Texas Transportation Commission September 2024

By Laura Butterbrodt

Here’s what the Texas Transportation Commission discussed and approved at its meeting on Sept. 26, 2024.

Public Transportation

The Texas Transportation Commission awarded a total of $44.4 million in state and Federal Transit Administration program funds to 31 public transit agencies in Texas to support rural bus services. Of this funding, $18.5 million from the federal Bus and Bus Facilities Program is for fleets and $8.4 million is for facilities.

Additional state funding of $4.6 million will go toward fleets and $2.1 million will go toward facilities. Three rural transit districts will share $7.4 million for low-emission vehicle funding.

The Commission also awarded more than $800,000 in state and Federal Transit Administration Formula Grants for Rural Areas to Gulf Coast Transit District to support its rural and urbanized public transportation needs in Brazoria and Galveston counties.

Maritime

The Commission approved a Ship Channel Improvement Revolving Fund loan of up to $43 million over 30 years for the Brownsville Navigation District. The loan will assist in widening or deepening the Brazos Island Harbor Channel.

Commissioners also approved the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway Report, an annual evaluation that will be presented to the 89th Texas Legislature.

Rule adoptions

Commissioners voted to approve new rule amendments in the Texas Administrative Code, including:

• Add roadside assistance programs to the state acknowledgement program. With this change, people and organizations can donate to safety service patrols, including the HERO (Highway Emergency Response Operator) program. TxDOT can acknowledge these donations by displaying a name, logo or image on the back of the patrol trucks.
• Enact a new variable speed limit program. This will allow TxDOT to temporarily lower the speed limit on some designated roadways by a maximum of 10 mph from the existing limit under certain conditions, including inclement weather, congestion or road construction.  The program will begin with road segments tied to the TxDOT Intelligent Transportation System to ensure cameras can verify conditions, as well as log when and where speed reductions occur and return to normal conditions.

Advisory committees

The Commission appointed members to the following advisory committees:

• Aviation
• Bicycle and Pedestrian
• Border Trade
• Port Authority

Each of the committees help guide policy and provide recommendations for development and strategy of each specialty topic.

Contracts

The Commission approved the following letting amounts for contracts:

• $1.9 billion for 76 highway improvement projects.
• $34 million for 25 routine maintenance projects.
• $12.3 million for four building construction and rehabilitation projects.

Aviation

Commissioners approved $34 million aviation grant funding for 13 projects at 12 Texas airports. The funding includes federal non-primary entitlement, federal apportionment, Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act and state grants.

Audit plan

The Commission approved the Fiscal Year 2025 internal audit plan. This is an annual measure taken to ensure resources are adequately dedicated and managed.