Denton County Transportation Authority
Encyclopedia
The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is the transit authority that operates in Denton County, Texas
, USA, which is northwest of Dallas County
. It operates bus service in three cities within Denton County, as well as the A-train
, a regional commuter rail
line to Carrollton
.
In 2006, DCTA absorbed LINK, the mass transit service operated by the City of Denton since 2002. LINK's bus routes were absorbed into DCTA's local Denton services (now called Connect). Paratransit services in the three member cities were also absorbed and renamed DCTA Access. Neither Lewisville nor Highland Village (the other current members of DCTA) operated bus lines prior to DCTA's formation.
No other cities have joined DCTA since its inception, and none of the original cities have held elections to pull out.
Although a DCTA Board member must reside in Denton County, the member does not have to reside in a DCTA-member city.
All members serve two-year terms. Board members must have professional experience in the field of transportation, business, government, engineering or law. In accordance with DCTA By-laws, the Board adopts the annual operating budget and is responsible for setting policy. The president oversees the day-to-day operations of the DCTA and implements policies set forth by the Board.
Most Commuter Express trips serve the central business district of downtown Dallas. However, the mid-day and late evening Commuter Express trips only go as far south as the North Carrollton Transit Center. Transfers to DART services can be made in both downtown Dallas and north Carrollton, but DART and DCTA do not yet honor each other's tickets and passes. That is expected to change when both systems' rail lines reach north Carrollton.
DCTA currently operates three Commuter Express Park & Ride locations, two in Lewisville and one in Denton. Two of the current locations are located at the parking lots of nearby businesses and the third is located at a future A-Train station:
DCTA currently operates nine routes in Denton (numbered 1 through 9), three routes in Lewisville (numbered 21 through 23), and an on-demand service called Connect RSVP in Highland Village.
students:
DCTA also operates a shuttle service for Denton and Lewisville commuting students to the North Central Texas College
Corinth
campus.
ADA Paratransit service is provided within three-quarters of a mile on either side of the Connect local fixed routes in Lewisville and Denton. All other trips within the service area are classified as Non-ADA. Non-ADA demand response trips are provided on a first-come first-served basis and are subject to capacity constraints.
and is a logical extension with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Green Line
at Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton
.
It has five stations — two in Denton and three in Lewisville — and opened June 20, 2011.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA, which is northwest of Dallas County
Dallas County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,218,899 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile . There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971/sq mi...
. It operates bus service in three cities within Denton County, as well as the A-train
A-train (Denton County Transportation Authority)
The A-train is a commuter rail line in Denton County, Texas, United States that parallels Interstate 35E and acts as an extension with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Green Line at Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton. It is operated by the Denton County Transportation Authority and serves Denton...
, a regional commuter rail
Commuter rail in North America
Commuter rail services in the United States, Canada, and Mexico provide common carrier passenger transportation along railway tracks, with scheduled service on fixed routes on a non-reservation basis primarily for short-distance travel between a central business district and adjacent suburbs and...
line to Carrollton
Carrollton, Texas
-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1980.*The average coolest month is January.*The lowest recorded temperature was 1°F in 1989.*The most precipitation on average occurs in May....
.
History
DCTA was created by House Bill 3323, under Chapter 460 of the Texas Transportation Code, approved by the 77th Texas Legislature and signed into law by the Governor in 2001. On November 5, 2002, the voters in Denton County approved the confirmation of DCTA by 73%. The DCTA Board of Directors represents every geographic area of the county.In 2006, DCTA absorbed LINK, the mass transit service operated by the City of Denton since 2002. LINK's bus routes were absorbed into DCTA's local Denton services (now called Connect). Paratransit services in the three member cities were also absorbed and renamed DCTA Access. Neither Lewisville nor Highland Village (the other current members of DCTA) operated bus lines prior to DCTA's formation.
Member cities
The following cities voted to join the DCTA on September 13, 2003 and levy a half cent sales tax to finance the system.- DentonDenton, TexasThe city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
- Highland VillageHighland Village, TexasHighland Village is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States, a suburb of Dallas hugging the south side of the far western branch of Lewisville Lake. As of the 2000 census the city population was 12,173, though the 2006 projection by the U.S. Census Bureau puts the city's population at 15,738...
- LewisvilleLewisville, TexasLewisville is a city in Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. The 2010 United States Census placed the population at 95,290 within . The city also includes of Lewisville Lake....
No other cities have joined DCTA since its inception, and none of the original cities have held elections to pull out.
Board of directors
The Denton County Transportation Authority is governed by a 14-member board appointed by respective entities:- Three members are appointed by "small cities" (population <= 17,000)
- Eight members are appointed by "large cities" (population > 17,000)
- Two members are appointed from unincorporated areas of the county
- One member represents the county at-large
Although a DCTA Board member must reside in Denton County, the member does not have to reside in a DCTA-member city.
All members serve two-year terms. Board members must have professional experience in the field of transportation, business, government, engineering or law. In accordance with DCTA By-laws, the Board adopts the annual operating budget and is responsible for setting policy. The president oversees the day-to-day operations of the DCTA and implements policies set forth by the Board.
Transportation Services
The Denton County Transportation Authority offers several services to the general public in the Greater Lewisville and Denton area. These services include fixed-route service in Denton and Lewisville, an on-demand service in Highland Village, shuttle routes serving UNT and NCTC and a regional commuter service connecting Denton, Lewisville, Carrollton, and downtown Dallas. Additionally, DCTA offers demand response/paratransit service in Denton, Lewisville, Highland Village, Hickory Creek and Corinth.Route 101: Commuter Express
Commuter Express takes passengers to downtown Dallas from Park & Ride locations in Denton and Lewisville. Reverse trips from downtown Dallas stop at Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s North Carrollton Transit Center, the Lewisville Park and Ride, the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University and DCTA's downtown Denton transit center.Most Commuter Express trips serve the central business district of downtown Dallas. However, the mid-day and late evening Commuter Express trips only go as far south as the North Carrollton Transit Center. Transfers to DART services can be made in both downtown Dallas and north Carrollton, but DART and DCTA do not yet honor each other's tickets and passes. That is expected to change when both systems' rail lines reach north Carrollton.
DCTA currently operates three Commuter Express Park & Ride locations, two in Lewisville and one in Denton. Two of the current locations are located at the parking lots of nearby businesses and the third is located at a future A-Train station:
- Denton: 2825 Wind River Lane (Cinemark 14)
- North Lewisville: 1951 Summit Avenue (Zone Action Park)
- South Lewisville: Hebron StationHebron StationHebron Station is an A-train commuter rail station in Lewisville, Texas. It is east of Interstate-35E and serves commuters from Lewisville and the Vista Ridge Mall retail area...
Connect
DCTA Connect offers local fixed-route services operating in the cities of Lewisville and Denton. The routes were configured to provide easy access to many destinations within these cities.DCTA currently operates nine routes in Denton (numbered 1 through 9), three routes in Lewisville (numbered 21 through 23), and an on-demand service called Connect RSVP in Highland Village.
College Shuttles
DCTA also operates nine shuttles that serve University of North TexasUniversity of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
students:
- Mean Green
- North Texan
- Discovery Park
- Eagle Point
- Campus Cruiser
- Bernard Street
- Sam Bass
- Colorado Express
- Centre Place
DCTA also operates a shuttle service for Denton and Lewisville commuting students to the North Central Texas College
North Central Texas College
North Central Texas College is a community college serving Cooke County, Denton County, and Montague County, Texas. NCTC operates four campuses, the main campus in Gainesville, campuses in Corinth, Bowie, and a branch campus in Graham....
Corinth
Corinth, Texas
Corinth is a small town in Denton County, Texas, United States, a suburb of Dallas, and a part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The population was 11,325 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Corinth is located at ....
campus.
Access
DCTA offers curb to curb ADA paratransit service in Denton and Lewisville and demand-response (Non-ADA) service in Lewisville, Highland Village, Denton, Hickory Creek and Corinth for disabled and elderly (65 years and older) patrons. Passengers can schedule trips to begin and end in any of the three DCTA member cities as well as non-member cities Corinth and Hickory Creek.ADA Paratransit service is provided within three-quarters of a mile on either side of the Connect local fixed routes in Lewisville and Denton. All other trips within the service area are classified as Non-ADA. Non-ADA demand response trips are provided on a first-come first-served basis and are subject to capacity constraints.
A-train
DCTA operates the A-train, a regional passenger rail line connecting Carrollton and Denton, to meet growing transportation demands in eastern Denton County. The A-train parallels Interstate 35EInterstate 35E (Texas)
Interstate 35E , an Interstate Highway, is the eastern half of Interstate 35 where it splits to serve different cities in Texas. I-35 splits into two branch routes, I-35W and I-35E at Hillsboro. I-35E runs north for , maintaining I-35's sequence of exit numbers. It runs through Dallas before...
and is a logical extension with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
Green Line
Green Line (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)
The Green Line is a light rail line in Dallas, USA, operated by the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority . The US$1.7 billion project opened in phases, starting in 2009...
at Trinity Mills Station in Carrollton
Carrollton, Texas
-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1980.*The average coolest month is January.*The lowest recorded temperature was 1°F in 1989.*The most precipitation on average occurs in May....
.
It has five stations — two in Denton and three in Lewisville — and opened June 20, 2011.
Ridership
DCTA ridership fluctuates greatly with the academic calendar, as a considerable portion of passengers are UNT and TWU students, faculty, and staff. As an example, DCTA average daily fixed-route ridership in September 2008 was 13,840 passenger trips, while in July 2009 it was 2,695.External links
- Denton County Transportation Authority
- RailDCTA
- UNT Parking & Transportation
- Denton County Transportation Authority on the DentonWiki