Regional Transportation Council priorities, allocation imbalance flagged to feds; DFW World Cup planning noted

A Collin County representative told the Commissioners Court on Oct. 13 that the Regional Transportation Council approved its priorities for the Federal Surface Transportation Act and flagged an unusually large east–west funding imbalance in the Dallas–Fort Worth region.

“The priorities are adequately fund the transportation system, which always is the highest priority, streamline project delivery by formula allocation... Pursue safety through technology, expand options, and increase efficiency,” the presiding official said during the meeting, summarizing the council’s adopted priorities.

The official described a long-standing revenue-allocation policy across the 12-county DFW area that typically splits federal allocations about 69% to the East and 31% to the West. The court was told the current split has shifted to roughly 81.1% East and 18.9% West, a departure that the presenter said is the largest imbalance they have observed during their tenure. The presenter linked the shift to a run of large projects in the eastern counties.

The official cautioned that, over the next few years, more grant money could flow to the western portion of the region "assuming the West Side has major projects that they need." The remarks described the allocation review as based on population and work-population measures.

Court members also heard that DFW will host nine World Cup matches next June or July, including one weekday semifinal and multiple weekday matches, which will require expanded transportation planning across the region.

Nut graf: The report signals both short-term planning demands tied to the FIFA World Cup and a potential medium-term shift in federal transportation funding within the DFW region if project pipelines differ between the East and West.

The court did not take a vote on the RTC report. No specific funding decisions were made by the Commissioners Court in response to the report during the meeting.

Ending: Court members were advised to expect increased regional coordination on project delivery and safety as federal priorities are implemented and as World Cup logistics advance.