Arlington Texas
is the largest city in the U.S. without public transit
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APT @ the City Council Meeting (April 11)
What is Arlington Public Transit?
Arlington Public Transit is a citizen-run public transportation advocacy group for Arlington Texas. As a dedicated group of citizen-advocates, we strive to promote an evidence-based approach to public transit, ensuring that decisions are rooted in real-world data and comprehensive analysis from groups like the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and other experts.
At Arlington Public Transit, we firmly believe in the power of traditional modes of transit like buses and trains, which have mountains of data on their implementation and use. Our mission is to advocate for a robust public transit system that serves the needs of our community, enhances connectivity, and fosters a greener future. By advocating for evidence-based policies, we strive to maximize the impact of public transit investments and ensure that they align with the evolving needs and priorities of our community.
Through this website, you’ll find resources, information, and updates on our advocacy efforts. Whether you’re a passionate supporter of public transportation, a community member seeking to learn more, or a policymaker looking for evidence-based insights, we invite you to explore our website and join us in our mission to enhance public transit in Arlington.
We are working towards a future where public transportation plays a pivotal role in creating sustainable, connected, and vibrant communities. Together, let’s build a public transit system that is firmly rooted in real-world data, meets the needs of all residents, and drives positive change for Arlington and beyond.
Getting Public Transit Isn’t Complicated
Nearly 6,800 organizations operate public transportation services in the U.S., meaning that the template for a successful public transit system already exists! (APTA Fact Book)
Not only that, but the Trinity Metro and DART already run transit systems in close proximity to Arlington and could provide a service quickly as long as we have the funding. In fact, this idea was discussed in a recent
Did you know? DART ran a single bus in Arlington from 2013 – 2017, called the Metro Arlington Xpress. The route failed to provide service to the vast majority of Arlington residents (serving only Downtown and UTA) and it was cancelled in favor of Via, a ride sharing service operated by a private company. Does the failure of a bus route that serves no one prove that Arlington citizens don’t want public transit? No!
Public Transit Quick Facts:
- Every $1 invested in public transportation generates $5 in economic returns.
- Every $1 billion invested in public transportation supports and creates approximately 50,000 jobs.
- Every $10 million in capital investment in public transportation yields $30 million in increased business sales.
- Home values were up to 24% higher near public transportation than in other areas. Hotels in cities with direct rail access to airports raise 11% more revenue per room than hotels in those cities without.
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VIA is not Efficient Transportation
VIA is a private company that operates a publicly subsized ride sharing program in Arlington. It is NOT the same as proper, high-capacity mass transit. Vans only carry a handful of people and don’t have most of the same benefits of traditional public transit – such as regular schedules, environmental benefits and high capacity. In fact, VIA is more like Uber or Lyft than a traditional public transit system, and operates on a limited schedule of 6am to 9pm on weekdays, while only starting at 9am on weekends.
VIA is a poor replacement for a bus or light rail system, and has a much lower carrying capacity. One van requires a driver and holds 4-6 people, while one bus driver can carry 40-60 people. VIA requires 10 times the vans and 10 times the drivers to carry the same amount of people as a similar bus system! It’s not an effective total solution for a city as large as Arlington.
“VIA requires 10 times the vans and 10 times the drivers to carry the same amount of people as a similar bus system”
The Stadler FLIRT, a light rail train currently in use on the TEXRAIL, can hold nearly 250 people. To carry the same amount of passengers you would need 35 vans! This is what true, high-capacity public transit is capable of.
Via is better with high-capacity transit options
Buses, streetcars and light rail aren’t perfect. There are places they simply can’t go, and Via could be an important supplement to a future public transit system. Its point-to-point method works perfectly with other transport options. However, Via is not enough on its own. For example, AT&T stadium has a capacity of 80,000 people and if just 1000 decide to use Via instead of a car, that would require up to 140 vans to meet the immediate demand. If the game or event goes past 9pm, Via can’t even be used at all. A dedicated light rail line could carry those same 1000 people on only 4 trains (or 14 buses). The real problem with Via is that it can’t efficiently scale to meet the needs of a city as big as Arlington.
We don’t need to get rid of Via, but we also can’t accept it as our only transportation solution. Working in tandem with high-capacity public transit, Via could cover the gaps while buses, streetcars, and light rail move large amounts of people between established destinations, like our stadiums, theme parks, hotels and downtown. With both options, Arlington could be the most accessible city in the United States, attracting people from across the world to visit us as a destination and spend more time here.
What is our city actually considering?
The following are three modes of transit that are actually being considered by our city. What they all have in common is that they’re unproven technologies with essentially no data about the best practices for building them. Buses and trains are used in thousands of cities in the US and across the world, meaning we have a large selection of suppliers and contractors, lowering costs substantially. We simply don’t know whether these newer technologies will even work, but we know that they will be expensive.
Personal Rapid Transit
- Used in only a few cities
- Limited number of manufacters
- Slow, will travel at ~25 mph
- Low-capacity, low volume
- Difficult and expensive to expand system
Level Gondola System
- Unproven, has never been built
- Only one manufacturer exists (Swyft)
- Very slow, will travel at 20 mph
- Low-capacity, low volume
- Difficult and expensive to expand system
(Image credit: Transpod)
TransPod Low-Pressure-Tube “Hyperloop”
- Unproven technology
- More expensive than rail (Source)
- Difficult and expensive to expand system
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Arlington Public Transit is a citizen-run advocacy group which is not affiliated with the Trinity Metro, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Via Transportation or any other transit agency or government entity.