Arlington, Texas – The North Central Texas Council of Governments has launched a groundbreaking program that will help local governments plan for transportation-related technologies, including automated and connected vehicles.
The Automated Vehicles 2.0 (AV2.0) program will build on the region’s national leadership in automation and technology and recent public-private partnerships to support its growth and readiness.
The AV2.0 program seeks to make mobility planning resources available regionwide, help communities prepare for the implementation of transportation technology and look toward future uses of technology in transportation.
The $31 million program is divided into three parts: AV2.1, AV2.2 and AV2.3. With the recent launch of the $1 million “Connecting North Texas Communities with Emerging Transportation Technologies” initiative, also known as AV2.1, NCTCOG will provide short- and long-term planning support to local governments.
The second element, AV2.2 ($10 million) supports the costs for near-term technology deployments over the next two to four years. For the same timeframe, AV2.3 will make $20 million available for the implementation of regionally strategic investments.
The AV2.1 planning phase, led by Kittelson & Associates, will provide expertise to local governments interested in preparing for and deploying the technologies. AV2.1 planning support is designed to build a broad base of agency and community understanding of opportunities and communicate ways emerging technologies can be used to address transportation challenges. AV2.1 has four project phases:
• May 2021-August 2021: Gather and assess the region’s future mobility needs
• August 2021-February 2022: Develop and evaluate potential future scenarios
• February 2022-April 2022: Identify best practices and funding opportunities
• April 2022-June 2022: Inform guidance and prepare a final report
The public is encouraged to participate in the project and share perspectives about the region’s transportation needs and opportunities to address those needs using automated transportation technologies.
Visit
www.ConnectNTXFutures.org to learn more about the planning effort, including opportunities to participate in workshops, virtual public meetings, and focus groups. Begin the effort by taking a short survey and registering for the first virtual public meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 24, on the project website. For more information, and questions, please contact
ConnectNTX@nctcog.org.
About the North Central Texas Council of Governments:
NCTCOG is a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 to assist local governments in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit and coordinating for sound regional development. NCTCOG's purpose is to strengthen both the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication and make joint decisions.
NCTCOG serves a 16-county region of North Central Texas, which is centered on the two urban centers of Dallas and Fort Worth. Currently, NCTCOG has 238 member governments including
16 counties, 169 cities, 22 school districts and 31 special districts. For more information on the NCTCOG Transportation Department, visit
www.nctcog.org/trans.
About the Regional Transportation Council:
The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) of the North Central Texas Council of Governments has served as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for regional transportation planning in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1974. The MPO works in cooperation with the region’s transportation providers to address the complex transportation needs of the rapidly growing metropolitan area. The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise counties. The RTC’s 44 members include local elected or appointed officials from the metropolitan area and representatives from each of the area’s transportation providers. More information can be found at
www.nctcog.org.
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