Denton's A-Train Bows to Music Scene Demands

Back in July, this very column posed a question to Denton: "Can A Train Really Help The Denton Music Scene?"

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35 Denton Main Stage #1

110 W. Hickory St.
Denton, TX 76201

Category: Music Venues

Region: Denton

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• Denton
• Kevin Roden
• Rail Transportation
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Politics

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Half a year later, there's still no answer. But the method by which the train will affect Denton's music community has been retooled, beefed up and finally set in stone.

At the November 18 Denton County Transportation Authority board meeting, Denton board member Guy McElroy introduced a motion to expand rail service to weekday nights and Saturdays, as part of a year-long pilot project. The motion passed by a vote of 10 to 2, putting it into effect upon the June 2011 launch of the A-train.

Earlier this year, Kevin Roden, a member of the DCTA Citizen Advisory Team who also runs the THINKDENTON blog, broke the story that service was in danger of being scaled back for use mainly by workday commuters.

"A bullet point in one of the PowerPoint presentations mentioned that they were scaling back service on the trains," Roden says. This low-key way to announce a major change was justified through financial concerns, but upon seeing a massive citizen effort spearheaded by Roden's blog that included a letter from UNT president V. Lane Rawlins, council members changed their minds.

"Their tax projections for this year are higher right now than what they were anticipated when they forecast their budget," Roden says. "They realized they were being extraordinarily conservative in their financial outlook, but it took community members and leaders to convince them of that."

Among those who, according to Roden, were most vocal and influential in bringing about the re-expansion of rail service were Denton musicians such as Chris Flemmons, who organizes the town's annual music festival, 35 Conferette.

"It's really been a lot of the local musicians who have really gotten involved," Roden says. "Also, a lot of the business owners, which include these music businesses near downtown, have been involved as well."

Denton DJ Joey Liechty, aka Yeahdef, says that, even though the train will not run past midnight, it will help the music community.

"Here's why: People will still use it to go to Denton and find a place to sleep or a girl to go home with," he says, rather matter-of-factly.

Liechty's candor aside, it was Denton's position as a music and art community that more than likely convinced a group of finance-oriented council members that cultural and artistic endeavors will bring money to the cities in Denton County.

"There's going to be a tethering [to Dallas], and any connection is good," Liechty says.