Abundance Denton: Bringing Back Our Buses
We can buy back our routes and make them better than before
In 2021, DCTA began a series of cuts that would reduce the number of Connect Bus Routes in Denton from eight down to just three.
Although the routes ran infrequently (some only every hour) and ran non-intuitive routes, these buses were a lifeline to many Dentonites. In our initial policy brief, we told the story of Riley, an anonymous Dentonite who lost their job with Kroger (and then their housing) when their route to work was cut.
Since Connect was cut down to just three routes, no plan has been put forward by DCTA to add routes back on the road. We are filling that gap.
The Plan
At the moment, Denton operates just 3 connect routes. The green (Route 7) and Purple (Route 6) routes above both run every 20 minutes and as late as 10PM. Route 3, which serves thousands of current and incoming apartment units, nearly a dozen public services, and Ryan High, runs only every 43 minutes till 6PM. DCTA currently has no plan to add more routes or later hours. Since DCTA is not moving to restore transit to Denton, we are calling on the City for the creation of two new routes — Route 3B, and Route 2.
Route 3B will run every 43 minutes, out to the end of McKinney, covering most of Route 3(A)’s run, and directly reaching Ryan High, as well as 4 large mobile home parks along the east end of McKinney. This will provide 20 minute service to much of McKinney, and restore access to communities that had their buses cut. Frequent service matters. Riders want to know that their bus will be there soon — imagine waiting 30 minutes for a bus in the Texas summer. It also allows elegant transfers — a rider who wants to go from UNT to Ryan High should not have to wait forever to transfer routes. If Route 2 is successful, we expect that Route 3(A) will will be folded back where it used to run — on Route 3B’s route, and the entire, unified Route 3 will get 20 minute service.
Route 2 will run along 288, from 380 to the mall, every 20 minutes. Currently, the east side of town has no buses that connect to the 288 shopping district which, in addition to the many jobs there, contains all the supermarkets in the east part of town. Transit riders currently have no reliable options to get fresh and affordable groceries — presently, the bus accessible food in East Denton is at convenience stores and dollar stores, which lack fresh food and charge higher prices. Loop 288 is also home to several apartment complexes, with many more currently under construction. If we want to reduce the traffic impacts of these apartments, we should provide them high quality bus service from the moment they open, so our neighbors there can rely on buses starting day 1.
Both 2 and 3B will run 6AM to 8PM, Monday-Saturday (no fixed route DCTA transit runs on Sundays currently). Both routes should be run as two year pilots, with an agreement that they be made permanent if they perform to certain targets.
The Funding
Every year, DCTA takes in more money from sales tax, grants, and federal reimbursements than it spends. Currently it has a $100,000,000 ($100 Million) stockpile. Every year, it cashes out a small percentage of that stockpile to member cities, to be spent on “transit supportive projects.” This year, Denton received $5.5M. Most of it was used to help fund the expansion of Bonnie Brae south of i35, covering $5M of the projected $43M cost.
Exact numbers are hard for an activist organization like Abundance Denton to project (the number largely depends on the hourly charge DCTA and the City agree upon for bus service), but we estimate the cost of running 3B and 2 on the schedules and length we propose is around $3M, or just above half of what Denton received from DCTA last year for “transit supportive projects.”
The Path Forward
Abundance Denton has already laid a solid base for this expansion of transit. Four out of seven Denton City Councilors (Vicki Byrd, Brian Beck, Brandon Chase McGee, and Paul Meltzer) have signed onto our policy brief. We have presented this plan to the Mobility Committee, a sub-committee of Denton City Council. We now need Council to recommend this plan for consideration to staff. Once that report comes back, we will have a more complete picture of the political, financial, and practical viability of this plan — do our numbers make sense? Does staff like it, or will they fight it? Will City Council support it? From there, we will need the DCTA to negotiate in good faith with the city on providing this essential service to our citizens.
But today, we need City Council to see that this is something Dentonites want. That we want to include folks without cars, disabled folks, and teens in our mobility options. That we want a less polluted future with less traffic. That we believe everyone should have access to fresh groceries. To do that, please tell council you support this plan. You can easily voice your opinion to City Council using the “Contact All City Council Members” form at the bottom of their website. And please, share this with your friends.
Abundance Denton is a non-profit group dedicated to fighting for affordable housing and safe mobility options for all Dentonites. This post is guest published on the DTXTransitPosts blog while an Abundance Denton blog is being developed. You can follow Abundance Denton on Facebook, twitter, or Instagram.
