Commissioners hear Regional Transportation Council update on Mobility 2050, project approvals and DART discussions

Commissioner Webb delivered an update to Collin County Commissioners Court on the Regional Transportation Council's (RTC) Mobility 2050 plan, approved local projects and ongoing negotiations involving Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

Webb said the Mobility 2050 plan is out for a 60-day public comment period and highlighted maps showing projected major roadway and arterial recommendations across the county through 2050. "The entire 380 plus for 399 is shown on there as new and additional freeway capacity," Webb said, describing projected freeway and arterial corridors that RTC planners have identified. He noted many of the arterial improvements cluster in the county's northwest corner and around Lake LeVaughn.

The commissioner walked the court through a 2026 heat map and a density projection slide in the packet, saying much of the county west of U.S. 75 is expected to be classified as urban core or suburban by 2050. Webb also relayed RTC's revenue outlook for the plan: "We're anticipating revenues for 2050 will be approximately $216,500,000,000," he said, and that the plan projects an increase of about $68,200,000,000 compared with 2045, with roughly $7.7 billion of that increase allocated for roadways. Webb cautioned that inflation and cost escalation could limit how much that added revenue will buy in construction.

Webb listed several projects the RTC approved through a strategic transportation funding program, including an expansion of Ferguson Parkway from Elm Street to the Collin County Outer Loop (to four lanes) at an estimated cost of about $48 million; Frisco's Legacy Drive widening (about $20 million); McKinney's Loud Howe Parkway improvements including a six-lane bridge over Honey Creek (about $44 million); two projects in Richardson totaling roughly $10 million; and Wiley Kreimeyer Lane from FM 78 to Crescent Oak (about $24 million). "All those got approved, and so we'll start seeing that dirt flying on all those projects," Webb said.

The update also covered ongoing RTC discussions regarding DART. Webb described a proposed change to a DART "three-year" rule that currently requires a referendum when a locality contracts with DART for three years. He said DART was expected to vote on a proposal to abolish that rule and that mediation among parties was ongoing. "The RTC had given until February for DART and its members to reach an agreement. They didn't, and at that point we were gonna come back and figure out what we wanted to do as RTC," Webb said.

The Mobility 2050 draft will remain open for public comment for 60 days, Webb said. He also reported population and employment projections included in the RTC materials for 2050: about 2.4 million people and an employment base of about 8.7 million in the region as presented in the packet.

The commissioners did not take formal action on the update; Webb presented the information and answered questions from the court.