Transportation Impact Fees

TRANSPORTATION IMPACT FEE INCREASE:

Be advised, the next Transportation Impact Fees increase will go into effect on June 1, 2024.

The fee schedule can be found here.

 

The first adoption of the transportation impact fee ordinance by the Fort Worth City Council was in 2008. It has been amended several times since then, the most recent was in November 2022.

Transportation impact fees are charges assessed by local governments on new development projects and will help fund transportation improvements that will be needed as development occurs in Fort Worth.

Transportation impact fees are applied to individual building permits and collected prior to issuance of the building permit.

For information on Water Development Impact Fees, visit the Water Department.

2022 Transportation Impact Fee Study

The following documents from the 2022 Transportation Impact Fee study have been posted for public review and inspection in compliance with Texas Local Government Code. City Council held two public meetings on the 2022 Transportation Impact Fee Study on September 27, 2022 and October 25, 2022. At the second meeting, City Council unanimously approved the 2022 Transportation Impact Fee Study and the corresponding Maximum Assessable Rate (Schedule 1), and set the effective date as November 1, 2022. 

Service Areas

As required by state law, the City has been subdivided into service areas that are each approximately six-miles in diameter.

  • As of the 2017 Study, there are 28 service areas across the corporate limits of Fort Worth. The 2017 study added the Panther Island (PI) Service Area as a new Service Area and added Service Area V as a fee service area.
  • The 2022 Study maintained the existing 28 service areas across the corporate limits; but has shown a plan for future service areas as the city continues to grow through annexations utilizing the City's Planned Service Area Boundary. As developments are annexed into the city, they will be added to the service area for which they are planned, based on the Ultimate Service Area Boundary Map. 2022 Service Area map(PDF, 611KB).
  • Service Areas L and W were added to the no-fee service areas with the 2022 Study, bringing the total no-fee service areas to nine.
  • Any transportation impact fees collected within a service area must be spent on impact fee eligible capital improvements within the same service area.

Overall Service Area Map as it corresponds with the Transportation Impact Fee Policy and Service Areas AA through Z:

Capital Improvements Advisory Committee (CIAC)

The Role of the CIAC: The CIAC is established in accordance with State law (TX LGC Ch 395.050) to: 

  • Advise and assist in adopting Land Use Assumptions
  • Review the Transportation Improvements Program (TIP) 
  • Monitor and evaluate implementation of the TIP
  • Receive semi-annual reports regarding the progress of the TIP and report perceived inequities
  • Advise of the need to update the Land Use Assumptions, TIP, or Fee
  • Make recommendations to City Council

The City of Fort Worth Has 2 CIAC’s: one for the Transportation Impact Fee program and one for the Water/Sewer Impact Fee program.

Who is on the TrIF CIAC?  The City Plan Commission (CPC) has a dual role as the CIAC over the Transportation Impact Fee program.  The CPC/CIAC is made up of private citizens and each are appointed by Mayor and Council.

Meeting Frequency: The CIAC meets a minimum of twice per year after a regularly scheduled CPC meeting to receive semi-annual reports on the program.  Additional meetings may occur as needed for TrIF Study updates or amendments.

Links to Semi-Annual Reports

Links for additional information about the CIAC:

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a transportation impact fee apply to my project?

This depends a number of factors; including the project location, land use type, whether or not the development has made a contribution towards the City’s thoroughfare system, and potential qualification for available discounts.

Does all new platting activity trigger an assessment of the transportation impact fee?

No, the ordinance allows replats plats that don’t increase the original number of lots to be recorded without generating a new final plat approval date. New Final Plats and Replats that increase the number of lots trigger a new final plat approval date.

Can you summarize the steps to determine if a transportation impact fee will apply to my final plat?

  1. Determine your service area by reviewing the service area maps(PDF, 667KB).
    • Developments located within Service Areas H, I, J, K, L, P, Q, R, W, and those developments located outside of the corporate boundaries shown on the service area map are exempted from transportation impact fees.
    • If your development is located in service area A, B, C, D, E, F, G, M, N, O, PI, S, T, U, V, X, Y, or Z, proceed to Step 2, below.
  2. Determine whether your project falls within a ‘grace period’ for impact fee collection: Older Projects (Final Plat approval on or before October 31, 2022)
    • For plats approved on or before October 31, 2022: There is a two-year grace period for building permits from the initial date the plat was approved.  The Transportation Impact Fee collection rate will be based on the 2017 LUVMET (Land Use / Vehicle-Mile Equivalency Table) table and the 2017 Schedule 2. 
    • For plats approved on or before October 31, 2022: Two years after the approval date of the final plat, the transportation impact fee collection rate (Schedule 2) in fee service areas will be the approved percentage of the maximum assessable rate (Schedule 1) in effect at the time the building permit application is accepted based on the Schedule 1 in effect when the plat was approved. 
    • For plats approved on or after November 1, 2022, with accepted building permit applications on or before May 31, 2023: the Transportation Impact Fee collection rate will continue to be based on the 2017 LUVMET table and the 2017 Schedule 2 resulting in no change to the collection rate until June 1, 2023.
    • For plats approved on or after November 1, 2022, with accepted building permit applications on or after June 1, 2023: the transportation impact fee collection rate (Schedule 2) in fee service areas will be the approved percentage of the maximum assessable rate (Schedule 1) in effect at the time the building permit application is accepted based on the Schedule 1 in effect when the plat was approved. 
    • The complete maximum assessable rate (Schedule 1) table(PDF, 122KB), the transportation impact fee studies, the collection rate (Schedule 2) table(PDF, 67KB), and the sample estimator can be found above.
  3. Use the Impact Fee Estimator to estimate the impact fee due at the time of building permit issuance. Note that applicable credits or discounts may reduce the impact fee due. Please see the section on Fee Information for more information on credits and discounts.

What improvements do the transportation impact fee fund?

Transportation impact fees are assessed by local governments on new development to help fund transportation improvements that add additional roadway capacity as new development occurs.  These projects could include new roadways, adding lanes to existing roadways, and improving intersections.  Transportation impact fees may not be used to fund roadway maintenance projects.

When is the transportation impact fee collected?

A transportation impact fee is assessed at the time of final plat approval, and is collected when the building permit application is accepted. 

When are transportation impact fees assessed for a typical project application (i.e. final plat approved, then receive property address, then apply for building permit)?

Assessment of impact fees is made at the time of final plat approval.  That is when the Transportation Impact Fee Study and the maximum assessible rate (Schedule 1) are set for the platted area.  Further details regarding the assessment of impact fees can be found in §30-172 in the ordinance.  Collection of impact fees occurs when the building permit application is accepted and is based on the amount listed in Schedule 1 in effect at the time of final plat approval.  Further details regarding the assessment of impact fees can be found in §30-173 in the ordinance.

When are transportation impact fees assessed for a project when an early address is requested?  

Early addressing is a mechanism for getting the building permit reviewed early and before the plat approval.  The maximum assessible rate (Schedule 1) is set when the final plat is approved and Schedule 2 is established when the building permit application is accepted. The process must occur in that order since Schedule 2 is based on Schedule 1. Since early addressing is requested before the final plat is approved, this application cannot set a project’s Transportation Impact Fee collection rate (Schedule 2).  In this case, the approval date of the final plat will establish both the Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 for the project.

When are transportation impact fees assessed for a project when taken through the X-Team review process with everything but final plat approval?

The maximum assessible rate (Schedule 1) is set when the final plat is approved and Schedule 2 is established when the building permit application is accepted. The process must occur in that order since Schedule 2 is based on Schedule 1.  Since the X-team review occurs before the final plat is approved, this process cannot set a project’s Transportation Impact Fee collection rate (Schedule 2).  In this case, the approval date of the final plat will establish both the Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 for the project.

When does a newly constructed roadway count towards the Adequate Public Facilities Discount?

The Adequate Public Facilities Discount applies to projects on existing thoroughfares (including TxDOT facilities as one of multiple roadway access points as added in the October 25, 2022 ordinance update).  Section §30-181 of the ordinance speaks to when new roadway improvements are eligible for credit.  This same approach is used to identify when a roadway can be used as an eligible roadway for the Adequate Public Facilities Discount. Credits for construction of improvements shall be deemed created when the improvements are completed and the city has accepted the facility

 

Transportation Impact Fee Credits   Transportation Impact Fee Discounts