Call to Order

Pledge to the United States and Texas Flags

Item 2

Approval of August 18, 2022, Minutes

Consent Agenda

3.1. Air Quality Funding Recommendations Related Environmental
Protection Agency Program
Presenter: Jason Brown, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will request Committee approval of funding
recommendations for the North Texas Clean Diesel
Project 2021 Call for Projects.
Background: The North Central Texas Council of Governments
opened the North Texas Clean Diesel Project 2021 Call
for Projects (CFP) through an Environmental Protection
Agency National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance
Program award. The CFP award grants funds for
replacements of on-road diesel vehicles and engines,
nonroad diesel equipment, diesel transport refrigeration
unit trailers, diesel drayage trucks, locomotive engines,
and locomotive shore power installation in North Central
Texas. One application was received by the CFP
deadline of July 15, 2022. Staff completed review,
quantified emissions, and developed project funding
recommendations. This initiative is an extension of
clean vehicle efforts listed as Weight-of-Evidence in the
current State Implementation Plan. Electronic Item 3.1.1
provides an overview of the call for projects and staff
recommendations. Electronic Item 3.1.2 provides
detailed project listings.
Performance Measure(s) Addressed: Air Quality


3.2. Transit Strategic Partnership Summer 2022 Projects
Presenter: Shannon Stevenson, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff is requesting Regional Transportation Council
approval to provide funding to STAR Transit for
expanded transit service to the cities of Cedar Hill and
Duncanville through the Transit Strategic Partnership
Program.
Background: In 2021, the Southern Dallas County Transit Study was
finalized, focusing on the strategic implementation of
transit and mobility services in a part of the North Texas
region that has limited access to existing transit
services. As recommended in the study, the North
Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG)
began facilitating discussions in 2021 between STAR
Transit and the cities of Cedar Hill and Duncanville on
potential expansion of transit service to each
municipality. Each city submitted a proposal to
NCTCOG’s Transit Strategic Partnerships program
requesting funding to be awarded to STAR Transit for
the purpose of introducing pilot transit service that
prioritizes seniors and individuals with disabilities.
Requested funding will support a combination of
demand response and STARNow same-day service for
a pilot period of two years. Staff is requesting
authorization to utilize existing Federal Transit
Administration Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of
Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program funds
from the Transit Strategic Partnership Program in an
amount not to exceed $1,260,000 to support STAR
Transit’s expansion of services to the cities of Cedar Hill
and Duncanville. Additional details can be found in
Electronic Item 3.2.
Performance Measure(s) Addressed: Administrative, Transit

Item 4

Orientation to Agenda/Director of Transportation Report
1. Safety Comes First (Presentation of RTC Safety
Vests: Coordination with Agenda Item 9)
2. RTC Bylaws Revision Subcommittee Report
(Electronic Item 4.1)
3. DART Board Approval - $214M Distribution of
Unallocated Funds To Service 13 Area Cities
4. Publication of High-Speed Rail (Electronic Item 4.2)
5. RTC Legislative Program for the 88th Texas
Legislature – Upcoming Timeline and Topics
(Electronic Item 4.3)
6. North Texas Center for Mobility Technologies Project
Tracking (Electronic Item 4.4)
7. 2022 Transportation Safety Performance Report
8. Walk to School Day (Electronic Item 4.5)
9. Air Quality Funding Opportunities for Vehicles
(www.nctcog.org/aqfunding)
10. Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities Events
(https://www.dfwcleancities.org/events)
11. 2022 Ozone Season Update (Electronic Item 4.6)
12. August Public Meeting Minutes (Electronic Item 4.7)
13. September Public Meeting Notice (Electronic Item
4.8)
14. Public Comments Report (Electronic Item 4.9)
15. Recent Correspondence (Electronic Item 4.10)
16. Recent News Articles (Electronic Item 4.11)
17. Recent Press Releases (Electronic Item 4.12)

Item 5

Fiscal Year 2022 Railroad Crossing Elimination Program
Presenter: Jeff Neal, NCTCOG Staff
Item Summary: Staff will provide the Regional Transportation Council
information on the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) Railroad Crossing
Elimination Program (RCEP) and request action to apply for a
candidate project. Applications are due to US DOT by October
4, 2022.
Background: In July 2022, the United States Department of Transportation
(US DOT) announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity
(NOFO) to solicit applications for FY22 RCEP funding. This
$573.3 million program includes certain funding amounts setaside for the following purposes: (1) Planning - $18 million; (2)
Rural or Tribal Grade Crossing Improvement Projects - $114.7
million; and (3) Urban Grade Crossing Improvement Projects -
$440.6 million. Applications for each funding category are due
to US DOT by October 4, 2022, and eligible entities are limited
to a maximum three applications per solicitation.
Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis for a project (or
group of projects) improving the safety/mobility of people and
goods through: (1) grade separation or closure; (2) track
relocation; (3) improvement/installation of protective devices,
signals, signs, or other measures, provided such activities are
related to (1) or (2); and (4) innovative solutions via
technology, education, and/or other means. Available at
https://railroads.dot.gov/grants-loans/competitivediscretionary-grant-programs/railroad-crossing-eliminationgrant-program, the FY22 RCEP NOFO describes the
application requirements, selection and evaluation criteria,
applicable program and Federal requirements, and available
technical assistance during the grant solicitation period.
Highlighted in Electronic Item 5, staff will provide details
regarding collaboration with partners and the evaluation
process undertaken to identify and select available candidate
projects. The request for the Council’s action is based on
coordinated and strategic efforts among partners to optimize
success for candidate projects both individually and
collectively, as will be explained.
Performance Measure(s) Addressed: Goods Movement, Roadway

Item 6

Safe Streets and Roads For All Regional Grant Application
Presenter: Kevin Kokes, NCTCOG
Item Summary: A recommendation for Regional Transportation Council
approval of a regional implementation project submittal to the
Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)
Discretionary Grant program.
Background: The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a
Notice of Funding Opportunity for the solicitation of
applications for FY22 SS4A funding. The Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law established the new SS4A discretionary
program with $5 billion in appropriated funds over the next five
years. In FY22, up to $1 billion is available. The SS4A
program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through
grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. A
maximum of one grant application may be submitted per
agency. Staff will provide an overview of the proposed
regional implementation grant application by the North Central
Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), the City of Dallas,
and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) for Martin Luther King
Jr. Blvd. and Cedar Crest Blvd. in Dallas. Road Safety Audits
for the roadway corridor were facilitated by the Federal
Highway Administration in 2021, in partnership with the City of
Dallas, Texas Department of Transportation, and NCTCOG.
The implementation project will include a complete street
retrofit, technology, and safety countermeasures to improve
the safety and comfort of all modes of transportation including
motor vehicle, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian. The local match
will be covered by the City of Dallas and DART. An overview
of the proposed project is contained in Electronic Item 6.
Performance Measure(s) Addressed: Bike/Ped+, Safety

Item 7

Transportation Infrastructure Certification Program: TransPod and JPods
Presenter: Brendon Wheeler, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will request Regional Transportation Council (RTC)
action to advance TransPod and JPods proposals to
interested local governments that may wish to submit
locations for the technology providers to consider. Both
technologies follow the requirements established by the RTC
as defined in Policy P22-02, including the utilization of the
initial certification track or pilot corridor for eventual
commercial service that fulfills a transportation need identified
by the Mobility 2045 Update.
Background: In May 2022, the RTC adopted Policy P22-02 to develop a
process for the Transportation Infrastructure Certification
Program. This program serves to guide a consensus-building
path among the RTC, interested local governments, and
transportation technology providers in bringing innovative
transportation solutions to our region. This transparent
process ensures a level playing field for transportation
technology providers wishing to prove their technology and for
local governments wishing to attract unique and innovative
transportation technologies to solve their transportation needs.
TransPod is a hyperloop developer based in Canada, focused
on ultra-high-speed vehicles within a low-pressure tube to
carry people and goods long distances between cities. JPods
is a solar-powered, overhead personal rapid transit system,
similar in concept to an advanced gondola/cable car system,
that operates on a low-speed grid network within or along
existing right-of-way to transport people within an urban area.
Staff is continuing to review letters of interest from technology
providers wishing to join this program and will update the RTC
on the results of these applications as they advance through
the process. Additional details are provided in Electronic Item
7.1 and Policy P22-2 is provided as Electronic Item 7.2.
Performance Measure(s) Addressed: Goods Movement, Transit

Item 8

Federal Performance Measures Update
Presenter: Jenny Narvaez, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will request approval of new targets for federally required
performance measures. The targets are set in cooperation
and coordination with the Texas Department of
Transportation.
Background: Federal Performance Measures were originally introduced in
the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP21) and carried through in the Fixing America’s Surface
Transportation (FAST) Act and Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act (IIJA). These laws and subsequent related
rulemaking require that certain performance measures be
included in the long-range metropolitan transportation
planning process. These measures were established by a
series of five rulemakings: Highway Safety (PM1),
Infrastructure Condition (PM2), System
Performance/Freight/Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
(PM3), Transit Asset Management (TAM), and Public
Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASP). Each
performance measure rulemaking consists of several specific
performance measures. An update will be provided on
progress for the PM3 and TAM measures. New targets for the
PM3 and TAM measures are included for adoption by the
Regional Transportation Council to meet the required federal
due date of October 1, 2022. Electronic Item 8 provides
further details.
Performance Measure(s) Addressed: Air Quality, Transit

Item 9

Management, Operations, and Safety Program
Presenter: Christie Gotti, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will brief the Council on the latest efforts to extend
existing and fund new Regional Transportation Council (RTC)
Management, Operations, and Safety programs and projects.
Background: Staff is reviewing the region’s ongoing Management and
Operations projects and programs which provide funding to
improve the region’s air quality and management and
operation of the transportation system. A determination is
needed regarding which projects should be continued and
new projects/programs that should be considered. To this end,
NCTCOG staff is recommending the extension of many of
these programs into the FY 2024-2026 timeframe and creation
of several new ones. Staff will also provide details on a regionwide safety funding program that will address a variety of
transportation safety issues. Additional details on the funding
program can be found in Electronic Item 9.
Performance Measure(s) Addressed: Air Quality, Safety

Item 10

Access North Texas Update
Presenter: Shannon Stevenson, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will provide information on the 2022 Access North Texas
Update, including a brief overview of outreach efforts and a
summary of developed regional goals.
Background: Access North Texas is the regional public transportation
coordination plan for the North Central Texas region. Federal
guidelines require this region to update the plan every four
years. The North Central Texas Council of Governments is the
lead agency in developing this plan for the 16-county region
and on March 8, 2018, the Regional Transportation Council
adopted the previous version of the plan. The purpose of the
Access North Texas plan is to identify the public transportation
needs of older adults, individuals with disabilities, low-income
individuals, and others with transportation challenges. The
plan also specifies strategies to address identified transit
needs, eliminate gaps in service, and avoid duplication of
transit services. Additionally, regional projects funded through
the Federal Transit Administration’s Enhanced Mobility of
Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Program must align
with strategies in this locally developed plan. Since April 2021,
staff has coordinated with a wide range of stakeholders,
transit users, and other members of the public to document
these transportation needs and develop strategies to better
serve these populations with public transportation. The draft
plan document is available at www.accessnorthtexas.org for
public input and comments. Additional information is available
in Electronic Item 10.
Performance Measure(s) Addressed: Administrative, Transit

Item 11

Transit COVID Recovery Campaign Update
Presenter: Mindy Mize, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will provide the Committee an update on the Transit
COVID Recovery Campaign, and how entities can become
involved with the education effort.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused transit ridership to decline
significantly in the North Texas region. Due to the decline, in
November 2020, the Regional Transportation Council (RTC)
approved $25,0000,000 in Surface Transportation Block Grant
(STBG) funds for investments in transit in the COVID-19
Round 3 Infrastructure Program. Discussions then occurred
on how to allocate the funding, and in March 2021, the RTC
approved the COVID-19 Infrastructure Program: Transit
Partnership Investments. Part of the program approved was
$1,000,000 for a Regional Transit Educational Campaign
Program or Transit COVID Recovery Campaign.
NCTCOG staff have been working with staff from Dallas
Area Rapid Transit, Denton County Transportation Authority,
and Trinity Metro to develop a campaign and messaging to
encourage ridership on transit. The campaign is broken into
two phases, Phase 1 – Growing Consumer Confidence and
Phase 2 – Focus on Increasing Ridership. Campaign tactics in
Phase 1 include developing branded communications pieces
to educate potential riders on health and safety precautions
and benefits of transit, as well as developing and
implementing a partnership program that includes a partner
portal where branded materials can be accessed and
shared by local governments and the business community.
The partner portal is located at:
www.nctcog.org/transitrecovery. Other Phase 1 tactics include
additional funding for transits to increase advertising, and
incorporating influencers which included local media
personalities who are trusted in the North Texas region.
Campaign tactics in Phase 2 include promoting
transit is your friend and increasing ridership through an
event(s). Additional details are included in Electronic Item 11.

Item 12

Status Report on I45 Zero Emission Vehicle Corridor Infra Plan and
National Drive Electric Week
Presenter: Lori Clark, NCTCOG
Item Summary: Staff will provide an overview of the completed IH 45 Zero
Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Corridor Plan. Latest data on the
status of electric vehicle (EV) adoption in North Texas and
upcoming National Drive Electric Week events will also be
highlighted.
Background: NCTCOG, which houses the Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities
(DFWCC), received a grant in March 2020 to develop an
infrastructure deployment plan for Interstate 45, connecting
the NCTCOG region to the Houston area. The plan is
focused on developing electric vehicle charging and
hydrogen fueling infrastructure to enable deployment of
ZEVs, including both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and
hydrogen fuel cell-electric vehicles (FCEVs). These vehicles
are an important strategy to continuing to improve air quality
in the ozone nonattainment area, especially in the mediumand heavy-duty truck sector. The plan includes
recommendations to support both light- and medium/heavyduty BEVs, and hydrogen fueling infrastructure to support
medium/heavy-duty vehicles. The final report is posted at
www.nctcog.org/IH45-ZEV. Beyond infrastructure
development, NCTCOG continues to encourage EV adoption
among consumers and local fleets. Staff monitors EV
registration and locations of charging sites regularly. Planning
is also underway for annual National Drive Electric Week
(NDEW) events, which will be held this year between
September 23 and October 2. Local events will include a
series of webinars and a showcase in-person event with EV
displays and a chance to talk with current owners. More
information is available at www.driveelectricdfw.org.
Electronic Item 12 provides additional details.
Performance Measure(s) Addressed: Air Quality, Goods Movement