HomeMy WebLinkAboutR2002-026S:\Our Documents~Resolutions\02\Service Plan Resolution.doc
RESOLUTION NO. /~d¢O~-- 0~¢~ ¢
A RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE SERVICE PLAN AND
PROPOSED TAX RATE AS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE DENTON COUNTY
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City of Denton, is a municipal corporation duly and legally formed in
the State of Texas; and
WHEREAS, the City is a home role city with specific powers to protect the health, safety
and general welfare of its citizens; and
WHEREAS, the Denton County Transportation Authority ("Authority") was authorized
by passage of House Bill 3323 by the 77th Texas Legislature (Acts of May 25, 2001, 77th Leg.,
R.S., elf. Sept. 1, 2001); and
WHEREAS, the Authority was by Resolution of the Denton County Commissioners
Court duly and legally Designated on October 16, 2001, having met all requirements of §460.053
TEX. TRANSPORTATION CODE; and
WHEREAS, the Authority by action of the Interim Executive Committee did duly and
legally adopt Resolution 04-02 on the 13th day of June 2002 providing for the approval of the
transportation Service Plan and proposed tax rate for the County of Denton; and
WHEREAS, a copy of the Service Plan and proposed tax rate has been provided to the
governing body of the City of Denton; and
WHEREAS, the City of Denton is a mtmicipal corporation incorporated under the laws of
the State of Texas, and is not a member of a subregion of a transportation authority governed by
a board described in Chapter 452, Subchapter O, TEX. TRANSPORTATION CODE; and
WHEREAS, the City of Denton is a municipality with a population of 12,000 or more
located in Denton County as documented by the "Annual Population Estimates" for
municipalities published by the North Central Texas Council of Governments; and
WHEREAS, the City of Denton appointed a person to represent the City on the Interim
Executive Committee in accordance with the provisions of §460.054, TEX.
TRANSPORTATION CODE; and
WHEREAS, the governing body of the City of Denton does hereby entertain and
consider this Resolution of Approval not later than the 60 days after the date Denton County
Transportation Authority approved the Service Plan and proposed tax rate; and
WHEREAS, the Service Plan and proposed tax rate approved by the Denton County
Transportation Authority met all legal requirements, notices, hearings and other statutory criteria
of §460.055, TEX. TRANSPORTATION CODE; AND
WHEREAS, the Service Plan and proposed tax rate will only be implemented and levied
in the City of Denton if a majority of votes received at the tax authorization election within the
City of Denton favor the authorization of a tax levy by the Authority, as provided by §460.106,
TEX. TRANSPORTATION CODE; NOW, THEREFORE,
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DENTON HEREBY RESOLVES:
SECTION 1: The City of Denton finds all legal requirements of Chapter 460 TEX.
TRANSPORTATION CODE relating to the adoption of the service plan and proposed tax rate
have been met and further finds all statements set forth in the preamble of this resolution to be
true and correct, and are adopted and incorporated herein for all purposes.
SECTION 2: The City of Denton does hereby approve the service plan and proposed aA
percent tax rate which are attached as Exhibit "A" hereto, and incorporated herein for all
purposes.
SECTION 3: A signed copy of this Resolution will be forwarded to the Denton County
Transportation Authority and to the Commissioners Court of Denton County, Texas, thereby
permitting the City of Denton to participate in the Service Plan and the confirmation election for
the Authority as provided by §460.057, TEX. TRANSPORTATION CODE;
SECTION 4: This Resolution shall be effective immediately on and after its adoption.
The above Resolution ~O~-Oo~was adont~d by the _City Council of the City of
Denton, Texas by a vote of '7 ' to ~ on the /(a~--g day of~, 2002.
EULINEBROCK, MAYOR
ATTEST:
JENNIFER WALTERS, CITY SECRETARY
HERBERT L~c~J~.O!~TY, CITY.,~_TTORNEY
Page 2
The City Council of the City of Denton, Texas in acting on Resolution ~,d~0,~-0~ did on
the/~day of (~zd~, ,2002 vote as follows:
Euline Brock, Mayor
Raymond Redmon, District 1
Jane Fulton, District 2
Michael Phillips, District 3
Perry McNeill, District 4
Bob Montgome~, Member at Large
Mark Burroughs, Mayor Pro Tern
AGAINST
Page 3
DENTON COUNTY
Transportation
Authority
Service Plan
June 13, 2002
BRW
TransportatiOn
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................ I
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................... I
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................... Il
OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................ 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1
Purpose and Need ......................................................................................................................... 1
Goals, Guiding Principles, and Concepts ..................................................................................... 2
SERVICE PLAN .................................................................................................................................. 3
Regional Rail Plan ........................................................................................................................ 3
Park-and-Rides/Regional Rail and Bus Facilities ........................................................................ 9
Regional Connector Service ......................................................................................................... 9
Feeder and Local Bus Service .................................................................................................... l0
Demand Response Service ................................................................................. ~ ....................... 11
Local Assistance/Corridor Preservation ..................................................................................... 14
Short-Term Capital and Operating Costs ................................................................................... 14
Financing Plan ............................................................................................................................ 14
Recommended Sales Tax Rate ................................................................................................... 15
Phasing and Staging ................................................................................................................... 15
NEXT STEPS .................................................................................................................................... 16
BACKGROUND TECHNICAL REPORT .............................................................................................. 17
COMPLIANCE WITH LEGISLATION .................................................................................................. 17
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1: REGIONAL RAIL - SEGMENT 1 ......................................................................................... 5
FIGURE 2: REGIONAL RAIL - SEGMENT 2 ......................................................................................... 6
FIGURE 3: REGIONAL RAIL - LONGER-TERM EXPANSION ALTERNATIVES ..................................... 8
FIGURE 4: PARK-AND-RIDES/REGIONAL RAIL AND BUS FACILITIES AND REGIONAL CONNECTOR
SERVICE .................................................................................................................................. 10
FIGURE 5: FEEDER AND LOCAL BUS SERVICE ............................................................................... 12
FIGURE 6: DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE .......................................................................................13
Denton C0unty ?:i~
Transportation Authori~. ~ '~ ~''' ~
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The URS consultant team wishes to thank the following individuals, whose hard work and
countless hours of volunteer effort greatly contributed to the success of this project.
Interim Executive Committee:
Representing Large Cities with Populations Greater than 12,000:
Charles Emery, Lewisville, Chair (January 2002-present)
Van James, Flower Mound
Kelvin Knauf, Corinth
Mike Leavitt, Highland Village
Joe Roy, Denton
Tom Terrall, The Colony
Representing Small Cities with Populations between 500 and 12,000:
George Purefoy, Frisco
Tom Spencer, Shady Shores
Bill Walker, Roanoke
Representing Unincorporated Areas ofDenton County:
Charles Correll, Argyle
Rick Salazar, Aubrey
Representing Denton County At-Large:
Jason Pierce, Aubrey
Former Chair:
Hon. Scott Armey, Denton, Chair October 2001-January 2002
Denton Count), Staff'
Shala Geer
Cheryl Hammons
Denton County , : ~
TransportatiOn Agthori~y
OVERVIEW
Introduction
House Bill 3323 was approved by the 77a' Texas Legislature and signed into law by the Governor
in 2001. The law allows creation of a Coordinated County Transportation Authority in urban
collar" counties surrounding core counties with populations of 1,000,000 or more, which
includes Denton County.
The legislation requires that a Service Plan, an outline of the services that would be provided by
an authority when confirmed by the voters, be developed by the Transportation Authority. The
Denton County Commissioners Court initiated the process to form the Denton County
Transportation Authority (DCTA) in October 2001. The commissioners court and large
municipalities in the County (those with populations above 12,000) made appointments to the
DCTA Interim Executive Committee (IEC); the remaining positions were selected by a vote of
municipalities with populations between 500 and 12,000.
This document represents the DCTA's proposal for transportation facilities, services, and funding
options for the citizens of Denton County under the provisions of House Bill 3323.
Purpose and Need
The concept for a Denton County Transportation Authority was developed with several basic
purposes in mind.
The idea for the Authority arose primarily as a result of several issues that, while not unique to
Denton County, are problems of major concern:
Denton County is forecast to experience unprecedented growth in the next two decades.
According to the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), the County's
population is anticipated to increase by 145 percent between now and 2025, compared to the
entire North Central Texas region's projected growth rote of 67 percent. In addition,
employment in the County is forecast to increase by 158 percent, compared to the 67 pement
growth rate forecast for the entire region.
Highway congestion is also forecast to increase dramatically in Denton County. According
to NCTCOG, 41 percent of all lane miles in Denton County will experience "severe peak
period congestion" by 2010, and Denton County drivers will spend 40 pement of their travel
time in congested traffic by 2010.
Finally, highway funding in Denton County is forecast to be unable to keep with demand to
help reduce anticipated congestion. Regionwide, NCTCOG's Mobility 2025 report noted that
the region will experience a $3.4 billion shortfall (the difference between what is needed and
what is available in funding) in freeway and toll road funding between now and 2025.
Denton County
Transportation Aughori~
The Authority can provide Denton County with a method of addressing many of those short-term
and long-range mobility and growth problems by:
Providing administrative mechanisms for implementing transportation improvements
throughout the County; and
Creating a dependable funding base for transportation improvements.
Additionally, once confmned by the voters, the authority may plan, design, and construct
transportation improvements, including but not limited to:
Fixed guideway (commuter rail or light rail);
Bus transit and associated high-occupancy vehicle lanes;
Dedicated thoroughfare (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes;
High-occupancy toll lanes; and
Traffic management systems.
Goals, Guiding Principles, and Concepts
Service Plan Goals
Four goals have been developed by the Interim Executive Committee to help focus the
development of the Service Plan:
1. Improve transportation for the County and region;
MaintainandimproveDentonCounty'squalityoflife;3. Contributetoairqualityimprovement; and4. Promoteeconomicdevelopment.GuidingPrinciplesSixguidingprincipleshavebeenusedthroughoutthecreationoftheDentonCountyTransportationAuthorityServicePlan. 1. Providemaximumcoverage;2.
As the Service Plan was developed, the Interim Executive Committee discussed a number of
trade-offs. These trade-offs help ensure that the Service Plan is balanced demographically and
fiscally. They include:
1. Providing maximum coverage vs. cost-effectiveness (cost per rider);
2. The extent of using passenger rail service as opposed to bus service;
3. The balance between serving transit-dependent riders vs. serving choice (new) transit
riders; and
4. The emphasis on local service vs. regional service.
SERVICE PLAN
The Service Plan includes a rail component and three layers of bus service, including Regional
Connector Service, Feeder/Local Routes and Demand Response Service, as well as a network of
Park-and-Rides/Regional Rail and Bus Facilities to serve Denton County. Together, these
elements provide some type of service to virtually every community in the County, helping to
mitigate and improve many mobility issues immediately, as well as linking the County's larger
cities to rail when that service is implemented.
The DCTA plan recognizes that Denton County is part of the greater Dallas-Fort Worth region
and respects the importance of its part as a component in the regional transportation system. In
implementing the plan, DCTA will seek to work closely with Dallas Area Rapid Transit, the Fort
Worth Transportation Authority, and the North Central Texas Council of Governments to make
connections to regional services.
Regional Rail Plan
Overview
Regional rail is the central element of the Denton County Transportation Authority's Service
Plan. Initial rail service in Denton County can be implemented in conjunction with the opening of
DART's Northwest Corridor to Frankford Road in North Carrollton in 2008, with future
extensions to Denton and other key areas of the county as additional sales tax and other funding
permits. Rail service is initially conceived as operating at 30-minute headways during peak
periods and 60-minute headways during off-peak times and weekends.
Vehicles
The vehicle being considered for this service is "regional rail,"
a type of Diesel-Multiple Unit (DMU) vehicle. DMU's are
self-propelled diesel-powered trains that operate in trainsets of
one to three passenger cars. Newer generations of DMU's,
called "regional rail" vehicles, are approaching light rail
vehicles in service characteristics. For purposes of this Service
Plan, the estimated capital cost for regional rail is $12 million
per mile, similar to NCTCOG's regionwide per-mile cost for
commuter rail.
Denton County
Proposed Short Term Service
Segment One--Carrollton to Corinth/Hickor~ Creek/Lake Dallas
This segment (see Figure 1) is approximately eleven miles long. This service would use the
former Union Pacific (UP) right-of-way that runs generally parallel to 1-35E from North
Carrollton to FM 2181 (Teasley Drive/Swisher Road) at the southern boundary of Corinth and the
northern boundary of Hiakory Creek and Lake Dallas. The line would run from the DART
Frankford Road LRT station to a proposed passenger rail station at 1-35E and FM 2181 to
intercept commuters coming from the northern parts of Denton County. One advantage of
extending the first operational segment to FM 2181 is allowing passengers to avoid the bottleneck
of the Lake Lewisville bridge on IH 35E. Additional stations would be provided in downtown
Lewisville east of 1-35E near the City's Old Town redevelopment area, and at the railroad's
intersection with the SH-121 bypass on the south side of Lewisville. Estimated capital cost: $132
million.
Segment Two--Extension to Denton
This segment (approximately nine miles long) would provide for the extension of rail service to
Denton. There are two options for this extension (see Figure 2). One option is to continue along
the former Union Pacific railroad right of way into Downtown Denton from the end of Segment 1
at FM 2181. This would serve North Central Texas College and more of the County's population
and would have a more logical terminus in the center of Downtown Denton. This segment of the
line is now in use as a trail in the "Rails to Trails" program. The property is owned by the City of
Denton, and DART owns the passenger rail operating rights for the former railroad right of way.
The alternative option is to use the Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroad line just north of FM-
407. This would terminate west of downtown Denton near the University of North Texas (UNT)
campus. There is also an opportunity to exit the KCS railroad corridor just south of Denton, and
use the Union Pacific (UP) railroad right-of-way into downtown Denton. The exact alignment
will be determined in a future alternatives analysis process. Any alternatives for this segment will
consider impacts on adjacent properties before a final alignment decision is made. Estimated
capital cost: $108 million.
Denton County
Transportation ~ut
FIGURE 1: REGIONAL RAIL- SEGMENT 1
5
Denton County
TransportatiOn Aut~Ori~ ~ ~
FIGURE 2: REGIONAL RAIL - SEGMENT 2
Denton County
Proposed Longer-Term Expansion Alternatives
Several corridors are proposed for potential implementation after Segments I and 2 of regional
rail service (see Figure 3). At the appropriate time in the fnttre, the Authority will decide on
which segments to prioritize for implementation. The proposed potential future expansion
corridors are:
Lewisville to DFW lnternational Airport
This future line would follow the SH-121 alignment from South Lewisville to DFW Airport.
Service on the line would interconnect to Denton and North Carrollton. This new segment would
be approximately seven miles long and would be coordinated with DFW Airport's rail access
plans on the northwest side of the Airport. While DART is considering the use ofthe Cotton Belt
Railroad alignment from Downtown Carrollton to DFW Airport, this stand-alone alignment is
proposed to provide direct one~seat rail access to the Airport for Denton County residents.
Lewisville to Richardson (KCS railroad right-of-way) and Carrollton to The Colony/Frisco
BNSF railroad ri~ht-o£-wav)
Future rail service to the east side of Dentun County will depend in part on the development of
these two corridors. This will be one of the better opportunities to partner with neighboring
counties or authorities to accelerate funding and development of services.
Carrollton to Dallas (same seat service)
This future segment will be explored at a time when technology is available to provide same-seat
service from Denton to downtown Dallas.
Denton to Fort Worth
There are two possible alignments to serve this corridor between Denton and Fort Worth. The
primary option is to use the UP railroad right-of-way that runs parallel to US-377. However, an
alternative could use the 1-35W right-of-way. The exact alignment would be determined in a
future alternatives analysis process.
Other Expansion Alternatives
Denton to McKinney (US 380 right-of-way)
Lewisville to The Colony/Friseo/McKinney (SH 121 right-of-way)
South County Line through Justin, Ponder, Krum, and Sanger (BNSF railroad right-of-way)
Denton to Aubrey/Pilot Point COP railroad right-of-way)
Remaining Kansas City Southern line northwest of Denton (KCS railroad right-of-way)
7
Denton County
Park-and-Rides/Regional Rail and Bus Facilities
Regional Park-and-Rides/Regional Rail and Bus Facilities are recommended at 31 key locations
countywide (see Figure 4). The Park-and-Ride transfer network is a key element to the
Authority's success, as those sites will be the key transfer points for all of the other recommended
services. The three photos below demonstrate the range of options for Park-and-Rides--from a
shared lot at a regional shopping center, to a regional transit center with a covered waiting area, to
a multi-level parking structure. Park-and-Ride facilities along the future rail corridors can be
built to initially serve local and regional buses, but could later serve as Regional Rail Stations. If
some Park-and-Ride locations can be shared with other commercial uses, those funds can go to
help finance other transit related projects in the community.
It must be stressed that no specific address locations are recommended at this time for these sites.
Each individual community must work with the Authority and with local landowners to find a
location that incorporates the Park-and-Ride facility into the rest of the area and provides
convenient access for potential patrons. Land availability will also be an important element in
deciding where these facilities are placed in each community. In addition, the location of major
Park-and-Rides, especially those that are also designated as potential rail stations, will be subject
to a future alternatives analysis process. The size assumptions used for the Park-and-Rides are
for planning purposes only and will change as future studies am implemented.
Regional Connector Service
Regional Connector Service (see Figure 4) will focus on cost-effective regional connections to
the Carrollton Park-and-Ride, Dallas Central Business District (CBD), DFW International
Airport, Fort Worth CBD and Frisco. The Regional Connector Service will rely heavily on the
Park-and-Ride lots along 1-35E and 1-35W, SH-121, as well as
the transit hub in Denton. Headways for the Regional Service
are recommended at 30-minutes during peak and 60-minutes
during off-peak. Over-the-road coaches are recommended for
the Regional Connector Service component of the plan, and
buses will be able to use the HOV/Bus Lanes on 1-35E planned
from Lewisville to the Dallas CBD.
The Regional Connector Service is recommended as an interim measure in the corridors where
rail service will be implemented. As rail service is introduced and expanded in the County, these
routes will be discontinued or changed to provide additional feeder service into the rail lines.
Denton County
TranspOrtatiOn
FIGURE 4: PARK-AND-RIDES/REGIONAL RAIL AND BUS FACILITIES AND REGIONAL
CONNECTOR SERVICE
10
Denton:County
Transportation
Feeder and Local Bus Service
Feeder and Local Bus service is also recommended for Denton County (see Figure 5). The
service will become the key connector between the smaller communities in the periphery of the
County with the larger cities and towns. The feeder and local routes will rely on the Park-and-
Ride transfer points throughout the County for connections to
other modes and services. These routes will also be a key
element to the Regional Connector Bus Service through timed
transfers. The Service is conceived to operate at 30-minute
headways during peak periods and 60-minute headways during
off-peak times.
The City of Denton's LINK service will continue to operate, with possible additional routes to
better serve the University of North Texas (UNT) and Texas Women's University (TWU), and an
extended line to serve the North Central Texas College campus in Corinth. Local bus service is
also recommended for Lewisville. The local routes were developed using 30-minute headways,
consistent with the current LINK service. Small buses (20-30 passengers) are recommended for
both the Feeder and Local Service.
Demand Response Service
Demand response service is currently available for elderly and disabled residents of Denton
County through SPAN and the City of Denton. The current service will be expanded so that the
general public will also be able to use the service. Because this service is required to give seniors
and disabled residents mobility, it must be included in the plan. The expanded service will also
give the transit-dependent and those who choose not to drive added mobility as well.
The demand response service that is recommended for Denton County is made up of twelve
zones (see Figure 6). Each zone will be served by one to three vans and can be expanded as
demand warrants. The Demand Response zones will provide On-call service (one hour response
time) similar to DART On Call, The T Rider Request, and LiNK Dial-a-Ride Zones. Each zone
will be focused around at least one Park-and-Ride transfer point to provide access to the rest of
the County and the region.
Denton County ~"- ~ '~
Trans ~
FIGURE 5: FEEDER AND LOCAL BUS SERVICE
Denton County
Transportation A~thorlty ~'~:; .il
FIGURE 6: DEMAND RESPONSE SERVICE
Denton County ~.
Transportation Authori~_
Local Assistance/Corridor Preservation
The plan also recommends Local Assistance funding for communities to help facilitate the public
transportation system, in addition to funding for corridor preservation for the travel corridors
described earlier. Funding for the local assistance program would range between $1 million and
1.5 million annually. The Local Assistance program will allow communities to enhance the
public transportation system through:
Roadway, intersection, and interchange
improvements;
Ramp metering;
Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)
improvements;
Ridesharing;
HOV lanes on arterials and freeways in
selected areas;
Vanpools;
Environmental mitigation; and
Signalization upgrades.
Short-Term Capital and Operating Costs
Capital and operating costs have been developed for each of the recommended services for
Denton County for the first 10 years of services. Capital and annual transit operating costs,
assuming an aggressive funding scenario (see the "Financing Plan" section) are shown below.
Note: the operating and maintenance costs shown do not include debt service.
Regional Rail (Segments 1 & 2) $240.0 million $4.3 million
Park-and-Ride $15.8 million N/A*
Regional Connector Service $6.0 million $2.7 million
Feeder/Local Bus $4.8 million $2.3 million
Demand Response $1.3 million $1.5 million
Local Assistance/Corridor Preservation $13.5 million N/A
Total $ 281.4 million $10.8 million
Operating and maintenance costs for park-and-ride facilities are included in annual
operating costs for transit elements
Financing Plan
In the planning effort, two 25-year plans were developed for consideration. The two scenarios for
Authority funding are labeled "Conservative" and "Aggressive."
The Conservative funding scenario assumes an across-the-board ¼-percent sales tax for all
communities in Denton County eligible to participate. This results in a first-year sales tax intake
of approximately $9 million. The Aggressive scenario also includes the across-the-board ¼-
percent sales tax, but assumes that cities with populations above 12,000 contribute an extra ¼-
percent increment of sales tax in return for extra services, as permitted by law. Cities currently
eligible to contribute the additional sales tax include Denton, Lewisville, Corinth, Flower Mound,
and Highland Village; in addition, The Colony is technically eligible under HB 3323 to contribute
the extra ¼-percent sales tax but currently does not have the sales tax capacity to do so, though it
may have such capacity in the future.
Denton COunty : < ':~ , :i~ g-
Economic growth is also important in developing the financing plan for Denton County. Denton
County has seen significant sales tax growth over the past few years (an increase of 5-8 percent
annually from 1998-2000). With the slowing of the economy in 2001 and 2002, it is assumed
that this high growth rate in sales tax cannot be expected to sustain itself. Keeping that in mind,
the project team has used an annual sales tax growth rate of 2.5 pement. It is important to note
that this only accounts for population growth and does not account for inflation.
Several other factors are important contributors to the financial analysis in support ofthe financial
plan:
Debt service is included in both the Conservative and Aggressive scenarios. Debt
financing of $188 million is included in the conservative scenario in two series of debt
issuances beginning in years 1 and 9 of the overall plan. The Aggressive scenario
includes $170 million in debt financing in one issuance series in years 1 through 6.
Federal funds are included in the financial plan in two ways. Formula funds (available to
transit agencies based on population and ridership) are included at a growth rate of
approximately 2.5 pement over 25 years. In addition, federal "new starts" funding for
major transportation projects is included at approximately one-third the cost of all rail
components of the plan.
Farebox revenues are included at different rates depending on the type of service
provided. Using national standards, it is assumed that farebox revenues will pay for 50
pement of all regional connector bus operating costs, 25 percent of all feeder/local bus
and demand-response operating costs, and 40 percent of all regional rail operating costs.
The financial scenarios developed for this Service Plan are conceptual and preliminary in
nature using a wide range of assumptions that may vary once the overall plan is
implemented.
The Service Plan, both proposed services and financial arrangements, may change in the
future subject to modifications based on election results.
Recommended Sales Tax Rate
HB 3323 requires that the Service Plan recommend a proposed sales tax rate. This Service Plan
proposes a lA percent uniform sales tax to support the authority's services. The Aggressive
financial scenario is predicated on cities of 12,000 or more population contributing an additional
lA-percent sales tax. HB 3323 states, "The imposition of an authority's sales and use tax must be
approved at an election and may not be imposed in an area that has not confirmed the authority."
As noted below in "Next Steps," the election to confirm the authority is planned for November 5,
2002; a later election is required to impose the sales tax.
Phasing and Staging
The two financial scenarios described above are directly related to a phasing and staging (or
implementation) schedule for the Service Plan's various elements. The following tables describe
the proposed implementation plan for the Service Plan using the Conservative financial scenario
and the Aggressive scenario. The first year in the milestones shown below will be the year
following voter approval of the sales tax to finance the Authority's services (note: these
assumptions may change depending upon the number of entities that participate in the Authority).
Denton County
Trans
MILESTONES USING CONSERVATIVE FINANCIAL SCENARIO
1 l~t half opens 1/3 open l~t half opens l't half opens
2 1/3 open
3 1/3 open
4 2"~ half opens 2~" half opens 2"a half opens
7 Segment 1
Opens
13 Segment 2 '/2 fleet replaced 'A fleet replaced ¼ fleet replaced
Opens
16 ~ fleet replaced V2 fleet replaced
25 ~ fleet replaced ~ fleet replaced ~ fleet replaced
MILESTONES USING AGGRESSIVE FINANCIAL SCENARIO
I Entke system 1/3 open Entire system Entke system
opens opens opens
2 lB open
3 lB open
5 Segment 1
Opens
7 Segment 2
Opens
10
13 Fleet replaced Fleet replaced Fleet replaced
25 Fleet replaced Fleet replaced Fleet replaced
NEXT STEPS
The Authority's Interim Executive Committee (IEC) approved this Service Plan on June 13,
2002. Before August 9, 2002, each of the city councils in communities with more than 12,000
population will consider a resolution to approve the Service Plan and proposed tax rate. In an
election on November 5, 2002, Denton County voters will consider the confirmation ofthe
Authority.
If confirmed by the voters, the IEC becomes the DCTA Executive Committee. The Executive
Committee will then refine the service plan and proposed finance plans to reflect voting results
and request that Denton County cities schedule an election for approval of a sales tax to support
development of the regional transportation services. Detailed planning and implementation of the
system will begin following an affirmative vote to establish the sales tax.
Denton County
BACKGROUND TECHNICAL REPORT
More detailed information on all aspects of the Service Plan is included in a separate document,
Denton County Transportation Authority Service Plan Technical Report.
COMPLIANCE WITH LEGISLATION
HB 3323 specifies a number of issues for the Authority to consider as it developed its Service
Plan. Those issues are aimed at ensuring that the Plan meets certain minimum requirements for
service delivery, cost-effectiveness, and neighborhood compatibility. The table below lists those
issues and specifies where in the Technical Report those issues are addressed.
Regional thoroughfare plans
2. Traffic counts
Listed in Section 2.3
Listed in Section 2.3
3. Feasible alternative modes Section 3 lists all potential modes
4. Location of collection and transfer points
5. Alternative routes linking access and
discharge points
6. Alternative alignments using least populous
areas if right-of-way acquisition is required
7. Estimates of capital expenditures
8. Costs and cost-effectiveness
9. Administrative overhead costs
10. Load factors (ridership)
11. Fare structure
12. Revenue from all sources
13. Cost per rider
14. Joint use of other transit systems
15. Segment revenue (profit-loss) analysis
Section 4.2 details park-and-rides
Section 4.2 details park-and-rides
Section 4; alignments focus on highways and
railroads, minimizing right-of-way needs
Section 4.7 lists capital costs
Discussed in Section 5 and Appendix
Section 4.7 discusses operating costs;
administrative costs are part of that factor
Section 4.8; NCTCOG trip tables were used to
determine ridership estimates
Section 5.1 discusses farebox recovery
assumptions for each element
Financial plan in Section 5.1
Appendix 2 analyzes cost per rider
Joint use to be negotiated on a case-by-case
basis; financial plan assumes costs and
revenues regardless of which entity administers
Section 5.1 discusses farebox recovery
assumptions for each element