the a-train magazine

A-TRAIN MIDDAY

SERVICE BEGINS

AUGUST 20TH

JULY 2012

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A-train 5

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Denton County Transportation Authority

INSIDEA PUBLICATION OF THE DENTON RECORD-CHRONICLE

CREDITS

A message from the DCTA presdient’s deskLooking back and moving forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8

Sleek StadlerA safe, new ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9

Look. Listen. LiveArea youngsters’ artwork depicts safety message as part of

DCTA mission to educate about the need for safety around the

train and crossings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 14, 18, 29, 33

Try Parking ItDCTA offers park and ride options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16

Safety a key issueTips to remember when near the train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 27

Customer ServiceSmart phones play vital role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 31

Breathing EasierNCTCOG works to educate about ozone days . . . . . . . Page 35

Editor: Dawn CobbAdvertising Director: Sandra HammondRetail Advertising Manager: Shawn ReneauWriters/photographers: Tim Blackwell with BallparkImpressions, LLC; North Central Texas Council ofGovernments; Denton County Transportation Authority

A-train6

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A-train8


This is the third issue ofthe A-train magazine, apublication of the

Denton Record Chronicle inpartnership with DCTA. Thefirst issue was published justover a year ago as the A-trainwas launching service. A lot ofexciting things have happenedsince that time, a lot of which isaddressed throughout this issue.

In looking back over the lastyear, DCTA is proud of ouraccomplishments. We launchedrail service, adopted a newService Plan, made scheduleimprovements, integrated thenew rail vehicles, increased busridership and received thenation’s first Alternative VehicleTechnology waiver from theFederal RailroadAdministration. Our staff andservices continue to receive highmarks from our customers. Andwhether your trips are for work,school or fun, more and more ofyou are trying transit.

While we are proud of thepast year, we look forward to ourbright future. We are excitedabout the new schedule whichwill be implemented on August20th. Mid-day rail service wasidentified as the top priority byour passengers and by thosewanting to try our services. Mid-day rail service will providegreater flexibility and improvedtravel options, especially withthe looming I-35E expansion.Additionally, we have madesome tweaks to improve ourexpanded rail services on Fridayand Saturday nights to betterserve regional events. Withthese changes, our passengerscan use transit to attend anevent at American AirlinesCenter in Dallas or one of thegreat local venues in Dentonand Lewisville. Our Augustschedule changes also focus onimproving transit connectionsbetween the A-train, our busservices and DART services.

Our August 2012 changeslargely focused on the A-train.DCTA staff is currently workingon additional bus servicesincluding improved frequenciesand expanded service areas thatwe hope to implement inJanuary 2013. We recognizethat providing first and last miletransit connections via bus are acritical component to growingridership on the A-train. Wehave heard from local employersand passengers that more busservices are warranted and welook forward to addressingthose needs over the next 12months.

As mentioned above, theDCTA Board of Directorsadopted a new Service Plan.This plan provides a road mapfor future transit investments inDenton County and outlinessome promising opportunitiesto expand transit into otherareas over the next 25 yearsassuming additional financial

partners. Future corridorsinclude an extension to theCotton Belt, connectionsbetween Denton and FortWorth, and rail service betweenFrisco and Carrollton. TheService Plan also identifies someshort term improvements forDCTA’s existing systems. Someof these improvements we areimmediately addressing inAugust or plan to address inJanuary. Others will be consid-ered after additional planningreview and community input.

Our past accomplishmentsand our bright future are due tothe support of the communitieswe serve and their commitmentto quality transportation alter-natives. You are an importantpart of our success. Let’s contin-ue to work together to build asafe and efficient transit net-work. Thanks for riding.

James C. Cline, Jr.DCTA President

The A-train: Looking Back and Moving Forward

A-train 9


Sleek Stadlera safe, new ride

Denton CountyT r a n s p o r t a t i o nAuthority President Jim

Cline says the differencebetween the crash worthiness ofthe A-train’s sleek Stadler GTW2/6 Diesel Multiple Units andtheir replacement Rail DieselCars is like comparing a stylishmodern-day luxury sedan to itssteel-encased 1960s counter-part.

Those big, heavy Cadillacsthat seemingly required a cityblock to park protect the driverand passengers by absorbing

impact based on brute strengthunlike today’s crash energymanagement systems that aredesigned to distribute structuralcrush through the length of thevehicle and safely isolate occu-pants.

The Stadler’s are the onlycommuter passenger rail cars inthe U.S. deemed safe enough tooperate in freight corridorsbecause of their crash energymanagement technology.

In June, the Federal Railroad

See STADLER on Page 11

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StadlerAdministration issued DCTA anAlternate Vehicle Technologycrashworthiness waiver to beginoperations concurrent with tra-ditional, federally compliantequipment. The cars are toutedto be some of the safest in com-muter rail operation in theworld.

“To operate on a freight line,the train would have to takevery strong loading on the ends,and it forces you to have a lot ofstructural members on the vehi-cle,” Cline said. “It’s better tocompare an FRA-compliant carto a ‘68 Cadillac, which usesbrute strength on how it main-tains safety in the passengercompartment. “(The GTWs)meet a much higher level, and

it’s a higher level of safety for ourpassengers.”

Integration of the sleek greenand white cars into the DCTAsystem will be well under wayand possibly complete whennew mid-day service and otherschedule changes takes effectAug. 20.

Articulated cars that run inpairs have a three-phase protec-tion system at the ends toabsorb impact in a collision. Thesystem enables the cab compo-nent to stay stationary while theunderside and sides take muchof the brunt, a Stadlerspokesman said.

The coupler, which links cars,


A-train12

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A-train 13

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From Page 11

Stadlerabsorbs initial shock and com-presses underneath the driver’scab. Buffers on each side of thefront end have anti-climbercrush absorbers that fold sys-tematically to absorb additionalimpact.

Also, the two-end carriages ofthe GTW 2/6 are made ofextruded aluminum sectionsthat help to isolate impact.

DCTA officials looked atstacks of detailed analysis onthe crash worthiness of thevehicles before placing theorder for 11 DMUs from Swissbuilder Stadler Bussnang AG.And while no rail car is entirelycrash-proof, Cline said an acci-dent in the Nederlands where

few were injured in an at-gradecrossing incident helped sellDCTA.

A GTW and a semi-truckloaded with concrete blocks col-lided and the driver escapedwith a broken leg and only sevenpassengers received minorinjuries,

“Not only did it prove out thetesting, it proved out the realdeal that it worked, so we’re realpleased with that,” Cline said.“So we have a high level of confi-dence.”

The RDC cars, which DCTAhas leased from Dallas AreaRapid Transit since the A-train’slaunch last year, use 1950s tech-nology that leaves little protec-tion for the driver and passen-gers at the front of the cab.

The new cars are much moreenvironmentally friendly than

RDCs, which were built at atime before EnvironmentalProtection Agency regulationscame into play for powered pas-senger rail cars and freight loco-motives. GTWs comply withTier 3 emissions.

Also, GTWs offer more roomwith capacity at 200 passengers(104 seated, 96 standing) com-pared to 136 (96 seated, 40standing) with the RDCs.

After phasing out the RDCsand returning them to DART,DCTA hopes that the additionalcapacity will be tested whenservice changes go into effectresulting from the board’sapproval in May of Monday-through-Friday mid-day railservice. Changes also includestarting Saturday service earlierand running it later into thenight, as well as modifying the

Friday evening schedule.On August 20th, mid-day

service will be implementedwith 2-3 northbound/south-bound trips and modificationsto the Denton and Lewisvilleschedules. Connect bus sched-ules will be made to better alignkey routes with the A-train. Thefare boundary to Trinity Millswill also be moved so that ridersgetting off there would not needto purchase a regional passunless they are transferring tothe DART system.

Until the change, no rail serv-ice had been provided from10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mondaythrough Friday but input after aseries of public meetings andcommunity surveys suggestedthat mid-day rail service was a


A-train14


Look. Listen. Live.

Youngsters entered a contest on train safety. These are a few ofthe many submitted entries. Winners are named on a special pageinside this magazine. Thanks to everyone who took their time andtalents to demonstrate the importance of safety around trains andtrain crossings.

Pictures are from, clockwise from left: Pearl Herrera, AddyOzuna, Abigail Graham (top left), Anna Vodden (top right) andAllie Buchanan Landry Billingsley (above).

A-train 15

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From Page 13

Stadlertop priority among DentonCounty riders.

“Our challenge has beendetermining the best invest-ment of funds to increase theoverall utilization of the sys-tem,” Cline said. “The core ofour challenge is to meet theneeds of riders in a fiscallyresponsible way.”

In August, Friday andSaturday service will run intoearly Sunday morning withSaturday service starting earlierthan the current schedule tobetter serve regional events.

The first Saturday train willdepart northbound at 9:40 a.m.and the last southbound trainto Trinity Mills leaves Denton at

11:30 p.m. For passengers want-ing to travel into Dallas, the firstsouthbound train will depart at10:15 a.m. and the last north-bound train from Trinity Millswill depart at 12:37 a.m. Onenorthbound train was discon-tinued with the schedulechange.

The extended service as wellas DCTA’s ability to traverse

freight rail corridors with theGTWs positions the agency tocontinue its quest to meetchanging needs in North Texasregional public transportation,Cline said.

Currently, 40 percent of theregion’s population isn’t servedby transit lines, and that ratiocould increase to 50 percent asgrowth sprawls farther from

urban centers in the next 20years. Planning beyond currenttransportation needs not only atDCTA but at Dallas Area RapidTransit and Trinity RailwayExpress is essential now, Clinesaid.

While the 21-mile networkfrom downtown Denton toCarrollton isn’t at capacity yet,DCTA has its eye on additionalcorridors. Two are under con-sideration, including one alongI-35W and another on BNSF’sfreight network to Frisco.

Discussions with BNSFwouldn’t be possible if DCTAdidn’t have the GTWs.

“Are these the regional cars?”Cline said. “A lot of people arevery interested in these. Theyprovide a lot of options, andthere are a lot of different thingswe can do.”

“Are these regional cars? A

lot of people are very

interested in these. They

provide a lot of options,

and there are a lot of

different things we can

do.”

— James C. Cline, Jr., president


A-train16GY

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In Texas, there are five sea-sons: Winter, spring, sum-mer, fall – and Ozone

Season.Ozone Season is a season

within a season, those summer-time months when dangerousair pollution levels created byvehicle emissions and other pol-lutants leave a distant brownhaze on the horizon.

Last summer was one of theworst in North Texas with 32 airpollution warnings. And thecount already is on for 2012with three posted through earlyJune.

Denton County residents cantake a bite out of Ozone Seasonby utilizing the A-train’s park

and ride options along theDenton County TransportationAuthority’s 21-mile rail networkfrom Denton to Carrollton aswell as commuter vanpool serv-ices.

Air quality concerns in NorthTexas have been a hot topic inrecent years, especially as sum-mers have gotten warmer andtraffic more congested.

Dallas/Fort Worth is thefourth largest metropolitanregion in the nation with almost6.5 million residents. Rapidpopulation growth in the pastdecade has led to increasing

Try Parking It

See PARKING on Page 23

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Look. Listen. Live.


Pictures are from, clockwise from left: Elijah Padia, Celina Tellez.Alenjandro Anas-Dias (top left), Helen Peattie (top right) andJeremiah Berna (above).

A-train 19

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DCTA and the Denton Record-Chroniclepresent the

Rail Safety Student PosterContest Winners

Helping Spread the Word About Rail Safety

Rhea Pookulangara, 6 Years Old

Cheyenne Thedford, 8 Years Old

Rev Rozell, 6 Years Old

RhRhea PPookk llangara 66 YYears OOldld

CCh Th fdf d 8 Y OOld

Nick Cedillo, 10 Years Old

Luke Reib, 10 Years Old

Alyssa Adkison, 11 Years Old

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A-train22

TRANSIT FARE STRUCTURES

DCTA fares and passes may be purchased online, at ticket vending machines at A-train station platforms or at one of the ticket outlets listed below.

• Downtown Denton Transit Center, 604 E. Hickory St., Denton, TX 76210

• TWU Student Union, 304 Administration Dr., Ste. 209, Denton, TX 76204

• Lewisville City Hall, 151 W. Church St., Lewisville, TX 75057

• Highland Village City Hall, 1000 Highland Village Rd., Highland Village, TX 75077

Ticket vending machines and some ticket outlets do not sell all fare types.

LOCAL SYSTEM

CONNECT ONLYConnect Passes can be purchased to travel on Connect local bus routes in Denton and Lewisville.

Connect One-Way $1.50

Connect One-Way Reduced $0.75

Ten Ride Connect Book $13.00

Monthly/31-Day Connect Pass $45.00

Monthly/31-Day Connect Pass Reduced $25.00

Annual Connect Pass

$450.00

Local System Passes allow a passenger to travel on DCTA services; Con-nect, Connect RSVP, UNT Shuttle and the A-train.

Local System One-Way $3.00

Local System One-Way Reduced $0.85

Local System Day Pass $6.00

Local System Day Pass Reduced $2.00

Local System 7-Day $25.00

Local System 10 Pack of Day Passes $40.00

Local System Monthly Pass $90.00

Local System Monthly Pass Reduced $32.00

Local System Annual Pass $650.00

Summer Youth Pass $30.00

REGIONAL SYSTEM

Regional University Student Full Semester Pass $250.00

Regional University Student Summer Semester Pass $160.00

Regional University Student Annual Pass $600.00

Regional University Faculty/Staff Full Semester Pass $340.00

Regional University Faculty/Staff Annual Pass $840.00

REDUCED FARES ARE AVAILABLE TO• Youth ages 5-14 or students with a valid high school or DCTA-issued ID• Seniors age 65+

• People with disabilities who show: - A Medicare card - A Texas DMV notifi cation - A disabled veteran ID card

NCTC SHUTTLE

NCTC Shuttle serves the North Central Texas College - Corinth and Flower Mound-Campuses with stops in Denton and Lewisville. Passengers can pay the cash fare upon boarding or show the bus operator their NCTC ID.

NCTC Shuttle One-Way $3.00

NCTC Shuttle One-Way Reduced $1.50

DEMAND RESPONSE ACCESSAccess is a curb to curb ADA paratransit service for the elderly and disabled in Denton and Lewisville/Highland Village.

Access One-Way $3.00

Ten Ride Book $30.00

Students, faculty and staff of colleges with physical campuses within Denton County are eligible to participate in the University Pass Program. Proof of enrollment/employ-ment is required. Visit the Downtown Denton Transit Center for more details.

Local System University Student

Full Semester Pass $175.00


Summer Semester Pass $120.00


Annual Pass $365.00

Local System University Faculty/Staff

Full Semester Pass $250.00

Local System University Faculty/Staff

Annual Pass $455.00

Regional Passes provide a passenger complete access to bus and rail service on DCTA, DART, TRE and The T (except paratransit services).

Regional One-Way $5.00

Regional Day Pass $10.00

Regional Day Pass Reduced $2.00

Regional 10 Pack of Day Passes $70.00

Regional 7-Day Pass $50.00

Regional Monthly/31-Day Pass $120.00

Regional Monthly/31-Day Pass Reduced $32.00

Regional Annual Pass $1200.00

UNIVERSITY PASS PROGRAM

Sign up for customized DCTA Rider Alerts at RideDCTA.net and receive new information regarding the A-train and other DCTA services.

And don’t forget to follow DCTA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and FourSquare.

A-train 23

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From Page 16

ParkingCommuters can park their

cars at any of the A-train’s fivestations and board the moreenvironmentally friendlyStadler GTW diesel-electriccars that roll out this summer.The sleek, aerodynamic articu-lated cars are compliant withthe Environmental ProtectionAgency Tier 3 emissions stan-dards, which are more stringentthan those introduced in 1997.

“These cars are about 30 per-cent more fuel efficient,” Clinesaid. “By having the A-train linein place, we’re prepared for theimprovements to I-35 with atrue alternative route.”

Parking is free at Hebron,Old Town, HighlandVillage/Lewisville, MedPark

See PARKING on Page 24

transportation problems,despite construction of addi-tional roadways .

As a result, traffic congestionhas become a major concern forregional travelers; and withincreased traffic congestioncomes air quality concerns.Planned construction along theI-35 corridor, tentatively set tobegin in 2013-14, will only addto the issue.

DCTA President Jim Clinesaid the A-train is in primeposition to be a sound trans-portation alternative when landmovers begin adding lanesalong the 28-mile stretch fromU.S. 380 to I-635.

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A-train24GY


From

Parkingand the Downtown DentonTransit Center stations. In all,nearly 1,650 parking spaces(including 61 ADA-compliant)are available.

DCTA Marketing ManagerKristina Brevard says parkingand boarding the A-train usual-ly doesn’t take a huge chunk oftime out of a busy commuter’sschedule.

“Ten minutes is a good rule ofthumb,” she said. “This allowspassengers time to park, walk tothe platform and purchase theirfare prior to boarding the train.”

Commuters may want toplan a little extra time at two ofthe stations which are near or atcapacity. With only 73 spacesavailable, the downtown station

is at capacity. Also parking atHighland Village/LewisvilleLake is tight.

Other stations, however, haveplenty of parking, she said.Riders should note thatovernight parking is not permit-ted.

If the A-train doesn’t providethe right commuter solution,Try Parking It might.

DCTA – along with DallasArea Rapid Transit, TrinityRailway Express and the FortWorth TransportationAuthority – participates in theservice provided by the NorthCentral Texas Council ofGovernments designed toreduce the number of vehicleson the road through carpooling,vanpooling and other options.

Through Tryparkingit.com,commuters can build a profileand chart their public trans-portation modes.

“They log in each day andprovide information on howthey are using transportation,”Brevard said. “We pull thatreport and try to compare thosecommuters with other peoplewho have signed up. We try topair them up for our CommuterVanpool program.”

The online program compilesthe data and can make matchesfor carpooling or vanpooling.The information also assiststransportation agencies likeDCTA to plan for the future.

“It helps us track transit pat-terns in the region, and it alsohelps us with applying forgrants,” Brevard said. “So wehave a vested interest.”

A-train 25

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University Pass offers deals to students, faculty

As recovery from theGreat Recession of2008 has listed at times,

a college education has becomeeven more desirable.Enrollment growth at collegesand universities nationwide hassteadily ticked upward.

In Texas, enrollments at 2-and 4-year public institutionsare up 2 percent from Fall 2010-11 semesters to 1.46 million,according to the Texas HigherEducation Coordinating Board.The University of North Texasand Texas Woman’s Universityhave been along for the ride andrealized spikes with new stu-dents.

And with growth on campus-es just about anywhere, parking

becomes more of a premium.Enter Denton County

Transportation Authority’sUniversity Pass Program.

DCTA, in partnership withDenton County higher educa-tion institutions, rolled out theUniversity Pass last year toencourage use of the regionaltransit network – including theA-train – and provide two com-mute alternatives for students,

faculty and staff affiliated withlocal colleges and universities. Alittle more than 1,000 passeshave been issued.

Local System passes includeaccess to the A-train and DCTA’sConnect bus service. RegionalSystem passes provide access tothe A-train, DCTA’s Connect busservice as well as fixed-route busand rail services provided byDallas Area Rapid Transit,

Trinity Railway Express and theFort Worth TransportationAuthority.

DCTA Marketing ManagerKristina Brevard remembershunting for parking places dailywhile attending Eastern IllinoisUniversity.

“Parking was at a premium,”she said. “Every day.”

With a University Pass, stu-dents and faculty/staff at UNT,TWU and North Central TexasCollage can board the A-train inLewisville or Denton and evenconnect through DART inCarrollton at the Trinity MillsStation, and commute within afew miles of either campus to

See UNIVERSITY on Page 26

“If students and faculty purchase a

University Pass, they not only save gas

and wear and tear on their car but they

don’t need a parking place on campus.”

— Kristina Brevard, marketing manager


A-train26

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the Downtown Denton TransitCenter (DDTC). From there,three buses designated for eachcampus run every few minutes.

TWU is serviced by busroutes 4, 5 and 6 service andUNT by 7, 8 and 9.

“If students and faculty pur-chase a University Pass, theynot only save gas and wear andtear on their car but they don’tneed a parking place on cam-pus,” Brevard said. “They don’thave to hunt for a parkingspace. There’s always a parkingissue on college campuses,especially as universities tend togrow.”

Enrollment at TWU grew 3.5percent in 2011 from fall 2010

to 14,500 students. UNT, thestate’s fourth largest university,had a 3-percent boost to 35,694in fall 2011 compared to spring2010 enrollment.

Brevard said a large portionof DCTA’s northbound ridershipis students who use theUniversity Pass program andcommute via DART’s connec-tion in Carrollton to Denton.That has enabled the A-train tomaintain a balanced bi-direc-

tional ridership rather thanbeing top-heavy on forwardcommuting – when riders fromthe suburbs travel to large met-ropolitan centers.

And the good news, she says,is that DCTA is not planning toraise its regional fares for theprogram any time soon at a timewhen other regional transitauthorities are considering aprice increase. The goal of theUniversity Pass is to provide stu-

dents, faculty and staff anaffordable and convenient com-mute alternative for students,faculty and staff even usingpedal power.

The A-train and DCTA busesallow bikes.

“If they want to use their bikesfor the last mile or half-milethey can,” Brevard said. “Theycan bring their bikes with them.”

Local and regional studentand faculty fairs range from$120-$340 per semester and$365-$840 annually. NCTC,TWU and UNT students andfaculty/staff can purchase aUniversity Pass at theDowntown Denton TransitCenter (604 E. Hickory,Denton) during regular busi-ness hours. Passes can also bepurchased online at DCTA’swebsite (www.dcta.net).

A-train 27

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Safety key issueThe new A-train cars may be some of

the safest in the world but like everyother commuter rail car they are sub-

ject to the laws of physics when traveling athigh speeds. At a vehicle weight of about 79tons, the cars just can’t stop on a dime.

An average freight train traveling at 55mph takes about one mile to stop. Eventhough Denton County TransportationAuthority trains are much smaller, the dis-tance required to stop is still significant andthe danger of pedestrians trespassing on railsor cars trying to beat a grade-crossing signalin the path of an oncoming train is just asever-present.

Robert Lemley, head of A-train Securityfor the Denton County Sheriff ’s Department(DCSD), says people should practice “safety,safety, safety” around tracks and at station

platforms. Being aware of approaching trainsis essential whether crossing tracks at regu-lated grade-crossings by foot, bicycle ormotor vehicle.

No matter how congested traffic gets,motorists should not stop on the track. DCTAinvested heavily in creating a safe corridor byeliminating the ability for motorists to bypasslowered gates at most of the line’s 43 gradecrossings.

But motorists have been on tracks whencrossing gates began lowering as a trainapproached. Luckily, there haven’t been anyfatal accidents.

“We don’t have as much of a problem withpeople trying to go through gates as we dowith people stopping at tracks and getting

See SAFETY on Page 28

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Safetycaught in the gate,” he said.“When the train’s coming andpeople are stopped on thetracks there is no place to go.People need to be aware thatthere are trains on the track andthe last place you need to be isstopped on the track.”

According to OperationLifesaver, a person or vehicle ishit by a train every three hours.

Through March this year, theFederal RailroadAdministration reported 462highway-rail incidents – includ-ing 62 fatalities – at grade-crossings across the U.S. InTexas, 11 people died in 50 inci-dents reported. Two of thosewere along the A-train’s 21-mile

line that stretches from Dentonto Carrollton.

In February, a husband andwife were struck by a train whilewalking northbound along theLake Lewisville rail bridge. Theyfell 15-20 feet from the bridgeinto shallow water; a 32-year-old man died.

That incident, as well asanother in November when a23-year-old man was killedwhile walking along the tracks,

can be prevented if people stayoff the right-of-way. DCSD hasenforced trespassing and willcontinue to do so, Lemley said.

“Pedestrians are going to haveto pay attention and keep fromwalking on the tracks,” he said.“We’re not shy about handingout tickets to people trespassingon the tracks.”

DCTA has played an activerole in educating DentonCounty residents about train

safety, says Dee Leggett, DCTAVice PresidentCommunications/Planning. Inmonths leading up to the A-train’s launch and since servicebegan, DCTA has done morethan 1,000 presentations andmet with 13,000 individualswhile reaching out to schoolsand civic organizations.

In April, DCTA launched aregional rail safety campaign,“Consider the Impact,” in part-nership with Trinity RailwayExpress, Operation Lifesaverand Herzog Transit Services,Inc. The campaign includesmultiple media tactics, includ-ing print, social media, directmail and a kid’s poster contest.The program has combinedwith DCTA’s “Rail Ready” activ-

“Safety of our passengers, our operators

and the general public is paramount to us,

and (Consider the Impact) is just one tool

we use to advance our goal of operating a

safe, efficient transit system.”

— James Cline Jr., president


See SAFETY on Page 30

A-train 29


Look. Listen. Live.


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A-train30

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From Page 28

Safetyities focused in local school dis-tricts.

In May, DCTA promotedsafety awareness at the down-town Denton station onNational Train Day. DCTA,Denton County and the citiesalong the A-train corridor haveproclaimed June as “Rail SafetyAwareness” month to stress theimportance of safety along railcorridors. Though the agencyplans to promote rail safetythroughout the year, the agencywill increase outreach effortseach year during the month ofJune.

“Safety of our passengers, ouroperators and the general pub-lic is paramount to us, and(Consider the Impact) is just

one tool we use to advance ourgoal of operating a safe, efficient

transit system,” DCTA PresidentJim Cline said.

TRACK FACTS AND TIPSRailroad tracks, trestles, yards and equipment are private property. Walking orplaying on them is not only dangerous, it’s illegal. Trespassers can be arrestedand fined - the ultimate penalty is death.

The ONLY legal, safe place to cross tracks is at designated pedestrian or road-way crossings. Observe and obey all warning signs and signals.

Do not walk, run, cycle or operate all terrain vehicles (ATVs) on railroad tracks,rights-of-way or through tunnels.

There are approximately 160,000 miles of track operated in the United States(source: Association of American Railroads, 2010).

Do not walk, jog, hunt, fish or bungee jump on railroad trestles. They are notdesigned to be sidewalks or pedestrian bridges; there is only enough clear-ance on the tracks for a train to pass.

Do not attempt to jump aboard railroad equipment at any time. A slip of thefoot can cost you a limb, or your life.

Remember - rails and recreation do NOT mix!

Source: Operation Lifesaver

A-train 31

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Smart phones play role in customer service

Denton CountyT r a n s p o r t a t i o nAuthority has taken

customer service to a wholenew level, and riders can beheard loud and clear with just afew taps on their smart phones.

The agency’s launch thisspring of the GO Requestmobile application and cus-tomer response has alreadymade a significant impact, mostnotably providing a platformfor riders to voice their requestsfor mid-day A-train service –among other things, saysMichael Chinn, DCTA Directorof Customer Service.

“Since its inception, we have

See CUSTOMER on Page 34

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A-train 33


Look. Listen. Live.

Youngsters entered a contest on train safety. These are a few ofthe many submitted entries. Winners are named on a special pageinside this magazine. Thanks to everyone who took their time andtalents to demonstrate the importance of safety around trains and

Pictures are from, clockwise from left: River Wayton (bottomleft), Samantha Friday Labaucher, (top left), Sarah Klos (top right)and Shirley Romero (bottom right).

A-train34

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had about 340 requests rangingfrom hours of service to ‘youneed to cut the weeds downbehind the fence,’” Chinn said.“We get a good cross section ofwhat’s going on out there, and Ithink the public has embracedit.”

The app for iPhone andAndroid smart phones isDCTA’s latest attempt to pro-vide a direct communicationlink for faster service, whetherit’s reporting a concern or safetyissue or finding information onschedules and routes. The newservice is hosted byGovernment Outreach, Inc.,and is becoming more popularwith cities and municipalitiesacross the country.

From Page 31

Customer The technology relies on theGPS and camera features builtinto the phones, enabling usersto open the application, selectan issue, take a picture, and sub-mit. The application picks upthe exact location and sends therequest directly to the agencystaff member responsible foraddressing the issue. This effi-ciency allows DCTA to improvethe passenger experience whilesaving the agency staff time andmoney, Chinn said.

“If you pick Bus Service, (themessage) will route to the man-ager of driver operations andmaintenance,” Chinn said. “Itgoes straight to the source.(Customer Service) doesn’t haveto take a message and relay it tothree or four people to get to theright person.”

DCTA’s seven-member cus-

tomer service team remains inthe loop and can monitor therequests to ensure customer sat-isfaction is achieved, Chinn said.He even gets copied on allrequests and messages.

“The quality rests with ourcustomer service. It won’t getdiluted. If a customer gets ananswer that was less thanexpected, we will follow up andmake sure the issue getsresolved.”

Because the app is available24 hours a day, seven days aweek, riders can communicatewith DCTA outside of theagency’s normal customer serv-ice hours that run from 5 a.m. to7 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Chinn said the app hasalready generated more “backand forth communication”between customers and DCTA

and gives the agency immediateinsight on issues that are impor-tant to riders. That will enablethe A-train and other DCTAtransit services to better meetridership needs and improveoperational efficiencies.

“I see it creating a communi-cation network with customersthat we’ve lost in the past, andthat will enable us to make sig-nificant changes,” Chinn said.“Communication with cus-tomers has increased. It alsotakes the number of calls off thecall center.”

As well as those calls that cus-tomer service representativesnever like to take.

Since the app went into serv-ice, the customer service centeris receiving more friendly calls.

See CUSTOMER on Page 36

A-train 35

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Working to help everyone breathe easier

The North Central TexasCouncil of Governments(NCTCOG) works with

its partners and the entireregion to make sure residentswho call Dallas-Fort Worthhome have healthy air tobreathe. As the designated met-ropolitan planning organizationfor the D-FW region, NCTCOGstrives to make sure improve-ments to the growing trans-portation system do not worsenthe area’s air quality.

Currently, the D-FW regionhas ten counties in nonattain-ment for the pollutant ozone,meaning their air qualityexceeds what the

Environmental ProtectionAgency considers healthy.Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis,Johnson, Kaufman, Parker,Rockwall, Tarrant and Wisecounties make up the nonattain-ment area.

In summer 2012, the EPA willadd Wise to the existing nine-county nonattainment area toreflect air quality under therevised ozone standard.

The expanded nonattainmentarea is a result of the EPA’s 2008decision to toughen the ozonestandard from under 85 partsper billion to 75 ppb. Programssuch as Air North Texas and TryParking It are making the air

easier to breathe and improvingefficiency for employers andcommuters.

Air North Texas is a regionalpublic awareness campaignaimed at improving air quality.For the 2012 ozone season, AirNorth Texas is asking NorthTexas businesses, governmentsand individuals to Be Air Awareand commit to implementingclean air strategies on AirPollution Watch days.

Three separate lists – one foreach target group – offer morethan 50 strategies North Texanscan commit to. Visitwww.airnorthtexas.org/2012.asp to learn more, commit to

strategies and sign up to receiveAir Pollution Watches andWarning email alerts, whichnotify subscribers when airquality is expected to be poor orhas reached unhealthy levels.

In addition to the Be AirAware effort, consider continu-ing Air North Texas’ third annu-al Clean Air Action Day (heldJuly 7) by implementing at leastone clean air action that youhave never done before between7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Examplesinclude: carpooling, vanpooling,taking transit, telecommuting,observing speed limits, avoiding

See BREATHE on Page 36

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From Page 34

CustomerFrom

BreatheRiders who are upset are

mostly getting their gripes offtheir chest through the app.

“We’ve seen angry phonecalls reduced 25 percent,”Chinn said. “People are ventinganonymously because of thisapp. It’s not a person on theother end that you beat up.”

The smart phone applica-tions can be downloaded bysearching for GO Request inthe Apple App store, AndroidMarket, or by going to theDCTA website atwww.dcta.net. DCTA’s GORequest is also available onlineand can be accessed from othermobile devices by visitinghttp://www.dcta.net/passen-ger-comments.html. There is

idling, combining trips, andbiking or walking. Visitwww.airnorthtexas.org/7777.asp to make your commitment.

TryParkingIt.com, theregion’s commuter-trackingsite, encourages people to findalternatives to driving alone.The website allows users to seehow much money and emis-sions they have saved as well asfind a rideshare partner. Fromriding transit to carpooling,telecommuting to other optionssuch as walking or bicycle rid-ing, users can enter their com-muting habits and see cumula-tive results. Since www.try-parkingit.com debuted, com-muters using the site have savedmore than 4 million miles.

no charge to download themobile application or to utilizethe service through DCTA’swebsite. Only the standard datausage fees apply.

“Our passengers told us theywanted convenient tools tocommunicate with DCTA,”

DCTA President Jim Cline said.“This technology responds tothat request and allows us tomore efficiently and effectivelyserve our customers.”

More information aboutDCTA’s Go Request app is avail-able at www.dcta.net.

“Our passengers told us they wanted

convenient tools to communicate with

DCTA. This technology responds to that

request and allows us to more efficiently

and effectively serve our customers.”

— James Cline, DCTA president

“We’ve seen angry phone calls reduced

25 percent.”

— Michael Chinn, DCTA Director of Customer Service

• Live Music

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For upcoming shows:

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Before you drive beyond thesafety line. Before you standcarelessly close on the platform.Before you decide to take thatshortcut across the tracks.Consider the impact.

Visit dcta.net for more informationor to set up a safety presentation.

CONSIDER THE IMPACT

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