A new Western-themed bus route — distinguishable by its orange color, fancy cowhide seats, lighted undercarriage and locally designed murals — starts transporting people from downtown Fort Worth to the Stockyards this weekend.

Trinity Metro’s Orange Line, supported by the city’s tourism arm Visit Fort Worth, starts Sept. 14 with a public launch party in the Stockyards from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. featuring live music, armadillo races, games and more. 

The route is intended to strengthen downtown’s connection to the Northside entertainment district, the top destination of many of the city’s 11.4 million visitors. The service — free through Oct. 31 — includes a downtown route along Commerce and Houston streets, easily accessible to many of the city’s largest hotels. It also will stop at the Fort Worth Convention Center, Fort Worth Central Station and the TEXRail North Side Station.

The launch comes as Stockyards Heritage Development begins a $630 million expansion that will include 300,000 square feet of commercial space, 500 rooms at one or more hotels, a 295-unit multifamily property, 1,300 below-grade parking spaces across parking garages to support Cowtown Coliseum, as well as additional support for the Fort Worth Herd. Developers expect to complete the latest expansion by the end of 2032. 

On Sept. 13, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker joined District 2 council member Carlos Flores, Trinity Metro board chair Jeff Davis, Visit Fort Worth President and CEO Bob Jameson, Stockyards Heritage Development Co. Vice President of Marketing Ethan Cartwright and Fort Worth Stockyards Inc. President Paul Paine for a preview of the line.

Three orange-and-white buses are each wrapped with murals that reflect the city’s Western heritage. At the preview event, drovers on horses used to herd the city’s daily cattle drive were stationed near the bus sporting a cattle drive mural.

Richard W. Andreski, president and CEO of Trinity Metro, said the Orange Line is the start of upgrades and other color-themed routes planned for introduction over the next few years. The Orange Line’s Western theme, he said, is complemented by country music playing inside, free Wi-Fi and a distinctive cloud ceiling and cattle photographs.

All the elements, he said, help create “a super-duper transit route.”

“We’re trying to make it part of the experience of visiting Fort Worth,” Andreski said.

Parker said the new bus line “reflects where we’re headed as Fort Worth grows.”

“It’s very exciting, as you can imagine,” she said.

Added Michael Crain, Fort Worth District 3 council member and a Trinity Metro board member: “It’s an amazing day for Fort Worth and shows how we are responsive to the needs of the city and the entertainment district.”

Cartwright said the route will aid in transporting people to the Stockyards’ planned 85 signature events, including ice skating during the Christmas holiday season.

The route will pick up people every 15 minutes from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next day, seven days a week, to accommodate tourists visiting the historic area. After the free service promotion ends Oct. 31, riders will pay $2 per each single ride. 

“One of the things we know about tourists is they tend to travel in groups,” Andreski said. “Larger groups don’t fit into Ubers. We’re hoping they gather at hotels, simply go to the front door and board the bus.”

Riders who have been drinking at the Stockyards can also use the bus system without worrying about how they will get back to their hotel. 

“Drinking? We’ve got ya,” Andreski said.

Mural designs by artist Merri Ellen Kase are wrapped around the Orange Line buses. They include a cattle drive with a drover; rodeo barrel racers; and festive square dancing. Kase also contributed artwork that is located at the TEXRail North Side Station.

“This is amazing,” Kase said. “After my artwork was put up at the TEXRail station, they asked if I’d be interested in doing the buses. It was the most fun a job can be. I’m a very, very lucky person.”

The mural of the daily cattle drive features the city’s herd of longhorns, “an iconic symbol of the Stockyards,” Andreski said.

Trinity Metro changes

Trinity Metro will also implement changes to fare structures and routes, along with a rebranding of its rideshare service, on Sept. 15. 

“We’re doing a full rethinking of what bus service can be,” he said. 

The agency’s ZipZone service has been rebranded as Trinity Metro On-Demand, which includes the Alliance area, the Mercantile, Southeast, Southside, North Side, TCC Northeast, South Tarrant and Mansfield.

The North Side rideshare service has a new boundary that prompted the discontinuation of the bus Route 45 area. TCC Northeast rideshare service replaces discontinued bus Route 23.

The Southside On-Demand program expands with the addition of the Sycamore Heights neighborhood, an area bounded by Interstate 30 to the north, Sycamore Creek to the west, East Lancaster Avenue to the south and residential streets to the east near the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

The rideshare service will no longer be available in Blue Mound, Crowley and Everman after Sept. 13. 

Blue Mound residents voted to discontinue the service. Crowley and Everman initially received grant funding for the service, but both south Tarrant cities have opted to discontinue the service because of budget constraints.

“Those towns, unfortunately, elected not to continue the service,” Andreski said.

Trinity Metro said the modifications were approved by the board after considering public input. 

A new on-demand service in Mansfield, which launched on July 15, has been performing well, Andreski said. 

“We were surprised by the immediate response. We’re excited about the potential to grow those markets,” he said. 

Trinity Metro ridership figures show that about 350 to 400 people are using the on-demand service each week since July 22, the second week of the service.

Trinity Metro said its bus route changes will improve efficiency, on-time performance and route frequency. 

A single ride on a bus, train or on-demand service will cost $2 with the reduced rate at $1. A regular day pass with unlimited transfers will cost $4 while the reduced rate is $2. A seven-day pass will be $18 with a reduced rate of $9. The 31-day pass and the annual pass were discontinued.

Disclosure: Mitch Whitten of Visit Fort Worth serves on the Report’s board of directors. News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.