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HarveyThe population of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, which is served by DART, TRE, and the T, is approximately 6.3 million people.  Most people do not use public transit because they don't live near them nor are they going where it goes.  But they pay for it every time that they buy something that attracts sales tax.As expected, a higher percentage of people who live near one of the rail or bus lines use the system if they are going where the tracks or bus routes go.  And the number of riders on the three public transit systems in the Metroplex has increased significantly over the past year.  But the percentage of people in the Metroplex who use public transit remains low.  The North Texas Central Council of Governments reports that approximately two per cent of the Metroplex population uses public transit.  Having lived in North Texas for more than 32 years, this squares with my experience.  Interestingly, approximately 40 per cent of the people who use the buses, as well as 20 per cent of those on the light rail line and 13 per cent on the TRE, are captive riders.  They are low income people, for the most part, who do not have an alternative.  The opening of the Orange and Green lines will increase ridership on the light rail line.  And DART will make a big to do about it.  What they won't broadcast so loudly is the fact that a significant percentage of the new riders will be coming off buses that are re-routed to connect with the new rail lines as opposed to going downtown or to another end point.  Nevertheless, the lines will attract new riders, especially if gasoline stays at $4 a gallon, until they can switch to more efficient vehicles or ones that are powered by alternative fuels. The challenge for public transit in Texas is the pattern of our cities.  They are spread out for a variety of reasons and lack the density that makes public transit, especially rail, a good option.  To get a significant portion of the population to use public transit would require a massive shift in housing patterns and lifestyles.  I am skeptical that it will happen, although some folks will move to town and some will move to new multiple dwelling units near the new rail lines.I support rail where it makes sense.  I was a strong supporter of DART, and I was involved in getting the referendum passed to bring it about.  But the cost of light rail is high, and because the population densities are relatively low, the subsidy required to support it is high.  I have concluded that while light rail is viable in some situations, primarily where traffic congestion makes building more highways cost prohibitive, rapid bus technology may be better suited for many if not most public transit environments in Texas.
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