Voting News

Tarrant County gives free rides to voting polls for Super Tuesday election

The goal is to make voting as easy and accessible as possible.

Courtesy photo

Texas has a big election coming up, and Tarrant County is doing its part to help get out the vote by granting free rides.

Texas is part of Super Tuesday, taking place on March 3, when voters can vote in the primary election for U.S. president.

The early voting period begins on February 18 and runs through February 28 — and voters in Tarrant County can catch free rides to the polls on six transit services.

The transit services included in the program are:

Trinity Metro’s fixed-route bus
ACCESS paratransit
Tarrant County Transportation Services (TCTS)
Northeast Transportation Services (NETS)
Via in Arlington
Handitran

Those who qualify and want to ride to vote on ACCESS, TCTS, NETS, or Handitran need to call at least 48 hours ahead of the trip to schedule their free ride to any Tarrant County Vote Center.

The Tarrant County Commissioners Court approved a partnership with four transportation services to pay for customer trips to voting locations, not only on Election Day but for the entire early voting period.

The Commissioners Court also approved early voting locations at nine college campus sites.

Total cost for the plan is not to exceed $20,000. Trinity Metro manager Tiffany Moore-Turner says the goal is to encourage voter participation.

"Providing free transportation is an excellent way to help voters get to the polls," Moore-Turner says. "We appreciate the Tarrant County Commissioners Court for funding this initiative."

Meanwhile, the Texas Secretary of State signed off on countywide vote centers, meaning that voters in Tarrant County can go to any polling place on Election Day.

"With vote centers, early voting sites on college campuses and free rides to the polls, Tarrant County is giving voters every opportunity to participate in the upcoming March 3 primaries," says Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley in a statement. "We are including 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."

To use Via’s on-demand service in Arlington to vote, download Via's app; enter the address of a Vote Center within Via's service area along with promo code ARLINGTONVOTE; 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.

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State of innovation

Texas is a top-5 state for starting a new business in 2025

Bob Bullock museum, Texas star, Texas State History Museum

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As one of the largest states in the U.S., it's no surprise Texas is big on business and entrepreneurship. Now the state is earning new praise among WalletHub's 2025 list of "Best & Worst States to Start a Business."

The Lone Star State claimed the No. 4 spot in the report's rankings, proving that Texas is in a much better shape than it was last year when it earned No. 8 in WalletHub's 2024 report.

The study compared all 50 states across 25 metrics to determine the best places to start, grow, and find success with a new business. Factors that were considered include the number of startups per capita, job growth rates, financing accessibility measures, labor costs, and corporate tax rates.

The three states to outperform Texas are Florida (No. 1), Georgia (No. 2), and Utah (No. 3). Idaho rounded out the top five.

Across the study's three main categories, Texas performed the best in the "business environment" rank, earning No. 1 nationally. This section compared the states based on its five-year business survival rates, average business revenues growth, and more.

Texas ranked No. 12 in the nationwide comparison of "access to resources" – which covers working age population growth, venture investment amounts per capita, and other means – and earned a fair No. 34 in the report's "business costs" ranking.

But Texas can still do better with its business friendliness to reclaim a top-three overall ranking, which the state last earned in 2023.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report that it is imperative for potential new business owners to establish their enterprise in a place that can maximize their ability to succeed.

"Around half of all new businesses don’t survive five years, so the idea of becoming a business owner can be daunting, especially with the current high cost of living," Lupo said. "The best states have low corporate tax rates, strong economies, an abundance of reliable workers, easy access to financing and affordable real estate. On top of that, you’ll need to make sure you start in a place with an engaged customer base, if you’re operating locally."

Dallas-Fort Worth has also proven to be at the top of the destination list for entrepreneurs who are looking for their next venture in a prospering economic boomtown.

The top 10 best states to start a new business in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Florida
No. 2 – Georgia
No. 3 – Utah
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – Idaho
No. 6 – Oklahoma
No. 7 – Nevada
No. 8 – Colorado
No. 9 – Arizona
No. 10 – Kentucky

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