The following report focuses only on the municipal highways turnback program update.
John Barton, Deputy Executive Director, TxDOT
- During a workshop meeting in June 2013, the commission asked staff to look into partnership strategies that would reduce the demands on limited resources available to the department
- One item considered would turn back some municipal highways to the state’s largest municipalities
- There are approximately 6,900 lane miles of non-freeway state highways in cities with populations of 50,000 or more
- Transferring ownership could save $165 million per year for the department
- Types of roads are generally characterized as local streets
- Lamar Blvd in Austin; Westheimer in Houston; Cooper St in Arlington; others
- Staff has visited with the communities and spoken with their leadership to explore the partnership and many discussions have been very positive
- Several communities are expected to take these partnerships on
- Texas Municipal League is working with TxDOT and metropolitan planning organizations to develop a plan for how this program may work
- The recent Texas Transportation Forum gave an opportunity to meet with many stakeholders to discuss the program
- Key discussion points were positive:
- Strongly encouraged to be a completely voluntary program
- Roadways should be given back in a state of good repair
- The state may be able to provide some financial assistance while communities work these roads back into their budget
- There should be consistency from community to community
- TxDOT should continue to carry out projects that have been in the four year plan
- Resources being saved should be redeployed for transportation needs within those same communities
- Several communities want to advance conversations
- San Antonio has announced plans to take back over 100 lane miles
- Lubbock has passed a resolution to take over 150 lane miles
- Dallas County, City of Dallas, Midlothian, City of Fort Worth, City of Waco and City of Weslaco have all expressed interest as well
- Commissioner Jeff Austin made the point that at first people thought this was a cramdown program but in fact it is not
- Commissioner Fred Underwood emphasized the fact that communities have the ability to get the roads back the way they want them and to work the lanes into their budget slowly
- Commissioner Victor Vandergriff asked when a new projection of savings will be announced
- As roadways and program advances staff will keep track of cost changes and make that information public
