Transportation Resources Development

Transportation Downloads

Purpose

This program generates support for resources, policies, programs and projects to implement the Metropolitan Mobility Plan adopted by the Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council Governments, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the region. The mission is the preservation of regional mobility, through cohesive and strategic actions and public-private collaboration.

Background

Prior to initiation of the NTC surface transportation program in 1994, there was very little public-private collaboration in the interest of regional mobility and no effective, region-wide transportation advocacy program. Without cohesive and strategic advocacy, the North Texas region was not receiving a fair share of transportation funding from Austin or Washington. The competition among regions for scarce transportation resources is intense and requires strong public-private collaboration to fare well. The NTC program brings together public and private sector leaders and organizations to develop, support and communicate a focused, cohesive message about the region’s surface transportation needs.

The Problem

Roads and bridges are showing major deterioration due to age, increased usage, heavy vehicles and inadequate maintenance levels. In addition, roadway congestion is increasing. Annual delay from road congestion in D/FW has increased from 13 hours per driver in 1982 to 58 hours in 2005. Transportation system expansion is not keeping pace with population and employment growth and increased travel demand. The Dallas/Fort Worth Area Metropolitan Mobility Plan identifies the actions necessary to optimize the operational efficiency of the existing system and to expand it to serve the region’s growth, but current level resources are inadequate to implement the plan and properly maintain the system. The gap between transportation needs and available funding is growing. The region faces a mobility crisis unless the level of investment in transportation infrastructure is increased soon.

Strategies

  • Utilize the Dallas/Fort Worth Partners in Mobility to form consenus policy positions and to advocate those positioins to the Texas Transportation Commission and the Texas Legislature.
  • Inform citizens and organizations, including business and political leaders, of the region’s transportation needs, the large gap between needs and resources and the importance of mobility to our economic vitality and quality of life;
  • Collaborate with transportation interest groups, MPOs, and chambers of commerce from other metropolitan areas to build a statewide constituency for increased investment in transportation;
  • Communicate the region’s transportation needs to our elected representatives at all levels of government;
  • Support and cooperate with the RTC, NTTA, DART, The T, DCTA, TxDOT, DRMC and TRTC.

Results

Our efforts are incrementally building an informed constituency for transportation, which will need to be reinforced and expanded. Generating support for an overall increase in resources available to invest in transportation infrastructure is an ongoing challenge.