Transportation options need spotlight

Transportation-editorial's-cartoon-(WITH-BLUR)Many college students do not have their own cars. Unfortunately, the only campuses in the county with public transit are South and TR campuses.

Other students have no choice but to deal with this obstacle.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is spread with several dozen cities stretching over a couple counties. Without a sufficient public transportation system, the area is nearly unnavigable without a vehicle, and it’s unheard of to take a bus or a train outside of the business districts.

Even with a car, daily commuters face a number of hardships. The danger of navigating in between cones with narrow lanes in construction zones (that seem to stretch to every corner of the Metroplex) sometimes makes for a nerve-wracking drive. Numerous speedy highways not only make it difficult but unsafe, especially for repeated travel. The gas prices are stuck on expensive, and student pockets aren’t exactly deep.

Tarrant County is just a portion of the mess. With so many cities, uniting a transit system would take full cooperation and money from all cities involved, an instance very unlikely.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for a bus route that finally connects the heart of Fort Worth to all outlying cities. Honestly, the chance of underground trains and superior bus lines is overshooting the hoop. It took London and New York decades to get their systems up to the brilliance they are now. Compared to the sizes of those cities, Tarrant County is but a blip on the radar.

There are other ways.

A shuttle from the busiest cities to the closest campuses and bus service from campus to campus would help tremendously. A carpool website especially for TCC students could be designed in the myTCC portal. Creating bike lanes and providing bikes for closer students would at least be a start. If students bring their ideas to the board, they too might have the power to change things. Boosting the common transit lines is not just in a student’s interest but also for the citizens of Tarrant County.

Lessening the time spent behind the wheel in traffic during rush hour would be beneficial. In an area this spread out, the distances to and from work could mean at least an hour spent traveling home. Giving students the option of bike riding, shuttling and carpooling also gives students the option to study, prepare for class and exercise. It would also cut down on parking space shortages and walking times to classes from overflow parking.

Students can complain all they want, and they are right to do it, but the solution starts with them. Extending transit lines to meet the need of TCC commuters is a necessity, but the decision-makers need to be made aware. The good news is commuters needn’t feel helpless in a Metroplex that’s crazy about personal vehicles.

The legitimate issue is there. Shine light on the issues and take action.