Denton County Transportation Authority

Denton County Transportation Authority

Denton County Transportation Authority's Connect shuttle
Founded	2002
Headquarters	1660 South Stemmons, Suite 250 Lewisville, Texas 75067
Service area	Denton, Highland Village, Lewisville
Service type	Bus, Demand Response, Commuter Rail
Routes	9 UNT, 8 Denton, 3 Lewisville, 1 NCTC
Daily ridership	13,840 (Average weekday)
Fuel type	Primarily diesel
Website	dcta.net

The Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) is the transit authority that operates in Denton County, Texas. It operates bus service in three cities within Denton County, as well as the A-train, a regional commuter rail line to Carrollton.

DCTA was created by House Bill 3323, under Chapter 460 of the Texas Transportation Code, approved by the 77th Texas Legislature and signed into law by the Governor in 2001. On November 5, 2002, the voters in Denton County approved the confirmation of DCTA by 73%. The DCTA Board of Directors represents every geographic area of the county.

In 2006, DCTA absorbed LINK, the mass transit service operated by the City of Denton since 2002. LINK's bus routes were absorbed into DCTA's local Denton services (now called Connect). Paratransit services in the three member cities were also absorbed and renamed DCTA Access. Neither Lewisville nor Highland Village (the other current members of DCTA) operated bus lines prior to DCTA's formation.

The following cities voted to join the DCTA on September 13, 2003 and levy a half cent sales tax to finance the system.

No other cities have joined DCTA since its inception, and none of the original cities have held elections to pull out.

The Denton County Transportation Authority is governed by a 14-member board appointed by respective entities:

Although a DCTA Board member must reside in Denton County, the member does not have to reside in a DCTA-member city.

All members serve two-year terms. Board members must have professional experience in the field of transportation, business, government, engineering or law. In accordance with DCTA By-laws, the Board adopts the annual operating budget and is responsible for setting policy. The president oversees the day-to-day operations of the DCTA and implements policies set forth by the Board.

The Denton County Transportation Authority offers several services to the general public in the Greater Lewisville and Denton area. These services include fixed-route service in Denton and Lewisville, an on-demand service in Highland Village, shuttle routes serving UNT and NCTC, and a regional commuter service connecting Denton, Lewisville, Carrollton, and downtown Dallas. Additionally, DCTA offers demand response/paratransit service in Denton, Lewisville, and Highland Village.

DCTA Connect offers local fixed-route services operating in the cities of Lewisville and Denton. The routes were configured to provide easy access to many destinations within these cities.