The Council recently honored former mayor Bob Day for his appointment to the North Texas Turnpike Agency Board. Director Day is well-versed in transportation issues, having represented the city on the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition and the Regional Transportation Council during his years on the City Council.

Transportation is one of the highest challanges facing the Metroplex and surrounding counties over the next few decades as the region continues to grow at a demanding pace. Critical for continued growth in the north Garland area is the extension of SH-190 to IH-30 in the next few years. It is an opportune time for Dr. Day to be appointed by the Dallas County Commissioners. Garland is fortunate to have good, solid representation in all the critical areas: Mike Cantrell, County Commissioners Court; Angie Chen Button, DART Board, and Mayor Ron Jones, Regional Transportation Council. I serve on the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition, as do Commissioner Cantrell and Director Button.

An article in Thursday's Dallas Morning News gives the details of Dr. Day's appointment:

3 new members join NTTA's expanded board of directors

Added seats allow each founding county to have 2 representatives

 

12:00 AM CDT on Thursday, September 20, 2007
By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER / The Dallas Morning News

 

Three new members joined the North Texas Tollway Authority board of directors Wednesday.

 

Legislation passed this year expanded the NTTA's governing board from seven members to nine. The authority is a public agency established 10 years ago to build and maintain toll roads in the Dallas area.

 

The two new seats were filled by county commissioners in Dallas and Tarrant counties.

 

The board also welcomed a third new member, appointed by Denton County to replace NTTA vice chairman Jack Miller.

 

By expanding the board's membership to nine, the new law ensures that each of the NTTA's founding counties – Dallas, Collin, Denton and Tarrant – will be represented by two members.

 

The governor appoints the ninth member.

 

Dallas County chose former Garland Mayor Robert E. Day Jr. to fill a new two-year term. Tarrant County selected lawyer Victor Vandergriff, son of former Tarrant County Judge Tom Vandergriff, for a one-year term.

 

Former Lewisville City Council member Michael Nowels replaces Mr. Miller for a one-year term. Mr. Nowels is a former member of the Regional Transportation Council.

 

"On behalf of the board of directors, I welcome our three new colleagues to the NTTA board," said NTTA Chairman Paul N. Wageman.

 

Mr. Wageman's two-year term, his fourth, expires in 2008.

 

Three members of the board were reappointed Wednesday: David R. Denison, William W. Meadows and Robert K. Shepard—the governor's pick—will each serve another two-year term.

 

The game of musical chairs comes at a pivotal time for the NTTA. It is emerging from a successful but bruising battle with Spanish toll road builder Cintra to build the 26-mile State Highway 121 toll road in Denton and Collin counties.

 

In addition, NTTA is set to raise its toll rates later this month, is phasing in an all-electronic toll policy and is slated to build the Trinity River Parkway, unless Dallas voters kill that project in a Nov. 6 referendum.

 

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