Texoma transit agency seeks public input on five‑year plan and fixed‑route study

Shelly White, general manager of the Texoma Area Paratransit System, updated the Denison City Council on Jan. 5 about a regional planning effort that will produce a five‑year human services plan and a fixed‑route study for the Sherman‑Denison urbanized area. “We are currently in the public and stakeholder engagement process,” White said, telling the council the agency hired KFH Group to lead the work.

White summarized findings to date: limited awareness of services in rural areas, demand for more frequent urban service, and questions about long‑term funding sustainability. She described outreach plans that include focus groups and workshops at the new TAPS facility on Texoma Parkway and provided a QR code for a public survey, which staff also left in paper form at city hall.

White said the draft plan is due in April and the final plan in August and that the agency has extended the survey to collect more input. She emphasized the need for community participation to shape route priorities and service levels, noting common trip types include medical appointments and grocery shopping and that groups who might particularly benefit include elderly residents, people with disabilities, college students and low‑income households.

No formal action was taken by the council; White concluded by offering to leave printed surveys and QR codes for councilmembers and the public to share.