Officials of Tarrant County, the city of Richland Hills and The T (the Fort Worth Transportation Authority) today kicked off a multi-phase enhancement project at the Richland Hills Station of the Trinity Railway Express (TRE). The commuter railroad is jointly-owned and operated by The T and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).
The project has been planned by Richland Hills and The T for several years to improve street and pedestrian access to the TRE Station, expand parking, enhance traffic flow around the station and encourage future development adjacent to the station. The majority of the funding for the enhancements will be from grants through the Federal Transit Administration.
Participating in the ground-breaking were Tarrant County commissioner Gary Fickes, Richland Hills mayor Dave Ragan, Richland Hills city council members, The T’s board chair Gary Cumbie and other officials and staff from the city of Richland Hills and The T.
The first phase of the long-term project, to begin this month, will be the addition of 100 parking spaces at the TRE Station park and ride lot bringing it to a total of 478 spaces. The Richland Hills Station has the third highest TRE boardings of stations in Tarrant County.
The second phase will be the realignment of area streets and the addition of dedicated turn lanes to expedite traffic flow in and out of the station.
The final phase includes future economic development by private entities on property adjacent to the station.
“Additional parking and improved access for the area surrounding the Richland Hills TRE Station will enhance the southeast entrance of our city and make it one of the hubs of our city’s growth,” said Richland Hills Mayor Ragan. “I see great potential for future commercial and transit oriented development, including residential because of easy commuting to jobs in both Fort Worth and Dallas,” said Ragan.
“The T is very pleased with its partnership with Richland Hills and the city’s commitment to public transportation and its potential to expand economic development,” said Gary Cumbie, chair of The T board of directors.
