Riding even helps productivity. Can you read, write letters or do homework while you drive to school?
Maybe you can. But for everyone’s safety, I hope you do not. You could do all those things on a train or bus with the added benefit of not killing anyone.

   Theoretically, mass transportation can even reduce the number of drunken driving incidents. Suburban revelers visiting Fort Worth’s Sundance Square, for example, could simply use a train and bus to get there and back. Drunken riding is not illegal. Just don’t get disorderly.

   Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) proves mass transit systems are not only feasible but also very successful.

   DART has light-rail lines throughout Dallas and plans to expand them to its suburbs through 2003. Plus, DART bus routes connect the rail lines to every part of town.

   DART’s rush-hour trains are near capacity and expected to be busier as service extends farther into the suburbs.

   The Fort Worth Transit Authority (The T), however, only serves Fort Worth and limited parts of Lake Worth and Richland Hills.

   Tarrant County’s population is growing rapidly, especially in the Mid-Cities. These suburbs need a mass transit system similar to what DART provides in Dallas County.

   According to a 1995 Texas law, a county with a principal city that has already created a municipal transit authority can create its own transit authority and take over operation of the municipal authority.

   This seems like a good thing for Tarrant County to do for its taxpayers. A new transit authority could absorb The T and extend service to places in the county where it is badly needed, such as Arlington, Hurst, Euless and Bedford.