Commentary: The horse is out of the barn when it comes to regional transportation

While it is essential to preserve and maintain homogeneous single-family home neighborhoods, it is lunacy that low-density 1970s strip retail centers are not replaced with greater mixed-use density.

In June, when the North Central Texas Council of Governments, or NCTCOG, announced the annual population estimates, we learned that Dallas-Fort Worth continues to grow at a brisk pace. The 16-county region added approximately 200,000 residents for an estimated population of almost 8.5 million. Rockwall (5.2%), Ellis (4.7%) and Collin (4.6%) counties led the region.

They all have something in common — they are all suburban counties.

This growth outside the city centers follows a pattern we’ve seen developing for years. People have gravitated toward the suburbs, where developers can take advantage of building in unincorporated areas with large swaths of open land.

As we add residents and workers to fill the jobs created by our fast-growing economy, we need to examine how best to integrate them into a region that is expected to surpass 12 million people within 25 years. The new Mobility 2050 plan is being developed, and the horse is out of the barn.

As NCTCOG and the Regional Transportation Council plan for 2050, the critical question is: Can local governments reduce congestion through land-use density, resulting in higher holding capacities and shorter trip lengths with a balance of jobs to housing? In other words, how can cities help reduce traffic congestion while providing opportunities for jobs and housing near the workplace?

The Regional Transportation Council is conducting a strategic review of public transportation authorities as part of the Transit 2.0 initiative. This initiative lays out a series of tasks to reimagine what our public transportation system will look like in a quarter-century. One of these tasks involves increased density around existing rail stations. So, we begin here.

Increased development around rail stations and inside transit authority boundaries. In the coming decades, we must continue to diversify our transportation system, relying more on public transportation and walkable communities. The issue is much of our growth is occurring outside the boundaries of our existing transit authorities. Through efforts like Transit 2.0, we can explore greater focus on passenger rail and land use.

Infill development in the central cities and suburban downtowns. A household in the urban center produces half the vehicle miles of travel of a rural household. If you support safety, air quality, and walkable neighborhoods, infill is critical.

Infill density in suburban cities. By working with the cities and counties outside the urban core in rethinking development and providing additional transportation options, we can make it possible for people who want to rely less on their cars to do so. As those areas fill up, they could more readily support transit, walking, and bicycling.

Greater density and more mixed-use developments. We also need more communities where people can live, work, and play without having to get in and out of their cars.

Integration of pedestrian facilities and trails and bicycle facilities within development. The DFW Discovery Trail and Cotton Belt Regional Veloweb are connecting cities across the region via active transportation. These also provide opportunities for development accessible by bicyclists and pedestrians to passenger rail. The more connections we can create across modes, the more prepared our cities will be for future development.

Integrated focus on housing choices for working families. We should work with cities and developers to ensure that families have affordable housing options close to their jobs. Developments adding mixed-use options may be what some workers need to avoid long commutes.

Development that matches housing values and employee income along transportation corridors. We should pursue solutions that make it easier for people to live near work in the same corridor. This requires a jobs-housing balance that offers affordable options.

Increased development in environmental justice and Title VI communities. Not all communities have access to necessities such as education, telemedicine, and food. NCTCOG is helping to close these gaps with technology, specifically the use of broadband as a transportation mode. Focus is placed on all Dallas-F