*DFWI-led committees designed 12 shelters to reflect downtown image, including lights, heritage photos, sleek frame
FORT WORTH (January 7, 2010) – U.S. Representative Kay Granger dedicated The T’s 12 new downtown passenger shelters at a briefing and ribbon cutting involving other community leaders on Thursday, January 7 at 10 a.m. at Throckmorton between 6th and 7th Streets.
The T designed the new shelters in collaboration with a committee of downtown stakeholders led by Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. using a Federal Transit Administration grant of $600,000 secured by Representative Granger.
“Fort Worth has a beautiful, dynamic downtown and the partnerships that helped to develop these new passenger shelters make it even better,” said Granger. “The T is a pleasure to work with as it continues to make transit more accessible and more people are using public transportation in our city.”
The T sought input from two separate Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. citizen committees on both the new shelter design and the new graphics with a goal to enhance the two major downtown bus corridors along Houston and Throckmorton streets. This resulted in collaboration with two task forces comprised of downtown stakeholders who recommended a sleek, more open, steel structure with passenger amenities of lighting, Fort Worth heritage photos and large transit information displays.
At the dedication, Dick Ruddell, president of The T, thanked Granger, other Fort Worth elected officials and community leaders for their continued support of transit improvements.
“We want to share our vision with public officials to help create a transit system that will be competitive with other cities that are vying with us for economic development, corporate relocations, jobs creation and the quality of life that comes with transit oriented development and walkable neighborhoods,” said Ruddell.
“The T’s new commuter rail that will run through downtown and the bus rapid transit system in East Fort Worth will be a significant improvement to our transportation infrastructure, but continued expansion and enhancement to transit are needed for Fort Worth to keep pace with other progressive U.S. cities its size,” Ruddell added.
