Resources

Transportation Acronyms and Terms

35W Coalition – A nonprofit membership organization of concerned citizens, business and land owners, developers, city, county and state officials and transportation experts that advocates for transportation improvements along the I-35W North Corridor in Fort Worth, northern Tarrant County and southern Denton County

CDA – Comprehensive Development Agreement, a new tool established in HB 3588 to facilitate public-private partnerships and bring private capital (equity) into funding transportation improvements

CMAQ – Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality, a transportation funding category established in ISTEA and continued in TEA-21…category 5 in the UTP…it provides federal funding to MPOs in nonattainment areas via DOTs for projects that improve air quality

DCTA – Denton County Transportation Authority, a coordinated transportation authority in Denton County

DRMC – Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition, an organization of cities, counties and public transportation agencies in a five-county region on the eastern side of the DFW Metroplex that advocates for transportation policy, funding and solutions on a local, state and federal level.

EPA – Environmental Protection Agency, the federal agency that addresses environmental issues

DOT – Department of Transportation, the federal agency that addresses transportation issues

FHWA – Federal Highway Administration, a division of DOT

4A, 4B – Development Corporation Act sections that permit cities to levy with voter consent a sales tax for economic development and other specific uses

HB 3588 – The omnibus transportation bill passed by the 78th Texas Legislature

ISTEA – Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, the 1991 edition of the six-year federal surface transportation program

MPO – Metropolitan Planning Organization, federally mandated to develop transportation plans and programs for urbanized areas

MTP – Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the region’s long range transportation plan (updated every 3 years, 25-year planning horizon)

NCTCOG – North Central Texas Council of Governments, a voluntary association of local governments established in 1966 to plan for common needs, cooperate for mutual benefit and coordinate for sound regional development

NTC – North Texas Commission, a non-profit consortium of businesses, local governments and higher education institutions that develops strategies, forums and partnerships to address critical problems and key opportunities facing the region

NTTA – North Texas Tollway Authority, a political subdivision of the State of Texas under Chapter 366 of the Transportation Code, is empowered to acquire, construct, maintain, repair and operate turnpike projects; to raise capital for construction projects through the issuance of Turnpike Revenue Bonds; and to collect tolls to operate, maintain and pay debt service on those projects

North Tarrant Express (NTE) – a $2.5 billion, 13.5 mile project dedicated to improving mobility along the IH820 and SH121-183/Airport Freeway corridor in Northeast Tarrant County.

RTC – Regional Transportation Council, the MPO for the DFW region, a 39-member policy-making body of local elected and appointed officials who oversee regional transportation planning

SMP – Statewide Mobility Plan, the capacity component of the UTP

SPP – Statewide Preservation Plan, the maintenance component of the UTP

STIP – Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, a three-year financial plan prepared by TxDOT for project development and implementation

STP-MM – Surface Transportation-Metropolitan Mobility, a transportation funding category established in ISTEA and continued in TEA-21, providing federal funding to MPOs

Southwest-to-Northeast Rail Corridor Project – Proposed commuter rail route across Tarrant County that follows existing rail lines from Fort Worth’s Granbury Road/South Hulen area, through downtown Fort Worth, northeast to downtown Grapevine and then into the north entrance of Dallas-Fort Worth Airport

TEA-21 – The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, the 1998 edition of the six-year federal surface transportation program

TERP – Texas Emissions Reduction Plan, an incentive program to reduce diesel emissions adopted by the 77th Texas Legislature and funded by the 78th Texas Legislature

TIP – Transportation Improvement Program, a three-year financial plan prepared by the MPO for project development and implementation

TMF – Texas Mobility Fund – a new state fund from which debt service is paid on bonds issued for transportation improvements

TMP – The Texas Metropolitan Mobility Plan, a new plan that seeks to reduce the levels of urban roadway congestion

Transportation Advocates of Texas, Inc. – A statewide transportation coalition with a mission to eliminate congestion and build needed new infrastructure to increase mobility, create jobs and improve quality of life.

TRE – Trinity Railway Express, the commuter rail service between Fort Worth and Dallas

TTC – Texas Transportation Commission, a five member board appointed by the Governor to oversee TxDOT

TTC-35 – The Trans Texas Corridor project generally paralleling IH 35 between Mexico and Oklahoma

TCAWG – Texas Clean Air Working Group, a collaboration of local leaders from nonattainment, near-nonattainment, and early action compact areas who meet monthly with EPA and TCEQ leaders and legislative committee chairs and staff to discuss policies and programs to improve air quality in Texas and to achieve compliance with the federal clean air act

TCEQ – Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state agency that addresses environmental issues

TxDOT – Texas Department of Transportation, the governmental transportation agency in Texas Headquartered in Austin and made up of 21 divisions and 6 offices; four regional support centers provide operational and project delivery support for the agency’s 25 geographical districts

The T – Fort Worth Transportation Authority, bus service provider in and around the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex

Tower 55 – intersection of Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks near downtown Fort Worth

UTP – Unified Transportation Program, a 10-year financial plan that authorizes project planning and development and is submitted annually to the TTC for approval

Helpful Transportation Resources

AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) – www.transportation.org

35W Coalition – www.35WCoalition.com

Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition – www.dallasmobility.org

Denton Country Transportation Authority – www.dcta.net

DFW Connector – www.dfwconnector.com

Environmental Protection Agency – www.epa.gov

Federal Highway Administration – www.fhwa.dot.gov

Fort Worth Star-Telegram Honkin’ Mad Blog – www.startelegram.typepad.com/honkin_mad

Fort Worth Transportation Authority – www.the-t.com

Move Texas Forward – www.movetexasforward.com

North Central Texas Council of Governments – www.nctcog.org

North Tarrant Express – www.northtarrantexpress.com

North Texas Commission – www.ntc-dfw.org

North Texas Tollway Authority – www.ntta.org

Regional Transportation Council – www.nctcog.org/trans/committees/rtc/index.asp

Texas Clean Air Working Group – www.cuc.org

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality – www.tceq.state.tx.us

Texas Department of Transportation – www.txdot.gov

Texas Future – www.texasfuture.com

TEXRail Project – www.texrail.com

Transportation Advocates of Texas, Inc. – www.transportationadvocatesoftexas.org

Trinity Railway Express – www.trinityrailwayexpress.org

TxDOT’s 100th Anniversary – https://youtu.be/Kta3DE7P-Y4

Vision North Texas – www.visionnorthtexas.org

U.S. Department of Transportation – www.dot.gov