NCTCOG to Discuss High-Speed Transportation Study Virtually

  (Arlington, Texas) — Transportation planners are considering more than the traditional ways to move people as Dallas-Fort Worth grows. A reliable system requires creative thinking.
 
North Texans who want to learn more about efforts to link the center of the region through a new transportation technology will be able to review and comment on the Dallas-Fort Worth High-Speed Transportation Connections Study in September.
 
The North Central Texas Council of Governments has scheduled virtual public meetings for noon Sept. 23 and 6 pm Sept. 24 to give residents a chance to learn more about the study and provide input to planners examining potential technologies and alignments.
 
The study is evaluating high-speed alternatives to modernize and enhance mobility between Dallas, Arlington and Fort Worth. Planners will consider and analyze conventional passenger rail, high-speed rail, magnetic levitation and hyperloop technologies. The study area includes Dallas and Tarrant counties as well as the cities of Dallas, Irving, Cockrell Hill, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Pantego, Dalworthington Gardens, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, Richland Hills, North Richland Hills, Haltom City and Fort Worth.

The study is being conducted in two phases. The first, which is expected to last 12 months, includes the development and evaluation of potential technology and alignments. The goal is to identify the technology to be used and potential alignments for the technology by the end of Phase I. Phase II will last 24 months and include preliminary engineering and environmental work. Public involvement will play a significant role in both phases, including the selection of a technology and route.

The resulting high-speed service between Dallas and Fort Worth will connect to a high-speed rail system soon to be under development between Dallas and Houston and a future high-speed option from Fort Worth to South Texas.

Residents can watch the presentation and participate live at www.nctcog.org/dfw-hstcs or by calling 855-756-7520. Participants should use ext. 65720# for the Sept. 23 meeting and ext. 65721# Sept. 24. Participants will be able to give input during the meetings by phone or on the website. Comments and questions can also be submitted before or after the public meetings at hst_dfw@nctcog.org or on the project webpage.

Presentations will be the same for both meetings and be posted Sept. 18 on the project webpage. For printed copies, email hst_dfw@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 in 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.