A monthly update on activities of the Regional Transportation Council and the North Central Texas Council of Governments Tran sportation Department

Is your vehicle’s check engine light on?

The North Central Texas Council of Governments is partnering with auto repair shops throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area in April to sponsor Car Care Clinics geared

toward explaining the check engine light. When the light is on,

your vehicle won’t pass the annual Texas emissions

inspection. For details on the time and location of each clinic,

visit NTXCarCare.org.

Meetings

April 1, 11 am DRMC

North Texas Tollway Authority 5900 W. Plano Parkway

Plano, TX 75093

April 6, 8:30 am TRTC

Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center

1001 Jones St. Fort Worth, TX 76102

April 14, 1 pm Regional Transportation Council

NCTCOG Transportation Council Room

616 Six Flags Drive Arlington, TX 76011

April 22, 1:30 pm Surface Transportation

Technical Committee NCTCOG

Transportation Council Room 616 Six Flags Drive Arlington, TX 76011

Mobility 2040 policies aim to help reliability The Regional Transportation Council last month approved Mobility 2040, the

long-range transportation plan that outlines $118.9 billion to be spent on

multimodal projects over the next 24 years. But the growth North Texas has seen

in recent decades is only expected to continue, necessitating efforts beyond

pouring more concrete to improve mobility. Through a series of voluntary policies,

Mobility 2040 seeks the help of local governments to improve system reliability.

There are opportunities for cities, counties, transportation partners and school

districts to adopt measures that would create a balanced and integrated

transportation system offering more options. In return for adopting policies, local

governments would receive transportation development credits. To be eligible for

TDCs, which help offset local match requirements, entities must adopt 50 percent

of the policies for which they are eligible. Not all 20 policies apply to every group.

There are four types of policies:

Joint staff consideration: RTC staff works with a local agency to implement

and encourage a specific policy action in the region.

Governing body approval: A local government passes a resolution, cour t

order or similar measure reflecting adoption of the policy.

Ordinance: A locally enforceable law is approved in suppor t of the policy.

Election: Voters consider a policy at the polls.

The policies cover a variety of areas, including air quality, thoroughfare

revitalization, employee trip reduction, safety, transit and aviation. For example,

agencies can adopt a policy aimed at reducing wrong-way driving. And cities

could work with NCTCOG and major employers to encourage their employees to

drive less, which could ease traffic congestion in some busy corridors. Read more

about Mobility 2040 and the policy bundle at NCTCOG.org/mobility2040.

For more information about Local Motion topics, contact Brian Wilson at 817-704-2511 or

bwilson@nctcog.org. Visit www.nctcog.org/trans for more information on the department.

April 2016 | nctcog.org/localmotion

Ground broken on new, modern IH 30-SH 360 interchange In most cases around the region, the freeway system is seamless, allowing drivers who need to get across town to use

multiple highways without having to navigate a maze of entrance and exit ramps.

If they need to get from downtown Fort Worth to the northeastern part of the region, they can travel Interstate Highway

30 to the President George Bush Turnpike and on to Plano, for example, without being stuck at a red light.

By 2020, the same convenience will be available for commuters needing to get from IH 30 to north or south Arlington

via State Highway 360.

The Texas Department of Transportation has broken ground on the $233 million IH 30-SH 360 interchange. The new

connection will eliminate the outmoded cloverleaf ramps at IH 30 and Six Flags Drive, replacing them with a series of

direct-connect ramps to SH 360 that will allow more efficient travel between the two freeways.

This improvement will be funded primarily by Proposition 1, which will cover $210 million of the project. TxDOT and

the project partner established Keep30360moving.org with information about the project.

Motorists can sign up for email alerts about road closures, detours and other developments during construction. Ground

was broken on the project in March, and work is already underway.

For example, westbound Copeland Road has been closed permanently

between Six Flags Drive and Ballpark Way so it can be reconfigured.

For those who want a preview of the interchange, the website also contains a

video illustrating what the finished product will look like.

The improvements to the corridor, including reconstructed IH 30 and SH 360 main lanes, aim to make the area safer

and more efficient for motorists. The Six Flags Drive bridge will also be expanded, and the road extended north to

Avenue H.

This is the largest project awarded Proposition 1 funding to date, according to TxDOT. The Texas Transportation

Commission awarded the project to Houston’s Williams Brothers Construction Co. in November.

local motion | 2

April 2016

More Information

For photos of the project and an animated

video showing what the reconstructed

corridor will look like when it is complete,

visit Keep30360moving.org.

Online comment opportunity starts April 11 NCTCOG staff will seek comments starting April 11 on a control-

measure substitution and work program modifications.

In the development of Mobility 2040, staff members identified an

interim high-occupancy vehicle lane project needing to be replaced with

express lanes to help manage congestion in the south Dallas corridor.

This project is included in the State Implementation Plan, and staff is

required to replace the interim HOV project with another project

yielding the same air quality benefits. Details of the substitution as well

as the start of the 2016 ozone season will be highlighted.

Additionally, proposed modifications to the fiscal year 2016 and fiscal

year 2017 Unified Planning Work Program will be available for public

review and comment. The UPWP provides a summary of the

transportation and related air quality planning tasks conducted by the

metropolitan planning organization. Information will be online April 11

- May 10, 2016, at NCTCOG.org/input. To request printed copies, call

817-608-2335 or email jstout@nctcog.org.

Turn off engines to prevent long-term idling

Children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems are especially

at risk to adverse health effects from the air pollution produced by idling

cars. The toxic air pollutants emitted from idling have been linked to

asthma, decreased lung function, cardiac disease, cancer and other

serious health problems.

So remember: If you stop for longer than 10 seconds — except in traffic

— turn your engine off. To learn more about benefits of idle reduction

and choices you can make to protect your neighbors, visit

EngineOffNorthTexas.org.

local motion | 3 April 2016

Visit us at community

events this spring

It’s the time of year for North Texans

to enjoy the outdoors. Many cities

and organizations are celebrating

mild temperatures and sunny weather

with spring festivals. NCTCOG is

participating in several such events

this month to discuss air quality

initiatives and transportation

planning.

Residents who attend Fort Worth’s

Earth Party, Lewisville’s

ColorPalooza, Oak Cliff Earth Day

and Earth Day Texas at Fair Park,

among others, can visit with

NCTCOG about projects and

programs helping to improve

transportation in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Staff will also highlight Try Parking

It, Air North Texas, Clean Air Action

Day, Look Out Texans safety

campaign and the NCTCOG Active

Transportation Program, among

other efforts. Brochures and

publications will be distributed, as

well as lunch bags, water bottles,

activity books, crayons and other

educational items. For the complete

calendar of events NCTCOG will

attend, visit

AirNorthTexas.org/events.asp.

policymakers —

Recent NCTCOG Presentations NCTCOG.org/trans/presentations

Facebook Facebook.com/nctcogtrans

Twitter Twitter.com/nctcogtrans

YouTube YouTube.com/nctcogtrans

Instagram Instagram.com/nctcogtrans

Publications NCTCOG.org/trans/outreach/publications.asp

Dallas Area Rapid Transit DART.org

Denton County Transportation Authority DCTA.net

North Texas Tollway Authority NTTA.org

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority The-T.com

Texas Department of Transportation TxDOT.gov

local motion | 4

April 2016

The T Master Plan focuses on system growth Making transit more attractive and convenient, connecting more

people with more places, and making transit easier to use are among

the objectives of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority’s Transit

Master Plan, unanimously accepted by agency’s board of directors

recently.

With a focus on the next five years, the Transit Master Plan presents

an opportunity to create an inviting transit system that will offer more

places for more people – and more possibilities. Among the services

targeted are commuter rail to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport,

bus rapid transit and expanded bus service to meet the needs of the

rapidly expanding Tarrant County.

To develop this plan, The T conducted a year-long public outreach

program to find out how services could be improved and how people

could be encouraged to use transit in Tarrant County. Active

community involvement played a significant role in the planning

process.

The Transit Master Plan is consistent with the city of Fort Worth’s

Master Thoroughfare Plan, NCTCOG’s recently adopted Mobility

2040 and other planning initiatives.

The board is committed to pursuing the vision and goals, and working

with funding partners to prioritize plan elements. For more details

about the master plan, go to TMasterPlan.org.

— Submitted by The T.

Prepared in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation and the US Department

of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. The

contents of this report reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the opinions,

findings and conclusions presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or

policies of the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration or the Texas

Department of Transportation.

$233 million Cost of the planned interchange at

Interstate Highway 30 and State

Highway 360. The improvements

will modernize the corridor and

improve traffic flow through the

area.