Facing increased costs for personnel, transportation services and equipment needs, Trinity Metro will spend about 10% more in fiscal year 2025. 

The regional transit agency’s board of directors on Sept. 15 unanimously approved a $163.7 million operating budget for the 2025 fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. That amount is up about $15.8 million from the $147.9 million budget that the agency approved last September. 

However, Trinity Metro said it expects to receive more than $180 million in revenue, mostly through sales tax allocations of $132.7 million and operating grants of $32 million. Additional revenue — totaling more than $15 million — is expected through paratransit services, corporate partnerships and other revenue sources.

Trinity Metro receives a .5% portion of the local 8.25% sales tax.

The agency expects to have about $16.7 million extra left over in 2025 net operating revenue. Trinity Metro anticipates taking in about $39.3 million more in revenue than its 2024 number of $147 million, which left a budget deficit of $6.8 million.

Bus system operational costs, including administration, street operations and radio control, will exceed about $29 million — slightly up from about $28.6 million in fiscal year 2024. 

Two popular rail services, TEXRail and Trinity Railway Express, are also among the biggest operating expenses for Trinity Metro. About $33.7 million will be used for TEXRail in 2025, up about 11% from last year’s expense of about $30 million.

Trinity Railway Express, the commuter line between Fort Worth and Dallas, will cost the agency about $19.2 million to operate, just a 6.4% increase over last year’s expenses that totaled more than $18 million.

The budget was amended by $112,710 to reflect the withdrawal of Crowley and Everman from Trinity Metro’s On-Demand rideshare program. Both south Tarrant cities initially received grant funding for the service but opted to discontinue the service because of budget constraints.

“Those towns, unfortunately, elected not to continue the service,” Trinity Metro President and CEO Richard W. Andreski previously told the Fort Worth Report.

Trinity Metro will spend about $6.4 million on three On-Demand programs for the Alliance, Mercantile and Southside areas. The agency will spend less on other On-Demand programs for South Tarrant, Southeast, Mansfield, Northeast and North Side areas, totaling about $1.9 million.

The agency will spend more than $16 million combined for running repairs — repairs needed to keep transportation equipment operational — and facilities maintenance.

In its $212 million capital budget, Trinity Metro plans to spend $68.2 million on TEXRail vehicles, which are grant funded. The agency will also spend $47.5 million on the TEXRail expansion to the Near Southside district. 

Last week, Mayor Mattie Parker and members of the mayor’s Urban Rail Committee Supporting Economic Development & Tourism held its first meeting to set the stage for determining which of the city’s four entertainment districts could benefit from a rail project, said Chad Edwards, Trinity Metro’s executive vice president of strategy, planning and development. 

The group will study the potential economic impact of a rail project as well as likely sources of funding for the proposal, he said.

Other major Trinity Metro expenditures include Trinity Railway Express vehicles at $30 million and 10 replacement buses at a cost of $12.1 million. Improvements to the TRE station at Centreport, near Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, will cost $1.1 million.

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

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