82R423 JTS-D
By: Shapiro S.B. No. 161
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.