September 2025

TxDOT conducting travel surveys to assess DFW transportation needs

The Texas Department of Transportation is looking to create a more efficient transportation system tailored to the needs of the Dallas-Fort Worth region, and residents can help make that happen by participating in travel surveys.

TxDOT is conducting household and business travel surveys in collaboration with the North Central Texas Council of Governments. These surveys will provide insights into local travel patterns and will help TxDOT and its partners determine which projects will enhance the regional transportation network.

Here’s what to expect:

Household survey: In August, select households began receiving postcards in the mail asking them to sign up at TexasTravelSurvey.com, with a goal to confirm participation from 12,000 households. Residents selected to participate will record travel for 24 hours on an assigned weekday during the school year using a downloaded phone app or by entering travel online.

The survey, which could take about 20 minutes to complete based on a person’s travel experiences, is open to all residents within the Dallas-Fort Worth region. For further information, visit NCTCOG.org/householdsurvey.

Business survey: Businesses across the region will be mailed letters asking them to participate. Once owners have agreed to take the survey, a date will be assigned to have survey respondents fill out information about their travel. Counting equipment will be used to capture the amount of vehicle traffic in and out of a location. More information about the workplace survey is located here.

Survey data is used only by TxDOT and its partners and immediately stripped of personal information.

Topic of the Month

Electric vehicle event powers up in Denton

Downtown Denton will be fully charged with excitement on Saturday, Sept. 13, for Arts & Autos, an art and car show organized by the Denton Main Street Association. This year’s event will highlight electric vehicles (EVs) with an expanded EV-focused showcase. The event is part of North Texas’ celebration of National Drive Electric Month, which runs Sept. 12-Oct. 12 and seeks to bring attention to the growing electric vehicle sector.

Those interested in learning more about the world of EVs should check out the Electric Avenue showcase and the Ride & Drive experience, hosted by Texas EV in conjunction with Charge Across Town and the Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities Coalition. Visitors can get behind the wheel of various EVs, take them for test runs and ask on-hand experts questions. Ride & Drive participants will automatically be entered into drawings for special incentives and prizes.

In addition to learning about EVs and sustainable energy, families can enjoy a variety of games and activities designed for car-lovers of all ages.

For more information about this event and EVs in general, check out September's Topic of the Month.

Bicycle safety

Share the road, show respect

Many North Texans know bicycling can be a great form of exercise, but it can also be an option for short-distance trips to destinations such as the store, dinner with friends or transit. However, some residents may hesitate to make biking a part of their everyday routines due to safety concerns on the road.

Local agencies in the region are taking steps to improve bicycle safety through infrastructure improvements. We can do our part to keep roads safe by looking out for one another regardless of the means we choose to travel. The Look Out Texans safety campaign has a few tips to keep you safe while driving or bicycling on the road.

For Drivers:

• Treat bicycles as vehicles. Bicyclists have the right to ride in the center of most lanes.
• Allow at least three feet when passing a bicyclist. Increase the passing distance, in a safe manner, on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph.
• Stay alert for bicyclists at intersections and when opening car doors.

For Bicyclists:

• Obey traffic laws. Stop at stop signs and traffic signals just like any other vehicle.
• Be visible. Use lights and wear bright clothing, especially at night.
• Ride predictably. Signal your turns and avoid weaving between cars.

Together we can create a culture of safety and respect. Whether you drive or ride, we all share the road.

Why It Matters:

Fatal crashes involving drivers and people walking or bicycling in North Texas have increased over the past several years. Understanding how pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers should interact is crucial for the safety of our families, friends and neighbors. For more tips on walking, bicycling, and driving safely, visit LookOutTexans.org.

New action plan paves the way for safer school routes

NCTCOG's recently completed Safe Routes to School Regional Action Plan is intended to make it easier for students to choose an active way to get to school.  

NCTCOG recently released the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Regional Action Plan. This plan is a resource designed to support the efforts of cities, school districts and the public to enable students to walk and bike safely to and from school. The plan addresses challenges like rapid growth and jurisdictional overlap, which complicate safe route planning. It emphasizes coordination efforts to improve accessibility and safety for both existing and future schools.

At the heart of the SRTS Regional Action Plan is a transportation safety analysis, which ranked every school in the region using speed and crash data within a two-mile radius. The higher the score, the more likely it is that a school could benefit from infrastructure improvements such as upgraded sidewalks and pedestrian crossings. The analysis revealed that over half of the 20 highest-scoring schools are in Dallas and Fort Worth, likely due to their size and traffic volume. In urban areas, charter schools made up more than half of the top 20.

Cities and school districts can customize the transportation safety analysis to prioritize their own SRTS efforts. This plan also stresses the need for coordination among local governments, school districts and transportation agencies to create a more comprehensive and sustainable approach to school accessibility and safety.

The Safe Routes to School Regional Action Plan is a starting point. As conditions evolve, data will be updated and strategies refined. NCTCOG aims to be a collaborative partner, supporting communities and their efforts to create safer, more accessible routes to school. The Regional Action Plan and other Safe Routes to School resources are available at NCTCOG.org/srts.

Speaking of Safe Routes to School, a family friendly event promoting awareness of healthy and safe ways for students to get to and from school is just around the corner. Wednesday, Oct. 8 marks National Walk & Roll to School Day, a nationwide celebration in which students, family members, school staff and community members walk, bike and roll to school. For more information, visit NCTCOG.org/wtsd.

Quarterly newsletter helps businesses navigate transportation improvements

Interested in how transportation and air quality initiatives may impact you or your business? Check out September’s issue of Business Digest, NCTCOG’s quarterly business engagement e-newsletter, to stay up to date on how NCTCOG’s aims to improve the regional transportation experience and how you can get involved.

This issue covers a range of topics, including the announcement of the 2025 Regional Integrated Transportation and Stormwater Infrastructure (TSI) Study sub-area meetings, recent grants and funding opportunities, as well as upcoming dates such as the 2025 Grace Conference and the opportunity to partner for a car care event.

Subscribe to Business Digest updates here. 

A lasting legacy

Anderson's efforts – and memory – live on through Environmental Stewardship Program

New trees and ground cover along Lancaster Avenue in downtown Fort Worth were among the improvements funded by a program begun in honor of the late Christopher Anderson, a former NCTCOG transportation planner.

Picture a neighborhood shaded by thriving trees, cooler streets and healthier air. This is the vision behind an effort launched nearly a decade ago by the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) to promote environmental stewardship across North Texas. From planting native trees at schools to restoring wetlands and educating residents, this initiative invites both public and private partners to build an enduring foundation of sustainability.

The Environmental Stewardship Program was founded in memory of Christopher Anderson, a civil engineer who worked at the North Central Texas Council of Governments for seven years. A program manager for NCTCOG’s Transportation Department, Anderson authored the Shared Environmental Mitigation Program and sought to bring multiple partners together to advance environmental stewardship.

Anderson, a 1980 graduate of Purdue University, passed away in January 2016, at the age of 61.

Since launching in 2016 with an investment by the RTC of $1.6 million, the program has funded wetlands, tree planting and environmental stewardship efforts throughout North Texas, a region where 10 counties are in nonattainment for ozone pollution. This requires transportation planners to balance environmental concerns with mobility issues when pursuing improvements to the regional transportation system.

The projects completed under the program are:

Engineering for Southwest Water Gardens in Dallas
Completed in July 2019, this feasibility analysis and preliminary engineering design showed how water gardens and an education center would function near the convention center and potential high-speed rail station. The proposed project would collect and filter roadway runoff while educating the public about wetlands and water quality.

Trees for the NeighborWoods Program
NCTCOG partnered with Texas Trees Foundation to plant trees in neighborhoods in south Dallas to combat the heat island effect. Five hundred native trees were purchased and planted at local schools and in surrounding residential neighborhoods. Locations include Anson Jones Elementary, Esperanza Medrano Elementary, parks and transportation rights-of-way. The effort also included training on maintenance for trees planted on residential properties.

Lancaster/Hemphill-Lamar corridor in Fort Worth
Through an agreement with the City of Fort Worth, this program provided new trees and ground cover for the updated Lancaster Avenue project from Hemphill and Lamar streets to Jones Street. The program also provided funds to rehabilitate or replace existing trees along Lancaster.

Education Program
Two projects were identified for the education program. NCTCOG conducted a mitigation bank credit analysis for the region to mitigate impacts to Waters of the United States. After finalizing the results, NCTCOG held a webinar with stakeholders to identify potential new banks and credits, and share best practices for avoiding impacts and reducing credit needs. The second project engaged stakeholders in the Denton County Greenbelt to address potential impacts from the proposed Denton County Outer Loop.

Tree Tracker
NCTCOG partnered with the Texas Trees Foundation to develop a tree tracker to map existing trees in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The project developed into the Texas Trees Foundation Tree Plotter Map, which identifies regional trees, tree projects and tree-priority areas. For more information, visit the project’s website at TexasTrees.org/tree-plotter.

NCTCOG's Environmental Stewardship Program was created in 2016 in honor of the work of the late Christopher Anderson. 

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