Today, the Select Committee on Transportation Funding: Subcommittee on Transportation Planning and Accountability heard testimony from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and several regional and local transportation authorities.

 

TxDOT is in the process of revising its rules related to the planning process and is working with Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and local communities around the State.

 

Michael Morris Director of the Transportation at the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) suggested that a redefinition of CDA’s is in order. Morris argued that public private partnership could be associated with a source of revenue rather than a particular project, and potentially be a revolver similar to something in the Prop. 12 agreement.

 

Morris pointed out that 44% of NCTCOG revenue is from legislative approved comprehensive development agreements (CDA’s). “We should put away the CDA name and create a new public public private partnership but, those tools have helped us build projects in the region.”

 

Rep. Joe Pickett also asked witnesses about the accountability of the Regional Mobile Authorities (RMA’s). He refers to RMA’s as being one more level of bureaucracy asking if RMA’s provide much benefit.

 

Financing challenges that were published in the last Advisory were again reviewed during this hearing. It was highlighted that fuel efficient vehicles do not decrease transportation needs in Texas but do reduce the amount of funding received from gas taxes.

 

Texas is in “a lot of trouble,” warns Morris in regards to transportation funding; TxDOT will need to “strengthen the amount of revenues in some form or fashion.”