Transit-Oriented Development Spikes as Fort Worth Prepares for New Commuter Rail

TEXRail will stretch about 27 miles and serve nine stations in the cities of Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, and Grapevine. Marice Richter writes, "With the maiden voyage of the long-awaited commuter rail line from downtown to the airport only about three months away, Fort Worth and other Tarrant County cities are planning and preparing to reap the benefits of this economic development windfall."

So far, the rail line has garnered $336 million worth of investment in transit-oriented development, and symbolizes ongoing interest among some North Texas civic leaders to break free from sole dependence on highways. "In addition to other benefits," Richter says, "TEXRail's intended function as commuter line is expected to have the biggest economic impact in connecting thousands of employees to job centers, including the airport, which have not been easily accessible by public transportation."

In downtown Forth Worth, TEXRail is expected to bolster redevelopment of the area around the Intermodal Transportation Center (ITC). And projects like the $94.2 million Katy Station Lofts development, which incorporates market-rate and affordable housing, retail, and a child care facility, may represent the wave of the future.