Richland Hills station

Coordinates: 32°47′59″N 97°13′23″W / 32.7996°N 97.2230°W / 32.7996; -97.2230
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Richland Hills
Richland Hills station in February 2017.
General information
Location7225 Burns Street
Richland Hills, Texas 76118
Coordinates32°47′59″N 97°13′23″W / 32.7996°N 97.2230°W / 32.7996; -97.2230
Owned byTrinity Metro
Line(s)
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus interchange Trinity Metro: 23 (M-F), 55 (M-Sun)
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Parking480 spaces
Bicycle facilitiesbike lockups
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zoneWest
History
OpenedSeptember 16, 2000[1]
ClosedFebruary 17, 2024
Services
Preceding station Trinity Railway Express Following station
Fort Worth Central Station Trinity Railway Express Bell

Richland Hills station was a Trinity Railway Express commuter rail station. The station was located in southern Richland Hills, Texas at the intersection of Handley-Ederville Road and Airport Freeway (SH 121).

The station served as a park-and-ride lot. A bus route operated by Trinity Metro connects the station to Tarrant County College Northeast Campus in Hurst, Texas.[2]

On February 19, 2024, Richland Hills station was replaced by Trinity Lakes station. Trinity Lakes station is located 0.8 miles (1.3 km) east of the former station in Fort Worth, on its border with Hurst.[3]

History[edit]

Richland Hills[edit]

Richland Hills joined the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (FWTA, now Trinity Metro) in May 1992.[4] Construction for the station started in January 1999.[5]

The station opened on September 16, 2000 with a parade, opening ceremony, and inaugural train.[1] The Hurst/Bell and CentrePort stations opened the same day; all three entered regular service two days later.[6] The station served as the western terminus of the TRE until it was extended to Downtown Fort Worth on December 3, 2001.[7]

In 2011, FWTA began a $2 million improvement project for the station, which expanded the parking lot and realigned Burns Street, the station's primary entrance. This created a pocket of undeveloped land for a future transit-oriented development project,[8][9] though no development ever occurred.[10]

In November 2016, Richland Hills held a citywide referendum on its membership in FWTA. The vote, which was the fourth on FWTA membership in the city's history, resulted in the city leaving FWTA.[11] FWTA's bus and paratransit services in Richland Hills ceased. However, Richland Hills station remained open, as most of the commuters using the station were not Richland Hills residents.[10]

Trinity Lakes[edit]

Signage at CentrePort/DFW Airport station announcing the future closure and replacement of Richland Hills station. The text says "RIDER ALERT: TRE is making improvements to its service by building a new station. Trinity Lakes Station will replace the one in Richland Hills in the near future. During construction, a temporary schedule change will be implemented to accommodate building the station platform. Please refer to the TRE website and printed schedules for more details about the schedule changes. Effective Monday, February 13, 2023.
Signage at CentrePort/DFW Airport announcing the closure and replacement of Richland Hills station.

In 2012, the city of Fort Worth created a tax increment financing district for Trinity Lakes, a planned development adjacent to the Trinity Railway Express rail line.[12] A TRE station was proposed for the development, and it was speculated as a potential replacement for Richland Hills as early as 2015.[13]

Formal plans for a station at Trinity Lakes began in 2018, with Richland Hills originally slated for closure in 2020.[14] Following delays, construction on the Trinity Lakes station began in February 2023[15] and opened on February 19, 2024.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Ellis, Tiara M. (2000-09-16). "Rail line inaugurates new service today: Cities getting transit connection to Dallas, Fort Worth marking day with celebrations". The Dallas Morning News. A. H. Belo Corporation. p. 1N – via NewsBank.
  2. ^ "Route 023 - TCC Northeast Campus/TRE". Trinity Metro. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  3. ^ a b Sadek, Sandra (2023-12-10). "$26 million rail station could spur development in northeast Fort Worth". Fort Worth Report. Retrieved 2024-01-28.
  4. ^ Ave, Christopher (1992-05-03). "Arlington voters oust Malec, elect political novice". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Capital Cities/ABC. p. 1 – via NewsBank.
  5. ^ Lee, Mike (1998-11-11). "Richland Hills backs commuter rail station". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Knight Ridder. p. 1 – via NewsBank.
  6. ^ "Making Tracks". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Knight Ridder. 2000-08-02. p. 12 – via NewsBank.
  7. ^ Tinsley, Anna M. (2001-12-01). "All Aboard: The Trinity Railway Express makes its debut as the first rail-link between Fort Worth and downtown Dallas since 1934". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Knight Ridder. p. 1 – via NewsBank.
  8. ^ Dickson, Gordon (2011-09-15). "$2 million face-lift for Richland Hills TRE station begins". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The McClatchy Company. pp. B – via NewsBank.
  9. ^ "The T, Richland Hills kick off $2 million multi-phase project at TRE Station". Mass Transit. Endeavor Business Media. 2011-09-13. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  10. ^ a b Dickson, Gordon (2016-11-09). "What's next for Richland Hills after leaving Fort Worth transit agency". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The McClatchy Company – via NewsBank.
  11. ^ Dickson, Gordon (2016-11-08). "North Texas cities decide on liquor sales, term limits, transit". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The McClatchy Company – via NewsBank.
  12. ^ Nishimura, Scott (2012-11-14). "Trinity project developer has grand ambition". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The McClatchy Company. pp. B – via NewsBank.
  13. ^ "Richland Hills again looks for exit from T - Transit agency should look at its options for rail station". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The McClatchy Company. 2015-03-23 – via NewsBank.
  14. ^ Dickson, Gordon (2018-12-11). "Can a train station turn this ugly part of Fort Worth into a smokin' hot neighborhood?". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The McClatchy Company – via NewsBank.
  15. ^ "TRE Announces Schedule Changes for Trinity Lakes Station Construction". Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Retrieved 2024-01-29.

External links[edit]

Media related to Richland Hills (TRE station) at Wikimedia Commons