DFW Transportation-AQ Balance Approved by Federal Government
Mobility 2050 plan to improve transportation system may proceed
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Brian Wilson
(817) 704-2511
Chris Klaus
(817) 695-9286
May 4, 2026 (Arlington, Texas) – The US Department of Transportation ruled in April that Mobility 2050, the Dallas-Fort Worth area's recently adopted Metropolitan Transportation Plan, complies with federal air quality regulations, allowing current and future transportation projects to proceed.
Currently home to 8.6 million people, Dallas-Fort Worth is projected to welcome nearly 4 million new residents over the next 25 years. With its population poised to exceed 12 million by 2050, the region will need to continue to embrace a multimodal solution to mobility.
The US 380 corridor, Interstate Highway 30 east corridor and SH 170/Intermodal Parkway Alliance Smart Port, along with transit on the Cotton Belt rail corridor, are a few examples of projects where development and implementation may continue, providing needed congestion relief and associated air quality benefits in the rapidly growing region.
“This positive conformity determination is a critical milestone for the Dallas-Fort Worth region,” said Chris Klaus, senior program manager for air quality management at the North Central Texas Council of Governments. “It confirms that our long-range transportation investments meet federal air quality standards and allows us to move forward with projects that will improve mobility, reduce congestion and support continued economic growth while protecting public health.”
Mobility 2050: The Metropolitan Transportation Plan for North Central Texas contains $217.3 billion in transportation improvements to be made through 2050. The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) approved the plan in June 2025. The plan allocates $80.9 billion more than Mobility 2045, which the new plan replaces.
Planned Improvements:
- Freeways, tollways, arterials and HOV/managed lanes: $97.5 billion
- Infrastructure maintenance: $29.8 billion
- Rail and bus: $57.9 billion
- Management and operations: $25.7 billion
- Growth, development and land-use strategies: $6.4 billion
The current Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) may also proceed, according to the Department of Transportation. The TIP is a multiyear list of projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth area approved for federal, State and local funding. The program identifies roadway and transit projects programed for construction within the next four years.
The RTC develops and implements transportation policies, projects and programs designed to improve mobility and air quality. The region's long- and short-range transportation plans must comply with federal air quality regulations as 10 Dallas-Fort Worth area counties – Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise – are in nonattainment for ozone pollution.
Mobility 2050 not only uses a multimodal approach; it provides a substantial investment in the maintenance of existing infrastructure to serve the growing population. For more information on Mobility 2050, visit NCTCOG.org/mobility2050.
About the Regional Transportation Council:
The Regional Transportation Council (RTC) of the North Central Texas Council of Governments has served as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) policymaking body for regional transportation planning in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1974. The MPO works in cooperation with the region’s transportation providers to address the complex transportation needs of the rapidly growing metropolitan area. The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant and Wise counties. The RTC’s 45 members include local elected or appointed officials from the metropolitan area and representatives from each of the area’s transportation providers. More information can be found at www.nctcog.org.