July 2025

Local Motion is a monthly email newsletter from the North Central Texas Council of Governments Transportation Department.

Newly approved plan calls for $217B investment in DFW transportation 

On June 12, the Regional Transportation Council adopted Mobility 2050, the long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) for the Dallas-Fort Worth region. This milestone follows nearly two years of planning by NCTCOG, in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners. Representing a $217.3 billion investment, Mobility 2050 outlines how the region will maintain and expand its transportation system over the next 20-plus years.

The MTP outlines how federal and state transportation funds will be invested across the 12-county Dallas-Fort Worth area through 2050. Guided by the NCTCOG 2050 Demographic Forecast, the plan anticipates a population of 12.3 million by mid-century. Kaufman, Parker, and Wise counties are expected to grow the fastest, underscoring the need for multimodal solutions that enhance regional connectivity.

Employment is projected to rise from 6 million in 2026 to over 8.6 million by 2050. While Kaufman, Ellis, and Rockwall counties are expected to lead in employment density growth, Collin, Denton, Dallas, and Tarrant counties will remain major job centers, though with more moderate increases. This shift toward suburban job hubs highlights the need for transportation planning that supports both urban cores and expanding suburbs.

By aligning infrastructure investments with projected growth patterns, the plan ensures that mobility solutions are both responsive to demographic shifts and supportive of long-term economic vitality.

Explore the full plan at NCTCOG.org/PlaninProgress.

North Texans encouraged to provide input on Mobility 2050, other initiatives

NCTCOG invites the public to provide input on the recently adopted transportation plan, Mobility 2050, the Public Participation Plan and other initiatives during a hybrid public meeting at noon on Monday, July 14.

The meeting will be held in the Transportation Council Room at the NCTCOG offices, located at 616 Six Flags Drive in Arlington. Those unable to attend in person can view the meeting online at PublicInput.com/nctcogJuly25. Residents can also participate by calling 855-925-2801 and entering code 11574.

Topic of the month

An eye on transit

Summer has arrived and with it comes big concerts, big games, big festivals – and big traffic jams. With so many public transportation options in our region, however, it’s easy to bypass the traffic snarls and parking headaches that can plague our favorite summertime activities.

From buses and trains run by our region’s public transit providers, to microtransit options such as Via and DART’s GoLink, Dallas-Fort Worth’s extensive transit system offers a fun, flexible and wallet-friendly way to get to work or explore summertime attractions, without the stress of traffic or parking. For July’s Topic of the Month, we’re giving you the inside scoop on how local transit can be a convenient, affordable and eco-friendly alternative to driving, whether for work or play.

Regional bike-pedestrian projects awarded $60 million

The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) approved $59.6 million in federal funding for 12 active transportation projects located in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties, at its meeting June 12. A combined $14.4 million in local match provided by the entities brings the total investment in the region’s bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to $74 million as part of the 2025 Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program Call for Projects for the North Texas region.

Among the 12 projects awarded funding are important connections to transit stops, including on-street bicycle facilities connecting to the future Dallas Area Rapid Transit Silver Line commuter rail station in Addison with nearby housing and employment areas. Funding for the T.C. Rice Trail in Carrollton ($10 million) will extend the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) A-train Rail Trail from Hebron Station in Lewisville closer to North Carrollton/Frankford Station in Carrollton.

The Sycamore Trail extension in Denton will improve access for adjacent neighborhoods to DCTA’s Downtown Denton Transit Center for multi-modal trips. Two trail segments are funded for construction in Frisco, a portion of the Cottonwood Creek Trail and a trail connecting Frisco Square, Downtown Frisco, and Grand Park.

Funded improvements surrounding schools will enhance the safety and comfort for students walking and bicycling to school campuses. For more on Safe Routes to School projects funded throughout the region, click here. 

Summer safety tip

North Texans must look out for one another to bike, walk, drive safely

Across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, people bike, walk and drive to jobs, schools, grocery stores and other destinations. The Look Out Texans campaign encourages North Texans to watch out for one another and offers specific tips to bike, walk and drive safely together.

Tips for bicyclists:

• Follow the same traffic rules as vehicles
• Ride in the same direction as traffic
• Always stop at traffic signals and stop signs
• Use hand signals to notify others of maneuvers like turning, changing lanes and stopping. 

Tips for walkers and joggers:

• Be alert and visible.
• Always cross streets at crosswalks and intersections where it is easier to gauge traffic and be visible by motorists.
• Before crossing, make eye contact with drivers.
• Pay close attention when walking or jogging along a street, using a crosswalk, and navigating through parking lots.

Tips for drivers:

• Allow at least three feet when passing someone on a bicycle.
• Remember that by state law, bicyclists are allowed to ride on roadways and use the middle of a lane.
• Look out for people walking and jogging, always yielding to crossing pedestrians.

Unfortunately, the number of fatal crashes between people driving and people walking or bicycling has increased in the past five years. Do your part to keep North Texans safe by staying alert and looking out for others. To learn more, visit LookOutTexans.org. 

Commissioner Bailey of Johnson County will lead RTC in 2025-26

Johnson County Commissioner Rick Bailey was elected chair of the RTC on June 12 and will lead the 45-member transportation policymaking body for the next year. Bailey takes over from Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins, who chaired the RTC for the past 12 months.

Before his election to lead the RTC, Bailey served one-year terms as secretary and vice chair. Bailey has been a member of the Johnson County Commissioners Court since 2009.

Cedar Hill Mayor Stephen Mason was elected vice chair for 2025-26, and Denton City Councilmember Jill Jester will serve as secretary. 

The RTC includes local elected or appointed officials from the 12-county Dallas-Fort Worth area and representatives from the region’s transportation providers. As the transportation policymaking body for the 12-county Dallas-Fort Worth area, the RTC oversees transportation planning for the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country, which has a population of more than 8.5 million people.

The new officers will serve in their positions through June 2026. For more information, click here.

General Assembly

NCTCOG elects new board, honors leaders at annual meeting

Burleson Councilmember Victoria Johnson will serve as President of the NCTCOG Executive Board for the next year after being elected to lead the 17-member board during the 59^th annual General Assembly on Friday, June 13 at the Hurst Conference Center.

Johnson succeeds Collin County Judge Chris Hill, who will serve as Past President. Richardson Councilmember Jennifer Justice was elected Vice President, and Erath County Judge Brandon J. Huckabee will serve as Secretary-Treasurer.

As part of the General Assembly meeting, a group of individuals and governments were recognized for their contributions to regionalism and government service. Cedar Hill Mayor Stephen Mason won the William J. Pitstick Regional Excellence Award; Carrollton City Manager Erin Rinehart was named the 2025 recipient of the Linda Keithley Award for Women in Public Management; and the City of Decatur Police Department and the cities of Rhome and Boyd received the Mike Eastland Regional Cooperation Award. More information is available here.

Among the members of the 2025-26 NCTCOG Executive Board are: Back row (from left): Plano Councilmember Rick Horne, Prosper Mayor David Bristol, Fort Worth Councilmember Carlos Flores, Dallas Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn, Ennis Mayor Kameron Raburn, Collin County Judge Chris Hill, Haslet Mayor Gary Hulsey and Johnson County Judge Christopher Boedeker. Front row (from left): Richardson Councilmember Jennifer Justice, Burleson Councilmember Victoria Johnson, Denton County Commissioner Bobbie Mitchell, Erath County Judge Brandon J. Huckabee.

For more information about topics, contact Brian Wilson at 817-704-2511 or bwilson@nctcog.org. Visit www.nctcog.org/trans for more information on the department.

--Imagery provided by NCTCOG, Getty Images and Johnson County.