Like all Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Texas, Austin’s CAMPO develops a short-term Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) every two years that ties together all regionally significant transportation projects in an attempt at a cohesive plan that meets long term vision and goals established in the longer Regional Transportation Plan process.
A lot of the funding decision for projects in the TIP are made by TXDOT, cities, counties, or transit and toll agencies. However, CAMPO has a significant pot of regionally discretionary funds to administer through a regional Project Call. The 2019-2022 Project Call amounts to $480 million – available to meet the region’s diverse multimodal transportation needs as local leaders see fit (within state and federal guidelines).
Late last year, local governments and transportation agencies were invited to submit their proposals. Collectively, $1.5b in proposed projects ranged from moving train tracks outside of downtown Kyle to a regional Transportation Demand Management Study.
Most of submitted projects were for roadway expansions. Based on the information provided in this extensive pdf, such projects accounted for 73 of the 129 proposals.
CAMPO staff presented the Policy Board with their recommendations at the April Transportation Policy Board Meeting. Policy Board members – and members of the public – voiced concerns regarding the proportion of funding allocated to new roadways at the expense of transit, Transportation Demand Management, and other sustainable transportation solutions.
Next month, the Policy Board will amend the TIP to include the final set of projects they will approve. In the meantime, Farm&City is diving deep into the Project Call process, what was submitted, and what is worth advocating for.
Check CAMPO’s calendar for public input opportunities and send comments to comments@campotexas.org.