INTRODUCTION
On September 6 , 2016 , Arlington ’ s Mayor and City Council formed the Transportation Advisory Committee ( TAC ), composed of 31 residents and community stakeholders . The Committee was tasked with developing a vision to help shape the future of transportation in the City of Arlington .
Over the course of 12 months , the TAC went through an extensive process to articulate community needs , gather information from a variety of sources , analyze data , and consider potential solutions to Arlington ’ s transportation challenges . This report is the culmination of that effort .
The following recommendations were formally adopted by the Transportation Advisory Committee and comprise the Committee ’ s transportation vision for the City of Arlington . The recommendations should serve as guidance for the City Council , as they craft a specific service plan which takes into account funding options , operational constraints and other details that will ultimately impact the service plan . While the Committee discussed various policy issues and developed some guidance on those issues , the long-term vision was the primary focus of the Committee .
Guiding Principles
The recommendations in this report are based on several guiding principles which helped direct the Committee process and the resulting recommendations . The TAC agrees that a visionary transportation system for Arlington :
»» Provides a long-term transportation vision for the next 20 to 30 years ;
»» Offers flexible , adaptable solutions ;
»» Enhances and attracts economic growth , factoring in population growth and emerging technologies ;
»» Is phaseable , to include both mid-term and long-term solutions ;
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Strives to be cost-effective , maximizing potential funding opportunities for both capital and operating costs ;
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Connects into any current or future regional system and potentially replaces existing transportation services within the City and the University of Texas at Arlington ;
»» Encourages partnerships with regional entities , the private sector and neighboring cities ;
»» Minimizes impacts to existing traffic ;
»» Is environmentally-friendly , minimizing carbon emissions ;
»» Supports a high quality of life for the citizens of Arlington ;
»» Minimizes trip times and transfer between modes through the City and the region ;
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Considers the opportunity cost of traffic delays . 2