Transit is key to Near Southside’s walkable, connected life. Let’s support its growth | Opinion

As a vibrant, rapidly growing community with thousands of residents and workers, Fort Worth’s Near Southside is constantly evolving and adapting, always benefiting from a collaborative spirit among neighborhood stakeholders. Every day, the Near Southside community works together to create a special district, delivering a major boost to Fort Worth’s economy and high-quality experiences for residents, workers and visitors.

The work of our organization, Near Southside Inc., is truly a labor of love. From our recent grand opening of Fire Station Park – designed for skateboarders and other neighbors of all ages and abilities – to our ongoing recruitment of small businesses, we strive to build a better tomorrow.

An essential objective in this effort is to improve connectivity for Near Southside residents, medical innovation district workers, state-designated cultural district visitors and neighborhood businesses and their customers.

A big part of what keeps this Near Southside community connected is public transportation. Our residents prefer a walkable community and enjoy traveling around town without the cost and hassle of owning and operating private vehicles.

Many of us enjoy the ease of ZIPZONE — an on-demand rideshare service — because it is easy to use and is much more economical than Uber or Lyft. With ZIPZONE, we can ride to local businesses or medical appointments or to meet up with a friend. ZIPZONE also takes us to Fort Worth T&P Station, where we connect with TEXRail to Grapevine, DFW International Airport or Dallas via the Trinity Railway Express.

A major project in the works to benefit our district and the city is the upcoming TEXRail extension. Work is under way to connect TEXRail from Fort Worth T&P Station to a new station in the medical district. About 50,000 workers in the area will benefit from this new public transit option, as will the residents of several neighborhoods who will be able to choose public transit for medical appointments, visiting someone in the hospital or commuting to work.

Other enhancements include ongoing bus stop improvements, which debuted in the Near Southside. These attractive passenger shelters with solar lighting add appeal to the bus stops, and we’ll be happy to see those installed elsewhere along busy bus routes.

As a regular transit rider, I enjoy the freedom of low-cost and hassle-free public transportation on Trinity Metro. My time on ZIPZONE, bike share or the bus is always more enjoyable and productive than time spent behind the wheel or searching for parking.

We often see other Near Southsiders posting on social media about how important public transportation is in their lives. For example, Candice Lester says about ZIPZONE, “My mom has been using it, and I helped her set it up. Super easy and affordable for her set budget.”

Dusty Wood says he used Trinity Metro’s Fort Worth Bike Sharing “for the first time at the skatepark opening and several times since then. Very easy to use and affordable!”

And here’s some real talk from Allester Vinteers, about ZIPZONE: “It’s saved my skin so many times! The cars are super and I never have to worry about the awful experiences I’ve had with (private ride share company) drivers. I just hope they can expand it more, so more people can benefit.”

In addition to these everyday trips, transit provides safe, reliable rides to our popular Near Southside events, including ArtsGoggle and Friday on the Green. Attendees can park for free at Fort Worth T&P Station and ride ZIPZONE or convenient buses to these community celebrations, making them even more enjoyable.

As the Near Southside and Fort Worth continue to grow rapidly, the demand for more transportation options grows as well. I’ve seen firsthand how Trinity Metro’s new leadership has a fresh perspective on making the rider experience better and providing the services the community wants. This level of growth will come with funding challenges, and I hope our region finds ways to support these services to improve lives through increased mobility and access.

Mike Brennan is president of Near Southside Inc., which advocates for the Fort Worth neighborhood.