Public Transportation

One of New York's greatest qualities (in my opinion) is the subway system.  Don't get me wrong... it's dirty, unreliable, and generally unpleasant.  All those things aside, the subway allows people to get from one place to the other without driving, allowing for a possibly more productive commute.  When we lived in New York, hubby and I would bring magazines or books with us on the subway.  While it did take us longer to get from point A to point B, we were able to make better use of our time.

When we first began exploring Fort Worth, we noticed an abundance of trains.  Most are freight trains, but the TRE (short for Trinity Railway Express) is a commuter train that runs between Fort Worth and Dallas.  Being a New Yorker who depended heavily on public transportation, I was curious to explore the options available to me in the DFW area.

Last Friday, I decided to take the train to Dallas for lunch.  I arrived early to the T&P train station located South of downtown Fort Worth.  I bought my ticket and waited patiently for the only train coming to the station.  There are two platforms, but there is only ever one train there at a time since this is the last stop on the line.  I boarded a train car marked "wifi test car" and got lucky enough to surf the web during the ride to Dallas.  The double decker train car started off fairly empty and slowly filled as we approached Dallas.

 Here's the train at the station in Fort Worth.

The inside of the train was clean and well air conditioned.

Once in Dallas, I took the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) to get to my desired lunch spot.  The DART is Dallas' metro system and has an expanding number of lines and stops.  The connection was easy, and I seamlessly made my way into downtown Dallas.  The cars were clean and looked new, especially compared to many of New York's subway cars.

Inside of the DART car.

A downtown map at the Pearl St DART station.

The ride back to Fort Worth after lunch was just as pleasurable.  It was nice to get a break from driving, which I haven't gotten completely used to since being back.  Hubby and I do our best to take advantage of places in walking distance, but to get most places a car is needed.  The drawback to the trains is time.  From Fort Worth to the Arts District in downtown, the train ride is over an hour and a half while the drive is only 45 minutes.  If you have the time and find the wifi test car, you can be very productive while you make your way to Dallas.  Otherwise, it's probably best to drive... maybe get a book on tape to keep you busy.

 I wanted to make one last comment about my public transportation experience... the T&P station in Fort Worth.  This station is in an old art deco building, which I find to be quite lovely.  I've included some pictures of the lobby, so you too can share in the beauty.