Sunday rail service on the Trinity Railway Express

We the undersigned, do formally request that the Trinity Railway Express (TRE), as the sole interlocal public transportation conduit between Fort Worth and Dallas, and provider of public transportation access to DFW Airport, expands its offerings to include rail service on Sunday.

According to the most recent reports available (4Q '07) from the website of the American Public Transportation Association, overall ridership on the TRE increased 12.13% year-to-date, and 3.39% over the previous quarter.  These ridership spikes are obviously a reaction to rising fuel costs as consumers seek alternatives to meet their transportation needs.   Average fuel prices have risen 33% nationally, from roughly $3/gallon to roughly $4/gallon, in the six months since these figures were released (http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx?time=12).  As fuel cost continues to rise and consumers seek relief, I am confident that ridership demands on available public transportation systems such as the TRE will continue to swell.

Based upon my personal observation/use of the TRE, its services seem predominantly oriented to meet the needs of the 8a-5p, M-F daily commuter, with the highest frequency of trains and per-train capacity being focused at these times.  However, as public transportation is increasingly looked upon as a viable alternative by new riders seeking refuge from fuel prices, the TRE is no longer singularly seen as a commuter service, but as a general-use transportation option.  This means personal errands and recreational use, at times other than the traditional "commuter-rush" hours, and the limitations of the TRE are distinctly glaring here.  Not only is the TRE unavailable on Sundays, but the limited frequency and capacity of Saturday trains , which are generally "standing room only", clearly indicate that ridership exceeds expectations/forecasts.  My point in this is that the model is broken; it is evident that the demographic of riders on the TRE no longer fits the present "daily commuter" standard around which the schedule has been arranged, and that many more passengers are availing themselves of the trains more general times, including weekends.  I think it's thus reasonable to extrapolate from this that trains on Sunday would be met with a ready lot of riders eager to use the service.

Accessibility to DFW Airport is a major draw to the TRE, as not only saves the fuel costs associated with commuting, but also addresses the costs and risks of airport parking.  This benefit is highly trumpeted on the TRE's own website, featuring prominently as a link at the top, and yet for many who would be happy to avail themselves of the TRE for their airport needs, the lack of Sunday service rules this option out.  Many who travel do so on weekends, returning home on Sunday, and cannot use the TRE service to ride to the airport despite its benefits if they cannot rely on the same service once they return home.  Moreover, DFW Airport is also a major employer in the region, and yet for those workers who rely on public transportation, the lack of Sunday service on TRE means they cannot accept jobs at the Airport for which a Sunday shift is required.

I feel confident that you will see, by the illustrated arguments above, supported by the signatures below, that there exists a pressing need and desire to add Sunday service this vital public transportation conduit.  The TRE is more than a commuter train; bridging the gap between the public transportation systems offered by DART and the The T, it's an absolutely necessary link in the area's transportation infrastructure, for which the lack of Sunday service is an omission that it can no longer comfortably accommodate.

Thank you very much for your generosity in taking time to read this petition.