Local Motion - November 2017

 Joint Land Use Study fosters military-community relationships

 
NCTCOG, elected officials and community leaders are concluding Joining Forces, a study to help North Texas military installations and their neighbors collaborate on compatibility issues.
 
This Joint Land Use Study recommends communication and land-use strategies that support continued military capabilities. Funded by the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment, the project involves the communities and military operations of Naval Air Station Fort Worth, Joint Reserve Base, Redmond Taylor Army Heliport in Dallas, Fort Wolters training center in Mineral Wells and Camp Maxey training center near Paris.
 
NCTCOG collaborated with cities and counties surrounding the military installations to plan and carry out specific actions that will promote compatible community and economic growth.
 
Throughout the project’s duration, the planning team interviewed key stakeholders, facilitated public meetings and coordinated several rounds of policy committee meetings to establish priorities for the study, gather data, and identify challenges and opportunities.
 
The collaborative process has developed over 150 recommendations covering regional as well as individual installations and community-specific actions. Many recommendations focus on enhancing and formalizing communication. Others look at enhanced economic development, planning and land-use techniques, and improved physical security.
 
More information about Joining Forces can be found at www.joiningforcesntx.org. Next steps for the project include briefing local governments on recommended compatibility strategies and applying for grant funds to assist with strategy implementation.
  

NCTCOG aviation reaching future flyers

 
NCTCOG recently published an aviation education fact sheet highlighting its efforts to develop a qualified workforce to meet the demands of regional expansion and industry growth.
 
The North Texas Aviation Education Initiative approaches outreach from different angles using gaming, career planning resources, and mentorship to engage students and encourage them to consider aviation and aerospace professions. Locally, the industry has a significant economic impact. Over 300 aviation and aerospace employers are based in North Texas and the industry has an annual economic impact of over $40 billion.
 
A concentrated effort is needed to meet the workforce demands of the future. By 2020, 50,000 skilled workers will be needed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to meet employment demands and maintain global competitiveness.
 
With efforts such as the aviation education initiative, which depends on partnerships with public and private entities, there will be well-trained workers to meet industry needs.
 
Read more about the education effort at www.nctcog.org/factsheets.
 

RTC approves $1.9M in FTA call for projects

 
On October 12, the Regional Transportation Council approved approximately $1.9 million in funding from the Federal Transit Administration for cities and transportation providers to improve transit options for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
 
The projects will serve approximately 4,500 people through coordination activities and provide over 88,000 trips annually across three counties. This is a significant impact considering the cost of specialized services for transit-dependent individuals who have very few options to travel. The funding comes from the Urbanized Area Formula and Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and individuals with Disabilities programs.
 
The eight recipients of federal funding include:
 

• Dallas Area Rapid Transit to purchase taxi vouchers for eligible residents in Carrolton and Rowlett, and operating funds to administer program.
• Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas to hire a planning consultant to conduct a study identifying employee transportation needs and routes in DART’s non-rail area. The funding would also assist in the acquisition of vans and initiation of a no-cost vanpool for southern Dallas County residents to and from the Inland Port employment area, in partnership with DART.
• City of Dallas to better connect seniors and individuals with disabilities with medical appointments when no other transit options are available.
• City of DeSoto to launch a taxi voucher program for residents who are older or have disabilities.
• Fort Worth Transportation Authority, on behalf of Tarrant County Transportation Services, to add a day of service, Transit 101 classes and mobility management services.
• Dallas County HHS Older Adult Services Program to receive vehicles from the NCTCOG Vehicle Lease Program to continue operations.
• City of Lancaster to receive a vehicle from the NCTCOG Vehicle Lease Program to expand services provided to seniors in the city.
• Span, Inc. to expand demand-response service in Flower Mound and to support collaborative effort between Hickory Creek, Shady Shores, Lake Dallas, and Corinth for demand response service to seniors and mobility-impaired individuals.

NCTCOG regularly conducts calls for projects to award funding from various FTA programs. Projects support increasing, enhancing or expanding transit services for low-income individuals, seniors and persons with disabilities in the urbanized areas.
 
For more detailed information about projects selected for award, please visit www.nctcog.org/ftafunding.
 

Alt fueling facilities program open 

 
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is accepting applications for the Alternative Fueling Facilities Program. AFFP offers grants for the construction or expansion of alternative fuel fueling stations within the Clean Transportation Zone, which includes all 12 counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan planning area.
 
Eligible fuels include natural gas, biodiesel, hydrogen, methanol, propane and electric charging. Program details and application instructions can be found at www.terpgrants.org. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. CT, January 16, 2018.
 
In early November, NCTCOG will host two workshops to share information and facilitate regional project opportunities.
 
On November 2, the NCTCOG/DFW Clean Cities EV  Infrastructure workshop will connect electric vehicle supply equipment companies with representatives from cities,workplaces, university/college campuses, and apartments to discuss their equipment and offerings. Details and registration for this workshop can be found at www.DFWCleanCities.org/EVNT.
 
The TCEQ will conduct a workshop at 9 am November 9 at NCTCOG to review the grant requirements and application process with entities interested in the program.
 

Webinar: Clean vehicle solutions

 
NCTCOG and the Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities Coalition will host a Clean Vehicle Solutions Refuse Hauler webinar at noon November 30. This webinar is geared toward cities and private companies that own and operate refuse haulers. Learn how to take full advantage of the wide variety of upcoming funding opportunities and explore different alternative fuel options available to fleets.
 
For more information on this and future webinars, please visit www.dfwcleancities.org/webinars.
 

NCTCOG Requests Input on Funding Initiatives

 
NCTCOG will present transportation funding initiatives and road safety performance measures at public meetings in November.Residents can provide input on federal/local exchange funding initiatives at public meetings on November 13 (Arlington), November 14 (North Richland Hills) and November 15 (Richardson).
 
NCTCOG staff has been working with local agencies that have expressed interest in entering into partnerships with the RTC to fund transportation projects in their jurisdictions.
 
The goal of these partnerships is to implement local transportation projects while acquiring local funds for regional programs by exchanging federal air quality and mobility funds for local funds from partner agencies.
 
Staff will also present regional performance targets for both roadway safety and transit assets. NCTCOG uses performance measures as part of a performance-based planning process for the region’s transportation system. Roadway safety targets focus on reducing serious injuries and fatalities while transit asset management targets ensure public transportation vehicles, rail lines and other capital assets are in good condition.
 
Finally, funding opportunities for vehicle and fueling infrastructure will also be highlighted. Watch the Arlington meeting in real time by clicking the “live” tab at www.nctcog.org/video.  A recording of the presentations will also be posted at www.nctcog.org/input.