| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to highway funding formulas of and project selection by |
|
|
the Texas Department of Transportation. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 201, Transportation Code, |
|
|
is amended by adding Sections 201.6021 and 201.6022 to read as |
|
|
follows: |
|
|
Sec. 201.6021. FUNDING FORMULAS FOR HIGHWAY PROJECTS. (a) |
|
|
The commission shall adopt rules creating funding formulas for |
|
|
highway projects. In developing the formulas, the commission shall |
|
|
consider the input of planning organizations, transportation |
|
|
officials, and local government officials. |
|
|
(b) All funds received by the department for highways, |
|
|
including toll roads and toll road systems, that may be allocated in |
|
|
this state's or the department's discretion shall be allocated |
|
|
according to a formula designed to determine the proportion of |
|
|
funds necessary to address: |
|
|
(1) rural and statewide connectivity needs; and |
|
|
(2) the needs of urban and other heavily populated |
|
|
areas. |
|
|
(c) The department shall allocate from each category in |
|
|
Subsection (b) amounts derived by formula to each district. The |
|
|
formula must be based on performance measures and include the |
|
|
following criteria: |
|
|
(1) center lane miles; |
|
|
(2) level of congestion; |
|
|
(3) percentage of population below federal poverty |
|
|
level; |
|
|
(4) population; |
|
|
(5) safety; and |
|
|
(6) vehicle miles traveled. |
|
|
Sec. 201.6022. HIGHWAY PROJECT SELECTION CRITERIA: |
|
|
FEASIBILITY AND POPULATION AND USE PROJECTIONS. (a) The department |
|
|
shall develop criteria to determine the feasibility of highway |
|
|
projects to be included in local transportation improvement plans |
|
|
and the statewide transportation improvement plan. |
|
|
(b) The department shall adopt population and highway |
|
|
demand projections for each area for which a metropolitan planning |
|
|
organization or the department develops a transportation |
|
|
improvement plan. The department and each metropolitan planning |
|
|
organization must use the criteria and projections to develop the |
|
|
entity's transportation improvement plan. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |