Progress North Texas 2010

Preserving Quality of Life for North Texans
Projects Focused on Sustainability, Safety Benefit Region

Recent Success, Remaining
Challenges >>>

Planning Transportation for 12 Counties >>>

Statewide, Federal Funding Shortfalls >>>

Air Quality Improving, More Work Needed >>>

Partnerships Keep Projects Moving
Forward >>>

Preserving Quality of Life for North Texas

Transit Increasing Accessibility,
Reliability >>>

Economic Recovery Funds Building Transportation
Legacy >>>

Continue the
Conversation — Your Opinion Counts >>>

Photo: Richardson Eastside

Photo: Bicycle/Pedestrian Trail

The multiple modes of transportation available in the metropolitan area work together to move people and goods around. The region offers bustling suburbs and the infrastructure necessary for their residents to get to and from work and other activities. But with recent spikes in commuting costs and worsening traffic, many people have chosen a more urban lifestyle that allows them to rely less on cars and more on walking and public transportation.

The continued construction of public transportation in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is helping popularize the idea of communities where residents can live, work and play without always relying on their vehicles for transportation. The Regional Transportation Council’s Sustainable Development Program plays a significant role in the construction of these communities. Approved in 2001, the program has resulted in public-private partnerships that have led to the creation of town centers, mixed-use growth centers and transit-oriented developments. NCTCOG administers funds devoted to infrastructure improvements that help the private sector build projects reducing the need for automobiles.

Another factor in the region’s quality of life is traffic safety. The 12-county region experienced a significant decrease in automobile crashes in 2008, the last year for which data were available. Below is a three-year comparison of crash data across North Texas.

Performance Measures

Since the RTC approved the Sustainable Development Program in 2001, it has helped foster public-private partnerships by contributing money for planning studies, land-banking projects and infrastructure improvements such as sidewalks, streets and amenities. The money NCTCOG provides is combined with funds from local governments to form the public investment. Below is NCTCOG’s infrastructure investment over the past three calls for projects. The overall budgets have been approximately $41 million for each initiative. Some goes to planning and land-banking projects.

Year

Infrastructure Investment

Infrastructure Projects

2001

$39.5 million

21

2005-06

$34.1 million

28

2009-10

$43.8 million

23

Sustainable Development Results: NCTCOG’s sustainable development efforts are helping the private sector build denser communities and making them easier to access. Five of the 28 projects funded in 2005-06 have been completed. The public sector investment in these projects was about $6 million, spurring $335 million in private- sector investment. NCTCOG provides 80 percent of the public-sector investment for a portion of the public infrastructure for the selected projects, or in some cases with small projects, all public infrastructure. The other 20 percent comes from the local match.

One of the largest projects, the $105 million Eastside Development in Richardson, was finished in 2009. Eastside added 435 apartments and 100,000 square feet of retail to an office building in Richardson’s Telecom Corridor. Eastside is within walking distance of the Galatyn Park and Arapaho Center stations, both of which are on DART’s Red Line and accessible for bicyclists and pedestrians. Richardson Eastside is a $105 million mixed-use development in the Telecom Corridor.

What's Next:
Land-Use Planning

With challenging long-range funding scenarios, regional planners must consider not just the expansion of roads and rail lines, but land use. Sustainable development projects are important throughout the region because they integrate residential, retail, office and entertainment space.

	NCTCOG held a workshop in April with representatives from school districts and local officials throughout the region to
discuss how land-use decisions affect transportation. with the growth experienced by communities throughout the region, it is important for schools to work with local governments.

Table: Regional Crash Statistics

New schools increase the demand for roads, traffic signals and other infrastructure. This makes coordination between school districts, cities and counties important for the well-being of communities and the safety of children. This was the first of a series of meetings with community leaders intended to focus on the region's needs can be most effectively met with the funding uncertainty that exists. To make the most of what is available will require creative thinking and cooperation among different sectors of government.

Downtown Growth: Since 2000, the Dallas and Fort Worth central business districts have experienced large increases in population and employment. Here is a breakdown of the changes ove the past 10 years and projections through 2030

Table: Dallas and Fort Worth downtown growth

First Person: Steve Shepherd
Downtown Dallas Resident

When did you decide to move downtown?

Actually, I have wanted to live downtown since I was in high school many years ago.

Steve Shepherd prefer
the urban conveniences
of downtown living to
life in other parts of Dallas.

My older brother and his wife had graduated from college and moved to Dallas. He was taking a position in an architectural firm and she in an interior design firm. They moved into the Manor House, the first high-rise residential property built downtown, and lived on the 17th floor.

Coming from a small town, I would visit and was so impressed with the excitement, views, architecture and lifestyle. It took me until five years ago to finally make the move myself, not being sure if it was the right decision or not with all that was planned, but not yet a reality.

What do you find most advantageous about living downtown?

The convenience of literally being able to walk to entertainment, restaurants, the drug store, grocery store, post office, YMCA, etc. It is such a plus to go out the door of my condo, walk across the street to the Akard Station and take DART rail to go to the movies, shopping or visit a doctor at Baylor Medical Center. The freeway systems going out of downtown make all areas of the Metroplex readily accessible.

Would you ever move back to a traditional D-FW lifestyle, i.e., suburbia? Why or why not?

I can honestly say I cannot imagine the circumstances that would result in my moving from downtown. I have lived in Dallas since the 1970s in every type of lifestyle, from the big north Dallas house with pool and grounds, to zero lot-line, condo, townhouse and high rise. I have found this to be the most satisfying experience of all. Living in a walking environment, you tend to get to know your neighbors much better. Downtown is truly a neighborhood in a sense that I have never experienced before. It is the greatest mix of diverse people and lifestyles, which gives it that true urban feeling.

What advice do you have for those who are considering moving downtown?

Make sure you research the demographic of the building in which you choose to reside. Downtown is a real mix age-wise, and some of the residences cater to younger crowds that might be prone to more activity, noise, etc. There is a place for everyone; just make sure you make the right choice.

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. This document was prepared in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Trasnportation, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.