The city of Fort Worth is investing in its public transit system after seeing an increase in ridership over the past year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Trinity Metro’s TEXRail \u2014 a 27-mile commuter rail system\u00a0running from downtown Fort Worth through North Fort Worth, North Richland Hills and Grapevine to DFW International Airport at Terminal B \u2014 is getting an extension<\/a>. Referred to as a \u201ccore corridor for Fort Worth and Trinity Metro,\u201d the 2.1-mile extension will be from\u00a0Texas and Pacific Station, where it currently terminates, to the proposed Near\u00a0Southside Station in the Medical District, according to project information provided by Trinity Metro.<\/p>\n \u201cAs Fort Worth and North Texas continue to grow rapidly, we simply cannot build our way out of congestion with highways alone,\u201d said Ted Zimmerman, Trinity Metro\u2019s vice president of marketing and communications.<\/p>\n Construction on the $167 million extension will begin in December and is expected to finish in late 2029. The\u00a0extended service\u00a0will\u00a0operate\u00a0seven days a week, mirroring the current\u00a0service.\u00a0<\/p>\n Funding for the project has come from a combination of federal grants, support from the Regional Transportation Council, the city of Fort Worth and Trinity Metro. The land on which the station is being built was donated by Baylor\u00a0Scott & White Hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been part of the community\u2019s long-term transportation vision for decades, and the corridor continues to align with the city\u2019s growth patterns and regional transportation goals today,\u201d\u00a0Zimmerman said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The city views investing in public transit as an economic strategy. The Fort Worth Medical District currently supports approximately 50,000 jobs in various sectors. President\u00a0and CEO\u00a0of Trinity Metro Richard Andreski said in an April city council\u00a0meeting <\/a>the rail service had sustained growth, and March had seen the service\u2019s highest numbers to date. Andreski said Trinity Metro has seen 15-20% compounded annual growth since 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n