What's New at NCTCOG - September 2022

www.nctcog.org

Transit agencies to survey riders onboard to gauge demand, meet needs

The first phase of a regionwide transit survey will begin this fall, as DCTA, Trinity Metro, and Arlington Via riders are being asked to help planners determine the demand on the system and potential future improvements. 

Funded through a partnership between the North Central Texas Council of Governments and the region’s transportation agencies, the survey will be conducted in two phases. The first will continue through November 2022. The second phase, to be conducted from January through May 2023, will focus on DART and the Trinity Railway Express. 

During both phases, two types of surveys will be conducted to determine how riders are using the expanding transportation network and what future changes could be made to better accommodate the needs of a region expected to grow to more than 11 million by the year 2045.

The first survey is an on-to-off survey that will attempt to measure demand and passengers’ trip patterns on each transportation mode by tracking the stops at which selected passengers begin and end their trips. The second survey will involve surveyors asking randomly selected passengers about their current trip and their socioeconomic characteristics.  Both surveys are voluntary, and answers will be kept confidential. The results will provide details about why people are choosing transit and illustrate how the system is used. NCTCOG coordinates this kind of data collection every five to seven years.

Dallas-Fort Worth is the fourth-largest region in the nation, with a population of approximately 8 million. As thousands of workers and families flock to North Texas each year, multiple modes of transit will play significant roles in ensuring the transportation system remains reliable and continues to improve into the future.

For more information about the survey, visit www.nctcog.org/transitsurvey. 

Training courses offered

The following courses will be offered by NCTCOG's Training and Development Institute (TDI) in the coming months. To see the full schedule of courses, go to  www.NorthTexasTDI.org . Courses indicated by * are offered online; all others are in person at the NCTCOG offices in Arlington unless otherwise noted.  

• Traffic Incident Management Safety (Euless) – September 22-23
• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Practices During Construction for Plan Reviewers – September 27
• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Practices During Construction for Field Inspectors – September 28
• Municipal Finance for Non-Finance Executives Roundtable Program – Begins September 28
• Understanding ADA Requirements and Transition Plan Development for Title II Entities* – September 29
• New & Emerging Finance Directors Program – Begins September 29
• New & Emerging City Managers Roundtable Program – Begins September 30
• Purchasing 101 for Everyone – October 5
• Contract Administration Training – October 6
• Using Requests for Proposals* – October 25
• Negotiation Skills* – October 27
• Public Funds Investment Act – October 27

9-1-1: Call if you can, text if you can't

NCT9-1-1's Text to 9-1-1 campaign was created to educate the public on the ability to send a text message to an Emergency Communications Center from a mobile phone or device. The text to 9-1-1 feature has been available to some parts of Texas since 2013, and in NCT9-1-1's service area since 2015.

For more information about NCT9-1-1's service area and why and how to text 9-1-1, visit www.nct911.org/text911.

Police academy courses offered

NCTCOG's Regional Police Academy (RPA) will offer the following courses in the coming months. To see the full schedule of police academy courses, visit csrpa.nctcog.org/cvsfdropfull.aspx.

• Intermediate Crime Scene Investigation – September 19-23
• Intermediate Use of Force – October 10-11
• Intermediate Spanish for Law Enforcement – October 17-19
• Basic Course in Applied Police Science (BCAPS) – Begins October 31

Mobility Matters available online 

The North Central Texas area’s population is expected to grow to more than 11 million residents by 2045 and NCTCOG and its partners are working daily to ensure the transportation system provides residents with safety and reliability. As important as reliability is to a growing system, safety must remain a significant part of the equation. NCTCOG is addressing road safety with Drive Aware North Texas, an educational campaign intended to improve negative driver behaviors that are the leading contributing factors for serious injury and fatality crashes in North Texas. The latest edition of Mobility Matters features this important safety program, examining the main causes of serious and fatal traffic incidents, while also providing solutions to avoid risky behaviors behind the wheel.

This issue also features a profile on RTC member Jim Ross, mayor of Arlington. He discusses his experience being thrust into a mayoral position at the height of the pandemic, as well as the takeaways he hopes to continue as a result. 

Read Mobility Matters online at www.nctcog.org/mobilitymatters for these and more transportation stories.

Electric vehicles to be in the spotlight in October

Dallas-Fort Worth's annual National Drive Electric Week event is on the move – to Dallas. North Texans are invited to Dallas City Hall on Sunday, October 2 to experience electric vehicles up close, and maybe even get behind the wheel of one of these exciting machines. The event is making its first appearance in Dallas after being hosted in Grapevine for many years, with a stop in Irving in 2019. 

Various makes and models of EVs will be on display during the event, which will feature opportunities for residents who may be thinking about switching to electric to visit with EV owners in a low-pressure environment – and enjoy food trucks. The North Texas event is part of a national celebration of electric vehicles September 23 through October 2. For more information, visit www.dfwcleancities.org/ndew.