DCTA reports record ridership; Highland Village microtransit use grows as council questions costs and membership terms
January 14, 2025 | Highlands City Council, Highlands, Harris County, Texas
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Denton County Transportation Authority officials told the Highland Village City Council on Jan. 14 that DCTA reached an all-time high of about 3,180,000 passenger trips in fiscal 2024 and that Highland Village's microtransit service has shown steady local growth.
The presentation, led by DCTA staff member Paul Christina and board member Dan Jaworski, highlighted systemwide ridership rebounds since the COVID-19 dip and rapid increases in microtransit (GoZone) and A-train use. Christina said Highland Village recorded roughly 11,000 GoZone trips in fiscal 2024, about a quarter of which both started and ended inside the city. He also said the average wait time for a GoZone ride in Highland Village from October 2023 through November 2024 was roughly 14 minutes and that active GoZone users in the city rose from about 30 in 2021 to about 194 in November 2024.
Why it matters: Council members said the data show transit use is growing but called for clearer accounting of costs and membership rules. Highland Village contributes sales-tax revenue to DCTA and some council members expressed concern about how future policy changes for new members or contracted services could affect the city's share and influence.
Christina described DCTA's strategy to strengthen the A-train's role and integrate it with regional projects, including a potential two-mile extension into downtown Carrollton to connect with the planned Silver Line at DART. The agency also cited microtransit deployment choices that shifted capacity into Highland Village and Lewisville, which Christina said is one reason local ridership rose.
Council questions focused on service details and finance. Councilmembers asked whether the A-train runs late-night service and whether DCTA maintains on-board security comparable to DART; Christina said DCTA contracts with the Denton County Sheriff's Office for random security rides and that A-train service currently ends around 10 p.m. on weekdays (about 11 p.m. on weekends). On late-night airport connections, Christina said timetable coordination would be required if the A-train is extended to connect with the Silver Line and DFW Airport schedules.
Members also sought detail on fiscal trends. Christina said earlier pandemic-era CARES/CRRSAA funding created temporary spikes in federal operating grants and that DCTA plans around more typical programmatic funding levels. He told the council the agency had reduced its FY2025 budget versus an earlier plan to preserve long-term capital capacity for fleet replacement and other needs.
Council debate touched on membership, assessment and value. Several council members pressed whether new or contracted-service members could negotiate different contribution levels and whether that would diminish Highland Village's voice. DCTA staff said the board is drafting a new-member and contracted-services policy that evaluates each request case-by-case; the board would seek to protect the investment and relative influence of existing member cities. Christina and board member Jaworski said contributions and terms will be evaluated on a per-case basis and that larger jurisdictions could bring substantially larger sales-tax revenue.
Council members asked for better visibility into local return-on-investment. One council member noted that, excluding A-train ridership, Highland Village had about 194 registered GoZone users and that the city's contribution (as presented in the meeting) translated into a substantial subsidy per registered user; the calculation and its implication were discussed without formal resolution. Christina said the agency is working to capture user stories that demonstrate benefits beyond simple ridership counts, such as access to employment and services for residents who cannot drive.
No formal action was taken; the presentation was an informational update. DCTA staff said the board will consider reauthorization of the Transportation Reinvestment Program (TRIP) at an upcoming meeting and that Highland Village has received approximately $1.8 million in TRIP allocations since FY2021 for transportation-supportive projects.
Looking ahead: Councilmembers asked DCTA to provide more granular financials, program timelines and the draft new-member/contracted-services policy when available so city leaders can assess long-term impacts on Highland Village's budget and influence.
The presentation, led by DCTA staff member Paul Christina and board member Dan Jaworski, highlighted systemwide ridership rebounds since the COVID-19 dip and rapid increases in microtransit (GoZone) and A-train use. Christina said Highland Village recorded roughly 11,000 GoZone trips in fiscal 2024, about a quarter of which both started and ended inside the city. He also said the average wait time for a GoZone ride in Highland Village from October 2023 through November 2024 was roughly 14 minutes and that active GoZone users in the city rose from about 30 in 2021 to about 194 in November 2024.
Why it matters: Council members said the data show transit use is growing but called for clearer accounting of costs and membership rules. Highland Village contributes sales-tax revenue to DCTA and some council members expressed concern about how future policy changes for new members or contracted services could affect the city's share and influence.
Christina described DCTA's strategy to strengthen the A-train's role and integrate it with regional projects, including a potential two-mile extension into downtown Carrollton to connect with the planned Silver Line at DART. The agency also cited microtransit deployment choices that shifted capacity into Highland Village and Lewisville, which Christina said is one reason local ridership rose.
Council questions focused on service details and finance. Councilmembers asked whether the A-train runs late-night service and whether DCTA maintains on-board security comparable to DART; Christina said DCTA contracts with the Denton County Sheriff's Office for random security rides and that A-train service currently ends around 10 p.m. on weekdays (about 11 p.m. on weekends). On late-night airport connections, Christina said timetable coordination would be required if the A-train is extended to connect with the Silver Line and DFW Airport schedules.
Members also sought detail on fiscal trends. Christina said earlier pandemic-era CARES/CRRSAA funding created temporary spikes in federal operating grants and that DCTA plans around more typical programmatic funding levels. He told the council the agency had reduced its FY2025 budget versus an earlier plan to preserve long-term capital capacity for fleet replacement and other needs.
Council debate touched on membership, assessment and value. Several council members pressed whether new or contracted-service members could negotiate different contribution levels and whether that would diminish Highland Village's voice. DCTA staff said the board is drafting a new-member and contracted-services policy that evaluates each request case-by-case; the board would seek to protect the investment and relative influence of existing member cities. Christina and board member Jaworski said contributions and terms will be evaluated on a per-case basis and that larger jurisdictions could bring substantially larger sales-tax revenue.
Council members asked for better visibility into local return-on-investment. One council member noted that, excluding A-train ridership, Highland Village had about 194 registered GoZone users and that the city's contribution (as presented in the meeting) translated into a substantial subsidy per registered user; the calculation and its implication were discussed without formal resolution. Christina said the agency is working to capture user stories that demonstrate benefits beyond simple ridership counts, such as access to employment and services for residents who cannot drive.
No formal action was taken; the presentation was an informational update. DCTA staff said the board will consider reauthorization of the Transportation Reinvestment Program (TRIP) at an upcoming meeting and that Highland Village has received approximately $1.8 million in TRIP allocations since FY2021 for transportation-supportive projects.
Looking ahead: Councilmembers asked DCTA to provide more granular financials, program timelines and the draft new-member/contracted-services policy when available so city leaders can assess long-term impacts on Highland Village's budget and influence.
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