Call to Order

Call to Order

Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call

Item 1

Approval of March 9, 2017, Minutes
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 5
Presenter: Ron Jensen, RTC Chair
Item Summary: Approval of the March 9, 2017, minutes contained in Reference Item 1 will be requested.
Background: N/A

Consent Agenda

Consent Agenda
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 0
2.1.
Transportation Improvement Program Modifications
Presenter: Ken Bunkley, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Regional Transportation Council (RTC) approval of revisions to the 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) will be requested.
Background: May 2017 revisions to the 2017-2020 TIP are provided as Reference Item 2.1.1 for the Council’s consideration. Administrative amendments from the February 2017 cycle are provided for information in Electronic Item 2.1.2. These modifications have been reviewed for consistency with the Mobility Plan, the air quality conformity determination, and financial constraint of the TIP.
2.2.
Unified Planning Work Program Modifications
Presenter: Dan Kessler, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Regional Transportation Council (RTC) approval of modifications to the FY2016 and FY2017 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) will be requested.
Background: The Unified Planning Work Program is required by federal and State transportation planning regulations and provides a summary of the transportation and transportation-related air quality planning tasks to be conducted by Metropolitan Planning Organization staff. The FY2016 and FY2017 UPWP identifies the activities to be carried out between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2017. Included in these proposed amendments are new initiatives, updates to existing projects, and funding adjustments. The proposed modifications were presented at the March 13, 15, and 20, 2017, public meetings and are also included as Reference Item 2.2.1. Additional information is provided in Electronic Item 2.2.2. Comments received as a result ofthe public outreach process, if any, will be provided as a
handout at the meeting. The Surface Transportation
Technical Committee has recommended Regional
Transportation Council approval of the proposed
modifications.
2.3. Approval of Contingent Local Funds for Electric Vehicle Carsharing
Project
Presenter: Chris Klaus, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Regional Transportation Council (RTC) approval of the
contingency for local match will be requested.
Background: Staff submitted a grant proposal to the Department of
Energy (DOE) for an electric vehicle carsharing project at
college and university campuses throughout the region.
The proposed project also includes participation from
Clean Cities Coalitions in Austin, Louisiana, and
Oklahoma, working with colleges and universities in their
respective areas. The DOE encouraged submittal of a full
grant proposal which was due on March 24, 2017.
The grant requires a minimum of a dollar-for-dollar match
throughout the project. Matching funds will be sourced
from project partners, including participating universities.
As part of the project proposal, staff requested DOE funds
to cover all administrative expenses related to project
implementation. However, expenses associated with staff
time needed to initiate the project may occur prior to any
match funds being received. Therefore, staff is seeking
approval to utilize up to $50,000 in RTC local funds, if
needed, to support these initial staff expenses.

Item 3

Orientation to Agenda/Director of Transportation Report
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 15
Presenter: Michael Morris, NCTCOG
1. Regional Transportation Council (RTC) Member Representation at Events
• Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins-Texas Freight Advisory
Committee
2. Funding Allocations and Projects Approved in the 2017 Unified
Transportation Program
3. High-Occupancy Vehicle Subsidy Report (Electronic Item 3.1)
4. Traffic Incident Management Executive Level Course, May 4, 2017
(Electronic Item 3.2)
5. North Texas Smart Cities Summit, May 16, 2017 (Electronic Item 3.3)
6. Southern Transportation and Air Quality Summit, August 29-30, 2017
(Electronic Item 3.4)
7. Air Quality Funding Opportunities for Vehicles (Electronic Item 3.5)
8. March Public Meeting Minutes (Handout)
9. April Public Meeting Notice (Electronic Item 3.6)
10. 2017 Spring Outreach Season (Electronic Item 3.7)
11. Recent Correspondence (Electronic Item 3.8)
12. Recent News Articles (Electronic Item 3.9)
13. Recent Press Releases (Electronic Item 3.10)
14. Transportation Partners Progress Reports

Item 4

Overview from Commissioner Laura Ryan, Texas Transportation
Commission
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10
Presenter: Victor Vandergriff and Laura Ryan, Texas Transportation
Commission
Item Summary: Commissioner Victor Vandergriff will introduce his colleague,
Laura Ryan, from the Texas Transportation Commission.
Background: The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) has a rich history of
supporting the Texas Department of Transportation Texas
commissioners from across the state. From time to time, one of
the five commissioners is available to meet with the RTC.

Item 5

Hemphill/Lamar Connector Project and Partnership with Tarrant County
and Other Agencies
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10
Presenter: Christie Gotti, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will request action on a partnership with the City of
Fort Worth, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT),
Tarrant County, and the Regional Transportation Council (RTC)
regarding the Hemphill/Lamar Connector project in Downtown
Fort Worth.
Background: After being defederalized by the RTC at the request of the City
of Fort Worth in 2009, the Hemphill/Lamar Connector project
has experienced rising costs over the years. The total cost is
now $53 million and the City has $26.69 million available. In
September 2016, the RTC approved part of a Hemphill/Lamar
Connector partnership, with staff committing to bring back the
final partnership for approval. Staff has since worked with the
City and Tarrant County, among others, to identify the remaining
funds and complete the partnership. It is critical that this project
does not switch back to a federal design standard.
In order to construct this project using only local funds, staff
proposes a partnership in which the City uses its remaining
funds, along with an additional $23 million from Tarrant County,
a contribution of $3.45 million in Regional Toll Revenue (RTR)
funds from the RTC, and TxDOT payment of direct State costs
for on-system portions of the project. As part of this effort, staff
is proposing to swap RTR funds from the Kaufman County
account to the Tarrant County and Regional Accounts. Further
details on the partnership can be found in Reference Item 5.

Item 6

Critical Freight Corridors: Regional Connections
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 5
Presenter: Dan Lamers, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will brief the Council and seek action on the proposed
2017 Critical Urban Freight Corridor designations that will
provide enhanced connectivity to the State Freight Network and
National Highway Freight Network.
Background: In March, staff briefed the Council on the Texas Department of
Transportation's request for the Metropolitan Planning
Organization to propose approximately 100 miles of roadway
corridors to be designated as Critical Urban Freight Corridors.
Critical Urban Freight Corridors are vital freight corridors that
provide critical connectivity to the federal system. By
designating these important corridors, states can strategically
direct resources toward improved system performance and
efficient movement of freight. The designation of these corridors
will increase opportunities for National Highway Freight Program
formula funds and Fostering Advancements in Shipping and
Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National
Efficiencies Grant Program funds. Reference Item 6 illustrates
the proposed facilities for designation as Critical Urban Freight
Corridors.

Item 7

Transportation Development Credits: Category Renewals and Additions
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 5
Presenter: Adam Beckom, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will request Regional Transportation Council (RTC)
approval of proposed changes to the Regional Transportation
Development Credit (TDC) program. In March, staff briefed the
Council on this item.
Background: In 2012, the RTC received an allocation of 465,486,222 TDCs
from the Texas Department of Transportation. In the years
since, 145,548,640 credits have been awarded to local agencies
to be utilized in lieu of the local match on projects and programs
with federal funding. North Central Texas Council of
Governments staff has been exploring new ways to utilize TDCs
and proposes to make changes and allocation adjustments to
the program. Details on the proposed changes can be found in
Reference Item 7.

Item 8

Approval of Automated Vehicle Program Funding
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10
Presenter: Tom Bamonte, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will provide an overview and request approval of
Automated Vehicle Program funding.
Background: The North Central Texas Council of Governments established
its Automated Vehicle Program in mid-2016. Staff seeks
approval of a plan to fund a variety of automated vehicle
initiatives in coming months. The Surface Transportation
Technical Committee approved the program at its March 24,
2017, meeting. Details are provided in Reference Item 8.

Item 9

Legislative Update
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10
Presenter: Amanda Wilson, NCTCOG
Item Summary: The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) will receive an
update on federal and State legislative actions.
Background: The first session of the 115th United States (US) Congress
convened on January 3, 2017, and the Texas Legislature
convened on January 10, 2017. Transportation issues will be a
focus for both the US Congress and Texas Legislature. This
item will allow staff to provide updates on key positions of the
RTC and allow any additional positions to be taken, if
necessary. Rebekah Hernandez has been transmitting
summaries to RTC members every week during the session.

Item 10

Start of Ozone Season and Other Air Quality Updates
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10
Presenter: Chris Klaus, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will provide an update on a variety of air quality topics
pertaining to North Central Texas as the 2017 ozone season
begins.
Background: The 2017 ozone season began on March 1 for the North Central
Texas ten-county nonattainment area. The region continues to
monitor and work towards compliance for the 2008 ozone
National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) at the same
time the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) transitions to
the more recent 2015 ozone NAAQS.
To aid in community outreach, North Central Texas Council of
Governments staff recently updated the Air North Texas
website. The revamped website offers a more user-friendly
interface, helps raise awareness about air quality issues,
includes information for becoming an Air North Texas partner,
and lists upcoming outreach events. Further details can be
found in Electronic Item 10.

Item 11

Texoma Area Paratransit System Wrap Up
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10
Presenter: Sarah Chadderdon, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will provide an update on efforts to close out funding
agreements and manage assets that had been used to support
transit service operated by Texoma Area Paratransit System
(TAPS) in the south Collin County area between 2013 and 2015.
Additional information is available in Electronic Item 11.
Background: In 2013, TAPS was selected to provide transit service in most of
Collin County. Following several federal and state reviews with
negative findings and growing financial problems, TAPS
stopped providing service in Collin County at the end of 2015.
Throughout 2016, staff worked to close out TAPS agreements
and redistribute vehicles.

Item 12

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program/Surface
Transportation Block Grant Program Funding
Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10
Presenter: Adam Beckom, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will provide information and request feedback on the
proposed project selection process for Fiscal Years (FY) 2017-
2020 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement
Program (CMAQ) and Surface Transportation Block Grant
Program (STBG) funds scheduled to occur this year.
Background: During the 10-year planning effort, projects were programmed
using Category 2 (Metropolitan Corridor), Category 4 (Statewide
Connectivity Corridor), and Category 12 (Strategic Priority)
funding. Category 5 (CMAQ) and Category 7 (STBG) funds
were not programmed through this effort and instead were used
as a potential backstop for the 10-year Plan. Now that approval
of the 10-year planning effort is complete for the first year, it is
time to program the CMAQ and STBG funds. The proposed
process for awarding CMAQ and STBG funds will be presented
at the meeting, and details of the proposed process are included
in Electronic Item 12.

Items 13 - 16

13. Progress Reports
Action Possible Action Information
Item Summary: Progress Reports are provided in the items below.
• RTC Attendance (Reference Item 13.1)
• STTC Attendance and Minutes (Electronic Item 13.2)
• Local Motion (Electronic Item 13.3)
14. Other Business (Old or New): This item provides an opportunity for members
to bring items of interest before the group.
15. Future Agenda Items: This item provides an opportunity for members to bring
items of future interest before the Council.
16. Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Regional Transportation Council is
scheduled for 1:00 pm, Thursday, May 11, 2017, at the North Central Texas
Council of Governments.