The regional council responsible for planning transportation solutions for North Texas is under new leadership after Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes was named chairman June 14. Fickes will lead the RTC during the Texas Legislature’s 86th session, which begins in January. Fickes has been a primary member of the RTC since 2010, according to a news release from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, a voluntary group of municipal governments in North Central Texas that coordinates to advance the priorities of the region. The RTC also approved June 14 its long-range transportation plan, titled Mobility 2045. The plan highlights key future transportation projects, including transit projects like Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s east-west running Cotton Belt Line and Tarrant County’s TEX Rail, as well as major roadway and freeway recommendations.