Approval of June 8, 2017, Minutes Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 5 Presenter: Rob Franke, RTC Chair Item Summary: Approval of the June 8, 2017, minutes contained in Reference Item 1 will be requested. Background: N/A
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: August 2017 revisions to the 2017-2020 TIP are provided as Reference Item 2.1 for the Council’s consideration. These modifications have been reviewed for consistency with the Mobility Plan, the air quality conformity determination, and financial constraint of the TIP.
Orientation to Agenda/Director of Transportation Report Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 15 Presenter: Michael Morris, NCTCOG 1. Regional Transportation Council (RTC) Chair Rob Franke's Focus for His Chairmanship and Upcoming Partnership Program for the Irving Summit 2. North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) RTC Exploration of a Joint Communications Center and Meeting Room 3. Irving Transportation Summit, August 15-16, 2017 4. Federal Certification Review Update 5. TEXpress Lanes Education Campaign Materials Now Available (Electronic Item 3.1) 6. Vital Link Student Video 7. NCTCOG Presentation to the Dallas County Commissioners Court Regarding the AirCheckTexas Program (Electronic Item 3.2) 8. Air Quality Funding Opportunities for Vehicles (Electronic Item 3.3) and the 2017 Mayors Challenge (Electronic Item 3.4) 9. Ozone Season Update (Electronic Item 3.5) 10. First Responders Alternative Fuel Vehicle Safety Training, August 2-3, 2017 (Electronic Item 3.6) 11. June Public Meeting Minutes (Electronic Item 3.7) 12. High-Occupancy Vehicle Subsidy Report (Electronic Item 3.8) 13. Recent Correspondence (Electronic Item 3.9) 14. Recent News Articles (Electronic Item 3.10) 15. Recent Press Releases (Electronic Item 3.11) 16. Transportation Partners Progress Reports
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program/Surface Transportation Block Grant Program: Transit Program Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10 Presenters: Michael Morris and Adam Beckom, NCTCOG Item Summary: Staff will request Council approval of the proposed list of projects to fund under the Transit Program in 2017-2018 through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ)/Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Funding Program. Background: In April 2017, staff introduced the process to select projects using CMAQ and STBG funding through several funding programs. After coordination with partnering agencies, projects have been identified to fund through the Transit Program. Details of the proposed projects, funding, and timing were first presented to the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) on June 8, 2017. The recommended list of transit projects and funding amounts is provided in Reference Item 4.1. The Cotton Belt funding partnership is contingent upon utilization of an innovative financing/procurement process. Details of the Transit Program are available in Electronic Item 4.2. RTC Policy P16-01 is included as Electronic Item 4.3.
Draft FY2018 and FY2019 Unified Planning Work Program, Including Studies Funded through the 2017-2018 CMAQ/STBG Funding Program Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 5 Presenter: Vickie Alexander, NCTCOG Item Summary: Regional Transportation Council approval of the proposed FY2018 and FY2019 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) will be requested. This approval includes three studies proposed for funding through the 2017-2018 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ)/Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG) Funding Program, as well as reaffirmation of the UPWP policies contained in Exhibit I-8 of the Work Program. Background: The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) staff, in cooperation with local governments and transportation agencies, has developed the draft FY2018 and FY2019 UPWP. The Work Program is a federal requirement for NCTCOG, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization, in order to receive federal Transportation Planning Funds and identifies NCTCOG staff work activities to be performed between October 1, 2017, and September 30, 2019. Reference Item 5.1 contains the Work Program policies that guide the allocation of these federal Transportation Planning Funds. No changes are being proposed to these existing policies. In coordination with the UPWP development, staff has identified studies proposed for funding under the Planning and Other Studies portion of the Regional Transportation Council’s (RTC) 2017-2018 CMAQ/STBG Funding Program. The list of individual projects proposed for funding under this Program are provided in Reference Item 5.2 The draft FY2018 and FY2019 UPWP has been submitted to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for review and comment, and information was presented at public meetings held on June 13, 14, and 20, 2017. A copy of the draft document has also been available on NCTCOG’s Website for review. Electronic Item 5.3 contains additional information on the draft FY2018 and FY2019 UPWP, and a full copy of the document is contained in Electronic Item 5.4. Copies of the document will also be available at the meeting or by contacting NCTCOG staff. A draft RTC resolution for action is provided in Reference Item 5.5. The Surface Transportation Technical Committee took action at its June 23 meeting to recommend Regional Transportation Council approval of the proposed FY2018 and FY2019 Unified Planning Work Program.
Legislative Update and Bill Summary Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10 Presenter: Amanda Wilson, NCTCOG Item Summary: Staff will provide an update on federal and State legislative actions related to transportation and air quality issues affecting the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Action will be requested to send correspondence to the Governor and the legislative delegation regarding the upcoming Special Session. Background: The first session of the 115th United States (US) Congress convened on January 3, 2017. The Texas Legislature was in session from January 10, 2017, through May 29, 2017, and will reconvene in a Special Session on July 18, 2017. Transportation and air quality issues are a focus for both the US Congress and Texas Legislature. Several topics will be highlighted, including funding for the AirCheckTexas program as well as possible inconsistencies between how the Texas Legislature wishes to fund transportation projects and how the Trump Administration intends to move forward. Draft correspondence for Regional Transportation Council approval is included as Reference Item 6.1. A full summary of the regular session of the Texas Legislature is included as Electronic Item 6.2.
2016 Regional Safety Performance Report Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10 Presenter: Sonya Landrum, NCTCOG Item Summary: Staff will provide an update on items included in the 2016 Safety Program Performance Measures Report. Background: The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Safety Program Performance Measures Report provides an annual report on the performance of various NCTCOG safety programs, projects, and statistics such as regional crash and fatality data; top 10 contributing factors for regional crashes; county-level crash rates; attendance statistics for Traffic Incident Management and Photogrammetry Training courses; and Mobility Assistance Patrol Program statistics. Also Included in the performance report are updates on the Wrong-Way Driving Mitigation Pilot Project, regional impaired driving statistics, and Takata Airbag safety recall efforts. The 2016 NCTCOG Safety Performance Measures Report is included in Electronic Item 7.
DFW Connector Pilot Program Update Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10 Presenters: Ken Kirkpatrick, Amanda Wilson, and Mindy Mize, NCTCOG Item Summary: The Council will be briefed on the initiation of additional marketing activities in the DFW Connector corridor consistent with previous Regional Transportation Council (RTC) approval. Background: The RTC initiated the DFW Connector Pilot Program in coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The purpose of the pilot is to develop strategies to increase TollTag usage and apply successful techniques in the IH 35W corridor to reduce TxDOT’s toll collection risk. Increasing TollTag usage not only saves money for drivers in the form of lower tolls, it also lowers the cost of collection for the public sector. The first phase of the pilot was to increase the pay-by-mail surcharge to create a market incentive for drivers to obtain toll tags. This was done at no cost to the public sector. The RTC approved a second phase of the pilot for up to $300,000 in additional marketing and outreach activities to test the following ideas: additional TollPerks for new TollTag customers, prize giveaways, preloaded TollTags in targeted areas, and potentially TollTag sales at inspection stations and/or car dealerships in targeted areas. The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) is partnering with the RTC in carrying out these marketing ideas. NCTCOG’s Executive Board authorized a contract with NTTA to carry out these initiatives in June 2017. Marketing activities will begin this month.
Air Quality Update Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10 Presenter: Chris Klaus, NCTCOG Item Summary: Staff will provide an update on the implementation timeline for the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and other recent correspondence. Background: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final rule for the 2015 NAAQS for ozone, effective December 28, 2015. On June 6, 2017, the EPA issued a press release, provided in Electronic Item 9.1, announcing an extension to the deadline for nonattainment designations from October 2017 to October 2018. Staff will discuss the extension and potential impacts it may have on the region. Several developments have prompted recent correspondence. Staff from the Governor’s office recently requested input on specific elements related to implementation of funds available to Texas under the Volkswagen Clean Air Act Settlement. A letter responding to this request can be found in Electronic Item 9.2. Additionally, the Department of Justice, on behalf of the EPA, filed a civil lawsuit on May 23, 2017, against Fiat-Chrysler for alleged Clean Air Act violations for installing emission cheat devices on 103,828 diesel-fueled Dodge Ram 1500s and Jeep Grand Cherokees, model years 2013 to 2016. Since a portion of the Fiat-Chrysler vehicles were sold in the region, the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) Chair signed a letter requesting a similar approach to the Volkswagen litigation dispersing settlement funds to affected counties through an environmental mitigation trust, provided in Electronic Item 9.3. Finally, the proposed budget from the White House eliminates funding for two programs in which the North Central Texas Council of Governments has been active: Clean Cities and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act. As Congress moves into budget negotiations, correspondence from RTC requested continued funding for these items. A copy of the correspondence is available in Electronic Item 9.4. Further details on these topics can be found in Electronic Item 9.5.
10. Progress Reports Action Possible Action Information Item Summary: Progress Reports are provided in the items below. • RTC Attendance (Reference Item 10.1) • STTC Attendance and Minutes (Electronic Item 10.2) • Local Motion (Electronic Item 10.3) 11. Other Business (Old or New): This item provides an opportunity for members to bring items of interest before the group. 12. Future Agenda Items: This item provides an opportunity for members to bring items of future interest before the Council. 13. Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Regional Transportation Council is scheduled for 1:00 pm, Thursday, August 10, 2017, at the North Central Texas Council of Governments
Approval of June 8, 2017, Minutes Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 5 Presenter: Rob Franke, RTC Chair Item Summary: Approval of the June 8, 2017, minutes contained in Reference Item 1 will be requested. Background: N/A
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: August 2017 revisions to the 2017-2020 TIP are provided as Reference Item 2.1 for the Council’s consideration. These modifications have been reviewed for consistency with the Mobility Plan, the air quality conformity determination, and financial constraint of the TIP.
Orientation to Agenda/Director of Transportation Report Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 15 Presenter: Michael Morris, NCTCOG 1. Regional Transportation Council (RTC) Chair Rob Franke's Focus for His Chairmanship and Upcoming Partnership Program for the Irving Summit 2. North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) RTC Exploration of a Joint Communications Center and Meeting Room 3. Irving Transportation Summit, August 15-16, 2017 4. Federal Certification Review Update 5. TEXpress Lanes Education Campaign Materials Now Available (Electronic Item 3.1) 6. Vital Link Student Video 7. NCTCOG Presentation to the Dallas County Commissioners Court Regarding the AirCheckTexas Program (Electronic Item 3.2) 8. Air Quality Funding Opportunities for Vehicles (Electronic Item 3.3) and the 2017 Mayors Challenge (Electronic Item 3.4) 9. Ozone Season Update (Electronic Item 3.5) 10. First Responders Alternative Fuel Vehicle Safety Training, August 2-3, 2017 (Electronic Item 3.6) 11. June Public Meeting Minutes (Electronic Item 3.7) 12. High-Occupancy Vehicle Subsidy Report (Electronic Item 3.8) 13. Recent Correspondence (Electronic Item 3.9) 14. Recent News Articles (Electronic Item 3.10) 15. Recent Press Releases (Electronic Item 3.11) 16. Transportation Partners Progress Reports
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program/Surface Transportation Block Grant Program: Transit Program Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10 Presenters: Michael Morris and Adam Beckom, NCTCOG Item Summary: Staff will request Council approval of the proposed list of projects to fund under the Transit Program in 2017-2018 through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ)/Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Funding Program. Background: In April 2017, staff introduced the process to select projects using CMAQ and STBG funding through several funding programs. After coordination with partnering agencies, projects have been identified to fund through the Transit Program. Details of the proposed projects, funding, and timing were first presented to the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) on June 8, 2017. The recommended list of transit projects and funding amounts is provided in Reference Item 4.1. The Cotton Belt funding partnership is contingent upon utilization of an innovative financing/procurement process. Details of the Transit Program are available in Electronic Item 4.2. RTC Policy P16-01 is included as Electronic Item 4.3.
Draft FY2018 and FY2019 Unified Planning Work Program, Including Studies Funded through the 2017-2018 CMAQ/STBG Funding Program Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 5 Presenter: Vickie Alexander, NCTCOG Item Summary: Regional Transportation Council approval of the proposed FY2018 and FY2019 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) will be requested. This approval includes three studies proposed for funding through the 2017-2018 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ)/Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG) Funding Program, as well as reaffirmation of the UPWP policies contained in Exhibit I-8 of the Work Program. Background: The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) staff, in cooperation with local governments and transportation agencies, has developed the draft FY2018 and FY2019 UPWP. The Work Program is a federal requirement for NCTCOG, as the Metropolitan Planning Organization, in order to receive federal Transportation Planning Funds and identifies NCTCOG staff work activities to be performed between October 1, 2017, and September 30, 2019. Reference Item 5.1 contains the Work Program policies that guide the allocation of these federal Transportation Planning Funds. No changes are being proposed to these existing policies. In coordination with the UPWP development, staff has identified studies proposed for funding under the Planning and Other Studies portion of the Regional Transportation Council’s (RTC) 2017-2018 CMAQ/STBG Funding Program. The list of individual projects proposed for funding under this Program are provided in Reference Item 5.2 The draft FY2018 and FY2019 UPWP has been submitted to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for review and comment, and information was presented at public meetings held on June 13, 14, and 20, 2017. A copy of the draft document has also been available on NCTCOG’s Website for review. Electronic Item 5.3 contains additional information on the draft FY2018 and FY2019 UPWP, and a full copy of the document is contained in Electronic Item 5.4. Copies of the document will also be available at the meeting or by contacting NCTCOG staff. A draft RTC resolution for action is provided in Reference Item 5.5. The Surface Transportation Technical Committee took action at its June 23 meeting to recommend Regional Transportation Council approval of the proposed FY2018 and FY2019 Unified Planning Work Program.
Legislative Update and Bill Summary Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10 Presenter: Amanda Wilson, NCTCOG Item Summary: Staff will provide an update on federal and State legislative actions related to transportation and air quality issues affecting the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Action will be requested to send correspondence to the Governor and the legislative delegation regarding the upcoming Special Session. Background: The first session of the 115th United States (US) Congress convened on January 3, 2017. The Texas Legislature was in session from January 10, 2017, through May 29, 2017, and will reconvene in a Special Session on July 18, 2017. Transportation and air quality issues are a focus for both the US Congress and Texas Legislature. Several topics will be highlighted, including funding for the AirCheckTexas program as well as possible inconsistencies between how the Texas Legislature wishes to fund transportation projects and how the Trump Administration intends to move forward. Draft correspondence for Regional Transportation Council approval is included as Reference Item 6.1. A full summary of the regular session of the Texas Legislature is included as Electronic Item 6.2.
2016 Regional Safety Performance Report Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10 Presenter: Sonya Landrum, NCTCOG Item Summary: Staff will provide an update on items included in the 2016 Safety Program Performance Measures Report. Background: The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Safety Program Performance Measures Report provides an annual report on the performance of various NCTCOG safety programs, projects, and statistics such as regional crash and fatality data; top 10 contributing factors for regional crashes; county-level crash rates; attendance statistics for Traffic Incident Management and Photogrammetry Training courses; and Mobility Assistance Patrol Program statistics. Also Included in the performance report are updates on the Wrong-Way Driving Mitigation Pilot Project, regional impaired driving statistics, and Takata Airbag safety recall efforts. The 2016 NCTCOG Safety Performance Measures Report is included in Electronic Item 7.
DFW Connector Pilot Program Update Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10 Presenters: Ken Kirkpatrick, Amanda Wilson, and Mindy Mize, NCTCOG Item Summary: The Council will be briefed on the initiation of additional marketing activities in the DFW Connector corridor consistent with previous Regional Transportation Council (RTC) approval. Background: The RTC initiated the DFW Connector Pilot Program in coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The purpose of the pilot is to develop strategies to increase TollTag usage and apply successful techniques in the IH 35W corridor to reduce TxDOT’s toll collection risk. Increasing TollTag usage not only saves money for drivers in the form of lower tolls, it also lowers the cost of collection for the public sector. The first phase of the pilot was to increase the pay-by-mail surcharge to create a market incentive for drivers to obtain toll tags. This was done at no cost to the public sector. The RTC approved a second phase of the pilot for up to $300,000 in additional marketing and outreach activities to test the following ideas: additional TollPerks for new TollTag customers, prize giveaways, preloaded TollTags in targeted areas, and potentially TollTag sales at inspection stations and/or car dealerships in targeted areas. The North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) is partnering with the RTC in carrying out these marketing ideas. NCTCOG’s Executive Board authorized a contract with NTTA to carry out these initiatives in June 2017. Marketing activities will begin this month.
Air Quality Update Action Possible Action Information Minutes: 10 Presenter: Chris Klaus, NCTCOG Item Summary: Staff will provide an update on the implementation timeline for the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone and other recent correspondence. Background: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the final rule for the 2015 NAAQS for ozone, effective December 28, 2015. On June 6, 2017, the EPA issued a press release, provided in Electronic Item 9.1, announcing an extension to the deadline for nonattainment designations from October 2017 to October 2018. Staff will discuss the extension and potential impacts it may have on the region. Several developments have prompted recent correspondence. Staff from the Governor’s office recently requested input on specific elements related to implementation of funds available to Texas under the Volkswagen Clean Air Act Settlement. A letter responding to this request can be found in Electronic Item 9.2. Additionally, the Department of Justice, on behalf of the EPA, filed a civil lawsuit on May 23, 2017, against Fiat-Chrysler for alleged Clean Air Act violations for installing emission cheat devices on 103,828 diesel-fueled Dodge Ram 1500s and Jeep Grand Cherokees, model years 2013 to 2016. Since a portion of the Fiat-Chrysler vehicles were sold in the region, the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) Chair signed a letter requesting a similar approach to the Volkswagen litigation dispersing settlement funds to affected counties through an environmental mitigation trust, provided in Electronic Item 9.3. Finally, the proposed budget from the White House eliminates funding for two programs in which the North Central Texas Council of Governments has been active: Clean Cities and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act. As Congress moves into budget negotiations, correspondence from RTC requested continued funding for these items. A copy of the correspondence is available in Electronic Item 9.4. Further details on these topics can be found in Electronic Item 9.5.
10. Progress Reports Action Possible Action Information Item Summary: Progress Reports are provided in the items below. • RTC Attendance (Reference Item 10.1) • STTC Attendance and Minutes (Electronic Item 10.2) • Local Motion (Electronic Item 10.3) 11. Other Business (Old or New): This item provides an opportunity for members to bring items of interest before the group. 12. Future Agenda Items: This item provides an opportunity for members to bring items of future interest before the Council. 13. Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Regional Transportation Council is scheduled for 1:00 pm, Thursday, August 10, 2017, at the North Central Texas Council of Governments