Regional planners say they need your input to help guide future transportation needs in North Texas. It comes as two long-range projects near completion – that could lay the groundwork for how we move around the region for decades to come. David Goins reports.
Regional planners say they need your input to help guide future transportation needs in North Texas.
It comes as two long-range projects are underway that could lay the groundwork for how cities and the region plan for transit needs in future decades.
While many cities’ leaders grapple with right-now concerns like limits on property tax revenue, how to grow businesses, and improving public safety, there’s an agency with a longer-range view.
Michael Morris heads up the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG).
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“We’re the crazy uncle or aunt that has to say ‘Wait a minute, you got to go to school and you have to get an education,'” Morris said.
NCTCOG not only handles long-range regional planning but also provides cities with guidance on how to get ready for more growth in a region already the fourth largest in the U.S. with over 8 million people.
The region is forecast to grow to nearly 12 million people over the next two decades.
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On Monday, NCTCOG hosted a public meeting, both in-person and online, to receive comments and input on two initiatives.
One, Mobility 2050, aims to prioritize what’s called multi-modal transportation, think more transit options for bikes and pedestrians.
The other initiative will provide guidance for existing transit agencies like DART and the TRE, along with city leaders on how to collaborate for the growth planners know is coming.
Transit 2.0 is set to be released by next spring.
“We’re going to 12 and a half million people. A larger share of them are not inside the existing transportation authority boundaries,” Morris said. “What are we going to do about that?”
“Having some independent consultants with international experience is a very timely piece of medicine that might be able to help us.”
