Item 4G AudioHonorable Mayor and members of the City Council. Item 4G is a request to approve
Resolution No. 09-001 expressing support for Rail North Texas.
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This resolution is aligned with the Strategic Objectives of Provide travel
convenience within city and region as well as Collaborate with select partners to
implement service solutions.
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•Dallas-Fort Worth is growing!And Not only will there be an increase in the number of
people and jobs but, as a result, there will be the potential for greater traffic
congestion.With the support of local elected officials, business leaders, and the public
through the Regional Transportation Council, a regional rail system called Rail North
Texas can be realized.This multi-year effort has identified 251 miles of additional rail
lines that would reach across seven different counties in North Central Texas.A major
challenge to implementation of the rail plan is funding.Elected officials, planners, and
the public have developed a funding proposal that will go to the legislature in during the
81Texas legislative session. It is the aspiration of all those involved that Rail North
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Texas will soon provide a more connected way of living for the North Texas region.
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The legislative proposal that you are being asked to support asks the legislature to create
a limited transportation funding authority, or TFA. The primary focus of the TFA will be
to finance the design, construction, operations, and maintenance of passenger rail.
Roadway improvements will be considered on a supplemental basis and to create equity
for municipalities that are members of an existing transportation authority.
The TFA will convene as the Regional Transportation council and will initiate special
meetings at least once a quarter to hear public comments on projects, taxes, or fees. The
TFA will not issue debt. Any necessary debt will be issued by transportation authorities
and transportation providers.
It is important to note that participation in the TFA is decided on a county basis by
election. Once Counties elect to participate they can opt out, and identified projects are
decided on by voter approval and are fixed in nature with no reallocation of funds
possible.
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Funding for this initiative will not be derived from additional sales tax. Instead the
Transportation Funding Authority would use revenue generated from fees and taxes in a
particular county to fund mobility needs in that county. The TFA may levy the following
fees and taxes if approved by voters at an election on a date authorized by statute:
•A vehicle registration fee, not to exceed $150 per vehicle per year
•A motor fuels excise tax, not to exceed $0.10 per gallon
•A mileage fee, not to exceed $0.01 per vehicle mile driven
•A property tax, not to exceed $0.05 per $100 appraised value
•A driver’s license fee, not to exceed $50
•New resident vehicle registration fee, not to exceed $250
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Through this initiative the Regional Transportation Council is seeking the authority to
create a transportation funding area made up of existing entities that will select projects
with city and county coordination. They are also seeking to call an election to levee fees
or taxes from a menu of authorized options. These fees and taxes will be unique to each
county allowing the local elected officials to select the best revenue options for their
communities. Once revenue is generated, it will be placed in an account dedicated to
each county and distributed to transportation partners such as Dallas Area Rapid Transit,
Denton County Transportation Authority, and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority to
construct and operate transportation projects.
The revenue raised will be primarily focused on building 251 miles of additional rail for
a seamless passenger rail system, but other transportation improvements may be
selected to level the playing field for current transit authority member cities.
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•If you have any questions regarding this request please feel free to call Ben Thatcher.
Thank you.
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