ARLINGTON, Texas — The city of Arlington is planning a mass transit system to ease travels from the downtown areas of Dallas and Fort Worth.
Mayor Jim Ross told WFAA the city is looking at both long-term and short-term plans.
“I’m convinced we have to have some high-speed rail or something similar in fashion that helps us with the ingress and egress of people coming in and out of Arlington,” said Ross.
The city’s entertainment district was a hot spot for both baseball and Taylor Swift fans over the weekend.
The Texas Rangers has games at Globe Life Field Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening, and music sensation Taylor Swift is performing for three nights at AT&T Stadium. The XFL's Arlington Renegades also had a game scheduled for Friday night at Choctaw Stadium.
Rangers fan Isaiah Graham-Mobley said he loves spending time in Arlington.
“It’s a wonderful area definitely growing I believe,” said Graham-Mobley.
As the city continues to grow, so does the traffic. As a result, those heading down to the entertainment district are now hitting the roads a little earlier.
Ross is hoping that future mass transportation systems will help ease travel burdens.
“It’s critically important that people are able to get in and out of our entertainment district in a rapid, safe manner," the mayor said.
He said the idea has been in the works for a few years now, but that they are finally making headway in the city’s five-to-10-year mass transportation plan.
“It doesn’t happen overnight it’s a very costly project and we’re just now finishing the environmental phases of that project.”
The idea seems to sit well with those making the commute from other cities.
“From an environmental perspective it makes so much sense,” said Tina Zawadzki, who made it out to see Taylor Swift perform Saturday evening, along with her friend Adriana White.
"That would be wonderful because usually we have to hire someone to bring us over to be able to jump on mass transit and get there in 20 to 30 minutes. That would be amazing," said White.
Ross also told WFAA that he is happy with how the city is currently handling the influx of people this weekend.
“I’m very proud of how we manage the traffic issues here in Arlington. During big events we have a tremendous traffic control center. We have a lot of boots on the ground helping the intersections out there," Ross said.
He said a rapid bus system may be a quicker short-term option when it comes to quickly reducing the number of vehicles on the road.