NCTCOG Welcomes Public Input on Bike-Ped Trail Funding

10/12/2020
Comments on Cotton Belt Trail, other planning efforts accepted online through Nov. 10
 
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Amanda Wilson

Arlington, Texas — The North Central Texas Council of Governments welcomes public input on funding for a planned bicycle-pedestrian project and other transportation initiatives in the Dallas-Fort-Worth region beginning Oct. 12.

NCTCOG staff will post a presentation on the Cotton Belt Trail design funding and planning efforts at www.nctcog.org/input.This project is in coordination with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Silver Line commuter rail project.

The 26-mile regional bicycle-pedestrian trail will run parallel to the Silver Line and connect seven cities across three North Texas counties. The Silver Line is DART’s planned commuter rail line that will start at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and continue northeast through the cities of Grapevine, Coppell, Dallas, Carrollton, Addison and Richardson before terminating in Plano.

Additional funding was requested for the engineering of the bicycle-pedestrian trail and construction of critical portions, as well as sound walls near schools. In September the Regional Transportation Council approved the necessary funds, voting to pay 100% of the design of the Cotton Belt Trail, and $245,000 in Surface Transportation Block Grant funds for two safety walls near two schools.

The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) is a two-year statement of work identifying the transportation- and air quality-related planning tasks to be carried out within the 12-county metropolitan planning area. Proposed modifications to the Fiscal Year 2020 and FY2021 UPWP will be posted for review and comment.

Finally, information on the Regional Smoking Vehicle Program and vehicle incentive opportunities will also be available.

North Texans are encouraged to provide their input at www.nctcog.org/input through Nov. 10. To request printed copies of the information, call 817-608-2365 or email cbaylor@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.
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