Ground breaking ceremony held for Richland Hills TRE station improvements

The Mayor of Richland Hills, Texas, David Ragan, and city council members hosted Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes, The T's Board Chair Gary Cumbie and other officials at a ground-breaking ceremony Sept. 12, for a multi-phase enhancement project at the Richland Hills Trinity Railway Express (TRE) Station. The project, which has been planned for several years in cooperation with the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, is designed to improve street and pedestrian access to the Richland Hills 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. The first phase of the long-term project will be the addition of 100 parking spaces at the TRE Station park and ride lot bringing it to a total of 671 spaces. Construction will begin in September. The TRE Station has the third highest TRE boardings of stations in Tarrant County. The second phase will be the realignment of Burns Street to match up with Trinity Boulevard, providing dedicated turn lanes to expedite traffic flow into and out of the station. The final phase includes future economic development by private entities on property adjacent to the station. "Improved access and additional parking for the area surrounding the Richland Hills TRE Station will enhance the Southeast entrance of our city and make it welcoming for future development opportunities," said Richland Hills Mayor David 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 Dick Ruddell, president of The T.