Subway stays in memories, leaves town
by Bernie Scheffler

    Downtown Fort Worth lost an important piece of its charm last week when Radio Shack Corp. closed its free Tandy Center parking lot and subway.

    The subway made a final ceremonial run on Friday, and the parking lot closed yesterday.

    How many cities have you been to that have huge free parking lots so close to downtown? And where else could you have found a free subway to take you into the heart of downtown so you didn't have to walk several blocks (and up a big hill)?

    Plus, the parking lot provided access to Fort Worth's famous Trinity Trails and the Heritage rowing dock. Where are the countless walkers, joggers, cyclists, paddlers and rowers going to go now?

    Radio Shack is going to build a new '46-acre master-planned campus' on the site. Construction is scheduled to begin early in 2003.

    I guess it is fair. They own the property and can do as they please with it, but it is still unfortunate that Fort Worth will no longer be able to use the site.

    I think we've taken the Tandy Center facilities for granted too long. Radio Shack has owned and operated the facilities since 1974.

    It has been a rare example of a corporation using its assets to help the community it lives in.

    Sure, Radio Shack could have charged for parking. They could have charged for the subway ride. They could have made huge bags full of money from residents who probably wouldn't have minded paying a couple of dollars to park and ride a few blocks uphill.

    But they didn't charge us. They let us use it for nothing. That's a refreshing contrast to today's cut-throat corporate culture.

    While we are busy wading through news stories about corporate executives who will go to almost any length to make a profit, it's nice to know there is a company that cares about more than its stock prices.

    Many of us are sad to see the facility go. Maybe we should all give Radio Shack a big Thank You for letting us use it all these years.