Officials: Bus service could begin running along SH 121 as early as 2020

Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect that no other transportation authorities were present at the transportation forum held in November. The Denton County Transportation Authority is proposing a route from McKinney to Lewisville with multiple stops along SH 121. The route will take approximately 40 minutes to get from McKinney to Lewisville. DCTA held a transportation forum in November to gain feedback from municipalities, including McKinney, that will be affected by the potential commuter bus service called Route 70. DCTA Communication Manager Adrienne Hamilton said the proposed service received positive feedback from attendees, and DCTA is now reviewing and assessing feedback to determine the next steps. “Service could be deployed as early as 2020,” Hamilton said in an email. The proposed drop-off and pickup locations include destination points in McKinney at Medical City McKinney and Craig Ranch, Legacy West in Plano, Hall Park and The Star in Frisco, Grandscape in The Colony and Old Town Lewisville. DCTA is also looking to partner with a ride-hailing company, such as Uber or Lyft, on this project to provide on-demand, first-and last-mile service within the drop-off and pickup areas. “In the [SH 121] area there is access to approximately 160,000 jobs along this corridor,” Hamilton said in a previous interview with Community Impact Newspaper. “[For] folks that are working and don’t have a car [this service] provides them with a low-cost option to get to and from work in a fast-growing corridor.” Hamilton said while no funding source has been identified, DCTA has submitted an application for a Federal Transit Administration grant and is awaiting a response. In the meantime, continued discussions are taking place to identify future funding opportunities. DCTA plans to use its current fleet of buses for the route with the long-term goal of having commuter coach vehicles that would include free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets, Hamilton said.