City Moves Forward with Transportation Advisory Committee Recommendations, Innovative Transportation Solutions
By Office of Communication
Posted on September 08, 2020, September 08, 2020

In 2017, Arlington’s City Council appointed a Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) to develop a transportation vision for the City. The committee, made up of 31 residents and stakeholders, spent a year researching and discussing the latest innovations in transportation technology in order to formulate recommendations. The Transportation Advisory Committee’s recommendations are intended to serve as guidance for city leaders as they adopt policies and craft specific service plans to improve mobility and connectivity.

In its report, titled,”Connect Arlington,” the Committee identified populations to be served, key destinations that require service, and six priority corridors to fully serve Arlington’s transportation needs. The report also includes recommendations for specific modes of transportation, ranging from rideshare service to high speed rail to autonomous shuttles, in order to connect people to and from destination points within the six corridors. Three years after the Committee presented its recommendations to City Council, significant progress has been made to implement these recommendations.

Demand response rideshare was recommended for several key corridors and areas within the City, and this recommendation has been implemented through the City’s Via on-demand rideshare service, which began in December 2017. The Via service currently covers 41% of the City, with a planned expansion to cover the entire City in January 2021. Bus Rapid Transit or High Intensity Bus service was recommended for certain corridors in Arlington. The North Central Texas Council of Government’s regional mobility plan includes testing of high intensity bus on I-30 in Arlington, but there are not currently plans to implement this service. However, many of the areas recommended for this service are currently served by the Via service. TAC also recommended high speed rail service to Arlington’s Entertainment District, and a regional process is currently underway to review environmental impacts and potential design alternatives for the corridor between Dallas, Arlington, and Fort Worth.

Finally, rubber-tired autonomous shuttles or personal rapid transit devices were recommended in certain areas. The City has completed two autonomous vehicle pilots, one off-street and one on-street, and is working on a third pilot, Arlington RAPID, that will integrate autonomous vehicles into the Via rideshare service.

Arlington continues to see the efficiency and effectiveness of these innovative transportation approaches as they work to serve the needs of its residents and visitors. The City remains committed to piloting new technologies, educating its residents, and enhancing regional mobility for all.

You can learn more about Arlington RAPID pilot program, proposed high speed rail and other mobility improvements in the latest edition of the Enhance Regional Mobility newsletter. All quarterly City Council priority newsletters are produced in a digital formal, allowing for layers of additional video content and important links.

Also in this edition:

• High Speed Rail in Arlington
• Citywide Street Projects and Updates
• Via Rideshare Expansion | Autonomous Vehicle Testing
• Public Works and Transportation Department Pilots Innovative Transportation Technology Projects
• Handitran Update | Via Rideshare Update

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