Summary: North Texas leaders seek funds to improve transportation infrastructure; they seek fair-share allocation of funds or to allow the use of public-private partnerships to expand rail and transit options. The goal is to help reduce traffic congestion while providing opportunities for jobs and for housing near jobs. Included is the support of high-speed rail development.
Latest Update: posted 02 January, 2024
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North Texas leaders seek funds to expand, improve transportation infrastructure. Fort Worth Report Article.
North Texas leaders seek funds to improve transportation infrastructure as the 89th Texas Legislature prepares to meet Jan. 14.
The Regional Transportation Council, an independent policy group made up of elected and appointed officials from 16 counties including Tarrant, is seeking “fair-share” allocation of funds for capacity improvements to metropolitan regions or to allow the use of public-private partnerships to advance transportation projects. The council also is advocating for innovative funding methods to expand rail and transit options with the North Central Texas Council of Governments representative area. [2]
“As NCTCOG and the Regional Transportation Council plan for 2050, the critical question is: Can local governments reduce congestion through land-use density, resulting in higher holding capacities and shorter trip lengths with a balance of jobs to housing? In other words, how can cities help reduce traffic congestion while providing opportunities for jobs and housing near the workplace?” [2]
The council said it also will “support high-speed rail development in Texas...”
Willow Park Sources and Resoures
[1] Index: Fort Worth (DFW) is the epicenter of Federal and State plans for railways. Willow Park Civics Blog, posted 01 January 2025
[2] North Texas leaders seek funds to expand, improve transportation infrastructure, Fort Worth Report, 23 December 2024, Excerpts
North Texas leaders seek funds to improve transportation infrastructure as the 89th Texas Legislature prepares to meet Jan. 14.
The Regional Transportation Council, an independent policy group made up of elected and appointed officials from 16 counties including Tarrant, spotlights funding mechanisms for roads, rail and transit services on its list of 2025 legislative priorities.
The group is seeking “fair-share” allocation of funds for capacity improvements to metropolitan regions or to allow the use of public-private partnerships to advance transportation projects.
The council also is advocating for innovative funding methods to expand rail and transit options with the North Central Texas Council of Governments representative area. Those efforts would include requiring expenditures from a portion of the Texas Mobility Fund for regional commuter rail and Class I railroad improvements, supporting dedicated funding for transit and rail via the Texas Department of Transportation’s budget rider and allocating money to the existing Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund.
“As NCTCOG and the Regional Transportation Council plan for 2050, the critical question is: Can local governments reduce congestion through land-use density, resulting in higher holding capacities and shorter trip lengths with a balance of jobs to housing?” Morris wrote in a commentary published in the Fort Worth Report in July. “In other words, how can cities help reduce traffic congestion while providing opportunities for jobs and housing near the workplace?”
The creation of a high-speed rail authority was among the Regional Transportation Council’s initial legislative priorities, but that item has been revised. Now, the council seeks a review with TxDOT and the Legislature to consider “options related to the creation of a new state high-speed rail authority” as proposed high-speed routes from Houston to Dallas and Fort Worth and Arlington to Dallas are considered.
The group said its priorities will encourage “retainment of eminent domain authority in (its) current statute to allow planning and development of new and/or expanded transportation corridors, including high-speed rail, commuter rail, freight rail, roadways and tolls.”
The council said it also will “support high-speed rail development in Texas and its superior safety history.”
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