DCTA Joins North Texas Transit Debate at Summit

DCTA CEO Paul Cristina took part in a panel on transit's future at the 2026 North Texas Infrastructure Summit in Irving.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Data Centers

Isometric editorial illustration of a single curved rail track crossing flat prairie toward a low skyline, in oxblood, teal and mustard. — The Denton County Transportation Authority's CEO Paul Cristina joined leaders from DART and Trinity Metro on a North Texas transit panel at the 2026 infrastructure summit in Irving. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) officials attended the 2026 North Texas Infrastructure Summit in Irving, hosted by the North Texas Commission. DCTA CEO Paul Cristina served as a panelist on The Future of Transit in North Texas alongside leaders from DART and Trinity Metro.

Why it matters

The summit gathered transportation leaders, policymakers and elected officials from across Texas to discuss transportation policy, funding and infrastructure development. The discussions come as North Texas prepares for sustained population growth that will require expanded transportation options.

The region's population is projected to rise 50%, from 8 million to 12 million people by 2050, a benchmark that frames the infrastructure needs discussed at the summit. The projection does not detail how transit capacity or funding will be scaled to match that growth.

The players

Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA)

DCTA is the public transit agency serving Denton County and member cities including Highland Village, Lewisville and Denton, and it is a participant in regional transit planning.

Paul Cristina

Paul Cristina is the chief executive of DCTA who represented the agency as a panelist on regional transit planning.

DART

Dallas Area Rapid Transit is the regional transit agency serving Dallas and surrounding cities, and it was represented on the summit panel.

Trinity Metro

Trinity Metro is the public transit agency serving Fort Worth, and its leaders joined the summit transit panel.

The details

Cristina participated as a panelist in the session The Future of Transit in North Texas, joining leaders from DART and Trinity Metro. Summit discussions focused on transportation policy and funding, infrastructure development and future transit planning across the state.

2026: North Texas Infrastructure Summit held in Irving.
November 2026: DCTA officials plan to attend the Commuter Rail Summit in Fort Worth.
November 2026: DCTA officials plan to attend the Transportation Crossroads Conference in Dallas.
2050: Projected North Texas population reaches 12 million.

Big Picture

The summit reflects regional planning organized around projected population growth in North Texas, with transit agencies such as DCTA, DART and Trinity Metro seeking coordinated responses to rising demand. The discussions place local transit planning within a broader statewide conversation about infrastructure funding.

Texans in the North Texas region can expect transit options to be debated and planned around the projected population rise to 12 million by 2050. Riders and commuters will see how DCTA, DART and Trinity Metro coordinate service as those plans take shape.

The takeaway

Growing regions like North Texas depend on coordinated transit planning across agencies and jurisdictions to keep pace with population growth. Residents can track how local transit providers align their service plans with regional funding decisions.