HIGHLIGHTS
Via On-Demand Rideshare Service
Grows to Meet Arlington’s Needs
The City’s successful Via rideshare service is set for a major expansion
in January 2021 to cover the entire City. The service last expanded in
January 2020 to cover approximately 40 percent of the City, and the
service has proven flexible and resilient during COVID-19. The planned
expansion will allow travel to all portions of the City, and Via will
continue to connect riders to the regional transportation network with
service to the CentrePort TRE station just outside the City boundaries.
The Via service also continues to be instrumental in helping further
educational attainment in Arlington. Starting in August, Tarrant
County College students are now able to use the City of Arlington’s Via
rideshare public transportation service for free as part of a two-year
pilot program. This program, funded by the North Central Texas Council
of Governments, will allow Tarrant County College students to ride Via
to and from anywhere within the rideshare service area, not just the
campus. The purpose of this program is to help provide access to higher
education in the City of Arlington and promote workforce development
and job readiness.
Also, during the summer of 2020, UT Arlington students were able to
catch a ride around campus and other select destinations for free as part
of a partnership between Via and the University. With fewer students
on campus due to coronavirus concerns, UTA temporarily suspended its
own shuttle service for the summer. Instead, UTA utilized the City’s Via
rideshare service to transport students around campus and to other area
destinations. UTA covered the cost of the $3 rides for students accessing
a specific set of locations. The University has always been a popular pick
up and drop off location for Via, which has operated in Arlington since
December 2017.
6
Arlington
Municipal Airport
Awarded $250K in
Federal Grants for
Drainage Study
The Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT) recently
awarded the Arlington Municipal
Airport a $250,000 federal grant for a
drainage study that is set to begin in
September.
The federal funding, which was
appropriated by Congress in March
as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief
and Economic Security (CARES) Act,
comes through the U.S. Department
of Transportation.
This year, TxDOT expects to provide
approximately $60 million in funding
for planning, constructing, and
maintaining community airports.
The Arlington Municipal Airport,
which sees approximately 90,000
aircraft landings and takeoffs each
year, is among approximately 275
community airports in Texas that are
eligible for funding.
Over the past 20 years, the Airport’s
growth has altered the flow of
stormwater, said Airport Manager
Karen VanWinkle. Standing water
attracts flocks of birds that are
dangerous to aircraft. This project
will design a drainage plan that
reduces ponding and protects the
streams around the Airport. RS&H
Engineering will conduct the study.