Trinity Metro
Regional public transportation agency serving Fort Worth and surrounding communities in Tarrant County, Texas.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Trinity Metro is the public transportation agency serving Fort Worth and participating communities in Tarrant County, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. Its principal responsibilities include local and express bus service, hybrid rail, commuter rail partnerships, paratransit, demand-responsive transportation, vanpool coordination, and mobility programs such as bikeshare. The organization is a public agency rather than a conventional commercial transport company, and its service area and funding structure are closely connected to municipal participation and local sales-tax arrangements. The agency emerged from a gradual transition in Fort Worth transit governance. Until the 1970s, the city’s bus network was operated by a private company. Municipal authorities subsequently coordinated and then assumed responsibility for transit operations, including the CITRAN bus system, SURTRAN airport-oriented service, and Mobility Impaired Transit Services. In 1983, voters approved creation of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, commonly branded as The T, and authorized a half-cent sales tax to support the system. The new authority consolidated those earlier services and added responsibility for carpool and vanpool programs. The T expanded beyond Fort Worth through local elections and interlocal arrangements. Lake Worth joined in 1991 before later withdrawing, while Blue Mound and Richland Hills approved participation in 1992. Richland Hills subsequently voted to leave in 2016. The agency’s regional role also grew through cooperation with Dallas Area Rapid Transit. The Trinity Railway Express, jointly operated by the two agencies, began serving downtown Fort Worth in 2001 and connects Fort Worth with downtown Dallas through the Mid-Cities and Irving. Rail became a major part of the agency’s identity with TEXRail. Trinity Metro broke ground on the line in 2016 after narrowing the original broader concept to a 27-mile minimum operating segment between downtown Fort Worth and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The hybrid rail service opened in January 2019, linking downtown Fort Worth, Northeast Tarrant County, Grapevine, and the airport. The project included stations in North Richland Hills after that city entered the agency’s service area, while a proposed Haltom City station was not built because the city did not join. In January 2018, the governing board approved the Trinity Metro name and a new logo built around three triangular forms. The public-facing change was implemented in March of that year, replacing the long-standing Fort Worth Transportation Authority and The T identities for the agency’s overall brand. The rebrand positioned the organization as a broader regional mobility provider rather than solely a Fort Worth bus operator. Today, Trinity Metro’s services include a network of local and express buses, TEXRail, participation in the Trinity Railway Express, the Orange Line and Blue Line branded circulators, On-Demand microtransit, ACCESS ADA paratransit, VANPOOL, and Trinity Metro Bikes. The Blue Line, originally introduced as Molly the Trolley, provides free downtown circulation. The Orange Line connects the Fort Worth Stockyards with downtown and the North Side TEXRail station. Trinity Metro also previously operated The Dash, an electric shuttle between downtown, the Cultural District, and Dickies Arena, but discontinued it after low ridership. The agency’s reported 2025 ridership was 6,180,600, according to the cited reference material.
History
Fort Worth’s modern public transit structure developed from a privately operated bus network. Through the early 1970s, City Transit Company provided local service. In 1974, the city’s Traffic Engineering Department began coordinating operations, and Fort Worth later established a Department of Transportation in 1978 to take over public transit. The municipal system included CITRAN bus operations, SURTRAN airport-oriented service shared by Dallas and Fort Worth, and MITS paratransit, which was added in 1979. On November 8, 1983, voters approved formation of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, widely known as The T, and authorized a half-cent sales tax to finance it. CITRAN, SURTRAN, MITS, and carpool and vanpool coordination were consolidated under the new authority. Participation was structured around member municipalities and their local tax commitments. Lake Worth became the first additional municipality to join after a 1991 vote. Blue Mound and Richland Hills followed in 1992, while Forest Hill rejected the proposal. Lake Worth later approved withdrawal in 2003, with service ending in March 2004. Richland Hills voted to withdraw in 2016, and its service ended that November. The authority’s regional reach expanded through rail partnerships. The Trinity Railway Express was developed jointly with Dallas Area Rapid Transit and began reaching downtown Fort Worth in 2001. The line connects downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas using a former Rock Island corridor, with Trinity Metro responsible for stations in Tarrant County and DART handling the Dallas-side partnership. This arrangement established a cross-metropolitan rail connection while preserving separate local agency responsibilities. Trinity Metro’s second major rail project was TEXRail. The agency broke ground in August 2016. Earlier concepts contemplated a longer route using several existing railroad corridors and potential extensions through the Stockyards and toward Benbrook Lake. The project was subsequently reduced to a 27-mile minimum operating segment between downtown Fort Worth and DFW Airport, reflecting project cost and right-of-way considerations. The completed route added stations in Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, Grapevine, and at the airport. North Richland Hills joined the agency’s service area in 2018, enabling two stations there; a proposed Haltom City station did not proceed because the city did not become a member municipality. TEXRail opened on January 10, 2019, with free rides during its initial introductory period. On January 29, 2018, the board approved rebranding the agency as Trinity Metro. The new identity used a logo based on three triangles forming an M-like negative space. The change went live across the organization’s website and social-media presence on March 23, 2018. The rebrand reflected a shift from a city-centered authority identity toward a broader regional mobility brand. The agency now combines local bus routes, express services, TEXRail, the jointly operated Trinity Railway Express, downtown circulators, microtransit, paratransit, vanpool, and bikeshare. The Blue Line, launched in 2009 as Molly the Trolley, is a free downtown circulator. The Orange Line began in 2024 and serves the Stockyards, downtown, and the North Side rail station. On-Demand, formerly branded ZIPZONE, launched in 2019 in partnership with Via Transportation and provides curb-to-curb trips within designated zones. ACCESS provides ADA-compliant transportation for eligible riders, while VANPOOL supports shared commuting across a broad multi-county area. Trinity Metro Bikes operates with Lyft Urban Solutions. The agency also operated The Dash from 2019 to 2024, but ended that service because of low ridership.
- 2024
Orange Line begins service
[1]The new circulator connected the Stockyards, downtown Fort Worth, and North Side TEXRail station.
- 2019
TEXRail opens
[1]Passenger service began between downtown Fort Worth and DFW Airport.
- 2019
On-Demand microtransit launches
[1]The agency introduced zone-based curb-to-curb service, initially branded ZIPZONE, with Via Transportation.
- 2018
Agency adopts Trinity Metro name
[1]The board approved the transition from Fort Worth Transportation Authority and The T to Trinity Metro.
- 2016
TEXRail construction begins
[1]The agency broke ground on its Fort Worth–DFW Airport hybrid rail project.
- 2009
Molly the Trolley launches
[1]The free downtown circulator later known as the Blue Line began operation.
- 2001
TRE reaches downtown Fort Worth
[1]The Trinity Railway Express extended service into downtown Fort Worth.
- 1996
Trinity Railway Express opens
[1]The jointly operated commuter rail service began connecting Dallas and Fort Worth.
- 1991
Lake Worth joins the authority
[1]Lake Worth voters approved joining the regional transit system.
- 1983
The T is established
[1]Voters approved the Fort Worth Transportation Authority and a half-cent sales tax to support its services.
Products and positioning
A regional, multimodal public mobility provider centered on Fort Worth, combining bus, rail, demand-responsive, paratransit, and shared-mobility services.
Hybrid rail · 2019
TEXRail
A hybrid rail service linking downtown Fort Worth with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport through Northeast Tarrant County. The route serves Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, Grapevine, and airport stations. It is Trinity Metro’s principal rail project developed independently of the jointly operated Trinity Railway Express.
Commuter rail · 1996
Trinity Railway Express
A commuter rail line between downtown Fort Worth and downtown Dallas, operated in partnership with Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Trinity Metro manages the stations and agency responsibilities on the Tarrant County portion of the route.
Bus transit · 1983
Trinity Metro bus network
The agency’s core local and express bus network serves Fort Worth and participating communities. Services include neighborhood routes, park-and-ride express routes, airport and rail connections, and specialty circulators centered on Fort Worth Central Station and other transfer points.
Microtransit · 2019
On-Demand
A curb-to-curb, zone-based service operated with Via Transportation. Riders book trips through an app or telephone channel, and trips generally must begin and end within designated service zones. The service replaced the earlier ZIPZONE branding.
ADA paratransit · 1979
ACCESS Paratransit
An ADA-compliant curb-to-curb service for eligible riders whose disabilities prevent them from using regular fixed-route transit. It developed from Mobility Impaired Transit Services, or MITS.
Shared commuting
VANPOOL
A group commuting program for five to fifteen participants who share an SUV or van. Trinity Metro covers registration, insurance, fuel, and maintenance, while rider costs vary according to vehicle type and travel distance.
Bikeshare
Trinity Metro Bikes
A short-term electric-bike rental program operated with Lyft Urban Solutions. Riders use the dedicated service application and purchase bike-specific passes separate from Trinity Metro transit tickets.
Electric shuttle · 2019
The Dash
A downtown-to-Cultural District shuttle using red electric buses and serving Dickies Arena. The service operated from 2019 until 2024, when it was discontinued because of low ridership.
Brand decisions
2024
Discontinue The DashOtherBackground
The electric shuttle connecting downtown, the Cultural District, and Dickies Arena experienced low ridership.
Action taken
Trinity Metro ended The Dash service and removed it from the active network.
Aftermath
The agency retained other local circulator and rail-linked services, including the Blue Line and the Orange Line.
2018
Adopt the Trinity Metro regional brandStrategyBackground
The agency had long operated under the Fort Worth Transportation Authority name and The T brand, even as its services and partnerships extended across Tarrant County.
Action taken
The board approved the Trinity Metro name and a new geometric logo, with the public-facing transition taking effect in March 2018.
Aftermath
The new identity presented the agency as a broader regional mobility provider and became the principal brand for its bus and multimodal services.
2016
Build the TEXRail minimum operating segmentStrategyBackground
The original TEXRail concept contemplated a longer and more complex route using several railroad corridors and possible extensions beyond downtown Fort Worth.
Action taken
The agency selected a 27-mile initial segment between downtown Fort Worth and DFW Airport after considering project costs and right-of-way issues.
Aftermath
The reduced project opened in 2019 and established a direct rail connection between central Fort Worth and the airport.
Sources2 sources
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