' Paint our town red': Fort Worth debuts bus lane developed to improve transit

Amid the train bells and the revving buses, authorities and staff collected at Fort Worth Central Station to unveil the city's very first red bus lane, part of a pilot task created to boost the security and performance of buses.

The new red bus lane, a half-mile-long stretch of roadway along Jones Street, from 8th to 19th streets, is anticipated to reduce congestion and lane confusion while improving bus service performance, according to a city press release.

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As more people relocate to Fort Worth, this pilot program is an ingenious way to keep pedestrians safe and buses operating on time, stated council member Elizabeth Beck, who represents the downtown location. The red lanes signal to chauffeurs that they are driving in a bus transit lane and hindering service. By not enabling cars because lane, it reduces blockage and enables buses to work on schedule.

" This red bus lane is an action towards that future," Beck stated. "It is my honor to be part of the task that got to literally paint our town red."

Fort Worth is the first city in North Texas to debut red bus lanes and the 3rd in the state, after Austin and Houston.

Other major cities that have red bus lanes include Washington, D.C., Indianapolis, Chicago and New York City.

Fort Worth Report)

Kelly Porter, assistant director of transport and public works for the city, said this pilot program has actually been years in the making. Fort Worth Report)

Council member Elizabeth Beck, who represents downtown Fort Worth, called this program an action toward a future with dependable and safe transit. Fort Worth Report)

While devoted bus lanes are not new, utilizing red paint to designate them was formally approved by the Federal Highway Administration in 2019..

Kelly Porter, assistant director of transportation and public works, said these new red bus lanes are a kind of lane management, unlike Bus Rapid Transit lanes. The painted classification will only remain in existing bus lanes and will not decrease any city street lanes.

" It can be a component to future rapid transit and, basically, it does provide buses more dependable journeys," he stated, a recommendation to buses getting to their stops on time.

Depending upon how well this pilot program works, the city will explore expanding it.

" It could be something that we include in the next bond if it's working," Porter said. "This is quite low expense compared to other things.".

Red paint designates lanes for buses just, preventing cars from obstructing that lane and creating blockage. (Sandra Sadek
When it comes to implementing the red lanes as bus-only, neither the city nor Trinity Metro has figured out how it will be done. Other cities have installed electronic cameras on their bus windscreens to report vehicles driving or parked in red bus lanes..

The new red lanes are also part of a broader effort by the city to improve transit around Central Station as Butler Place is being redeveloped and the Texas A&M Law School is being constructed, Porter said.

" People don't know this is the busiest Amtrak station in the state of Texas and most likely the busiest station, or at least one of them, in Trinity Metro's system. It is a significant regional transit hub," Porter stated..

Sandra Sadek is a Report for America corps member, covering growth for the Fort Worth Report. You can call her at sandra.sadek@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter @ssadek19..

At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made individually of our board members and monetary supporters. Find out more about our editorial independence policy here..

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by Sandra Sadek, Fort Worth Report.
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