At Denton County Transportation Authority, we are gaining steam in our mission to get you where you need and want to go. After seeing considerable gains in 2022, we are looking forward to a great year in 2023.
DCTA ended last fiscal year with a clear understanding of the work ahead of us through our goal setting process, and we’re already making great progress on one of our highest priorities – filling DCTA’s organizational gaps and building a dynamic team. We’re excited to have recently brought new leaders into the organization including our new Chief Operating Officer, Maurice Bell, and our new Chief Financial Officer, Sherrelle Evans-Jones, both of whom are making an impact for the good in a short time.
I’m also really encouraged that DCTA continues to build momentum with our customers, another one of our key goals for 2023. In Fiscal Year 2022, DCTA carried nearly 2.2 million riders, doubling our ridership over the previous year.
According to the American Public Transit Association, nationally, transit operators have recouped approximately 70-percent of all ridership lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. DCTA is one of the few agencies in the country to boast 100-percent ridership recovery in our member city services.
Ridership on the A-train is coming back strong after the drop from COVID starting in 2020, trending well above last year’s ridership figures in the first three months of FY2023. We’re optimistic the increased frequency of Connect Bus routes in Denton will allow more riders to use that service.
And our GoZone on-demand rideshare service is setting records, having recorded its busiest day ever – over 3,000 riders on two separate days during the week of January 9 – and its busiest week ever at over 18,400 completed rides that same week. The DCTA staff also worked to modify the in-app experience for GoZone, which now includes a base fare of $1.50.
You may have recently seen our messaging around the Service and Fare Changes that we launched at the beginning of January. If the amount of feedback serves as any indication, our team was successful in getting the word out about schedule and route changes. As part of that process, we also simplified our fare structure and our Fare Pass offerings and designs to make it easier for our customers to get the passes they need.
In 2023, we will devote continuing efforts to better connect with our Member Cities – Denton, Lewisville and Highland Village. We’ll engage with them about transit-oriented development opportunities, our ongoing service levels and the value that DCTA brings to our region.
And with an eye toward the future, DCTA will continue to assess the service we provide and adjustments that can be made to better serve you with bus, train, shuttle and shared ride options that meet your needs. This includes analyzing GoZone ridership data and how it correlates with DCTA’s fixed-route bus network, as well as potential next steps for A-train and Connect Bus operations.
DCTA will also continue to be a good community partner and resource, providing services to help Denton County residents improve their mobility while working to make our region cleaner and greener. And don’t forget, we also offer reliable transportation options for disabled persons, our aging population and other groups at reduced fares, so DCTA can be a great solution for every segment of our community.
All this good news is proof we have many people who are performing at a high level for our organization, devoted to providing easy and dependable transit solutions for you. On behalf of our entire team here at DCTA, here’s to a great 2023!
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