September 2015
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OUR REGION
Vickery Meadow assessment aims to boost access to school, employment
A recent federal assessment of pedestrian and road safety will guide enhancements in one of Dallas’ most densely populated neighborhoods. The Federal Highway Administration conducted the Pedestrian Road Safety Assessment in Vickery Meadow earlier this year to identify safety issues and opportunities to reduce the number and severity of pedestrian crashes with motor vehicles.
Among the recommendations in the final report were street retrofits on several roadways to improve safety and to balance the needs of all modes of transportation. Additional recommendations included improvements to street lighting, traffic and pedestrian signals, Americans with Disabilities Act accommodations, school zone and related safety signage, pedestrian crossings, wider sidewalks and bicycle accommodations. A partnership involving the city of Dallas, Dallas County, Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the North Central Texas Council of Governments is considering options to fund the recommended safety and accessibility improvements throughout Vickery Meadow. Safe pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is a significant need in in the area because the number of people who use public transportation or walk to work and school is more than double the city average. Nearly 25 percent of the households do not own private vehicles. The safety assessment was assisted by Dallas, Dallas County, DART, and NCTCOG with additional expertise provided by the Dallas Independent School District and Dallas Police Department.
SMARTE program helps trucking industry save money
NCTCOG has launched Saving Money and Reducing Truck Emissions (SMARTE), a program designed to improve industry awareness of freight traffic effects on air quality and encourage industry-specific best practices. Through face-to-face outreach, SMARTE provides information on regional initiatives that can reduce fuel costs and improve air quality. SMARTE has a heavy emphasis on promoting EPA SmartWay-verified technologies but also focuses on other programs important to small and medium-sized fleets and individual owner-operators. For information, visit NCTCOG.org/SMARTE.
RTC POLICYMAKERS
RTC approves $4.4M for transit projects
The Regional Transportation Council approved approximately $4.4 million in funding from the Urbanized Area Formula Program and the Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program last month. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport will receive approximately $2.38 million to provide shuttle service from the Trinity Railway Express CentrePort/DFW Airport Station. Catholic Charities of Fort Worth was awarded $524,350 to provide service in targeted areas across Tarrant County. Kaufman County Senior Citizen Services will use $204,960 in federal funding to provide medical trips for seniors traveling to Dallas.
The Community Council of Greater Dallas and MHMR of Tarrant County were provided $905,860 for navigation assistance and resource-management activities. And the RTC approved $389,180 in federal funds for Senior Center Resources and Public Transit to pilot a direct connection from Hunt to Dallas counties.
These projects will serve approximately 6,000 people through coordination activities and provide over 311,000 trips annually across six counties. For information, visit NCTCOG.org/FTAfunding.
Live streaming begins in September
NCTCOG will begin streaming RTC meetings live on the Internet Sept. 10 following the Legislature’s approval of a bill this year requiring policy board meetings to be presented live online. Archived videos of RTC meetings will continue to be available.
On the Web: NCTCOG.org/video
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
Public to weigh in on Prop. 1 funding
NCTCOG will seek input in September on recommendations for Proposition 1 funding, the development of Mobility 2040 and transit programs. Public meetings will be held at 6:30 pm September 8 in Denton, 2:30 pm September 9 in Arlington and 6:30 pm September 14 in Irving.
Staff will recommend projects to receive Proposition 1 funding in fiscal years 2016 and 2017, when $268.1 million and $263.91 million will be available, respectively.
In November 2014 Texas voters approved Proposition 1, a constitutional amendment that provides state funding for the construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of public roadways in Texas. (Toll roads and transit projects are not eligible.) Dallas-Fort Worth received $367.63 million for projects to go to construction in 2015.
NCTCOG is developing Mobility 2040, the next long-range transportation plan, and will summarize feedback received to date from the public and Regional Transportation Council and seek additional input to guide the development of plan recommendations. NCTCOG is required to maintain a long-range transportation plan for the region’s multimodal transportation system.
In addition, the public is encouraged to comment on proposed transit projects funded by the Federal Transit Administration through fiscal year 2016. Finally, several other topics will be highlighted at the meetings, including proposed modifications to the list of funded projects maintained in the Transportation Improvement Program. Following the meeting in Arlington, a video recording will be available at NCTCOG.org/input, where information about the meetings is available.
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