Texas Transit Association

Three articles on passenger rail development in Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
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The Texas Transportation Commission has set their Agenda for March 25 in Austin. It includes the following related to public transportation:
*Item 4*: FY04 partial distribution of Sec. 5311 rural agencies and Sec. 5310 elderly & disabled funds. The proposed Minute Order is to include authority to distribute full FY04 funding when that becomes available.
*Item 7*: _Discussion Item_ ( a ) Rules establishing a formula allocating funds among individual eligible public transportation providers, and ( c ) Utilization of toll credits for commuter rail or other modes of public
transportation.
To view the Agenda online, visit the “Texas Register”:http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/pubomquery$omquery.queryview?P_OM_ID=61164&Z_CHK=839.

The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) has released three new reports. Read the press releases to see if you’re interested.
*Bus Rapid Transit Implementation Guidelines* Download file
*New Chapter on Transit Information and Promotion* Download file
*Assesses Requirements for Demand-Responsive Services* Download file

Downtown Richardson business owner Brent McConnell pointed toward a strip of warehouses that he’d like to see replaced by another DART light-rail station and described his vision for transforming the old downtown.

“I’d love to see more restaurants here,” said Mr. McConnell, owner of Main Street Liquid Co. “I’d like to see the area between Interurban Street and Greenville Avenue blocked off and become a walking area.”

Currently, Richardson’s lackluster downtown bears little resemblance to his vision of an entertainment hot spot.
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Nacogdoches Railroad Depot to Receive a Face-lift\
03/11/04 - Nacogdoches KTRE

The railroad depot in Nacogdoches may soon receive a face-lift.

The City of Nacogdoches received a grant worth more than $500,000 to renovate the depot. The grant must be used for some type of transportation improvement, and the city hopes to move the Brazos Transit Bus Station from behind city hall to the railroad depot. The rest of the depot will be turned into a railroad museum.

The removal of asbestos has already been completed at the depot, but construction has not yet begun.

New buses headed to Rural Transit System
Charles K. Wilson
El Paso Times March 10, 2004

El Paso County’s Rural Transit System has purchased two new buses at nearly $64,000 each to improve service on the San Elizario-Fabens-Tornillo route.

The 20-passenger Ford buses use propane fuel and are equipped for wheelchairs, the county said in a news release.

The buses will replace the two oldest buses in the fleet. The county’s Rural Transit System consists of six buses, which serve four routes on the east and west sides of the county.