DCTA tells Highland Village CDC it’s boosting rail and trail connections; board asks for local ridership data

DCTA officials told the Highland Village Community Development Corporation on Tuesday evening that regional transit ridership has recovered since the pandemic and that the agency is focusing on integrating the A-train into local trail and development plans to increase use.

The briefing, led by Paul (DCTA CEO), Austin Frith (vice president of planning and development) and Karina Maldonado (planning manager), reviewed recent ridership trends, changes to the GoZone on-demand service, the A-train enhancement program, and DCTA’s rail-trail and wayfinding efforts. Board members repeatedly asked DCTA for Highland Village–specific rider counts and for station- and resident-level metrics to assess local return on the city’s investment.

“The A-train enhancement program … is really trying to create places along the A-train corridor to make it more than just a commuter rail product,” Paul said. “I want to make sure that DCTA's plans are your plans, and your plans are our plans.” Austin Frith said DCTA was established under the Texas Transportation Code and is funded in part by a half-cent sales tax collected from member cities; he added that the agency experienced record ridership in 2024 and is projecting “upwards of almost 300,000 rides for FY25.”

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