One day we looked up and realized that Fort Worth is in the app business. It's common knowledge that traveling can be stressful, but sometimes even a trip across town is enough to raise your blood pressure. From parking downtown, to taking the train to Dallas, these Fort Worth-specific apps make it easier for you to make it through a day filled with business lunches, meetings and events.
Booster Fuels:On Demand Fuel Delivery
Never stop at the gas station again with Booster Fuels. This Seattle-based startup has made quite the grape-colored splash in the Alliance area servicing corporate campuses like Perot's Hillwood group (Ross Perot, Jr. is also an investor in the startup), along with Mercedes-Benz, DynCorp International and Bridgestone. Lucky employees at these campuses simply order a Boost through the Uber-style app and pop their fuel door. Within an hour a bright purple truck fills the tank with gas, checks the tire pressure and even cleans the car windshield. Booster drivers locate requesting vehicles in the parking lot through global positioning technology. Booster orders gas wholesale to ensure their prices are competitive with gas stations. The only drawback: Booster trucks can only deliver fuel to parking lots where the company has previously made an arrangement with the property management. Free, boosterfuels.com
GoPass
Thanks to free WiFi, taking the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) to a Dallas meeting saves about an hour of uninterrupted work time – a no brainer compared to the alternative of sitting in traffic on I-30. The good news is you don't have to wait in line buying train tickets either. Download the GoPass app and simply buy as many train tickets as you need with a few easy steps. Activate the ticket when you step on the train (it's valid for 60 days) and show your pass to the train attendant when he or she comes to your seat to check. A trip from T&P Station in downtown Fort Worth to Union Station in downtown Dallas takes 57 minutes. Check trinityrailwayexpress.org for travel times. Free, gopass.biz
FW PARK
Parking meters might seem outdated, but 2,700 on-street parking spaces are now totally tech savvy. No need to search for spare change next time you cozy your car up next to a meter downtown. The City of Fort Worth partnered with Parkmobile in January so that parkers can pay for meters through their mobile phones. "Fort Worth continues to invest in experiences that enhance the quality of life for our residents and to attract visitors to the city," Mayor Betsy Price said in a press release. "With the Parkmobile technology, Fort Worth makes paying parking fees easier and more convenient in the heart of the best downtown in America." After downloading the FW PARK app, users can immediately pay for parking with their mobile device. A law enforcement officer will be able to see that a motorist has paid with FW PARK using his or her wireless handheld device (even if the meter doesn't change). App users can also receive alerts and reminders 15 minutes before the meter runs out. There is a convenience fee of 35 cents per transaction. It's a small price to pay for stress-free parking around Fort Worth, plus the app is free. Free, us.parkmobile.com