TARRANT COUNTY (WBAP/KLIF)- Tarrant County Voters can catch free rides to the polls this upcoming election day, November 5th.
The Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved a partnership with several transportation services in Tarrant County to pay for customer trips to voting locations on Election Day.
All you have to do is show your voter registration card or current Texas ID for a free ride.
The Commissioners Court approved the plan, which is not to exceed $20,000, on Oct. 15.
“It is important that every eligible voter in Tarrant County has the opportunity to vote,” said Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley. “We have included as many public transit providers as possible within Tarrant County, from accessible services for the elderly and mobility-impaired, to on-demand service in Arlington.”
Wayne Gensler, vice president and chief operating officer for bus and paratransit at Trinity Metro, said he is pleased for the opportunity this partnership provides.
“Election Day is an essential time for everyone’s voice to be heard,” Gensler said. “We appreciate the Tarrant County Commissioners funding this initiative to encourage voter participation.”
The seven transit services included in the program are Trinity Metro’s fixed-route bus, TEXRail, ACCESS paratransit, Tarrant County Transportation Services (TCTS), and Northeast Transportation Services (NETS), and Arlington’s Via and Handitran.
Those who qualify and want to ride to vote on ACCESS, TCTS, NETS or Handitran should call the provider at least 48 hours ahead of the trip to schedule their free ride to any of the Tarrant County Vote Centers.
To use Via’s on-demand service in Arlington to vote on Election Day, riders simply download Via’s app and enter the address of a Vote Center within Via’s service area or call 817-794-7382 to hail a ride by phone. The rider will not be charged for trips scheduled to or from a Vote Center location.
