Top 5 Takeaways from DCTA’s June 2020 Online Public Meeting

July 21, 2020

Last month, we hosted our first-ever online public meeting! While we had to change gears this year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we are committed to keeping the public informed on potential changes.

DCTA is responding to decreased ridership since the onset of COVID-19 that many other transportation agencies across the county have experienced as well. With changes in ridership, DCTA is proposing to make previous service changes permanent in August. Did you miss our online public meeting? Don’t worry! You can still view our online presentation or video on our website. 

Keep reading for an overview of our key takeaways from the meeting!

1. Connect Bus Service 

DCTA proposes making its March 23 service hours and frequency changes to the Denton and Lewisville Connect Bus system permanent, resulting in a nearly 50 percent reduction in service. Also, the 30-minute headways between each bus during peak hours as was previously before March 23 will stay at the current 60-minute headways. Below is a high-level breakdown of previous service DCTA changes that were put into effect due to COVID-19 that DCTA is proposing to make permanent in August 2020.

Service	March 23 Changes	May 11 Changes
Route 1	Saturday schedule with additional morning run	Continued
Route 2	Saturday schedule with additional morning run	Continued
Route 3	Saturday schedule with additional morning run	Continued
Route 4	Saturday schedule with additional morning run	Continued
Route 5	Saturday schedule with additional morning run	Suspended Service
Route 6	Saturday schedule with additional morning run	Continued
Route 7	Saturday schedule with additional morning run	Continued
Route 8	Saturday schedule with additional morning run	Suspended Service
Route 21	Saturday schedule with additional morning run	Continued
Route 22	Saturday schedule with additional morning run	Continued
Highland Village Connect Shuttle	Discontinued Service	Continued

2. Permanent Suspension of Denton Connect Routes 5 and 8 

DCTA proposes permanently removing Denton Connect Routes 5 and 8 to reduce route duplication within the agency’s services. DCTA temporarily suspended the routes in May due to COVID-19. Passengers who previously utilized Denton Connect Route 5 can ride Denton Connect Route 6 to get to the majority of their destinations. Passengers who previously utilized Denton Connect Route 8 can ride Denton Connect Route 7 to get to the majority of their destinations.

3. Proposed A-train Service Modifications 

DCTA proposes adjusting A-train service frequency to be provided hourly Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday service will remain the same.

4. Proposed On-Demand Service Modifications

As Denton Connect bus service ends before the A-train service, DCTA proposes making the on-demand zone at the Downtown Denton Transit Center (DDTC) permanent. This will address last-mile connections during that time. Learn how to book your on-demand trip here.

5. Proposed UNT Service Modifications

DCTA and UNT are working together to determine necessary changes for the upcoming semester. Students can view more details about the proposed changes here.

As public servants, DCTA employees and the board of directors hold themselves accountable to their constituents. We understand recent service changes are not to the service level that fits ever rider’s need, but we are working diligently to make sure service is as safe as possible for the many communities we serve.

We strive to do the best we can with the resources the public has entrusted us with, and we are always open to your feedback! Please share any comments regarding the proposed changes in the comment section below or as always, you can submit feedback through our GORequest customer feedback tool!

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