McKinney April 2022

TRANSPORTATION Dallas-FortWorth receives $30M for automated vehicle projects

PGBT TOLL

RICHARDSON

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS

CAMPBELL RD.

BY ERICK PIRAYESH

by 2045. Implementing automated transportation services is one of the many strategies the council is using to ght against future trac congestion, council ocials said. The RTC’s March 14 presentation showed these projects will be located at Dallas College, Paul Quinn College and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport as well as in Fort Worth, Arlington, Richardson, McKinney and Dallas. RTC ocials stated they hope to expand these projects to other cities within the region as more opportuni- ties become available. “Once these projects are completed, we will have the most robust auto- mated and connected vehicle ecosys-

The Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments plans to fund a number of automated vehicle projects across the metroplex, including inMcKinney, starting sometime in 2023, planning documents show. Per a presentation at the council’s March 14meeting, it will spend over $30million on nine dierent projects related to automated vehicle technol- ogy in various cities across Dallas-Fort Worth as part of its long-termplans. The council is an independent pol- icy board made up of ocials from across the metroplex that oversees the transportation planning process for the region. It denes auto- mated vehicles as those equipped with technology that allows them to oer driver assistance, parking assistance and full self-driving capabilities. The council estimates as part of its Mobility 2045 plan, the long-term guide for the region’s transportation needs, that the metroplex will grow to 11.2 million residents by 2045. The plan states this growth will put a large strain on the existing transportation system and that congestionmay increase dramatically. If no action is taken, the plan estimates congestion could cost the region an estimated $47.9 billion a year

Some of the Regional Transportation Council’s planned projects will be similar to the autonomous robots already used at The University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson.

COURTESY STARSHIP TECHNOLOGIES

AHEADOF THE CURVE In an eort to curb congestion throughout the metroplex, the Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments plans to roll out automated vehicles next year.

9 projects

$30 million

2 colleges

Dallas-area cities

SOURCE: REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL OF THE NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

an automated bus on DART’s Love Link route. The bus will operate between Dallas Love Field Airport and Inwood/ Love Field Station, a 4-mile round trip onmostly straight roads, according to the transit agency. “By working together, we can reduce the planning and procurement costs andmore easily share lessons learned,” according to a statement fromDarryl Spencer, DART’s senior assistant vice president of engineering. The McKinney-based project, Hail said, will focus on using self-driving vehicles to deliver basic medical services and supplies to residents in rural areas. The delivery-type projects being planned will be similar to the robots that currently deliver food from restaurants to students at The Univer- sity of Texas at Dallas in Richardson. In 2019, the university’s dining

department partnered with Starship Technologies to bring 30 food-deliv- ery robots to campus. Some of the self-driving vehicle projects would be like those started by Drive.ai, which previously operated in Frisco’s Hall Park as part of a collabora- tive testing program. Hail said most of these types of automated vehicle projects will continue to be tested and developed in smaller, controlled areas as the technology continues to change. But, he said, residents should know that self-driving freight trucks are already in widespread service. “That is already on the streets, already happening, and that’s a big deal,” he said. “Because it is easier to move things than people.” More about the council’s auto- mated vehicle projects can be found on its website.

tem in the country and certainly within the state,” said Clint Hail, transportation planner with the council’s technology and innovation program, during the presentation. “Kudos to our region for being a magnet for this kind of innovation.” Project types

“KUDOS TOOUR REGION FOR BEINGAMAGNET FOR THIS KIND OF INNOVATION.” CLINT HAIL, REGIONAL

TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL PLANNER

include automated buses and shut- tles, neighborhood delivery robots, automatic parking systems, automatic vehicle delivery and infrastructure improvements to facilitate the technology. Details about each of the nine projects are still being worked out, Hail said. One project will see the council part- ner with Dallas Area Rapid Transit on

Serving McKinney for over 30 years!

A Collaborative Celebration of Culture, Creativity & Community

ARE YOU A H RD WORKE LOOKING FOR WORK TODAY? Secretarial • Industrial • Clerical Custodial • Accounting • Construction Warehouse Manufacturing • Assembly Work

ARE YOU A HARD WORKER LOOKING FOR WORK TODAY? Secretarial • Industrial • Clerical Custodial • Accounting • Construction Warehouse Manufacturing • Assembly Work

Saturday, May 7 | Adriatica Village | McKinney, TX

Free Community Event For Details and Upgrade Ticket Options, Scan Here!

Jobs in all industries. Call or visit us today!

Se Habla Espanol

Benefitting Ovation Academy

500 W. University Dr., Suite 102, McKinney 972-542-5586 • TempsOfMcKinney.com