The money will pay for a range of transportation extras for events surrounding the big game and on Super Sunday itself, including special Sunday service for the Trinity Railway Express on game day and the previous Sunday.
The commuter train will operate a fuller schedule during the week before the game. The money will buy shuttle service for big shots arriving at small airports, additional operation of the Interstate 30 HOV lanes between Dallas and Arlington and other amenities.
The Super Bowl host committee will reimburse about $175,000 of the expenses and North Texas transportation officials hope to raise an additional $50,000 or so through the sale of special, four-day transit passes that will allow riders to use bus, light rail or the TRE anytime from Thursday to Sunday. The passes will cost $30 and will include access to the Super Sunday TRE trains.
The vote was unanimous at Thursday's meeting of the RTC, where members see the Super Bowl as a vital opportunity to market North Texas a destination fit for the world's biggest events.
"If we get this thing right this go-around, then the future is ours," said RTC member Bernice Washington, who is also a board member of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. "We hold the future in the palm of our hand, so we have to spend this money wisely."
DART spokesman Morgan Lyons confirmed that the agency supports the four-day pass, though he said details about how it will be sold are being worked out. The receipts from the pass will go to the transportation council, which has already promised to reimburse all transit agencies the full cost of their participation.
Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, said the passes will be sold as commemorative items that patrons will likely want to keep as souvenirs.
The money approved Thursday comes from a local account maintained by the council of governments on the RTC's behalf. It is funded by contributions from area governments.
The council also approved a request by the North Texas Tollway Authority to delay for 60 days payment of the $458 million it promised to provide as part of its contract to build and operate the State Highway 161 toll road. That amount includes a $200 million cash payment and $258 million reimbursement for money the RTC provided for construction.
NTTA board member Bob Day told the council the delay is necessary to give the authority time to conclude negotiations with the federal government related to loan guarantees and to sell bonds to investors.
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