Public Participation Plan
The Regional Transportation Council approved a Public Participation Plan [PDF] in November 2018 (the plan was updated in March 2020 and last updated in November 2022). This plan outlines the metropolitan planning organization’s responsibility to inform and involve individuals and communities. The plan discusses the principles, goals and strategies NCTCOG employs to broadly engage the diverse audiences living and working in North Texas.
The NCTCOG Transportation Department begins by adhering to federal requirements for public involvement and then goes beyond these requirements by finding new ways to engage the public in the transportation planning and programming process.
Public participation by NCTCOG is guided by four principles.
- Consistent and comprehensive communication
- Commitment to diversity and inclusiveness
- Collaboration with audiences and stakeholders
- Consultation with committees
In keeping with federal regulations, NCTCOG provides information in alternative formats or languages upon request.
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Public Comment Procedures
The Public Participation Plan also outlines procedures for seeking public comments on the following documents and presenting these comments to the Regional Transportation Council.
Comments relevant to and received during specific public comment periods are provided to the RTC in advance of any meetings where they are scheduled to take action on the relevant policy, plan or program. All comments received outside these formal public comment periods, regardless of the topic, are compiled into a monthly report and presented to the RTC in advance of its next regularly scheduled meeting. These comments are accessible to the public in the RTC meeting agendas, public meeting minutes and monthly comment reports on the NCTCOG website.
Public Participation Plan
| Transportation Planning Action | Minimum Public Involvement Opportunity |
Length of Comment Period | Minimum Notification of Opportunity |
| Development or update of the Public Participation Plan | One public meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to requesting RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 45 days |
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| Update to one or more Public Participation Plan appendices or legislative references in the document | Proposed changes posted online for public review and comment at www.nctcog.org/input | 45 days |
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| Typographic or grammatical correction | None | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)
| Transportation Planning Action | Minimum Public Involvement Opportunity |
Length of Comment Period | Minimum Notification of Opportunity | |
| Development of the UPWP | One public meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to requesting RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days |
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| Modifications | Recommendations posted online for public review and comment at www.nctcog.org/input | 30 days |
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Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP)
| Transportation Planning Action | Minimum Public Involvement Opportunity |
Length of Comment Period | Minimum Notification of Opportunity |
| Development of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan | A public meeting shall be held at least 60 days prior to requesting RTC approval. A second public meeting will be held at least 30 days prior to RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days following each meeting |
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| Metropolitan Transportation Plan Update | A public meeting shall be held at least 60 days prior to requesting RTC approval. A second public meeting will be held at least 30 days prior to RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days following each meeting |
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| Metropolitan Transportation Plan Amendment | One public meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to requesting RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days |
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| Metropolitan Transportation Plan administrative revisions | Summary of modifications accessible from www.nctcog.org/input for informational purposes. |
Not applicable |
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Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
| Transportation Planning Action | Minimum Public Involvement Opportunity |
Length of Comment Period | Minimum Notification of Opportunity |
| Development of the Transportation Improvement Program | One public meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to requesting RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days |
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| TIP Revisions requiring Regional Transportation Council approval | Recommendations posted online for public review and comment at www.nctcog.org/input | 30 days |
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| TIP Administrative Amendments | Summary of modifications accessible from www.nctcog.org/input for informational purposes. |
Not applicable |
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| Project changes not requiring TIP modification (i.e. staff action) and modifications supporting previous RTC action | None | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Transportation Conformity
| Transportation Planning Action | Proposed Minimum Public Involvement Opportunity |
Length of Comment Period | Minimum Notification of Opportunity |
| Transportation Conformity determination draft related to development of the Transportation Improvement Program or Metropolitan Transportation Plan | One public meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to requesting RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days |
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| Transportation Conformity determination draft related to update or amendment of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan | One public meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to requesting RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days |
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| Transportation Conformity draft related to changes to the transportation system | One public meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to requesting RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days |
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| Transportation Conformity draft related to changes in the emissions budget of the State Implementation Plan and/or nonattainment area boundary changes | Draft conformity determination and supporting data posted online for public review and comment at www.nctcog.org/input | 30 days |
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| Transportation Conformity approval by federal partners | None, final approval available at www.nctcog.org/conformity | Not applicable |
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Federal Transit Administration Funding
| Transportation Planning Action | Minimum Public Involvement Opportunity |
Length of Comment Period | Minimum Notification of Opportunity |
| Draft Programs of Projects for Urbanized Area Formula Program funds (includes Job Access / Reverse Commute projects) | One public meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to requesting RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days |
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| Funding recommendations for other Federal Transit Administration formula programs, e.g., Bus and Bus Facilities, Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities and State of Good Repair | One public meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to requesting RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days |
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Annual Listing of Obligated Projects
| Transportation Planning Action | Minimum Public Involvement Opportunity |
Length of Comment Period | Minimum Notification of Opportunity |
| Publishing of Annual Listing of Obligated Projects | Review only at www.nctcog.org/annual | Not applicable |
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Congestion Management Process
| Transportation Planning Action | Minimum Public Involvement Opportunity |
Length of Comment Period | Minimum Notification of Opportunity |
| Development of the Congestion Management Process | One public meeting shall be held at least 30 days prior to requesting RTC approval. At a minimum, the meeting will be recorded and posted online at www.nctcog.org/video. Whenever possible, a livestream will be provided as well. | 30 days |
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Evaluation
The Public Participation Plan provides measures for evaluating the effectiveness of NCTCOG Transportation Department's public involvement activities regarding the transportation and air quality planning process. Evaluation helps staff understand how to better engage the public and allocate time and resources. Since 2019, NCTCOG has published a report summarizing the efforts for each fiscal year.
FY2020 Public Involvement Annual Performance Report [PDF]
FY2019 Public Involvement Annual Performance Report [PDF]