Arlington Mayor Dr. Robert Cluck

When traffic congestion appears to be at its highest, air quality at its poorest and gasoline prices hovering around $4 a gallon, we’re all looking for more efficient forms of transportation.
A partnership with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority and a $75,000 grant from the Sue Pope Fund offers Arlington motorists a convenient alternative.
Weekday commuter bus service from north and south Arlington begins September 2.

Here’s how it works:

• Arlington residents can park at the North Park and Ride Lot located at I-30 and Lamar Boulevard or the South Park and Ride Lot located at I-20 and Parks Springs Boulevard.
   
• From the Park and Ride Lot, the shuttle goes to the Intermodal Transportation Center located in downtown Fort Worth. The ITC is home to the T's largest bus transfer center, offering access to commuter rail service on the Trinity Railway Express, taxi, bus and trolley services.
   
• From the downtown ITC, commuters can connect to area employment centers, schools, cultural and entertainment districts, and downtown attractions across the Metroplex. Amtrack trains stop daily at the ITC, providing connections to more than 500 destinations nationwide.
   
• Each weekday, there will be three morning peak-period trips to the Fort Worth ITC from the North Park and Ride Lot (Route 67) and the South Park and Ride Lot (Route 68), and three evening peak-period trips back.
   
• In the event of an emergency, the Guaranteed Home Program will give you a quick connection to get home or back to a Park and Ride Lot when the scheduled service route cannot return you.
   
• One daily round-trip pass will cost $5; a monthly pass will cost $80.

With approximately 55 percent of ozone pollution in the Metroplex caused by emissions from vehicles such as cars and trucks, the most important thing any North Texan can do to improve air quality in North Texas is to drive less.
By driving less, we’re helping to clean our air for young children and those with asthma and respiratory illness. At the pump, we’ll be saving more money on gas. When we let The T do the driving, we worry less about roadway construction, lane closures and parking fees.

Arlington, along with our regional transportation partner in Fort Worth, has made commitments to the environment and public health. More than 95 percent of The T’s fleet, including the express buses that will serve Arlington, is fueled by compressed natural gas, an environmentally clean substitute for gasoline and diesel.

The cities of Arlington and Fort Worth are working together to provide quality public transportation alternatives for Tarrant County, which benefits all of North Texas.

Whether your destination is work, class or leisure, this transit alternative aboard The T is good for our region; great for our environment. That’s a winning alternative for all of us.

Get Park and Ride schedules, fare information and more at www.arlingtontx.gov or call 817-215-8600. Learn more about ride sharing, telecommuting and other clean air alternatives at www.The-T.com or www.northtexasair.com.

Robert Cluck, MD
Mayor
City of Arlington