Comments Regarding the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG)
from
Fort Worth Alliance for Responsible Development (FORWARD)
FORWARD is an organization working to generate and promote patterns of growth and redevelopment that are environmentally, financially, and socially responsible. The following comments are submitted for consideration in the evaluation of NCTCOG.

NCTCOG has not provided adequate opportunities for citizen input on transportation issues and projects.

Public hearings are scheduled during the workday which ensures over-representation by people whose job it is to create transportation (e.g. contractors associated with existing modes). The meeting times effectively excludes the users of transportation systems. Public notice of meeting schedules is almost non-existent. Several members of our organization have requested, in writing, on several occasions, to be added to a mailing list for advance notification of public hearings, etc. As we have not been notified of any meetings (including the review of April 12-13, 1999) we have begun to doubt the existence of the mailing list. The Dallas Morning News was the sole source of notice for the most recent NCTCOG public hearing in Fort Worth.

NCTCOG is not forthcoming about projects.

Information is provided if asked for, but free dialog with citizens does not exist. A prime example is the connection between Highway 121’s “Northern Leg” around downtown Fort Worth and a proposed freeway version of Highway 199. Both are Texas State Highways:

As part of a compromise to allow Highway 121 to be extended as a toll road south and west of downtown Fort Worth, a portion of the project looping around the west and north sides of downtown was eliminated by the Fort Worth City Council. At a NCTCOG public hearing after the city council action, NCTCOG disclosed that the elimination of the “Northern Leg” would probably cause the Highway 199 project to be canceled because the two were interconnected for traffic flow considerations. NCTCOG had representation at the Fort Worth City Council’s forum in November of 1998 and at subsequent meeting and presentations, and yet the Highway 199 project was never mentioned as the Highway 121 issue was deliberated. The fact that NCTCOG’s representative took part in a debate-style forum, on the side of the Highway 121 proponents, raised the question of objectivity in the entire process. Fort Worth citizens were left wondering about the agenda at NCTCOG.

NCTCOG has not taken a leadership role.

The staff at NCTCOG includes many experts in transportation, perhaps more than the total within the constituent cities and towns represented. Despite that pool of talent, NCTCOG has not taken a leadership role in generating alternatives to the automobile-based transportation system in place in the metroplex. While the EPA has rated the air quality in the region as “serious” and it is likely to be further downgraded to “severe,” NCTCOG proposed (as reported April 10 in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) to look at lawnmowers, boats, and construction equipment for emissions reduction. Meanwhile the long-term plans generated by NCTCOG resemble “LA on the Prairie”.

NCTCOG has not generated rail or mass transit alternatives to the automobile. The only commuter heavy rail project in the region was developed by Dallas and Fort Worth beginning in 1982, and the only light rail project belongs to Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). Other “lines on the map” (Mobility 2020, etc.) for rail projects have not been studied for feasibility, nor have they been coordinated with the owners of the rail.

Apparently, NCTCOG transportation staff does not include senior level personnel with substantial direct experience in rail or mass transit. Consequently the ideas generated for solving transportation issues continue to involve more highways without adequate promotion of alternative approaches.

Finally, in terms of coordinating projects and solutions across jurisdictional lines, there is much for NCTCOG to do. A few specific example may illustrate:

• Precinct Line Road, if completed to I-30 in far east Fort Worth and tied in to Green Oaks Blvd. in Arlington, would provide a much needed North-South route into Hurst. The primary benefit would be traffic reduction on I-820.
• I-820 East-West from I-35 to Texas 121/183 is two lanes each way and is heavily overloaded. In just a few miles, it passes through Fort Worth, Haltom City , and North Richland Hills. It is not a priority for Fort Worth, and neither Haltom City nor North Richland Hills are likely to get adequate attention as they are small cities, yet the highway is a major bottleneck in the western part of the metroplex.

Respectfully Submitted,

Greg Hughes
Chairman, FORWARD
forward@webpages4u.com