An urban rail system that emanates from downtown Fort Worth and extends to the city’s rapidly growing areas to the north, south and west is among the sweeping transit recommendations a committee of city leaders led by Mayor Mattie Parker proposed Tuesday.
The project — which could cost at least $800 million if fully built out and take up to 10 years to go from planning stages to operation — picks up on significant transit corridors first identified in a 2010 city streetcar study aimed at relieving traffic congestion. A starter rail system could extend about 3 miles in three directions from the downtown center with potential for extensions as the city grows, according to a study by the Mayor’s Urban Rail Committee Supporting Economic Development and Tourism.
The city and Trinity Metro, the Fort Worth area transit agency, will work together to pursue a separate study of urban rail alternatives to recommend a transportation mode, routes and preliminary stations. One of the three routes would be built first, with initial costs starting around $220 million to $295 million.
Parker said the committee members — which included consultant Jay Chapa, now Fort Worth’s city manager, and then-Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber president Anette Landeros, now of Trinity Metro — brought different business perspectives to the table.
Their conversations centered around a “buzzword,” Parker said: strategic exploration.
“What does that mean? How do you create better connectivity that also stimulates economic development and growth, and in many ways enhances our traditional modes of transportation and transit here in the city of Fort Worth, but also moves a step forward to what urban rail could look like,” the mayor said. “Once we got a consensus around the table, then it was obvious to us our next step is really around the feasibility study and (to) help us explore what a good urban rail start would look like in Fort Worth.”
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The project would include consideration of establishing a transportation reinvestment zone, tax increment financing, federal and state grants, and commercial and philanthropic sponsors. A future referendum on the project could be put forward to voters, as other Texas cities, including Austin and San Antonio, have done for transit proposals.
### Rail system would connect destinations like Stockyards, Cultural District
If approved and funded, the system could eventually reach Fort Worth’s major attractions and destinations — including the Stockyards, the Cultural District and the Near Southside neighborhood — that are popular with residents and tourists alike. The system, which would consider future population and job growth in those areas, could see ridership start at 21,000 with potential to eventually reach hundreds of thousands as 363,924 jobs are forecast in the targeted areas by 2045.
The rail system, which would become part of Trinity Metro, would incorporate more than 260 acres of vacant land and 153 acres of parking lots, according to the study presented to the Fort Worth City Council Tuesday.
Annual operations and maintenance costs could run between $4 million and $6.5 million for each area.
The 21-page study offers options for the city to consider — bus rapid transit, streetcars, light rail, heavy rail and commuter rail.
The cheapest options are bus rapid transit — essentially faster-than-normal bus service — and streetcars. BRT would have an average construction cost of $28 million per mile while the streetcar option would cost an average of about $40 million per mile.
Rail options are pricier. Extensions of current commuter rail lines would cost an average of $73 million per mile while a light-rail system similar to the one operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit would cost an average of $186 million per mile. A system using existing heavy rail lines would cost an average of $963 million per mile.
The committee’s study estimates that the three targeted areas could reach a population of about 20,000 each by 2045, allowing for expansion in those areas as well as to the east side of town.
Parker said the study focused on the city’s entertainment districts as those on the north, west and south sides are growing, coupled with Trinity Metro’s efforts to boost ridership on its rail and bus systems.
She said it was important to be really conservative and to look at costs to make the projects a reality. The project would initially start on a small scale, Parker said.
“We’re talking about a really efficient network, an innovative system that is unique to Fort Worth,” said Richard Andreski, president and CEO of Trinity Metro. He added that the starter system would be able to connect with other areas of the city because they are close to downtown.
“We can be really efficient on how we build out this infrastructure,” he said. “I think there’s a rather unique opportunity to Fort Worth in terms of how this potential network gets developed over the coming years. We’re a long way from identifying exactly what that looks like. There’s a good bit of work that has to happen in terms of ridership opportunity, in terms of how these investments could stimulate further economic activity so there’s a lot of work that has to be done.”
### **Proposed rail lines**
### Northside line
The proposed route to the Northside neighborhood would be about 3 miles long to service Panther Island and the Stockyards via 9th Street and North Main Street, similar to the Orange Line bus route that Trinity Metro launched last year. The Northside route — estimated to cost between $285 million and $350 million — would include five of the city’s most congested areas, as redevelopment of the Stockyards is underway. Available land would include 169 acres of vacant land and 44 acres of parking lots.
### Near Southside line
Another proposed line — estimated to cost between $220 million and $265 million — would go from the downtown Central Station to West Magnolia Avenue via Jennings Avenue and West Vickery Boulevard, a 1.9-mile route. That route could use 65 acres of vacant land and 54 acres of parking lots.
### Cultural District
The third spur of the proposed line would go from Central Station to 7th Street and Montgomery Street/Camp Bowie Boulevard. That route could cost between $295 million and $360 million and run 3.2 miles. That route would incorporate 32 acres of vacant land and 55 acres of parking lots.
### Research shows ‘extraordinary support’ for transit in Fort Worth area
The committee, composed of dozens of Fort Worth leaders, met four times in September and October, to develop recommendations. The meetings weren’t public, so committee members could speak honestly about the city’s needs, Parker said.
The need for transit solutions comes as data shows traffic congestion in the downtown, Northside and Alliance areas as well as pockets of the city’s far east and west sides. North Central Texas Council of Governments data shows that highway initiatives near downtown — Interstate 30 and 35W and U.S. Highway 287 — spurred development in those areas.
Residents use their vehicles for 84% of trips in the city, resulting in an average commute time of 31 minutes. Most morning travel within Fort Worth is located west or northeast of downtown, especially as people travel to adjacent municipalities such as Trophy Club, Westlake, Keller and Watauga.
Trinity Metro, which has a service area of 404 square miles in Fort Worth and Tarrant County, is among the lowest funded transit agencies of Texas’ largest cities. Fort Worth, the state’s fourth most populous city, receives less transit funding than agencies in the Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio areas.
Research by Trinity Metro shows that there is “extraordinary support” for public transit as three in four respondents said they wanted more investment in bus, rail, ride share and other mobility programs. The study found that Trinity Metro has an annual economic impact of $705 million that supports 3,700 jobs in the community.
The agency is preparing a five-year strategic plan to identify ways to enhance services and increase ridership as it creates a long-term vision for transit in Tarrant County.
Parker said the city isn’t hampered by having a legacy system in place “so we can start from scratch” and identify the right corridors for the system.
“It’s not just about moving people from place to place. You’re also creating new economic activity along the route,” Parker said.
_Editor’s note: This story was updated March 4 to clarify costs of the initial phase._
_Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him ateric.garcia@fortworthreport.org. _
_At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy_ _here_ _._
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# Fort Worth proposes urban rail system emanating from downtown
by Eric E. Garcia, Fort Worth Report
March 4, 2025
<h1>Fort Worth proposes urban rail system emanating from downtown</h1> <p class="byline">by Eric E. Garcia, Fort Worth Report <br />March 4, 2025</p> <p>An urban rail system that emanates from downtown Fort Worth and extends to the city’s rapidly growing areas to the north, south and west is among the sweeping transit recommendations a committee of city leaders led by Mayor Mattie Parker proposed Tuesday.</p> <p>The project — which could cost at least $800 million if fully built out and take up to 10 years to go from planning stages to operation — picks up on significant transit corridors first identified in a 2010 city streetcar study aimed at relieving traffic congestion. A starter rail system could extend about 3 miles in three directions from the downtown center with potential for extensions as the city grows, according to a study by the <a href="https://fortworthreport.org/2024/05/02/fort-worth-mayor-makes-urban-rail-system-a-priority/#:~:text=The%20Mayor's%20Urban%20Rail%20Committee,mechanisms%20for%20construction%20and%20operations.">Mayor’s Urban Rail Committee Supporting Economic Development and Tourism.</a></p> <p>The city and Trinity Metro, the Fort Worth area transit agency, will work together to pursue a separate study of urban rail alternatives to recommend a transportation mode, routes and preliminary stations. One of the three routes would be built first, with initial costs starting around $220 million to $295 million.</p> <p>Parker said the committee members — which included consultant Jay Chapa, now Fort Worth’s city manager, and then-Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber president Anette Landeros, now of Trinity Metro — brought different business perspectives to the table. </p> <p>Their conversations centered around a “buzzword,” Parker said: strategic exploration. </p> <p>“What does that mean? How do you create better connectivity that also stimulates economic development and growth, and in many ways enhances our traditional modes of transportation and transit here in the city of Fort Worth, but also moves a step forward to what urban rail could look like,” the mayor said. “Once we got a consensus around the table, then it was obvious to us our next step is really around the feasibility study and (to) help us explore what a good urban rail start would look like in Fort Worth.”</p> <p>The project would include consideration of establishing a transportation reinvestment zone, tax increment financing, federal and state grants, and commercial and philanthropic sponsors. A future referendum on the project could be put forward to voters, as other Texas cities, including Austin and San Antonio, have done for transit proposals.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rail-system-would-connect-destinations-like-stockyards-cultural-district">Rail system would connect destinations like Stockyards, Cultural District</h3> <p>If approved and funded, the system could eventually reach Fort Worth’s major attractions and destinations — including the Stockyards, the Cultural District and the Near Southside neighborhood — that are popular with residents and tourists alike. The system, which would consider future population and job growth in those areas, could see ridership start at 21,000 with potential to eventually reach hundreds of thousands as 363,924 jobs are forecast in the targeted areas by 2045.</p> <p>The rail system, which would become part of Trinity Metro, would incorporate more than 260 acres of vacant land and 153 acres of parking lots, according to the study presented to the Fort Worth City Council Tuesday. </p> <p>Annual operations and maintenance costs could run between $4 million and $6.5 million for each area.</p> <p>The 21-page study offers options for the city to consider — bus rapid transit, streetcars, light rail, heavy rail and commuter rail. </p> <p>The cheapest options are bus rapid transit — essentially faster-than-normal bus service — and streetcars. BRT would have an average construction cost of $28 million per mile while the streetcar option would cost an average of about $40 million per mile. </p> <p>Rail options are pricier. Extensions of current commuter rail lines would cost an average of $73 million per mile while a light-rail system similar to the one operated by Dallas Area Rapid Transit would cost an average of $186 million per mile. A system using existing heavy rail lines would cost an average of $963 million per mile.</p> <p>The committee’s study estimates that the three targeted areas could reach a population of about 20,000 each by 2045, allowing for expansion in those areas as well as to the east side of town.</p> <p>Parker said the study focused on the city’s entertainment districts as those on the north, west and south sides are growing, coupled with Trinity Metro’s efforts to boost ridership on its rail and bus systems.</p> <p>She said it was important to be really conservative and to look at costs to make the projects a reality. The project would initially start on a small scale, Parker said.</p> <p>“We’re talking about a really efficient network, an innovative system that is unique to Fort Worth,” said Richard Andreski, president and CEO of Trinity Metro. He added that the starter system would be able to connect with other areas of the city because they are close to downtown. </p> <p>“We can be really efficient on how we build out this infrastructure,” he said. “I think there’s a rather unique opportunity to Fort Worth in terms of how this potential network gets developed over the coming years. We’re a long way from identifying exactly what that looks like. There’s a good bit of work that has to happen in terms of ridership opportunity, in terms of how these investments could stimulate further economic activity so there’s a lot of work that has to be done.”</p> <div class="wp-block-group alignwide has-light-gray-background-color has-background"> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proposed-rail-lines"><strong>Proposed rail lines</strong></h3> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Northside line</h3> <p>The proposed route to the Northside neighborhood would be about 3 miles long to service Panther Island and the Stockyards via 9th Street and North Main Street, similar to the Orange Line bus route that Trinity Metro launched last year. The Northside route — estimated to cost between $285 million and $350 million — would include five of the city’s most congested areas, as redevelopment of the Stockyards is underway. Available land would include 169 acres of vacant land and 44 acres of parking lots.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Near Southside line</h3> <p>Another proposed line — estimated to cost between $220 million and $265 million — would go from the downtown Central Station to West Magnolia Avenue via Jennings Avenue and West Vickery Boulevard, a 1.9-mile route. That route could use 65 acres of vacant land and 54 acres of parking lots.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cultural District</h3> <p>The third spur of the proposed line would go from Central Station to 7th Street and Montgomery Street/Camp Bowie Boulevard. That route could cost between $295 million and $360 million and run 3.2 miles. That route would incorporate 32 acres of vacant land and 55 acres of parking lots.</p> </p></div> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Research shows ‘extraordinary support’ for transit in Fort Worth area</h3> <p>The committee, composed of dozens of Fort Worth leaders, met four times in September and October, to develop recommendations. The meetings weren’t public, so committee members could speak honestly about the city’s needs, Parker said.</p> <p>The need for transit solutions comes as data shows traffic congestion in the downtown, Northside and Alliance areas as well as pockets of the city’s far east and west sides. North Central Texas Council of Governments data shows that highway initiatives near downtown — Interstate 30 and 35W and U.S. Highway 287 — spurred development in those areas.</p> <p>Residents use their vehicles for 84% of trips in the city, resulting in an average commute time of 31 minutes. Most morning travel within Fort Worth is located west or northeast of downtown, especially as people travel to adjacent municipalities such as Trophy Club, Westlake, Keller and Watauga.</p> <p>Trinity Metro, which has a service area of 404 square miles in Fort Worth and Tarrant County, is among the lowest funded transit agencies of Texas’ largest cities. Fort Worth, the state’s fourth most populous city, receives less transit funding than agencies in the Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio areas.</p> <p>Research by Trinity Metro shows that there is “extraordinary support” for public transit as three in four respondents said they wanted more investment in bus, rail, ride share and other mobility programs. The study found that Trinity Metro has an annual economic impact of $705 million that supports 3,700 jobs in the community.</p> <p>The agency is preparing a five-year strategic plan to identify ways to enhance services and increase ridership as it creates a long-term vision for transit in Tarrant County.</p> <p>Parker said the city isn’t hampered by having a legacy system in place “so we can start from scratch” and identify the right corridors for the system.</p> <p>“It’s not just about moving people from place to place. You’re also creating new economic activity along the route,” Parker said.</p> <p><em>Editor's note: This story was updated March 4 to clarify costs of the initial phase.</em></p> <p><em>Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at <a href="mailto:eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org">eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org</a>. </em></p> <p><em>At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy </em><a href="https://fortworthreport.org/about/fort-worth-report-editorial-independence-policy/"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p> <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://fortworthreport.org/2025/03/04/fort-worth-proposes-urban-rail-starter-system-emanating-from-downtown/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://fortworthreport.org">Fort Worth Report</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/cropped-favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://fortworthreport.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=198854&ga4=2820184429" style="width:1px;height:1px;"><script> PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: "https://fortworthreport.org/2025/03/04/fort-worth-proposes-urban-rail-starter-system-emanating-from-downtown/", urlref: window.location.href }); } } </script> <script id="parsely-cfg" src="//cdn.parsely.com/keys/fortworthreport.org/p.js"></script></p> Copy to Clipboard
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