Special Edition

1. RTC Approves $217 Billion Long-Range Transportation Plan for DFW

The Regional Transportation Council looked to the future in June with the adoption of Mobility 2050, the long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan for the Dallas-Fort Worth region. This milestone followed nearly two years of planning by the North Central Texas Council of Governments, in collaboration with federal, state, and local transportation partners. Representing a $217.3 billion investment, Mobility 2050 outlines how the region will maintain and expand its multimodal transportation system over the next 25 years. The approval of Mobility 2050 was selected as the top story of 2025 for its overall investment and significance to the long-term viability of the region.

Guided by the NCTCOG 2050 demographic forecast, the plan anticipates a population of more than 12 million by mid-century. The plan includes significant investment in roadways, public transportation and bicycle-pedestrian trails connecting neighborhoods to parks, schools, employment centers and other points of interest.

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.

2. Silver Line Blazes New Trail for North Texas Passenger Rail

North Texas public transportation reached a significant milestone in October as the DART Silver Line left the station in Plano for the first time, cruising through six other cities on its way to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

The 26-mile, east-west regional rail line links Dallas, Plano, Richardson, Addison, Carrollton, Grapevine and Coppell with DFW Airport, where it connects with Trinity Metro’s TEXRail commuter line at DFW Airport. Intersecting in Carrollton with the DART Green Line allows the Silver Line to open doors to the entire region

With new stations, cutting edge vehicles and seamless transfers, the Silver Line is poised to transform the way residents travel for work, school and entertainment throughout one of the fastest growing regions in the nation.

Following years of planning, construction of the Silver Line began after DART secured a $908 million U.S. Department of Transportation loan in 2021.

For more information, visit DART’s Silver Line webpage.

3. Regional Bicycle-Pedestrian Projects Awarded $60 million

The Regional Transportation Council approved $59.6 million in federal funding for 12 active transportation projects located in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in June. With local entities contributing $14.4 million, the total investment in the region’s bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is $74 million as part of the 2025 Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program Call for Projects.

Among the 12 projects awarded funding are important connections to transit stops, including on-street bicycle facilities connecting to DART's Silver Line commuter rail station in Addison with nearby housing and employment areas. For more information, click here.

4. Transit 2.0 Recommendations to Shape System for Next 25 Years

A study of the Dallas-Fort Worth area's public transportation system and how it can be molded to meet the needs of the region over the next 25 years was completed this year. Regional Transit 2.0 examined crucial transportation investments that could accommodate the anticipated population growth and support sustainable development across the region while also serving cities that lack the sales tax capacity to join one of the three traditional transit providers. The Regional Transportation Council established a transit subcommittee to determine how to implement the resulting recommendations. Read more here.

5. RTC Approves $3.5 Million in Local Funds to Keep Heartland Flyer on the Track

The trains are still rolling daily between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City after the Regional Transportation Council stepped forward with an emergency funding commitment for Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer.

The RTC approved $3.5 million in regional funds in July, covering Texas’ portion of the service for one year. The Amtrak line, which has operated between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City since 1999, faced the possibility of being discontinued after the Texas Department of Transportation’s funding request was not included in the state’s final budget. The 206-mile route is jointly funded by TxDOT and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments will seek reimbursement from the state of Texas and is initiating a ridership campaign to reduce the need for a subsidy. The RTC’s funding decision was made to extend service long enough to develop a plan to fund service for a second year, which would allow the Texas Legislature to consider the measure again during its 90^th Session in 2027. More information is available here.

6. Plan Paves Way for Safer Trips to School

NCTCOG developed a plan in 2025 with an eye on student safety. The Safe Routes to School Regional Action 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. It emphasizes coordination efforts to improve accessibility and safety for both existing and future schools. Strategies will be refined as conditions evolve, allowing schools to stay on the leading edge of safety.

The Regional Action Plan and other Safe Routes to School resources are available at NCTCOG.org/srts.

7. Arlington Wraps Up Food-Delivery Pilot

Autonomous vehicles can move more than people from place to place. In May, the City of Arlington completed a test that used air and ground robots to deliver 300 boxes of groceries to east Arlington residents. A six-foot-long aircraft and an autonomous electric vehicle came together to complete the deliveries, showcasing the potential of robotic technology in enhancing community services.

Launched in October 2023, the Multimodal Delivery pilot program was conducted to test the efficiency and scalability of using autonomous, electric delivery vehicles to improve air quality while helping east Arlington residents with limited mobility. A $780,182 U.S. Department of Energy grant helped fund the project. Arlington partnered with the Tarrant Area Food Bank, The University of Texas at Arlington, the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Cities Coalition and private-sector operators.

Arlington and its partners will use data collected from the deliveries to evaluate the impact of these new technologies on air quality, energy efficiency and public attitudes toward electric and autonomous vehicles. For more information, visit ArlingtonTX.gov/multimodal.

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 Amtrak, City of Arlington, DART, Getty Images and NCTCOG.