June 2015
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OUR REGION
NCTCOG earns SmartWay Affiliate Challenge honor
The Environmental Protection Agency recently recognized the North Central Texas Council of Governments as one of seven recipients of a SmartWay Affiliate Challenge award for support of policies and practices that reduce truck emissions and improve freight efficiency. The SmartWay Affiliate Challenge is a national campaign developed by the EPA to acknowledge organizations that participate in SmartWay and do an exceptional job supporting the partnership’s freight sustainability goals. The challenge was open to all affiliates nationwide.
Ten Dallas-Fort Worth area counties are in nonattainment for ozone and have until 2018 to meet the EPA’s standard. The freight industry is crucial to the region’s efforts to clean the air. In the region, 18-wheelers account for 52 tons of nitrogen oxides per day, or about 30 percent of all on-road transportation sources, despite representing only 5 percent of the vehicle miles traveled in the region. A SmartWay member since 2006, NCTCOG promotes the initiative throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area and provides education and outreach to potential partners and affected industries through its programs, workshops and webinars.
Additionally, NCTCOG earned recognition, in part, for integrating SmartWay vehicles and technologies in a new Clean Fleet Policy, which 25 entities have adopted. The policy outlines goals and provides workable, cost-effective solutions to reduce ozone-causing pollution from local fleets and support regional efforts to meet the EPA air quality standard.
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Mobility 2040: Help us plan for long-range transportation needs |
NCTCOG has begun developing Mobility 2040, the next long-range transportation plan. The plan will serve as a blueprint for the region’s multimodal transportation system and guide spending of federal and state transportation funds for the next 20-plus years. Planners are already seeking input and hope to receive comments about regional priorities from the public, cities, counties and transportation partners through this summer. A survey is available at NCTCOG.org/survey2040, and print copies will be mailed upon request. Mobility 2040 will utilize new regional demographics recently released by NCTCOG’s Research & Information Services to inform the decision-making process.
The region’s population is expected to grow to about 10.6 million by 2040. The demographic data to be used in the development of Mobility 2040 is available at RDC.nctcog.org. Draft recommendations of the long-range transportation plan are expected to be available late this year, and RTC approval would likely come in spring 2016.
RTC POLICYMAKERS
Consumer vehicle rebate deadline June 26
Individuals or employers who would like to qualify for a $2,500 state incentive to help with the purchase or lease of eligible light-duty vehicles must act quickly. |
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The deadline to apply for the Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Incentive Program is June 26. FWTAexas Commission on Environmental Quality must receive an application by the deadline with required attachments stating that the vehicle has been purchased.
Qualified vehicles powered by compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas or electric drives (plug-ins), are eligible for funding through this grant program. This incentive can also be combined with a $7,500 federal tax credit available to provide up to $10,000 off an eligible electric vehicle.
For additional information about the TCEQ program, which ends this year, visit TERPGrants.org.
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Fact sheet: Prop 1 helps with key projects |
The NCTCOG Transportation Department recently published a fact sheet highlighting Proposition 1, the voter-approved initiative that resulted in $1.7 billion in additional transportation funding for Texas in 2015. The Dallas-Fort Worth area received $367 million, which will help it complete the long-planned Interstate Highway 30/State Highway 360 interchange and additional non-tolled projects.
The fact sheet is available at NCTCOG.org/factsheets.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
Input sought on essential planning tasks
Transportation planners will ask for input on three of the key responsibilities of the metropolitan planning organization at a meeting at 2:30 pm June 8 in Arlington.
As the metropolitan planning organization for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the North Central Texas Council of Governments and Regional Transportation Council maintain a Unified Planning Work Program that summarizes the transportation and air quality planning tasks conducted by the MPO.
An outline of the draft Fiscal Year 2016 and Fiscal Year 2017 UPWP will be presented for input.
Additionally, a long-term transportation plan must be maintained. NCTCOG is beginning to develop the next long-term plan, Mobility 2040. Topics for public input and a schedule for work will be discussed at the public meeting.
Finally, as projects listed in the long-term plan move closer to implementation, they are added to the Transportation Improvement Program, a comprehensive list of funded transportation projects through 2018. It is updated regularly to maintain accuracy, and the current set of project modifications will be available for public review and comment.
Following the public meeting, at NCTCOG’s Arlington offices, a video recording will be online at NCTCOG.org/meetings. While work on Mobility 2040 will continue through the summer and fall, comments on the UPWP and TIP are due by 11:59 pm on July 7, 2015. To request printed copies of the information, call 817-695-9284 or email awilson@nctcog.org.
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