CONNECTION

February 2014

Blacklands Corridor

The Blacklands Corridor Feasibility Study isan ongoing assessment of transportationneeds in a wide area from IH 30 inGreenville to the President George BushTurnpike in Garland. The study areastretches from US 380 in the north to IH 30in the south and includes portions of Collin,Dallas, Hunt, and Rockwall counties.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is leading the feasibility study which is evaluating theneed for transportation improvements inthe study corridor and identifying potentialprojects which could enhance local and regional access, manage congestion, address safety, and integrate with the regional transportation system. This analysiswill determine if there is a demonstratedneed for projects based on current and projected congestion levels in this growing part of North Texas. Then, if a needis demonstrated, the study will proceedwith the development of conceptual transportation improvements.

The multimodal nature of this analysis willexamine improvements to existing arterialand freeway corridors, development of newor enhanced transit options, identification

of operational changes to improve the existing transportation system, and the construction of new transportation facilities.The analysis will document potential impacts to the natural and built environments and to existing and plannedtransportation corridors. Potential benefitsand impacts to property owners, residents,and businesses in the corridor will also beaddressed. The options under evaluation fallinto several categories.

Transportation Systems Management (TSM)Projects in this category use operationalstrategies to improve the capacity of the existing transportation system. CandidateTSM projects could include better synchronization of traffic signals along keyroutes, identifying locations for the development of park‐and‐ride lots, installingdynamic message signs on IH 30 to alertdrivers of conditions, and instituting lane restrictions for trucks on IH 30.

Bicycle/Pedestrian FacilitiesThe examination of bicycle and pedestrianfacilities will include a review of all localand regional plans, including NCTCOG’s

Planners Studying Range of Transportation Options, Impacts

Continued on page 2

Register Now for FebruaryTelephone Town Hall

NCTCOG will host a telephone town hall on Thursday, Feb. 20, to share abrief update about study progress and answer questions from the public. Participants must register their phone numbers in advance atwww.nctcog.org/townhall or call 817‐608‐2335 before Feb. 19 at 6 pm.NCTCOG will then call all registered phone numbers on Feb. 20 at 6 pm.Following the telephone town hall, an audio recording will be posted atwww.nctcog.org/blacklands.

Save the Date:

Telephone Town Hall Feb. 20

Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014 at 6 pmSee article below.

Public Meeting March 20 in Greenville

Thursday, March 20, 2014Fletcher Warren Civic Center5501 S. Business Hwy. 69Greenville, TX 75402

5:30 pmOpen House

6:00 pmPresentation & Public Comments(A video recording will be posted atwww.nctcog.org/blacklands afterthe meeting.)

7:00 pmOpen House

Residents, elected officials, business leaders, and all individualsinterested are invited to an openhouse and public meeting to learnabout work completed to date instudying transportation in the corridor as well as what to expectin the coming months.

For special accommodations due to adisability or language translation, call 817‐608‐2335 or emailjstout@nctcog.org at least 72 hoursprior to the meeting. Reasonable accommodations will be made. Paraajustes especiales por discapacidad opara interpretación de idiomas, llameal 817‐608‐2335 o por email:jstout@nctcog.org con 72 horas (mín‐imo) previas a la junta. Se harán lasadaptaciones razonables.

Inside the Feasibility Study

Veloweb, a network of existing and plannedoff‐street, shared‐use paths (trails). Also, thestudy will evaluate the NETEX right of wayfor potential use as a trail and consider anyimpact this might have on preserving NETEXfor future transportation options, such ascommuter rail.

TransitTransit options to be evaluated will includerail and bus. The rail option will examine theextension of the proposed Cotton Belt commuter line from Plano east along theNETEX right of way. New bus infrastructurecould include a bus rapid transit service,possibly traveling in its own right of way orusing shoulder lanes.

Arterial RoadwaysThe existing thoroughfare plans for thecities and counties in the study area will becompiled to identify and evaluate new or expanded arterial roadways which couldprovide congestion relief. This analysis willinclude proposed widenings of existingroads, new connectivity, and intersection upgrades. In addition to roads already in thoroughfare plans, other strategic improvements may also be identified.

IH 30 Bottleneck ProjectsAnalyzing potential or expected bottleneckson IH 30 could reveal that strategic and relatively low‐cost improvements at key

locations may help manage congestion. Projects could include extended merginglanes around key entrances and exits; intersection improvements at frontageroads and cross‐streets; ramp modificationsat interchanges; and conversion of two‐wayfrontage roads to one‐way.

IH 30 ReconstructionIn addition to strategic bottlenecks, a moreexpansive widening of IH 30 throughout thestudy area will be examined. Options include the addition of general‐purposefreeway lanes, construction of tolled expresslanes to add capacity to free lanes, and construction of continuous frontage roads.

New Highway/Freeway/TollwayThe construction of a new location highway,freeway, or tollway in the study corridor willbe evaluated. The interaction of such a roadway with the proposed Collin CountyOuter Loop, State Highway 78, and otherplanned or existing roads will be analyzedalong with the availability of funding.

As the Blacklands Corridor Feasibility Studyprogresses, these conceptual alternativeswill be assessed more fully, with each beingcompared to the others and against a no‐build scenario to further evaluate theireffectiveness at accommodating trafficgrowth. Additionally, the practicality of theproposed alternatives and potential fundingsources will be assessed in developing recommendations, which could include arange of projects from these categories.

Continued from Front Page Take Short Online Surveys To Give InputTwo online surveys are available to help gather public input. Pleasevisit www.nctcog.org/blacklandsto take the brief, anonymous surveys. The first survey will helpplanners better understand residential and commercial development, and the second survey will gauge the effectivenessof study communications and identify public preferences for ongoing outreach efforts. If you donot have online access, please call817‐608‐2335 to request a papersurvey.

Public Meeting Recap:Study Area NeedsAlmost 100 people joined stafffrom NCTCOG and their consultants in the City of Nevada for a public meeting in November. Presenters discussed apreliminary analysis that indicatesa need to accommodate projectedincreases in traffic flow in thestudy area, particularly crossingthe lake area. Members of thepublic also commented on thestudy and potential alternativesunder review. The meetingagenda, presentation, and a videorecording are available atwww.nctcog.org/blacklands.

US 380Currently: 15,000Projected Volume: 50,000Growth: 35,000Percent Growth: 230%

SH 78Currently: 28,000Projected Volume: 66,000Growth: 38,000Percent Growth: 130%

SH 66Currently: 24,000Projected Volume: 42,000Growth: 18,000Percent Growth: 75%

IH 30Currently: 93,000Projected Volume: 154,000Growth: 61,000Percent Growth: 65%

West Tawako

Lavon Lake

LakeRay

Hubbard

±

Ellis

WiseHunt

Collin

DallasParker

Denton

Tarrant

Kaufman

JohnsonHood

Rockwall

Blacklands Corridor Study Area Projected Traffic Growth to 2035Legend

Study Area

Freeways/Tollways

Major Arterials

County Boundaries

September 25, 2013

0 2.5 5

Miles

Several projectsincluded in the Mobility2035 – 2013 Update, the long‐rangemultimodal transportationplan for the Dallas‐FortWorth area, willhave regional impacts thatplanners must consider as theyforecast transportationneeds in thestudy area.

Since 2007, the Texas Department of Transportation has beenusing a phased approach to add lanes to US380 from Lavon Lake to US 69 in Greenville. Although parts of the US 380 expansionhave been complete for several years, construction near Farmersville andGreenville is ongoing. Two significant transportation projects are currently underdevelopment in the Wylie area. The first isthe widening of SH 78 to six lanes from theDallas County line to FM 6 in Lavon, which isalready under construction and will help improve traffic flow at the bottleneck between Lavon Lake and Lake Ray Hubbard.The continued widening of SH 78 to sixlanes beyond Wylie from FM 6 north to theFannin County line is included as a recommendation in the Mobility 2035 –2013 Update and will be studied in the coming years. In addition to roadway projects, Kansas City Southern Railroad isplanning to expand its rail yard and freightdistribution center in Wylie.

The reconstruction of three interchangesalong IH 30 in Rockwall County at FM 3549,FM 551, and Erby Campbell Boulevardwould accommodate a potential wideningof IH 30, while reconstructed entrance and

exit ramps at the FM 3549 and Erby Campbell interchanges would allow for theconversion of frontage roads from two‐wayto one‐way, improving safety.

In addition to these near‐term projects,there are two large‐scale regional roadway projects in planning stages. The CollinCounty Outer Loop is a segmented projectthat will help meet mobility needs in Collinand Rockwall counties by eventually connecting the Dallas North Tollway, US 75,SH 121, US 380, and IH 30. Also, TxDOT is inthe final stages of completing the SH 190East Branch Environmental Impact Statement. The ongoing study of this proposed new connection from IH 30 southto IH 20, which is an additional segment ofthe second beltway around Dallas, is expected to have recommendations for public review in late 2014.

While these projects will improve mobilityand traffic flow in portions of the studyarea, particularly in the next few years, long‐range forecasts indicate that additional capacity and other mobility improvementswill be necessary to accommodate expectedgrowth.

Area Projects Fit into Regional Transportation System, Inform Study

Preliminary Analysis:NETEX Right of Way

Preliminary analysis by NCTCOGstaff indicates that the NortheastTexas Rural Rail Transportation District (NETEX) right of way in Nevada, Josephine, and CaddoMills would not be suitable for theconstruction of a new roadway.Although a private‐sector proposalto build a limited‐access toll roadon the NETEX right of way was initially introduced in the community, analysis of the corridor and possible impacts toexisting development suggests theneed to instead preserve this rightof way for other potential purposes, such as a commuter railline or bicycle/pedestrian trail.Recommendations for transportation facilities in theNETEX right of way (if any) will be presented once NCTCOG has completed a more detailed independent analysis of the entirestudy area.

Project Timeline onWebsite

A project timeline showing the different phases of the study is now available atwww.nctcog.org/blacklands.Throughout the study, involvement of the public andelected officials will be key, andinput from the public will be critical to inform the studyprocess, identify transportationneeds, and help determine solutions to those needs. The feasibility study is scheduled to be complete with a report detailing its findings in December 2014.

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Collin CountyOuter Loop

US 380

KCS Rail Yard

SH 78

SH 190East Branch

FM 3549

FM 551

Erby Campbell Blvd.

Garland

Wylie

McKinney

Allen Greenville

Rockwall

n

Rowlett

Lucas

Heath

Sachse

Royse City

Fate

Parker

Fairview

Princeton

Murphy Lavon

McLendon-Chisholm

Caddo Mills

Farmersville

NevadaSt. Paul

Josephine

Lowry Crossing

West TaQuinlan

New Hope

Hawk Cove

Neylandville

Mobile City

Lavon Lake

LakeRay

Hubbard

Blacklands Corridor Study Area Ongoing and Planned Regional Projects

December 20130 2 4

Miles

±Legend

Study Area

County Boundaries

Freeways/Tollways

Major Arterials

Currently Ongoing Projects

Future Planned Projects

North Central Texas Council of GovernmentsP. O. Box 5888Arlington, TX 76005‐5888

Blacklands CorridorCONNECTION

Blacklands Corridor Community Involvement

231 peoplea�ended

at least onepublic mee�ng

50 peoplemade

a publiccomment*

66 public

comments*in total

Who’s Involved,Who’s Talking

2%

5%

15%

26%

27%

27%

30%

33%

35%

70%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

TOLL ROADSGROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

QUALITY OF LIFETRANSPORTATION FINANCING

IMPROVE EXISTING ROADSTRAFFIC CONGESTION

MULTIMODAL ALTERNATIVESENVIRONMENT

HISTORIC SITESENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

15%

15%

15%

LAKE CROSSINGS/BRIDGES

PROPERTY RIGHTSNETEX

What People Are Talking AboutPercentage of Public Comments* Discussing Frequent Themes

Where People Are Talking

Onlinenctcog.org/blacklands

FacebookTwitter

MediaDallas Business JournalDallas Morning News

Farmersville TimesGreenville Herald Banner

Sachse News88.9 KETR

PresentationsHunt County Alliance for Economic

Development ConferenceFarmersville City Council

Regional Transportation CouncilSurface TransportationTechnical Committee

Public Meetings

Places**Royse City Fun Fest

Gitty Up & GoCaddo Mills Food & Fuel

Crossroads Quik StopJosephine Market

The Well House CafeLavon Exxon

instagram.com/NCTCOGtrans

facebook.com/NCTCOGtrans twitter.com/NCTCOGtrans youtube.com/NCTCOGtrans

transinfo@nctcog.org

* Public comments include all oral, written, emailed and website comments received since July 2013.

** Newsletter distribution sites

Area residents examinemaps and discuss the study at the

November public meeting in Nevada.