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Wednesday August 14, 2013
Volume 94, No. 41 www.theshorthorn.com
Since 1919
MAX by the numbers
3 $5
The number of buses for the Metro Arlington Xpress the cost for a regular day pass
$25
the cost for a regular weekly pass
$80
the cost for a regular monthly pass
25
The approximate time in minutes it will take for a one-way trip from UTA to CenterPort Station
$230,000 the amount of money UTA is contributing to the project
$700,00 the total cost of the project The Shorthorn: Alex Reyher
Arlington transit to open Monday Councilwoman says bus system will help congestion, pollution BY LINDSEY JUAREZ The Shorthorn staff
Arlington officials are making the final touches on the city’s new bus system before it opens on Monday. Some of the last tasks include training the bus drivers, wrapping the buses in the Metro Arlington Xpress logo and installing WiFi, which can be accessed next month. Officials also have been marketing the bus system through social media and advertisements and preparing for the grand opening ceremony Monday. The public ceremony will include remarks from UTA President Vistasp Karbhari, Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck and councilwoman Kathryn Wilemon, who represents the district UTA is in. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. near the College Park Center. The Metro Arlington Xpress, or MAX for short, will be Arlington’s first public transit system, Wilemon said. Wilemon, who is a member of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition and a proponent for public transit in Arlington, said she’s not sure if she will be able to contain her ex-
METRO ARLINGTON XPRESS GRAND OPENING CEREMONY When: 8:30 a.m. Monday Where: 401 S. Center St. The event will include a ribbon cutting, remarks from city and university officials and a round-trip ride on the bus. The event is open to the public.
citement on Monday. “Everybody realizes what this can do for our city, to move people in and to move people out,” she said. “It’s a new freedom. It’s a new freedom to move about our region.”
The buses and the route The system includes three 40foot buses provided by Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Each bus will have bicycle racks and, starting in September, free Wi-Fi. For now, there are two stops on the route: one near the College Park Center on campus and one at CenterPort Station north of Arlington. A third stop may be added in November for a location in Arlington’s entertainment district, said Lyndsay Mitchell, Arlington plan-
ning project manager. The entertainment district includes Six Flags Over Texas and the Cowboys Stadium. The planned route takes the buses north and south on Texas State Highway 360, and east and west on Division Street. However, the route is adjustable, Mitchell said. “One of the things about this route, since it is an express service, is the fact that there’s really no specific route that it has to take,” Mitchell said. “If you’re a bus and you have to stop at all these places, you’re stuck. With this, if there’s a traffic jam on 360, they will take another route.” From CenterPort Station, riders can take the Trinity Railway Express east to Dallas or west to Fort Worth. Riders can then use Dallas Area Rapid Transit or the Fort Worth Transportation Authority system to travel in the cities.
Schedules and tickets The buses will begin on their regular schedule Monday with the earliest ride leaving at 5:35 a.m. from the College Park Dis-
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trict. The buses will run Monday MAX impact through Friday. Tickets cost $5 for a daily pass, Having a bus system will help $25 for a weekly pass and $80 for Arlington in several aspects, Wia monthly pass. Students, senior lemon said. citizens and disabled individuals “What we are doing is we’re getcan get half off of the daily and ting ready to mitigate our congesmonthly pass prices. tion, and our air quality will obvi“To start the service, we will ously enhance,” Wilemon said. “It have a very limited number of free will enhance our workforce availpasses for the month of August,” ability by bringing workers in, Mitchell said. “It’s kind of a first taking workers out, the availabilcome, first serve basis for people ity for UTA to look at the different who are on campus getting for their Tier One Route proponents their IDs made. The T is endeavor. There are so many going to come out to cam- map and things that this impacts.” pus and help make student The Metro Arlington brief IDs.” Xpress can also help the city’s The Dallas Area Rapid history economic state, Wilemon said. Transit also plans to re- see page 4 “Everyone knows that tranlease a phone application sit equates economic developcalled GoPass in the fall for buy- ment,” she said. ing tickets. While Mitchell said she’s un“It’s an app where you can go sure how much the bus service online, you can show the bus driv- will help Arlington’s economy, she er and scan it, and you can get said it will help people travel loyour tickets that way,” Mitchell cally. said. “You can buy tickets in ad“The main goal is to just convance. It just makes it way more nect us to the rest of the Metroconvenient than having to buy plex,” she said. paper passes or having to hand the @LINDSEYJUAREZ driver the exact change.” lindsey.juarez@mavs.uta.edu
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Friday
UTA UT A NIGHT NIGHT ON ON THE THE TOWN TOWN • º
Mark your calendars for UTa Night on the Town. We’re inviting everyone on campus and in the neighborhood to join us for free music, good food, & great company.
06
2013
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SEPTEMBER
For event details, visit www.uta.edu/collegetown #UTANightontheTown UT Arlington Night on the Town is brought to you by the UT Arlington Alumni Association, EXCEL Campus Activities, the Office of University Events, and College Town UTA.