Description: This report discusses the economic and fiscal impacts of Baylor Regional Medical Center Grapevine. This report, by the University of North Texas Center for Economic Development and Research, outlines the regional economic and fiscal impacts from Baylor-Grapevine's construction spending and ongoing operations. Estimates of the economic impacts are calculated using the DFW model of the IMPLAN impact modeling system developed by the Minnesota IMPLAN Group. This model, which is well-regarded by academic and professional researchers, provides reasonable and conservative estimates of direct, indirect, and induced impacts.

Description: This report by the University of North Texas Center for Economic Development and Research looks at the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) as a regional economic generator. It first examines the impacts from the NTTA's construction spending on the Dallas North Tollway (DNT) and the President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT). Second, it quantifies the economic and fiscal impacts from the NTTA's recurring operational spending. Third, it looks at the value of all the residential and commercial development that has ocurred along the DNT and PGBT corridors over the past 30-40 years as well as the annual tax revenues generated by this development. Finally, it discusses how NTTA's projects have helped improve mobility in the North Texas region.

Description: This report discusses the economic and fiscal impacts of building a soccer stadium in McKinney, Texas. The City of McKinney began negotiations with Major League Soccer (MLS) to build a 20,000-seat stadium to host the Dallas Burn Soccer Club. The following analysis, by the University of North Texas Center for Economic Development and Research, examines the economic and fiscal impacts of building and operating such a stadium on the City of McKinney and assesses the fiscal costs and benefits if the City chooses to participate financially in the stadium's construction.

Description: This report examines the impact of transit-oriented development. Transit-oriented development (TOD) is an increasingly popular urban form. Based on a survey of residents of TOD projects in areas served by Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Fort Worth T, and Capital Metro (Austin) rail transit, moving into TOD decreases VMT by an average of 15 percent, or about 3,500 miles per year, which impacts TxDOT motor fuel tax revenues. The data also indicate that these households shift their choice of route to include more arterial roads versus highways. Differential behavior is observed among the three areas studied with the greatest impact being on the DART system and the Capital Metro system showing smaller changes in TOD resident travel behaviors. Residents of TOD choose their housing based mostly on commuting distance and lifestyle characteristics, such as proximity to dining and entertainment venues. Proximity to a transit rail station is at least moderately important for 57 percent of respondents. The report recommends that TxDOT look to incorporate TOD into facility planning and design and seek ways to extract value from TOD projects.

Description: This report discusses the Z39.50 interoperability testbed project, phase 2. Abstract: The U.S. Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded a National Leadership Grant in 2000 to support the research and demonstration project, 'Realizing the Vision of Networked Access to Library Resources: An Applied Research Demonstration Project to Establish and Operate a Z39.50 Interoperability Testbed.' In the project team's December 31, 2003 interim status report on the Z39.50 Interoperability Testbed Project (Z-Interop), the project team highlighted the challenges of individual libraries to participate in the Z-Interop testbed and the project team suggested an alternative method for interoperability testing for Z39.50 servers that could accommodate the limitations of individual library systems. In May, 2004, IMLS awarded an extension to the Z-Interop Project for additional research to develop and test an alternative approach for interoperability testing and also awarded approximately $50,000 in additional funding to carry out the research. The project team refers to this extension to the original award as Z-Interop Phase 2 or Z-Interop2. Research during Z-Interop2 built on the conceptual and technical infrastructure developed during the Z-Interop Project.