My email is jamesallen0518@gmail.com for questions.

HOW YOU CAN HELP ARLINGTON IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

ARLINGTON CITY COUNCIL SCHEDULE (this is so you can show up to the meetings to show solidarity)

CITY COUNCIL MEMBER CONTACT INFORMATION (This is so you can contact them to show that you support things like VIA being open on Sundays, open past 9pm, larger and more vans.)

REGISTER TO SPEAK AT CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TO SHOW YOU SUPPORT THIS. (Even if you support the improvement of VIA)

WAYS VIA CAN BE IMPROVED IN THE EVENT WE CAN'T GET T-METRO

VIA CAN BE OPEN ON SUNDAYS

VIA CAN BE OPEN PAST 9PM

WE CAN INCREASE THE SIZE OF VIA'S FLEET AND THE VAN SIZE

WE CAN REDUCE OR MAKE THE VIA FARE FREE FOR STUDENTS.

  I ask that this effort be brought to the media company "Arlington Urban", that way with their platform the effort for public transport can be brought to a wider audience. You can message them from various platforms like Instagram linked above, or Facebook. 

Arlington is a growing city in between Dallas and Fort Worth Texas. It is the largest city in the USA without public transportation, with a population of about 400,000. Arlington seeks to be “the American dream” city, but it is hard to see it that way when it is more than one-third parking lot, making the city feel a lot less intimate. We want to change this, hence the petition which Arlington residents should sign. 

 You do not need to ride transit to benefit from it, which is why I urge you to sign up even if you won't use public transit. 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.

  People without cars are the most affected by the lack of public transportation. Sure, there is Via, but it is not efficient transportation due to its low capacity as Via has a fleet of less than 100 vans, carrying 6 people each. Another issue is how early Via closes, for if you have a game after 9pm or another social event you will not be able to use Via. Using these temporary solutions for a consistent problem is akin to using a donut tire in replacement for a real one, or like using a Band-Aid for a gunshot wound. It’s not going to last. People without cars also tend to be working class, and they would be able to get better jobs farther away from them with the implementation of public transportation. Simply put, they would stop being exploited because of their lack of job choice. 

  The lack of public transportation in Arlington also contradicts its goals, Arlington is a city with the desire to grow. Shown by the multiple capital improvement projects happening, and their desire to take sporting events such as the World Cup. The lack of public transit will eventually slow the community's growth, and it has seemingly already started when you look at the population growth charts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Mayor Ross has said that Arlington does not have enough consistent density for public transit to happen, I believe the opposite since other more sparsely populated cities have their own form of public transit that is better than ours, such as Corpus Christi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  The mayor also pointed to the World Series parade as evidence of Arlington’s current transport efficiency saying, “everyone moved in and out just fine”. On the contrary it took multiple people hours to get out, and with the World Cup being the equivalent to “four Super Bowls” in the words of Micheal Morris, director of transportation for NCTCoG’s transportation department, you should buy razor so you can shave, because you will grow a beard with how long you're in traffic. 

  Arlington is partly to blame, as we have voted no to public transportation three times. In 1980, 1995, and 2002. The people born in 2002 are now old enough to drink, so I believe enough time has passed to reconsider. Especially since last time it was voted on only 18,292 people voted, out of the approximately 350,000 citizens it contained at the time. When the voter turnout only represents part of the population, is it actually a thorough representation of the residents’ needs?

  The city should follow guidelines of existing and prominent transit advocacy groups and experts such as the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG)

 Arlington would benefit greatly from Trinity Metro as that is within our economic means. It requires 1/4-3/8th a cent of sales tax to be a member. For Arlington to reallocate part of its current sales tax, the Arlington city council and public will have to vote on it. To pay for Trinity Metro, Arlington would have to raise property tax from .5998(current) to.7000 (proposed). This is to make up for the lost 3/8th cent of sales tax from the general fund, or about 40 million, rounded up.  This is half the state average, it also does not have to be when you offset the cost by looking at alternative methods to pay for it like utility and user fees, the city of Arlington has also issued a 2% hotel occupancy tax, and a 5% car rental tax before along with bonds for the AT&T Stadium, in the end they ended up 325 million in debt still. They spent so much with entertainment; they can do it to help people. The time has come to turn those touchdown cheers into civic victories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another method of payment would be waiting until the AT&T Stadium/ Globe life park debt is done being paid off, which is expected to happen in 2038, but likely later. That way the half cent sales tax that is allocated to the debt, can be allocated to public transportation and then some. I believe we could do either personally, or both. The World Cup is coming so I believe we should act now. We can do both by increasing the property tax as proposed above, then after the stadium debt is paid, use that half cent of sales tax that was used to pay the stadium debt back into the general fund, and after that decrease the property tax back to its original levels due to the revenue from sales tax being back in the general fund.

  Arlington should act sooner than later, as the problem will only get worse with the incoming World Cup. Climate change is also a big issue that public transportation seeks to address by increasing the air quality and decreasing emissions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This would also be a step in the right direction for the decongestion of traffic, as with public transport and HandiTran less people need to drive their own vehicles. Arlington can also have many routes for this public transport, such as Division St, Pioneer Pkwy, Collins St, Trinity Blvd, etc.

 

Those streets and many more run through the key points of Arlington. It is very possible; we just have to work as a group to achieve it. It takes all of us to bring change. Signing this petition will let the council understand that the people want this and that it would have a significant return on investment. 

  

 

 

SOURCES:

  Home | Arlington Public Transit 

Routes | Arlington Public Transit

 

American Public Transportation Association, Public Transportation Fact Book - American Public Transportation Association (apta.com) 

PARKING REFORM NETWORK

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration, Public Transportation's Role in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (January 2010) (dot.gov)

Arlington, Texas Population History | 1980 - 2022 (biggestuscities.com)

City of Arlington (arlingtontx.gov)