1. business and industrial
2. construction

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Memorandum
November 4, 2014
This agenda is subject to revision up to 72 hours prior to the meeting.
To:
All Members, Technical Advisory Committee
From:
Jeanne Geiger, Deputy Director
Subject:
Meeting Notice and Agenda
The next meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee is scheduled for
Friday, November 14, 2014 at 1:30 p.m.
at the MPO Office located at 825 S. St. Mary’s Street (St. Mary’s @ Alamo Street),
San Antonio, Texas 78205
The following agenda items will be discussed and action will be taken as appropriate.
Items may be taken out of the order shown.
Agenda:
1.
Roll Call
2.
Citizens to be Heard
3.
Approval of the October 3, 2014 Meeting Minutes
4.
Status Report on the Metropolitan Transportation Plan Update – Parsons Brinckerhoff
(Vela)/MPO (Geiger)
5.
Review of MPO Policies – MPO (Geiger)
a.
Policy 1: Funding Procedures for Planning Studies
b.
Policy 3: Guidelines for Programming Projects in the Transportation Improvement
Program
6.
Announcements
MPO meetings are accessible to persons with disabilities. To arrange for special assistance or an interpreter, please
call 210-227-8651 or TDD 1-800-735-2989 (Relay Texas) at least five working days in advance.
Las reuniones son accesibles a personas con discapacidad. Si usted necesita asistencia especial o un intérprete,
llame al (210) 227-8651 o al TDD 1-800-662-4954 (Relay Texas) con cinco días hábiles de anticipación.
825 South St. Mary’s Street – San Antonio, Texas 78205 – (210) 227-8651
TDD 1 (800) 735-2989 - Fax (210) 227-9321
www.alamoareampo.org
November 14, 2014 MPO Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Package: Page 2 of 170
Technical Advisory Committee
1.
November 14, 2014
Roll Call
Clay Smith, P.E.
Art Herrera
Adv. Transportation District
David Kruse
Joe Ramos
Alamo Area Council of Govts
Chris Trevino, P.E.
Reggie Fountain, P.E.
Alamo Reg. Mobility Authority
Dave Wegmann, P.E.
Vacant
Bexar County
Garry Ford, P.E.
Shannon Mattingly
City of New Braunfels
Terry Bellamy **
Luis Maltos, P.E.
City of San Antonio
Patricia Wallace
Rebecca Pacini
City of San Antonio
Christina DeLaCruz, P.E. Bianca Thorpe, P.E.
City of San Antonio
Joe Ramos, P.E.
Pamela Centeno
City of Seguin
Tom Hornseth, P.E.
Vacant
Comal County
Manuel Longoria (LV)
John Hobson (FOR)
Greater Bex Co. Council of Cities
Allen Dunn
Vacant
Guadalupe County
Marcus Jahns (FOR)
Ron Emmons (FOR)
Kendall County Area
Oscar Kazen
Varies
MPO Bicycle Mobility Adv Comm
Robert Hanley
Daniel Ludwig
MPO Ped Mobility Adv Comm
Blake Partridge
Vacant
Northeast Partnership
Nicholas Wingerter
Vacant
Private Transportation Providers
Jonathan Bean, P.E. *
Mark Mosley, P.E.
Texas Dept. of Transportation
Brian Buchanan
Catondra Noye
VIA Metropolitan Transit
Chair
** Vice Chair
*
November 14, 2014 MPO Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Package: Page 3 of 170
Technical Advisory Committee
2.
Citizens to be Heard
3.
Approval of the October 3, 2014 Meeting Minutes
November 14, 2014
Issue
The October 3, 2014 meeting minutes are attached for your review.
Action Requested
A motion to approve the October 3, 2014 meeting
minutes.
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Technical Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes
October 3, 2014
Voting Members Present:
Art Herrera
Joe Ramos
Christopher Trevino, P.E.
Garry Ford, P.E.
Terry Bellamy
Patricia Wallace
Christina Delacruz, P.E.
Joe Ramos, P.E.
Tom Hornseth, P.E.
Jim Doersam, P.E.
Daniel Ludwig
Nicholas Wingerter
Jonathan Bean, P.E.
Brian Buchanan
Advanced Transportation District
Alamo Area Council of Governments
Alamo Regional Mobility Authority
City of New Braunfels
City of San Antonio
City of San Antonio Planning Department
City of San Antonio Public Works Department
City of Seguin
Comal County
MPO Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee
MPO Pedestrian Mobility Advisory Committee
Private Transportation Providers
Texas Department of Transportation
VIA Metropolitan Transit
Voting Members Absent:
David Wegmann P.E.
Manuel Longoria
Allen Dunn
Marcus Jahns
Blake Partridge
Bexar County
Greater Bexar County Council of Cities
Guadalupe County
Kendall County Geographic Area
Northeast Partnership
Others Present:
Reggie Fountain, P.E.
Don Dixon
Leroy Alloway
Allison Blazosky
Neil Frydrych
Jeanne Geiger
Zack Graham
Linda Vela
Mark Mosley, P.E.
Darcie Schipull
Alamo Regional Mobility Authority
Citizen
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Texas Department of Transportation
Texas Department of Transportation
Jonathan Bean called the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting to order at 1:45 p.m.
1.
Roll Call
Jeanne Geiger called roll. A quorum was present.
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Citizens to be Heard
Don Dixon asked the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to allocate additional funding
identified for the Metropolitan Transportation Plan to the US 281 North project (as the first
priority), and the Loop 1604 project (as a second priority) to make these projects non-toll.
3.
Approval of the September 5, 2014 Meeting Minutes
Christina Delacruz moved and Nicholas Wingerter
seconded the motion to approve the September 5, 2014
Meeting Minutes.
The motion was unanimously
approved.
4.
Status Report on the Metropolitan Transportation Plan Update
Jeanne Geiger introduced this item and corrected a mistake in the back-up memo in the
meeting package. The Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) public meeting to be held in
Seguin, Texas was incorrectly stated; the correct meeting date in Monday, October 13,
2014. The error has been corrected to run in the Seguin newspaper and on the MPO’s
websites and handouts. Geiger also distributed copies of the draft MTP document. This is
the same version of the document that is available for review at the public meetings.
Linda Vela, the MPO’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) Consultant and Project
Manager from Parsons Brinckerhoff provided an MTP update. Vela provided a summary of
the two public meetings (one in Boerne and the other in New Braunfels) held to date. She
also briefly reviewed results to date of the online project ranking survey.
For information and discussion only.
5.
Action on Proposed Amendments to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and the
FY 2015-2018 Transportation Improvement Program
Jeanne Geiger stated the purpose of this agenda item is for the TAC to make a
recommendation to the Transportation Policy Board (TPB) on the draft amendments to the
MTP and the FY 2015-2018 Transportation Improvement Program. Geiger further noted the
MPO follows a two-step approval process of amendments with amendments being
presented one month (September) with action the following month (October). None of the
information has changed from what was presented at the September TAC and TPB
meetings. In summary, five projects programmed to let in FY 2015 were able to let in FY
2014; TxDOT is replacing federal funds with state funds on the Loop 1604 at SH 151
interchange project; and Bexar County requested the STP-MM funds on the Weidner Road
project be moved to the STP-MM funded Glenmont Project to offset a higher bid received
than was programed in the TIP.
Tom Hornseth moved and Brian Buchanan seconded the
motion to recommend approval of the amendments to the
Metropolitan Transportation Plan and the FY 2015-2018
Transportation Improvement Program.
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6.
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Review of MPO Policy 1: Funding Procedures for Planning Studies
Jeanne Geiger distributed a draft of the revised Policy 1: Funding Procedures for Planning
Studies. In summary, the revisions propose that TAC, in coordination with MPO staff, will
identify transportation planning priorities for the upcoming two-year time period. These
priorities may include refinements to the MPO’s processes, databases, or other aspects of
multi-modal transportation planning to include travel demand modeling, demographic
development, public involvement, geographic subareas or corridors, transit, bicycle and/or
pedestrian, freight, environmental, congestion management or others. These priorities will
then become planning studies to be considered for funding and TAC and MPO staff will
develop a scope of work (specifically noting data requirements, including data that already
exists and data that will need to be collected) and a budget for the identified priorities. A
recommendation will be made for the work to be performed by MPO staff, partner agency
staff or consultants. For each identified planning study, MPO staff will identify previous
related work and a reasonable timeframe for completing the scope of work.
TAC recommended review of the proposed policy revisions continue and schedule the
presentation of revisions for the December 2014 TPB meeting.
For information and discussion
scheduled for a later date.
7.
only.
Action
is
Review of MPO Policy 3: Guidelines for Programming Projects in the Transportation
Improvement Program
Jeanne Geiger distributed and reviewed an updated version of the draft revised Policy 3:
Guidelines for Programming Projects in the Transportation Improvement Program. Specific
comments included:



Retaining the wording linking together the MTP and TIP development
Retaining rehabilitation projects as eligible projects to be funded using STP-MM
funds but including language stating that prior to the STP-MM call for projects, the
TPB will take action establishing the development schedule and parameters
associated with that particular project call
Continuing to clarify the language regarding the maximum 10% contingency for
eligible change orders and maximum 11% for construction management services
TAC will consider forwarding this item on to the TPB for presentation at their December
meeting.
For information and discussion
scheduled for a later date.
8.
only.
Action
is
Announcements
Jonathan Bean announced TxDOT will be conducting a public hearing next Wednesday,
October 8, 2014 in the Dolph Briscoe Middle School. The purpose of the hearing is to
present the planned improvements for Loop 1604 between Potranco Road (FM 1957) and
FM 471 (Culebra Road) and to receive public comments. An open house will be held from
5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. where project information will be available for review and project
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team members will be available to answer questions. Information regarding a separate
project, the SH 151 and Loop 1604 interchange project will be available during this time.
Technical presentations for Loop 1604 will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be followed by a
public comment period.
Jeanne Geiger stated the next TAC meeting will be held on Friday, November 14, 2014 at
1:30 p.m. at the MPO Office.
Trish Wallace asked for an update on the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) call
for projects. Jeanne Geiger responded that a joint evening meeting of the Bicycle and
Pedestrian Mobility Advisory Committees will be held on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 at
the VIA Metro Center. The MPO will take public comment on proposed TAP projects at that
meeting.
There being no further business the meeting was adjourned at 2:40 p.m.
Jonathan Bean, P.E.
Technical Advisory Committee
4
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Technical Advisory Committee
4.
November 14, 2014
Status Report on the Metropolitan Transportation Plan Update
Purpose
The purpose of this agenda item is for TAC to receive an update on the
development of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP).
Issue
To date the MPO, in coordination with the Transportation Policy Board, citizens,
public agency staff and consultant team, have completed the following tasks in
support of the development of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan,
“Moblity2040”.









Developed and adopted the vision and goals
Developed and adopted performance measures
Developed and tested population and employment growth scenarios
Adopted a population and growth scenario
Identified regional long tern transportation needs
Developed a list of projects to help address future transportation needs
Prioritized a list of projects to help address future transportation needs
Developed the draft document
Completed three rounds of public involvement plus provided the
opportunity for public comment throughout the entire development of the
Plan including online opportunities
The draft “Mobility 2040” document is attached for your review. The Plan will
continue to be developed throughout November. “Mobility 2040” is scheduled for
adoption on Monday, December 8, 2014.
Action Requested
No formal action is requested at this time.
discussion may determine action to be taken.
However,
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“Mobility 2040”
Alamo Area
Metropolitan Planning Organization
Metropolitan Transportation Plan
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ES-1
Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ES-1
Planning Factors ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ES-2
Mobility 2040 Vision -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ES-3
Metropolitan Transportation Plan Goals ------------------------------------------------------ ES-3
Components of the Plan -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ES-4
Financial Constraint -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ES-10
Introduction --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-1
Legislative Background for the Plan ----------------------------------------------------------- I-1
Mobility 2040 Vision -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I-5
Metropolitan Transportation Plan Goals ------------------------------------------------------ I-5
How Is the Plan Developed? -------------------------------------------------------------------- I-6
Consistency with Other Local Plans and Programs ---------------------------------------- I-7
1. Demographic Development
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years------------------------------------------------- 1-1
Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1-1
TELUM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1-3
Population: 2010 – 2040 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-4
Income: 2010 – 2040 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-8
Employment: 2010 – 2040 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-8
2. Scenario Planning
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years------------------------------------------------- 2-1
Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2-1
Three Growth Scenarios -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-2
Growth Scenario Adoption ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-5
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3. Public Involvement Process
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years------------------------------------------------- 3-1
Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-1
Environmental Justice ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.2
Traffic Congestion and Safety Workshop----------------------------------------------------- 3-3
Phase I: Regional Vision and Goals ----------------------------------------------------------- 3-4
Phase II: How Will We Grow As a Region? -------------------------------------------------- 3-7
Phase III: Project prioritization (pending) ----------------------------------------------------- 3-10
4. Bicycle System
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years------------------------------------------------- 4-1
Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4-3
MPO Programs-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4-3
Vision, Goals and Objectives -------------------------------------------------------------------- 4-6
Greenway Trails Systems ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4-8
Future Bicycle Facility System ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4-9
5. Pedestrian System
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years------------------------------------------------- 5-1
Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5-3
MPO Programs-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-3
Pedestrian Facility Goals for the Region------------------------------------------------------ 5-5
Future Pedestrian System ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5-7
6. Public Transportation Services
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years ............................................................ 6-1
Existing Public Transportation Providers ................................................................. 6-2
The Importance of Public Transportation ................................................................. 6-4
VIA Public Transportation Services.......................................................................... 6-5
Public Transportation Needs and Issues ................................................................. 6-10
Goals: VIA’s Long Range Plan................................................................................. 6-12
Lone Star Rail District .............................................................................................. 6-17
Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study .................................................................. 6-18
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7. Roadway Needs
Pending
8. Freight Movement
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years------------------------------------------------- 8-1
The National Freight Picture --------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-2
Truck Freight Data --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-4
Rail Freight Data ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8-8
Multi-modal Developments ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-11
TxDOT’s Statewide Freight Efforts ------------------------------------------------------------- 8-13
9. Environmental Concerns
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years------------------------------------------------- 9-1
Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9-2
Linking Planning and NEPA---------------------------------------------------------------------- 9-2
The Clean Air Act ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9-2
Green House Gases ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9-12
Water Availability ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9-16
10. Congestion Management Process
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years------------------------------------------------- 10-1
Background ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10-2
Measurement of Congestion and Transportation System Performance -------------- 10-5
Congestion Management and Air Quality ---------------------------------------------------- 10-5
Goals and Objectives ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10-6
Local Definition of Congestion------------------------------------------------------------------- 10-7
Congestion Mitigation Strategies --------------------------------------------------------------- 10-8
Congestion Management Development Process ------------------------------------------- 10-13
Conclusions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10-14
11. Financial Information
Pending
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iv
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Executive Summary
Background
Planning for the future transportation needs of the Alamo Area region requires a
comprehensive look at the current transportation system, future population and
employment, and the anticipated available funding for the area for transportation projects.
Although this seems like a simple exercise, there is extensive work involved in improving
the region’s transportation infrastructure. The metropolitan area's economy and
environment depend heavily on the condition and efficient performance of the regional
transportation system. Recognizing the mobility needs of the community and addressing
those needs will eventually lead to improvements in the economy and quality of life. This
update to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) aims to take a step in that direction.
Public involvement in the planning process is necessary to ensure that transportation
decisions are not made independently and that Federal tax dollars are used in accordance
with legitimate public needs and desires.
In August 1977, the Governor of Texas designated the SABCUTS Steering
Committee as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for San Antonio and Bexar
County. This organization is the forum for cooperative transportation planning and decisionmaking by officials of the urban area's local governments and transportation agencies. In
2013 the MPO expanded its boundaries to include all of Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe counties
and a portion of Kendall County. The MPO Transportation Policy Board (TPB) is comprised
of 21 elected and appointed officials representing the following entities: Bexar, Comal and
Guadalupe counties and a portion of Kendall County; Cities of New Braunfels, San Antonio
and Seguin; the Advanced Transportation District, the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority,
Greater Bexar County Council of Cities, Northeast Partnership, the Texas Department of
Transportation, and VIA Metropolitan Transit.
The passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991
(ISTEA) marked a significant change in the planning and development of metropolitan
transportation systems. In its Declaration of Policy, ISTEA mandated "a National
Intermodal Transportation System that is economically efficient and environmentally
sound...and will move people and goods in an energy efficient manner." Specifically, "the
National Intermodal Transportation System shall consist of all forms of transportation in a
unified, interconnected manner . . . to reduce energy consumption and air pollution while
promoting economic development . . ."
On May 22, 1998, Congress passed the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century (TEA-21) authorizing highway, highway safety, transit and other surface
transportation programs for the next six years. TEA-21 built on the initiatives established in
ISTEA. TEA-21 combined the continuation and improvement of current programs with new
MOBILITY 2040 DRAFT
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November 14, 2014 MPO Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Package: Page 16 of 170
initiatives to meet the challenges of improving safety as traffic continues to increase at
record levels, protecting and enhancing communities and the natural environment, and
advancing America’s economic growth and competitiveness domestically and
internationally through efficient and flexible transportation.
To further build and strengthen TEA-21 legislation Congress passed the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU) in 2005. SAFETEA-LU focused on several of the programs and initiatives
put in place under TEA-21 and continued the authorization of highway, transit and other
surface transportation programs. SAFETEA-LU was the largest transportation authorization
bill passed into law and continued the focus on eight planning factors.
Following SAFETEA-LU, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP21) was signed into law on July 6, 2012 and took effect on October 1, 2012. MAP-21
focuses on a streamlined and performance-based surface transportation program and
builds on many of the highway, transit, bike, and pedestrian programs and policies
established in 1991. MAP-21 is a two-year bill.
Planning Factors
The eight planning factors, listed below, closely reflect the Metropolitan
Transportation Plan Goals which are listed later in this section.








Support economic vitality of the metropolitan area, especially by enabling global
competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency;
Increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized
users;
Increase the security of the transportation system for motorized and nonmotorized users;
Increase the accessibility and mobility of people and for freight;
Protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve
the quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation
improvements and State and local planned growth and economic development
patterns;
Enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across
and between modes, for people and freight;
Promote efficient system management and operation; and
Emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system.
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Adopted on December 8, 2014
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.
Mobility 2040 Vision
The vision statement for the MTP was adopted by the TPB on October 28, 2013 and is as
follows:
The 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan will meet growing needs while:
 Ensuring environmental quality;
 Enhancing the safety of the traveling public;
 Fostering appropriate land use patterns;
 Advancing alternative modes of transportation; and,
 Increasing accessibility for all users.
Metropolitan Transportation Plan Goals
The following goals were also adopted by the TPB on October 28, 2013 and they
reflect the goals and values of citizens and stakeholders and guide the development of the
long range transportation plan for the region:

Identify opportunities to improve and enhance the regional transportation system
and preserve the investment in the existing transportation system.

Increase the efficiency of the transportation system and decrease traffic congestion.

Invest in a public transit system that meets the needs of the region.

Address the social and environmental issues of the region in transportation planning
efforts.

Support economic activity, employment growth and encourage innovative
partnerships.

Continue to facilitate the involvement and participation of communities, agencies,
organizations and the general public in the transportation planning process.

Ensure the transportation planning efforts are coordinated with local land use plans
to support future growth and development patterns.

Maintain a focus on safety.

Continue to pursue long-term, sustainable revenue sources to address regional
transportation system needs.
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Adopted on December 8, 2014
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Components of the Plan
Demographics and Scenario Planning
The basis of any effective planning effort rests primarily on a determination of the
area’s base year demographics (population, household size, employment, household
income, and land use) and future projections of these demographics. The MPO used 2010
as the base year for this update of the MTP and population projections out to year 2040 are
from the Texas State Data Center. The MPO actively engaged the public and policy
makers in a discussion of alternative growth plans or scenario planning for the region.
Public Involvement Process
The MPO believes in the proactive involvement of citizens, affected public agencies,
representatives of transportation agency employees, private providers of transportation,
and other interested parties in the development and updates of the MTP, the
Transportation Improvement Program and significant transportation studies.
A proactive approach to an effective public involvement process requires several
elements:





Early, continuous, and meaningful public involvement;
Reasonable public access to technical planning information;
Collaborative input on transportation alternatives, evaluation criteria and mitigation
needs;
Transportation planning meetings that are open to the public; and
Access to the planning and decision-making process.
The MPO assembled an oversight committee consisting of partner agencies, a
technical working group and a citizen advisory committee to assist in the update of the
Plan. The general public was kept apprised of the plan update process through various
visioning sessions, internet postings, articles in the MPO quarterly newsletter, and general
public meetings. Members of the news media were invited to each of the MTP Update
workshop sessions resulting in several articles in daily and weekly newspapers.
Additionally, articles describing the plan update process were published in the MPO’s biweekly electronic newsletter and distributed to the MPO’s e-mail list of more than 1,700
individuals and organizations.
The public has been involved in the planning process early, continuously, and in a
meaningful way. Members of the public were provided reasonable technical information
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November 14, 2014 MPO Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Package: Page 19 of 170
and collaboratively determined alternatives and solutions. This process made the public
true partners in creating the metropolitan area’s updated long range transportation plan.
Bicycle System
In the last five years the region has continued to see improvements and the
expansion of bicycle projects and programs. Regional leaders understand the importance
of creating and maintaining a multi-modal transportation system. Various goals and
objectives have been identified to ensure that this area continues to develop and implement
a comprehensive bicycle network.
The MPO has adopted the following vision statement for bicycling in the region:
The Alamo Area recognizes bicycling as a clean, healthy and affordable form of
transportation and recreation.
A comprehensive on-road and off-road bicycle network will make our community
a place where bicycling will be desirable for trips of all kinds by all segments of
the population.
The following goals support the adopted vision for a bicycle friendly community:
Goal 1
Institutionalize bicycling: recognize and incorporate bicycling as a significant and
required element for all transportation, land use, and economic development
planning.
Goal 2
Prioritize, fund and implement bicycle facilities that will increase ridership.
Facilities are the physical improvements to the region’s bicycle infrastructure and
include trails, bike lanes and bicycle parking.
Goal 3
Make bicycling safer through education, encouragement and enforcement: Grow
the program to educate elected officials and the general public concerning the
opportunities, benefits, and safety aspects of bicycling in the region.
Goal 4
Find the funding: identify and secure local, state, federal, private and grant
funding to expand and improve bicycle facilities and programs in the region.
Bicycling is a cost effective, energy efficient, clean, and a healthy way to travel. With
the growing concerns of congestion, air quality and the public interest in promoting
alternative transportation modes, the adoption of policies and performance measures that
encourage alternate transportation modes will aid in reducing congestion, improving air
quality, and enhancing the community’s quality of life. More information can be found in
Chapter 4 Bicycle System.
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Pedestrian System
There is a continued awareness and momentum toward improving pedestrian
facilities. In 2012, the MPO completed and adopted a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan that
defines an infrastructure tool box to make walking safer. As this momentum continues, we
are closer to developing a truly comprehensive pedestrian facilities system that will
accommodate pedestrian mobility needs. The following goals were adopted to meet
increasing pedestrian mobility needs.
Goal 1
Institutionalize transportation planning for pedestrians: recognize and incorporate
walking as a significant and required element for all persons.
Goal 2
Prioritize, fund and implement projects that improve safety, accessibility and
comfort for pedestrians so that walking is a convenient and viable option.
Goal 3
Make walking safer through education, encouragement and enforcement.
Goal 4
Identify and effectively use available funding.
Everyone is a pedestrian at one end or the other of their trips whether they are
commute or recreational trips. With the growing concerns of congestion, air quality and the
public interest in promoting alternative transportation modes, the adoption of policies and
performance measures that encourage alternate transportation modes will aid in reducing
congestion, improving air quality, and enhancing the community’s quality of life. More
information can be found in Chapter 5 Pedestrian System.
Public Transportation Services
VIA Metropolitan Transit (VIA) is a political subdivision of the State of Texas,
authorized by State Enabling Legislation to receive locally-generated sales tax income at a
rate not to exceed one percent and subject to approval by voters within the VIA service
area. VIA currently collects sales tax income at a rate of one-half percent as approved in
the November 1977 referendum that established VIA. VIA is also supported, to a much
smaller degree, by fare box revenue, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding,
advertising revenue, and interest income.
In 2003 the Texas Transportation Code legislating transit authorities was modified to
allow the creation of an Advanced Transportation District. This legislation allowed transit
authorities meeting specific criteria to call for an election to create an Advanced
Transportation District and to impose a sales tax for the purposes of advanced
transportation and mobility enhancements. On November 2, 2004, voters in Bexar County
approved a ¼-cent sales tax increase to fund the Advanced Transportation District. The
revenues from this sales tax are distributed as follows: 50% to the Advanced Transportation
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District (VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority), 25% to the participating municipality (City of
San Antonio), and 25% to the Texas Department of Transportation. This funding gives the
transportation community additional dollars to provide the citizens of this region more
transportation choices.
VIA is governed by an eleven member Board of Trustees. Five of the Trustees are
appointed by the City of San Antonio, three by Bexar County and two by the Greater Bexar
County Council of Cities. These appointed Trustees elect an eleventh person to serve as
Board Chairman.
The VIA service area is 1,226 square miles in size, which is equivalent to 98% of
Bexar County. It currently includes the City of San Antonio, thirteen suburban cities and the
unincorporated areas of Bexar County. Suburban cities located within the service area are
Alamo Heights, Balcones Heights, Castle Hills, China Grove, Converse, Elmendorf, Fair
Oaks Ranch, Grey Forest, Helotes, Hollywood Park, Kirby, Leon Valley, Olmos Park, St.
Hedwig, Shavano Park, Terrell Hills, and portions of Cibolo, Schertz, and Selma. Cities
entirely or partially located within Bexar County but which are not part of the VIA service
area are Hill Country Village, Live Oak, Lytle, Somerset, Universal City, Windcrest, Grey
Forest, Helotes, and Hollywood Park.
As of 2014, VIA serves 7,080 bus stops and 91 bus lines, transit centers and park
and ride facilities. VIA’s operational fleet consists of 450 buses, comprising 217 North
American Bus Industries (NABI) diesel buses, four NABI compressed natural gas busses,
176 New Flyer diesel buses, 30 New Flyer diesel-electric hybrid buses, 3 Proterra electric
buses, and 14 Optima streetcars. VIA operates 104 vans for its VIAtrans service.
The San Antonio region faces many challenges in the area of public transportation.
While VIA has long been one of the most financially efficient transit systems in the country,
its fiscal constraints and service area characteristics somewhat limit what it can offer.
However, VIA is currently working on a long range comprehensive transportation plan for
the region that looks at the needs of the region and how the region is best served with
different modes of traditional transit and high-capacity transit.
Additionally, work continues for the Lone Star Rail District and on the High Speed
Rail Study as future transportation options for the region.
Roadway Needs
As population and employment continue to grow in the San Antonio metropolitan
area, a greater burden will be placed on the transportation system. To accommodate traffic
increases on the roadway system, additional lanes and operational improvements will be
needed. In addition to congestion levels, factors considered when developing the future
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year roadway network included impacts to neighborhoods, acceptability by the public,
environmental concerns and fiscal constraints.
The proposed roadway system improvements in the MTP are limited by the amount
of funding available, or revenue that can be reasonably expected over the 25-year life of
the MTP. While more improvements are necessary than funding available, the roadway
projects selected address the most congested areas of the MPO study area.
Even with the anticipated investment made over the next twenty-five years in
transportation infrastructure, regional traffic congestion is expected to increase.
Transportation demand management strategies will become increasingly important and,
when implemented, can have a positive effect on growth, land use, travel patterns and
travel behavior.
Freight Movement
There has been a dramatic increase in goods movement across the United States
via heavy duty trucks and an accompanying increase in truck traffic in the San Antonio
region, especially along IH 35 and IH10. On November 7, 2013 the MPO hosted two freight
workshops at which regional freight and logistics stakeholders provided input, generating a
large amount of data needed for the Mobility 2040 plan.
NAFTA related trade as well as freight and good movements from the East and
West coasts along IH 10 will continue to impact the San Antonio metropolitan area. The
growth in freight movement and the growth in local population and employment will
increase the level of service on local freeways. Planning agencies in this region
understand that transportation planning efforts must increase the focus on freight
movement in order to improve the area’s transportation system.
Environmental Concerns
Environmental issues in transportation planning continue to be a priority.
Environmental issues are required to be considered in the transportation planning process
in order to mitigate negative impacts to valued resources including wildlife, water sources,
agricultural land and floodplains. The Planning and Environmental Linkages guidelines
underscore the importance of consideration for the environment.
Air quality issues also play a major role in metropolitan transportation planning. One
of the main contributing factors to poor air quality is vehicle emissions. Although not yet
designated “non-attainment for ozone’ the MPO will need to ensure projects and programs
are in place to meet federal air quality standards. MPOs must also ensure that emissions
from transportation projects will not adversely impact the air quality in the region.
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Congestion Management Process
Although the San Antonio region is not considered one of the most congested areas
in the country, it has been identified as having one of the fastest growing congestion levels.
The average citizen in San Antonio spends more than 38 hours stuck in traffic each year,
an increase of 58% over the past decade (Urban Mobility Study, Texas Transportation
Institute, 2014). Congestion is a major contributor to air quality concerns and overall
efficiency of the area wide transportation system. With non-attainment of air quality
standards imminent for this area, congestion management strategies and transportation
control measures must be applied effectively toward relieving a substantial portion of these
concerns.
Goals of the Congestion Management Process are to:
Goal 1
Increase the efficiency of the existing transportation system and decrease traffic
congestion through coordination of traffic operations and development of
strategies to reduce travel demand at both the regional and corridor levels.
Goal 2
Reduce congestion through a project selection and implementation process that
encourages the use of multi-modal of transportation.
Environmental Justice
The MPO is charged with planning for transportation and mobility at the regional
level and including all members of the community in those plans. MPOs must assess the
potential impacts to natural, cultural and socioeconomic resources including Title VI
(environmental justice communities), air and water quality, land use and vegetation/
agricultural implications at the planning and project development levels as required by the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969.
Environmental Justice planning is applied throughout the entire MTP and
considered in the development of the three planning scenarios, environmental concerns
specifically air and water quality, public transportation services, the development of the
roadway network and the cumulative and indirect effects of potential managed lanes and
toll and managed lane facilities in the region. Environmental Justice is part of overall public
involvement and outreach efforts and is needed for effective transportation decision
making.
Technical Data and Analysis
For development of the MTP it becomes extremely important in planning to know the
travel demand on the roadway system and to determine how people will travel throughout
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the region. Two computer models are used to analyze regional data for transportation
planning purposes, the Travel Demand Model and the Mode Choice Model.
Geographic Information Systems or GIS uses computer hardware, software and
data capturing to display geographically referenced information. GIS allows people to view,
analyze and most importantly visualize data related to transportation programs and
projects.
Financial Constraint
The transportation system in the MPO study area requires maintenance and
enhancement to meet the mobility needs of people and goods for the 25-year horizon of
this plan. To meet the growing travel needs, it is necessary to identify reasonable and
available federal, state, and local transportation funds, both public and private. Traditional
transportation funds are available through a variety of sources, many of which contain
restrictions on how they can be used and/or allocated. In addition, it is also necessary to
estimate relevant expenses including capital for both maintenance and operation of the
system.
A number of issues and events occurred that have brought great awareness to the
state of transportation financing and future funding streams. Even with a multi-billion dollar
investment in our region’s transportation infrastructure, the congestion levels will continue
to increase at a faster rate than funding is made available. The fact remains that
transportation needs far outweigh available funding resources, but as demand increases, it
is essential to develop a fiscally constrained, prioritized and acceptable list of transportation
improvement projects for the community.
Project List:
The project lists reflect consultation with the public, implementing agencies and other
affected stakeholders. The MPO has undertaken an extensive amount of technical and
financial analysis to arrive at the list of projects contained in this plan. The roadway and
transit project lists meet MAP-21 planning requirements of financial constraint with
projected financial resources available over the next 25 years. The financially constrained
revenue and expenditure summary can be found in Table ES.1. Lump sum figures have
been included in the project list to allow for some flexibility in safety, bicycle and pedestrian
projects as well as roadway preservation over the next 25 years. The MTP and the project
list can be revised, as necessary, to meet the changing needs of the community. It is
important to note this financially constrained plan will not eliminate congestion. Levels of
congestion are projected to continue to grow.
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Introduction
Transportation is one of the most important factors to maintaining and enhancing
both individual and regional quality of life. Over the next 25 years, the Alamo Area
Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) study area will add over 450,000 new jobs and
welcome over 1.5 million new residents, increasing the estimated population to 3.4 million.
In order to address the mobility challenges created from such growth this updated
Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) with the horizon year of 2040 was developed. The
plan aims to set forth a vision for a regional transportation system that better connects
roadways, transit routes, bicycle and pedestrian facilities and provides easy access to get
to and from home, work, school, hospitals, shopping centers and recreational facilities.
The long range transportation plan, or MTP, was developed in a continuing,
comprehensive and coordinated manner and reflects the ongoing planning and project
development efforts for implementation of transportation policies, programs and projects.
The MTP is the basic framework for the MPO’s continuous, comprehensive, and
coordinated regional transportation planning efforts for the next 25 years. It serves as the
region’s blueprint for the efficient, safe and convenient transportation of people and goods
in consonance with the metropolitan area's overall economic, social, energy and
environmental goals. Special effort is made to provide improved access for all citizens to a
variety of transportation choices including alternatives to single occupant vehicles; provision
for an effective and efficient public transit system; and the continuous involvement of the
public in the transportation planning process. The transportation improvement projects in
the 2040 MTP focus on a multi-modal system and include roadway, transit,
bicycle/pedestrian facilities and rideshare for the region.
Legislative Background for the Plan
Transportation planning by MPOs dates back to the passage of the Federal Highway
Act of 1962, requiring urbanized areas with populations of 50,000 or more to develop and
maintain a comprehensive, cooperative and continuing regional transportation planning
process. Accordingly, in 1963, San Antonio, Bexar County and the Texas Department of
Highways (now the Texas Department of Transportation, TxDOT) established the San
Antonio - Bexar County Urban Transportation Study (SABCUTS). In August 1977, the
Governor of Texas designated the SABCUTS Steering Committee as the Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO) for San Antonio and Bexar County area. In 2013 the MPO
expanded its boundaries to include all of Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe counties and a portion
of Kendall County as shown in Figure 1. The MPO serves as the forum for cooperative and
regional transportation planning and decision-making by officials of the urban area's local
governments and transportation agencies.
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Figure 1. Alamo Area MPO Study Area Boundary
In 1991, the passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act
(ISTEA) marked a significant change of the roles for MPOs and the Metropolitan
Transportation Plan. The role of planning was strengthened and the MTP was designated
to serve as the instrument for a centralized decision-making process for the development of
metropolitan transportation systems. In 1998 Congress passed the Transportation Equity
Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) building on the initiatives established in ISTEA.
Building upon and strengthening previous legislation, in 2005 the Safe, Accountable,
Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) was
signed into law. SAFETEA-LU continued the concepts established in ISTEA and TEA-21.
Following SAFETEA-LU, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act ( MAP21) was signed into law on July 6, 2012. MAP-21 focuses on a streamlined and
performance-based surface transportation program and builds on many of the highway,
transit, bike, and pedestrian programs and policies established in 1991.
MAP-21, as in the previous federal transportation bills, contains eight factors that
must be considered in the transportation planning process. The MPO’s planning process is
continuous, cooperative and comprehensive and meets the following federal guidelines:
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
Support economic vitality of the metropolitan area, especially by enabling global
competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency
One of the MTP’s goals is to invest in the development of a regional
transportation system that serves to increase mobility and efficiency of the
movement of people and goods. Land use patterns influence transportation
alternatives and strategies that, in turn, influence productivity, efficiency and the
economic vitality of the region. Continued population and employment growth,
as the region is experiencing, will also influence the region’s economic growth.

Increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and non-motorized
users
Specific actions to increase the safety and security of non-motorized users that
are recommended by the MTP include developing off-road bicycle facilities, and
for pedestrians, to consider distance from curb, signage, drainage, slope, speed
limits, pedestrian crossings and signals, and education of the traveling public.
For both non-motorized and motorized users, coordinating traffic operations and
implementing strategies to reduce travel demand at the regional and corridor
levels will increase the safety of the traveling public. MPO staff has an on-going
effort to use the state’s Crash Records Information System (CRIS) data set and
present safety related information to stakeholders.

Increase the security of the transportation system for motorized and nonmotorized users
The MTP includes transportation planning information related to the Congestion
Management Process (CMP) that helps identify, assess, promote and assist with
implementation of intelligent transportation systems such as the TransGuide
system. Additionally, other advanced technologies, such as the vehicle locating
and communication systems on-board VIA Metropolitan’s Transit’s buses,
provide an additional level of both safety and security both on the buses, and as
a continually roving eye throughout the community. These technologies promote
a more secure and functional transportation system and support national goals
and efforts.

Increase the accessibility and mobility of people and for freight
The MTP includes other transportation modes such as the rideshare program
and Bus Rapid Transit, which reduce the dependency on single occupant
vehicles. Accessibility and mobility opportunities are enhanced by continuing to
develop and upgrade bicycle and pedestrian facilities and other modes of
transportation. The MPO has also expanded its efforts in freight planning.
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
Protect and enhance the environment, promote energy conservation, improve
the quality of life, and promote consistency between transportation
improvements and State and local planned growth and economic development
patterns
The MTP encourages the implementation of strategies to protect and enhance
the environment and quality of life. Specific strategies include encouraging
denser development patterns, the development of multi-modal transportation
modes such as improved transit service and encouraging non-motorized vehicle
travel. Other efforts include conversion of fleets to alternative fuels, and specific
activities that are implemented on Air Quality Health Alert Days.

Enhance the integration and connectivity of the transportation system, across
and between modes, for people and freight
Integration and connectivity of the transportation system is enhanced by
additional sidewalk construction; designating bicycle lanes or bicycle paths;
providing accessible transit service; providing adequate levels of transit service;
and providing passenger amenities to facilitate a transfer between transportation
modes. Real time travel information for both roadway and transit travel can also
greatly improve the usability of the transportation system.

Promote efficient system management and operation
Through the Congestion Management Process (see Chapter 10), efficient
system management and operation strategies are identified. Operational
Management strategies included are the TransGuide System, Freight
Management, and Corridor Management. Community campaigns include
Rideshare programs, telecommuting, and trip planning. Policy Management
strategies include Growth Management and Parking Management. Additionally,
the MPO has funded several traffic signal re-timing studies as an effective
strategy in managing the transportation system.

Emphasize the preservation of the existing transportation system.
Many of the strategies outlined previously are effective in promoting efficient
preservation of the existing transportation system. Preservation of the existing
transportation system can also be encouraged through preservation of rights-ofway, such as abandoned rail corridors, which may be needed for future
transportation corridors
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MAP-21 Performance Management
MAP-21 instituted Performance Management to provide greater accountability and
transparency and help achieve the most efficient and effective investment of transportation
resources. The Secretary, in consultation with stakeholders, will establish performance
measures to chart progress toward accomplishment of national goals established in MAP21: safety, infrastructure condition, congestion reduction, system reliability, freight
movement and economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and reduced project delivery
delays. Performance targets established by the State and MPO will be based on national
performance measures and will improve decision making through performance-based
planning and programming. The MPO staff continues to closely follow national and state
developments in performance measurement and plans to include performance goals in the
2014 Metropolitan Transportation Plan Update.
The MPO believes in the proactive involvement of citizens, affected public agencies,
representatives of transportation agency employees, private providers of transportation,
and other interested parties in the development and updates of transportation plans and
programs. This document outlines programs and studies funded through MAP-21 that will
help achieve the MAP-21 national goals.
Mobility 2040 Vision
The 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan will meet growing mobility needs while:
 Ensuring environmental quality
 Enhancing the safety of the traveling public:
 Fostering appropriate land use patterns;
 Advancing alternative modes of transportation; and,
 Increasing accessibility of all users.
Metropolitan Transportation Plan Goals
The following are goals adopted by the TPB and they reflect the goals and values of
citizens and stakeholders and guide the development of the long range transportation plan
for the region:

Identify opportunities to improve and enhance the regional transportation
system and preserve the investment in the existing transportation system.

Increase the efficiency of the transportation system and decrease traffic
congestion.

Invest in a public transit system that meets the needs of the region.
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
Address the social and environmental issues of the region in transportation
planning efforts.

Support economic activity, employment growth and encourage innovative
partnerships.

Continue to facilitate the involvement and participation of communities,
agencies, organizations and the general public in the transportation planning
process.

Ensure the transportation planning efforts are coordinated with local land use
plans to support future growth and development patterns.

Maintain a focus on safety.

Continue to pursue long-term, sustainable revenue sources to address
regional transportation system needs.
How is the Plan Developed?
The MPO is charged with coordinating transportation planning for the region. The
MPO is led by the Transportation Policy Board (TPB), and tasked with development of the
long range transportation plan. The TPB provides coordination with regional stakeholders
therefore making the MTP a collaborative effort between the MPO, public involvement and
technical consultant teams, city and county governments, the Alamo Regional Mobility
Authority, the Advanced Transportation District, the Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT), VIA Metropolitan Transit, community based organizations, interest groups and
stakeholders, and the region’s citizens.
The starting point for the development of the MTP is considering the impacts of
future growth, land use and demands on the transportation system. Looking out to the year
2040 demographic data was examined and three possible growth scenarios, representing
different types of development patterns were developed for the region. The growth
scenarios look at how the region will change and develop, where people will live and work
and where and how they will travel to and from their destinations. The growth scenarios aim
to present the projected impacts of different types of development and emphasize the
differences between the three scenarios.
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The three growth scenarios include:

Scenario 1 (15 year trend): population and employment follow a trend seen over
the past 15 or more years including primarily low density development in suburban
areas.

Scenario 2 (5 year trend): follows recent (past 5 years) trend, for Bexar County this
is infill development that is primarily medium- to higher-density and supports
increased use of alternative modes of transportation; for Comal, Guadalupe, and
Kendall Counties this shows development patterns similar to the 15 year trend.

Scenario 3 (Activity Centers/Corridors): population and employment growth
occurs at activity centers and key transportation corridors, produces the highest
density of the three scenarios, results in people living closer to where they work,
increases active transportation modes and transit use.
The 2040 MTP reflects the desired growth and transportation goals and values for
the region, and recognizes that growth and change will continue and all citizens, local
entities and stakeholders can make positive contributions toward preparing for that change.
Using the adopted growth scenario, an important element of the MTP is to determine
how billions of dollars in federal, state, and local transportation funds should be spent over
the next 25 years. The region’s population is expected to increase by 71% between 2010
and 2040 and employment is expected to increase by 92% between 2010 and 2040.
Therefore, even with billions of dollars of investment in transportation infrastructure and
other surface transportation needs, the congestion levels will increase faster than available
funding. Given that overall transportation needs far outweigh available funding sources,
public input is essential to developing an acceptable list of transportation improvement
projects for the community.
Consistency with Other Local Plans and Programs
Numerous plans and studies were reviewed as part of the development of this Plan:






The City of San Antonio’s Master Plan
Bicycle Master Plan + Implementation
New Braunfels Future Land Use Plan, Bikeway and Trail Master Plan and
Comprehensive Plan
City of Boerne Master Plan and Land Use Development Plan
Mission Verde Plan
VIA SmartWaySA Long Range Transportation Plan
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







the Advanced Transportation District goals,
the Congestion Management Process
Center City Strategic Framework Plan
SA 2020
HemisFair Park Area Master Plan
Downtown Transportation Study,
San Antonio-Bexar County Pedestrian Safety Action Plan
City of Seguin Comprehensive Master Plan
were specifically considered in the development of the MTP.
The document represents the planning efforts of numerous transportation agency staff
working with technical and public involvement consultant teams, elected and appointed
governmental officials, and community-based organizations and private citizens over a
three-year period. The planning process has been continuing, comprehensive, coordinated
and fully inclusive. The 2040 MTP aims to improve the transportation system through new
and efficient connections and to better move people throughout the region. Transportation
planning, projects and policies must be coordinated to avoid increasing traffic congestion,
reducing mobility and decreasing quality of life. The MTP is a flexible and dynamic
document, and amendable as regional conditions change. The document will be reviewed
and updated every five years or as required by federal regulations.
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1. Demographic Development
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years
The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) continually improves
upon its’ demographic forecasting processes and methodology. For this update of the
Metropolitan Transportation Plan, three demographic scenarios: 1) 15-year Past Trend,
2) 5-Year Past Trend and 3) Activity Centers were developed, tested for their impacts
on the transportation system and received a significant amount of public review prior to
the MPO’s Transportation Policy Board selecting a growth scenario in March 2014 to
use in the development of the Plan. The selected growth scenario for the entire MPO
study area is the 5-Year Past Trend. The refinement of demographic forecasting
procedures will continue to be a priority for the MPO.
Background
The basis of any effective planning effort rests primarily on a determination of the
area’s base year demographics (population, household size, employment, household
income, and land use) and future projections of these demographics. The MPO used
2010 as the base year for this update of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) to
include 2010 census data and workforce development data. Source of future year
population control totals at the county level were from the Texas State Data Center.
Employment projections were calculated using a locally developed formula that more
realistically linked population with employment data for both the urban, suburban and
rural counties.
The process for forecasting future growth in population and employment is not an
exact science. Multiple forecasting models exist with differing assumptions and results.
What is needed for the transportation planning process is a “comfort level” with the
demographic control totals used to predict future travel. The tendency is to be more
comfortable with the recent trends. If the economy is doing well and jobs and housing
are expanding, the tendency is to select an optimistic forecast. The tendency to select
a conservative forecast usually occurs if the current or most recent trend is decreasing
or if a flat economy exists. Upturns and downturns in the economy occur in cycles that,
over a 20 or 30-year time span, tend to counteract each other. That is why annualized
growth rates are important indicators for long term demographic projections.
If a conservative approach is taken and selected control totals are too low then
the risk is to be behind in planning for needed infrastructure. If the control totals are too
optimistic, this could result in a false or premature justification for roadway and/or transit
infrastructure improvements.
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While area-wide demographic control totals were readily available, these figures
needed to be disaggregated to census tracts and eventually to the traffic analysis zone
level for use in the travel demand model. It should be noted that while the allocation
model used for the disaggregation process will produce an estimate of what may
happen in the future, there is no way to predict the occurrence of unforeseeable
changes that would affect the future distribution of employment and population. This, in
part, necessitates that the forecast be reviewed and updated on a regular interval. The
adopted population and employment control totals are shown in Tables 1. And 1.2.
Table 1.1 Population Control Totals by County
2010
Population
2040
# Growth
% Change
Bexar County
1,714,773
2,747,163
1,032,390
60%
Comal County
108,472
260,133
151,661
140%
Guadalupe County
131,533
334,026
202,493
154%
33,410
62,821
29,411
88%
1,988,188
3,404,143
1,415,955
71%
Kendall County
Total Region
Table 1.2 Employment Control Totals by County
Employment
2010
2040
# Growth
% Change
Bexar County
781,905
1,448,533
666,628
85%
Comal County
42,740
108,553
65,813
154%
Guadalupe County
33,929
94,288
60,359
178%
Kendall County
11,902
23,083
11,181
94%
870,476
1,674,457
803,981
92%
Total Region
The demographic forecasting output at the traffic analysis zone level for each
future year increment is the result of a joint effort by the transportation planning
agencies in the study area. Concurrence by these agencies on future demographics is
necessary for a successful Plan and concurrence ensures minimizing duplication of
effort in data development and maximizes local confidence in demographic forecasts.
Additional detail on the scenario planning activities in support of the development
of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan can be found in Chapter 2 Scenario Planning.
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TELUM
While the MPO has explored other demographic forecasting models, the
software package TELUM was again used for this update of the Plan. TELUM is an
evolution of the DRAM (Disaggregated Residential Allocation Model) and EMPAL
(Employment Allocation Model) package and combines employment, residence location,
transportation networks, and land consumption in a single comprehensive package
embedded in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment.
The overall concept of the TELUM forecasting process can be stated simply: the
model allocates the total growth in employment, households, and land use for an area
into its sub-regional component zones. This allocation is made possible by using
regional trends, transportation facility descriptions, and data on current location of
employment and households. The required data for the TELUM model runs include
current census of population and employment by place of work, total future population
and employment, travel times between zones and current land use information. The
forecasts are done in five-year increments with one forecast becoming input to the next
five-year forecast.
One of the integral components of the TELUM forecasting process is land use.
This model incorporates a connection between land use and the transportation system.
In order to develop this data as input into the model, staff acquired a computerized
parcel file and database files from each county’s appraisal districts. The files were
processed to assign the land use designated on each parcel in each county. The land
use in each of the counties was then checked manually using the most current aerial
photos. Finally, in Comal, Guadalupe, and Kendall, maps were sent to the appropriate
offices for local review. In the case of Wilson, a meeting was held where city and
county staff assembled and marked up the map in one afternoon. Table 1.3 shows the
distribution of land uses by category in the MPO study area in 2010.
Table 1.3 MPO Study Area Land Use Distribution
Land Use Category
Number of Acres
Percent of Total Acreage
Residential
365,000
15%
Commercial
70,000
3%
Industrial
35,000
1%
Streets
113,000
5%
1,573,000
63%
326,500
13%
2,482,500
100%
Vacant Developable
Vacant Non-Developable
Total
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In addition to local area knowledge of on-going developments in the area, staff
collected data from the City of San Antonio’s Planning and Community Development
Department, Center City Development Office, citywide building permits issued since
2010, San Antonio Water System, and the Bexar Appraisal District to assess near term
growth patterns in the area. Updated aerial photography was also reviewed, as it
became available, for new developments under construction.
As another one of the model inputs, median household income for the base year
was gathered from the 2010 Census. The information was used to divide households
into four income groups as needed for TELUM. The model specifies a roughly equal
grouping of incomes; therefore, each of the categories roughly equate to 25% of the
total number of households any given county. An example of the four income
categories is shown in Table 1.4 are for Bexar County. Each county has its own similar
breakpoint based on incomes in the county.
Table 1.4 Income Level Categories
Category
Low
Low-moderate
High-moderate
High
Income Level
$0 - $24,999
$25,000 - $44,999
$45,000 - $74,999
$75,000+
Population: 2010-2040
The base year input for TELUM was 2010. Since the travel demand model
requires population and employment by traffic analysis zones (TAZ), the final
forecasting output was at the TAZ level. The population control totals for Bexar County
(forecasted number of persons in the study area) for the MPO Study Area, in five-year
increments to year 2040, are from the Texas State Data Center (TXSDC) 2012 county
forecast.
The control totals for Bexar County were approved by the MPO
Transportation Policy Board in February 2013. The population control totals for the other
counties in the MPO’s travel demand model (Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall and Wilson
counties) were from the Texas State Data Center. These counties approved their
control totals between November 2012 and January 2013. It should be noted that the
figures approved in Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe counties represent the 1.0 scenario
while the figure for Kendall represents an interpolated .75 migration scenario. By way of
clarification, the TXSDC forecasts were produced using the traditional cohort
component method (birth/death and migration) with their differentiation between
forecasts having to do with variations in migration. Besides the “strawman” zero
migration scenario, TXSDC produced the .5 and the 1.0 migration scenarios. The 1.0
assumes that migration that occurred between 2000 and 2010 will continue into 2040.
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Consequently, the .5 assumes that only half the decade-long growth will continue into
the future.
TELUM requires the number of persons in future years as a control total and it
uses that number to predict the number of households. This is, in part, because
households are the group unit where data is available for modeling the relationship
between employment and people. Not everyone is employed at a given time and they
are usually part of a family or housing relationship. Households are the way the
software groups persons; they may not always be part of a family (as defined by the
Census Bureau), but they are always part of a household.
A map showing population growth between 2010 and 2040 can be found in
Figure 1.1 and the year 2010 population distribution and adopted forecast 2040
population are provided in Figures 1.2 and 1.3.
Figure 1.1 Population Growth: Years 2010 - 2040
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Figure 1.2 2010 Population Distribution
Figure 1.3 2040 Population Forecast
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For further information, the 2010 population and the forecast 2040 population are
shown at the traffic analysis zone level in Figures 1.4 and 1.5.
Figure 1.4
2010 Population at the Traffic Analysis Zone Level
Figure 1.5
2040 Population Forecast at the Traffic Analysis Zone Level
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Income: 2010-2040
Income is also used in generating ratios of households by income and
employment type. The income forecasted by TELUM however, is not used by the travel
demand model as input since it generates its own from an estimate of median income at
the TAZ level. For the 2010 base year, the median household income figure was taken
from the latest available census data which was 2006-2010. Where the census
geography lined up with the TAZ geography, the census figure was used. However,
where there was overlap with other geography, a weighted average income was
calculated from the median values of the different geographic area(s). For the 2040
forecast, a median household income growth figure was derived from an analysis of 25
year trends in Bexar County. Household income estimates from the 1980-2000
decennial census were adjusted for inflation to 2005 dollars using the Consumer Price
Index and compared to the ACS data. A trend line was established and a growth
percentage calculated and applied to the incomes for 2040.
Employment: 2010-2040
A primary source of base year employment information was Info USA’s employer
file for 2010. This 50,000+ file was geocoded and manually checked for accuracy for
each county. Supplementing the Info USA file was the Texas Workforce Commission's
(TWC) 4th Quarter, 2009 data. As with the previous file, the TWC records were geocoded based on the addresses provided. Where street addresses were not available,
businesses were looked up using the internet. In the case of Wilson County, city and
county staff reviewed the location of businesses when they reviewed land use.
The forecasted employment control totals, in five-year increments to year 2040,
are calculated by a regression analysis prepared internally. This equation maintains the
relationship between employment and population growth in the region. The equation is:
EMP2POP = 0.833447 + (.000055*POPDEN) - (0.14572*HHSIZE) - (0.14919 * BR), where the
Dependent Variable = EMP2POP, which is County Employment / County Population, and the
Independent Variables = POPDEN, which is County Population / Square Miles,
HHSIZE is Countywide Persons per Household, and
BR is a dummy variable (either 1 or 0) to describe "Bedroom" Counties
The employment forecast totals for Bexar County were approved by the MPO
Transportation Policy Board in February 2013. The employment forecast for Comal,
Guadalupe, Kendall and Wilson counties was approved by the individual counties during
the same timeframe as the population control totals.
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The TELUM model requires that employment be delineated into at least four and
not more than eight different employment categories. The employment categories are
shown in Table 1.5.
Table 1.5 Employment Categories
Category
Type of Employment
1
Basic
2
Retail
3
Service
4
Education
A map showing employment growth between 2010 and 2040 can be found in
Figure 1.6 and the year 2010 population distribution and adopted forecast 2040
population are provided in Figures 1.7 and 1.8.
Figure 1.6 Employment Growth: Years 2010 - 2040
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Figure 1.7 2010 Employment Distribution
Figure 1.8 2040 Total Employment Density by Traffic Analysis Zone
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For further information, the 2010 employment and the forecast 2040 employment
are shown at the traffic analysis zone level in Figures 1.9 and 1.10.
Figure 1.9
Figure 1.10
2010 Employment at the Traffic Analysis Zone Level
2040 Employment Forecast at the Traffic Analysis Zone Level
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2.
Scenario Planning
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years
For this update of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the Alamo Area
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) again used scenario planning as an integral
part of the planning process. The scenario development process for the expanded
MPO boundary was a much more inclusive process and the selected scenario is more
reasonable than the one selected for the 2009 Plan. For this update of the Plan, three
demographic scenarios: 1) 15-year Past Trend, 2) 5-Year Past Trend and 3) Activity
Centers were developed, tested for their impacts on the transportation system and
received a significant amount of public review prior to the MPO’s Transportation Policy
Board unanimously adopting a growth scenario on March 24, 2014 to use in the
development of the Plan. The selected scenario reflects population and employment
growth patterns that have been occurring primarily over the past five years.
Background
By 2040 an additional 1.5 million people will raise the region’s population to over
3.4 million bringing another million motor vehicles to already congested roadways. The
MPO planning process to update the long range transportation plan relies on the
development and evaluation of population and employment growth scenarios for the
region.
Scenario Planning was initiated to engage residents and policy makers in a
discussion of the region’s future growth and development patterns. Scenario planning
enhances the traditional transportation planning process by raising awareness of
citizens and decision makers of the factors that affect growth and impact our
transportation system. Factors include an aging population, land use policies,
economics, and environmental concerns. In scenario planning, citizens and policy
makers are asked to consider alternative approaches, or “scenarios” to shaping the
region and understanding the differences between each approach. The ultimate goal is
to create a sustained quality of life for citizens and visitors in our region.
Scenario planning enables communities and transportation agencies to better
prepare for the future. It highlights the major forces that may shape the future and
identifies how the various forces might interact, rather than attempting to predict one
specific outlook. As a result, regional decision makers are prepared to recognize various
forces to make more informed decisions in the present and be better able to adjust and
strategize to meet tomorrow's needs.
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The growth scenarios also help to:
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Explore how decisions today might affect future outcomes,
Understand how external factors beyond our control may impact the future,
Ask “what it would take” to achieve certain outcomes,
Spark people’s imaginations about possible futures; and ultimately
Identify a preferred scenario
The premise of scenario planning is that it is better to get the future imprecisely
right than to get the future precisely wrong. Predictions of the future are never exactly
correct. Rather than picking one definitive picture of the future and planning for that
future, scenario planning allows a region to consider various possibilities and identify
policies that can adapt to changing circumstances. Scenarios do not describe a
forecasted end but are stories about future conditions that convey a range of possible
outcomes. The scenario planning process can help people understand the forces of
change and the choices they have.
Three Growth Scenarios
Scenario 1 (15 year trend)
Assumptions




Population and employment follow a
trend seen over the past 15 years
Primarily low density development
People live in the suburbs and work in
the central city
Consistent with current land use plans
and policies
Pros
 Little needs to change or happen to drive
this growth pattern because it is
consistent with current market-driven
development patterns
Cons


Increased distance between housing and jobs leads to increased vehicle miles
traveled and contributes to hours of delay
Highest cost of infrastructure to support this scenario
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Scenario 2 (5 year trend)
Assumptions



Follows recent (past 5 years) trend
For Bexar County this is infill
development that is primarily
medium- to higher-density and
supports
increased
use
of
alternative modes of transportation
For Comal, Guadalupe and Kendall
counties this shows development
patterns similar to the 15 year trend
Pros


More sustainable development
pattern
Initial groundwork is there to
support continued infill in Bexar
County and to explore infill in other counties
Cons



Counties do not have zoning capabilities
Requires changes in attitudes towards land use and transportation
Needs to be supported through policy
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Scenario 3 (Activity Centers/Corridors)
Assumptions




Population and employment growth
occurs at activity centers and key
transportation corridors
Produces highest density of the
three scenarios
Results in people living closer to
where they work
Increases
active
transportation
modes and transit use
Pros
 More
sustainable
development
pattern
 People live closer to where they
work so they travel shorter
distances
Cons
 Counties do not have zoning capabilities
 Requires changes in attitudes towards land use and transportation
 Needs to be supported through more pro-active policy decisions and economic
incentives for developers and employers—it is the hardest to implement
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Table 2.1 shows the comparison between the 2010 base year and the three
population and employment growth scenarios.
Table 2.1 Comparison of the 2010 Base Year
and three Proposed Population and Employment Growth Scenarios
Performance Measure
Total Daily Vehicle Miles of
Travel
Total Daily Vehicle Hours of
Travel
Total Daily Vehicle Hours of
Delay
Total Daily Cost of Delay
Average System Speed
Additional Lane Mile Equivalents
(to maintain current levels of
congestion)
Construction Costs
(to maintain current levels of
congestion)
2010 Base
Year
15 Year
Trend
5 Year
Trend
Activity
Centers
48,896,300
98,486,800
97,754,600
93,032,300
1,722,400
7,235,900
6,055,600
5,548,400
385,600
4,358,100
3,218,700
2,837,000
$6,474,100 $73,172,500
$54,041,200
$47,632,900
28 mph
14 mph
16 mph
17 mph
840
8,976
8,189
7,690
$1.95B
$25.17B
$21.74B
$21.60B
Growth Scenario Adoption
On March 24, 2014, the MPO Transportation Policy Board adopted Scenario 2
with certain refinements as the population and employment growth scenario to use in
the update of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
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3.
Public Involvement Process
Accomplishments over the Past Five Years
The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) continues to have a
strong public participation program by taking advantage of new technologies and
opportunities. The MPO continues its Walkable Community Program with workshops,
safety classes, bike rodeos and bicycle helmet distribution; in-house development of
English and Spanish language videos and public service announcements as well as
English and Spanish language brochures; the MPO continues to publish its bi-weekly enewsletter “Fast Track” and also continues to translate its quarterly newsletter to Spanish.
The MPO also maintains a Facebook page, uses Twitter, and continually enhances its
website. All committee (Transportation Policy Board, Technical Advisory Committee,
Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee and Pedestrian Mobility Advisory Committee) meeting
materials are posted on the website one week prior to the meetings and are open to the
public..
The MPO updated its Public Participation Plan and developed a Limited English
Proficiency Plan which was adopted by the Transportation Policy Board in December 2012.
The MPO hosts a monthly regional Public Information Officers meeting where information is
shared and events are cross-promoted. The MPO also participates several times a month
in other organizations’ activities such as health fairs, Earth Day, Solar Fest and other
events.
The MPO also conducts outreach to school age children through the annual GIS Day
event. Other newly developed outreach methods are V! News which is a monthly video
presentation of upcoming events and activities throughout the month and “MPO Kids”, a
series of informational comic strips, developed in-house, on air quality, safety, bicycling,
walking, and riding the bus. Each comic strip includes a crossword and word search puzzle.
MPO staff also initiated a program of visiting senior centers, particularly those in
environmental justice areas, and making presentations in English and Spanish as needed.
Staff also developed an “MPO Loteria” game to familiarize seniors with transportation topics
and services.
Lastly the MPO completed successful public outreach efforts in the development of
the FY 2015-2018 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and this update of the
Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) in the recently expanded MPO study area
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Background
The MPO’s mission is to provide a continuous, comprehensive and coordinated (“3C”) regional transportation planning process for the safe and efficient movement of people
and goods consistent with the community’s overall economic, social and environmental
goals.
The MPO believes in the proactive involvement of citizens, affected public agencies,
representatives of transportation agency employees, private providers of transportation,
and other interested parties in the development and updates of the MTP. Effective public
involvement is integrated throughout the entire process. A proactive approach to an
effective public involvement process requires several elements:
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Early, continuous, and meaningful public involvement;
Reasonable public access to technical planning information;
Collaborative input on transportation alternatives, evaluation criteria and
mitigation needs;
Transportation planning meetings that are open to the public; and
Access to the planning and decision-making process prior to closure.
Environmental Justice
In 1994 Executive Order No. 12898: Federal Action to Address Environmental
Justice (EJ) in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations was issued. Executive
Order 12898 expands on the Title VI Civil Rights Legislation and promotes
nondiscrimination in federal programs that substantially affect human health and the
environment. In addition, the order provides minority and low-income communities access
to public information and opportunity for public participation in related matters. All programs
that receive funding from federal agencies require Environmental Justice consideration in
accordance with federal law.
More specifically, Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful
involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to
the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws. “Fair
Treatment” includes policies and practices that ensure that no group of people, including
racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups bear disproportionately high and adverse human
health or environmental effects resulting from federal agency programs, policies, and
activities. Environmental Justice seeks to:

Avoid, minimize or mitigate disproportionally high and adverse human health and
environmental effects, including social and economic effects, on minority
populations and low-income populations.
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
Ensure the full and fair participation by all potentially affected communities in the
transportation decision-making process.

Prevent the denial of, reduction in, or significant delay in the receipt of benefits
by minority and low-income populations.
In addition to the definition above, the United States Department of Transportation
(DOT) issued specific guidelines to MPOs regarding Environmental Justice. MPOs are to:

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Explore needs within minority communities
Involve minority communities and disabled persons in the transportation planning
process
Include minorities/disabled persons on boards and committees in leadership
roles
Document Title VI efforts
Advertise public meetings in places where minorities/disabled persons go
Hold meetings at times and places convenient for the minority community
Communicate in languages other than English
Consider special needs in public accommodations
Follow up with the minority community after public meetings, when decisions are
made and after project implementation
The MPO adheres to the DOT guidelines by conducting specific outreach in
underserved communities by hosting public meetings in strategic locations, taking into
account available transit service, translating information into Spanish, including
minorities/disabled persons on committees, advertising public meetings and information in
a variety of print media and documenting all efforts.
Traffic Congestion and Safety Workshops
Prior to the formal start of the MTP development process, MPO staff conducted a
Traffic Congestion and Safety Workshop in Bexar County in September 2012. A similar
meeting had been conducted in September 2006, prior to the beginning of the 2035 MTP
Update. In June 2014, after the MPO boundary had expanded MPO staff held similar
Traffic Congestion and Safety Workshops in Boerne, New Braunfels and Seguin. The
results were compiled into a single map for the region and posted on the MPO’s website.
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MTP Public Involvement
For the development of the MTP, in order to thoroughly engage the public and
gather input, the MPO hosted three formal rounds of public meetings throughout the region.
Opportunities to participate online were also available through the MPO website at
www.alamoareampo.org and through the MTP website at www.mobility2040.org. Meeting
participants were asked to provide input on:
Phase 1:
Phase 2:
Phase 3:
the regional vision statement and goals
the three population and employment growth scenarios for the region
transportation projects to be included in the Plan and the Plan
document
Phase I: Regional Vision and Goals
Public workshops were held to kick-off the MTP development process, obtain
feedback on the draft vision and on priorities related to specific transportation issues for the
region, and provide opportunities for the public to get involved in the process. From
September 23, 2013 through October 3, 2013, eight public workshops were held – five in
Bexar County and one meeting in Comal, Guadalupe and Kendall counties.
The locations and times of the meetings were selected to allow meaningful coverage
of the study area and ensure that no individual was more than 25 miles from a meeting
location. The study team was also careful to identify locations that were ADA accessible
with good access to transit, where available. Following is a list of the meeting locations,
dates, and times.





Northeast Public Meeting
 Monday, September 23, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Woodlake Hills Middle School, 6625 Woodlake Pkwy, San Antonio
Northwest Public Meeting
 Tuesday, September 24, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Leon Valley Community Center, 6421 Evers Rd., Leon Valley
Southwest Public Meeting
 Wednesday, September 25, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Indian Creek Elementary School, 5830 Old Pearsall Rd., San Antonio
Southeast Meeting
 Thursday, September 26, 2013, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
 Highland Hills Elementary School, 734 Glamis, San Antonio
Central Public Meeting
 Saturday, September 28, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
 VIA Community Room, 1021 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio
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


Seguin Public Meeting
 Tuesday, October 1, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Guadalupe County Coliseum, 950 S. Austin St., Seguin
New Braunfels Public Meeting
 Wednesday, October 2, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 New Braunfels Civic Center, 375 S. Castell Ave., New Braunfels
Boerne Public Meeting
 Thursday, October 3, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Boerne Civic Center, 820 Adler Rd., Boerne
The map in Figure 3.1 shows the graphic distribution of the meeting locations
and the attendees based on mappable addresses from the meeting sign-in sheets.
Figure 3.1 MTP Meeting Attendance: September 23, 2013 – October 3, 2013
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These meetings were a combination of presentation and facilitated small group
discussion. Participants were assigned to tables of 8-10 persons. A volunteer facilitator,
who was part of the study team or oversight committee and attended a facilitators' training
session, was assigned to each of the groups. The meeting began with an overview
presentation of the MPO’s planning process in general and Mobility 2040, the long-range
transportation plan and the focus of the meetings, in particular.
Attendees were asked to respond to a series of questions about the information in
the presentation such as: what was your reaction to the presentation? and what words or
phrases stood out for you in the presentation?
Next, a room-wide poll of 23 land use/transportation issues was conducted using
polling devices and the results were projected onto a screen. Participants were asked to
consider the issues and then use the polling device to indicate whether the issue was a
high priority, low priority, or not a priority for them and their community. Following are the
issues participants were asked to respond to:

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





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








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
Public transportation for those with special needs
Passenger rail within a city
Passenger rail between cities
Rural public transportation
Transportation needs of people who are dependent on transit
Bike sharing (B-Cycle)
Bicycle facility connectivity
Carpooling
Coordinated traffic signals
Neighborhood connectivity
Pavement/roadway condition
Additional lanes on highways and roadways
Managed lanes (ex. high occupancy vehicle, high occupancy toll, transit priority
lanes)
Complete Streets, or streets that accommodate all modes
Relationship between economic development and transportation
Transportation needs of an aging population
Encouraging growth downtown
Relationship between how land is developed and the transportation system
Implementation of improvements that enhance safety
Managing growth in undeveloped areas
Additional funding for transportation
Sidewalk connectivity
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Then the participants were asked to look at individual and group priorities and
consider why some were and some were not priorities for the area.
Finally, participants were asked to review and discuss the draft goals for the MTP
and help develop action steps for accomplishing their favorite goals. Each group was
asked to appoint a spokesperson who briefly reported out the results of their discussion
with an emphasis on the top three issues or themes discussed by their group.
The first round of public involvement is thoroughly documented in the Public
Workshop Report: Round 1 on file at the MPO office.
Phase II: How will we grow as a region?
From February 25,
2014 through March 6,
2014, the MPO conducted
six public workshops at
various locations around the
study area. The purpose of
these workshops was to get
input and feedback for the
Mobility 2040: Metropolitan
Transportation Plan. Specifically, members of the
public were asked to
comment on the three
growth and employment
scenarios. These meetings
were held in conjunction
with the MPO’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) meetings in order to enhance
participation in the transportation planning process and to reduce the number of
transportation-related meetings the public was asked to attend.
The locations and times of the meetings were selected to allow meaningful coverage
of the study area. The study team was also careful to identify locations that were ADA
accessible with good access to transit, where available. Following is a list of the meeting
locations, dates, and times.


Northwest Bexar County Public Meeting
 Tuesday, February 25, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Leon Valley Community Center, 6421 Evers Rd., Leon Valley
New Braunfels and Comal County Public Meeting
 Wednesday, February 26, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 New Braunfels Civic Center, 375 S. Castell Ave., New Braunfels
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



Northeast Bexar County Public Meeting
 Thursday, February 27, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Woodlake Hills Middle School, 6625 Woodlake Pkwy, San Antonio
Seguin and Guadalupe County Public Meeting
 Monday, March 3, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Guadalupe County Coliseum, 950 S. Austin St., Seguin
Boerne and Kendall County Public Meeting
 Wednesday, March 5, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Boerne Civic Center, 820 Adler Rd., Boerne
South Central Bexar County Public Meeting
 Thursday, March 6, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Harlandale Civic Center, 115 W. Southcross Blvd., San Antonio
The map in Figure 3.2 shows the graphic distribution of the meeting locations
and the attendees based on mappable addresses from the meeting sign-in sheets.
Figure 3.1 MTP Meeting Attendance: February 5, 2014 – March 6, 2014
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These meetings consisted of a presentation on the process for the TIP and the MTP
followed by the opportunity to ask clarifying questions in their table group. During the MTP
part of the presentation, participants learned about the three scenarios for population and
employment growth that were being considered.
The scenarios are documented in Chapter 2 Scenario Planning. In summary the
three scenarios are defined as follows:
Scenario 1: Demographic growth trend over the past 15 years
Scenario 2: Demographic growth trend over the past 5 years
Scenario 3: Demographic growth that occurs in selected activity centers and
corridors
After the presentation, participants had the opportunity to ask questions of a table
facilitator and get clarification as needed. Once their questions were answered,
participants were asked to complete a form where they would indicate their opinion about
the scenarios and give feedback on the information presented. Exhibits of the scenarios
were posted for participants to look at and staff and consultants were available to answer
any questions.
The format of the meeting was designed to allow maximum flexibility of participation
because it was assumed that some participants would attend solely to indicate their
preferences on the TIP. They had the flexibility to indicate their TIP priorities as well as
their MTP preferences, if they chose to do so.
Participants were asked to indicate their thoughts about which of the scenarios:




was the best for the region
concerned them the most,
they would like to see move forward; and
was the most implementable.
Which scenario do you think is best for the region?
Overall, Scenario 1 was seen as the best for the region. It was preferred slightly
over Scenario 2. Scenario 3 came in third.



In Bexar County, Scenario 3 was preferred with Scenario 2 coming in second and
Scenario 1 in third place.
In Comal County, Scenario 2 was preferred, with Scenario 1 slightly ahead of
Scenario 3.
Guadalupe County participants also favored Scenario 2, although the preference for
Scenario 2 above both Scenarios 1 and 3 was significantly more than in the other
counties.
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
Kendall County showed a clear preference for Scenario 1 with Scenario 2 in second
place and Scenario 3 in third place. Kendall County also had a significant number of
“None” responses,” indicating they did not like any of the scenarios.
With which scenario do you have the most concerns?
Overall, the scenario that was the most concerning was Scenario 3 (120), followed
by Scenario 1 (80), then Scenario 2 (20). Less than 20 respondents did not have a
concern with any of the scenarios. Only in Guadalupe County did more people indicate a
concern with Scenario 1 than with Scenario 3.
Which scenario would you like to see move forward?
Although Scenario 1 was seen as the best for the region by more respondents,
Scenario 2 was identified as the one participants would like to see move forward by a slight
margin (8). This was true in all the counties except Kendall County whose participants
clearly preferred Scenario 1 (40) while Scenarios 2 and 3 received almost the same
number of preferences (20). Bexar and Guadalupe Counties preferred Scenario 2 and then
Scenario 3. Comal County participants preferred that Scenario 2 move forward followed by
Scenario 1.
Which do you think is the most implementable?
Scenario 1 was seen as the most implementable (100), followed closely by Scenario
2 (98). Scenario 3 received the least amount of “votes” (30) in Bexar, Comal and Kendall
Counties. In Guadalupe County, Scenario 3 received essentially the same preference as
Scenario 1. Table 3.1 shows the results of the public meetings by county.
Table 3.1 Public Meeting Results by County
Best scenario for
the region
Scenario that
concerns you the
most
Scenario to
move forward
with
Scenario most
likely to be
implemented
MPO
selected
Scenario
Bexar
Activity
Centers/Corridors
Activity
Centers/Corridors
5 year trend
5 year trend
5 year
trend
Comal
5 year trend
Activity
Centers/Corridors
5 year trend
15 year trend
5 year
trend
Guadalupe
5 year trend
15 year trend
5 year trend
5 year trend
5 year
trend
Kendall
15 year trend
Activity
Centers/Corridors
15 year trend
15 year trend
5 year
trend
The second round of public involvement is thoroughly documented in the MTP
Round 2 Public meeting Report Public Workshop Report: on file at the MPO office.
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Phase III: Prioritizing Projects
From October 1, 2014 through October 15, 2014, the MPO conducted six public
workshops at various locations around the study area The purpose of these workshops was
to get input and feedback on the draft Mobility 2040: Metropolitan Transportation Plan
document and the region’s project priorities.
The locations and times of the meetings were selected to allow meaningful coverage
of the study area. The study team was also careful to identify locations that were ADA
accessible with good access to transit, where available. Following is a list of the meeting
locations, dates, and times.






Boerne and Kendall County Public Meeting
 Wednesday, October 1, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Boerne Civic Center, 820 Adler Rd., Boerne
New Braunfels and Comal County Public Meeting
 Thursday, October 2, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 New Braunfels Civic Center, 375 S. Castell Ave., New Braunfels
Northeast Bexar County Public Meeting
 Monday, October 6, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Woodlake Hills Middle School, 6625 Woodlake Pkwy, San Antonio
South Central Bexar County Public Meeting
 Thursday, October 9, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Harlandale Civic Center, 115 W. Southcross Blvd., San Antonio
Seguin and Guadalupe County Public Meeting
 Monday, October 13, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Guadalupe County Coliseum, 950 S. Austin St., Seguin
Northwest Bexar County Public Meeting
 Wednesday, October 15, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
 Leon Valley Community Center, 6421 Evers Rd., Leon Valley
These meetings consisted of a presentation on the MTP development process to
date including an MPO overview, vision and goals, growth scenario development, and the
objectives for this third round of public meetings.
After the presentation, participants had the opportunity to ask questions and once
their questions were answered, participants were asked to review the display boards and
maps and complete a form prioritizing the five most important from a list of 50 priority
projects for the region. At the exhibits, agency staff and consultants were available to
answer any detailed questions.
An online “virtual meeting “ was available to persons interested in the process but
not able to attend any of the public meetings in person. The presentation was narrated, the
display board information was available and participants could complete an online survey
prioritizing their top five projects for the region.
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The third round of public involvement is thoroughly documented in the MTP Round 3
Public meeting Report Public Workshop Report: on file at the MPO office.
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4.
Bicycle System
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years
The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and its partner
agencies continue to make progress in bicycle planning and implementation. San
Antonio was named a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of
American Bicyclists in 2010 and has since reached several more milestones toward
improving bicycle mobility in the Alamo Area. San Antonio City Council passed two
bicycle-related ordinances: a Safe Passing ordinance that requires motorists to leave
three feet when passing vulnerable road users, including bicyclists, and a Bike Light
ordinance which requires a front white light and rear red reflector light visible when
riding at night. Two other communities within the MPO’s study area have also passed
Safe Passing ordinances: Helotes and New Braunfels.
In 2011, San Antonio became the first city in Texas to initiate a bike share
system, which today has grown to more than 50 stations and tallies 450 bike share trips
per day on average. Through various funding sources, the bike share program
continues to expand. In 2011, the City of San Antonio adopted the San Antonio Bike
Plan 2011 + Implementation Strategy recommending 1,718 miles of bicycle facilities. It
has added more than 100 of those miles to its on-road bicycle facilities in the last five
years, bringing it up to more than 240 miles of bicycle routes and lanes in 2014.
Additionally, 45 miles of multi-use paths make up its Howard W. Peak Greenway Trails
System, and another 15 miles of multi-use paths along the San Antonio River are
maintained by the San Antonio River Authority. New Braunfels is also installing bicycle
facilities, with a Parks & Recreation Master Plan (2010) and a Hike and Bike Trail Plan
(2012) to guide additional infrastructure.
The MPO’s Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee
(BMAC), created in 1995, advises the MPO’s Technical
Advisory Committee (TAC) on technical matters and the
Transportation Policy Board (TPB) on policy issues
concerning bicycling. BMAC meets monthly and is
composed of citizens as well as agency staff from the
Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG); Bexar
County; the Cities of Boerne, New Braunfels, San Antonio,
and Seguin; Texas Department of Transportation; VIA
Metropolitan Transit; Greater Bexar County Council of Cities; bicycle clubs and
organizations; and BikeTexas. MPO staff maintains a “BMAC Friends” e-mail
distribution list of approximately 500 individuals to inform residents of local, state and
federal bicycling issues and events.
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The MPO’s Walkable Community Program (WCP) continues to be integral to the
work of the MPO’s safety and active transportation programs. Three activities –
Walkable Community Workshops, safety talks geared to adults and children, and bike
rodeos – make up the program. In 2012, the MPO was awarded a Texas Traffic Safety
grant for $13,380 from the Texas Department of Transportation Traffic Operations
division to continue a bicycle helmet distribution program begun under a previous grant
program, Steps to a Healthier San Antonio, which concluded in 2009. The MPO was
awarded a second Texas Traffic Safety grant in 2014 for $9,000, making possible the
continuation of further bike helmet distribution activities.
With data collected in 2009, the MPO produced a Road Diet Analysis in 2010
that identified 258 miles of roadway restriping and 90 miles of road diet candidates that
could potentially increase bicycle lane miles in Bexar County. The MPO also produced a
report in 2010 summarizing the results of a bicycle travel patterns survey taken of Bexar
County residents. The survey found that about 325,000 residents use a bike on a
monthly basis, which translates to almost one in five Bexar County residents. A
Regional Bike and Pedestrian Planning Study is underway to catalog existing bicycling
and walking conditions in the MPO’s expanded study area and produce a regional
vision and plan for the Cities of Boerne, New Braunfels, San Antonio, and Seguin and
the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. (See page 4-9 for more information.)
The 4th edition San Antonio Bike Map, a Transportation Enhancement-funded
collaboration between the City of San Antonio and the MPO, was completed in late
2014.
Bicycle components are part of many projects in the MPO’s Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP). Since the development of the MPO’s 2011-2014 TIP, 100
points (out of a possible score of 1,100) have been deducted from proposed added
capacity and roadway rehabilitation projects that do not include accommodation for
bicyclists.
Background
Active transportation, which includes walking and cycling, is growing in the Alamo
Area, and educating the community about the benefits of a transportation system with
such multimodal options is an integral part of the MPO’s pedestrian and transportation
planning process. While the region faces challenges of increasing traffic congestion,
notable obesity and diabetes rates and looming air quality problems, active
transportation modes like bicycling and walking will be a large part of the solution,
beneficial to both individual and environmental health as well as the efficiency of the
transportation network. Very importantly, pedestrian and bicycle networks that are
accessible, direct and continuous have been shown to be economically beneficial to the
neighborhoods around them and improve safety for everyone using the roadway.
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Census data shows that walking and bicycling are still far outpaced by driving as
the commute mode of choice in this region, but almost 325,000 residents of Bexar
County use a bike every month, according to the MPO’s Bicycle Travel Patterns Study
(2010). This translates to almost one in five people all using a bike to get to a
destination, stay fit, or recreate. It is vital for the MPO to help its partner agencies
implement a transportation network that is physically, equitably and affordably
accessible by all community members. The San Antonio Bike Plan 2011 +
Implementation Strategy is the primary document considered in planning for bicycle
facilities in Bexar County. In March 2012, the TPB unanimously approved a resolution
(Figure 4.1) adopting the San Antonio Bike Plan and strongly encouraging decision
makers within the study area to consider the implementation of bicycle facilities within
their respective jurisdictions. The plan can be downloaded at:
http://www.sanantonio.gov/oep/sabikes/bicycleMP.aspx. The MPO anticipates that the
pending completion of the Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Study will also be
pivotal to helping the region envision and implement a connected active transportation
network.
MPO Programs
Walk & Roll Program
The Walk & Roll Program is a regional effort that encourages residents to
experience walking, cycling, transit or car/vanpooling instead of driving in a single
occupancy vehicle. It acknowledges active transportation as viable options that can
improve the health of the individual as well as the environment. Under this program, the
MPO participates in AACOG’s annual Walk & Roll Challenge, in which businesses and
residents track usage of alternative transportation, and partners with the City of San
Antonio’s Risk Management Division to improve travel safety for all road users. In
conjunction with the Division’s defensive driving courses, MPO staff educates motorists
about sharing the road with bicyclists and speaks at approximately 25 classes annually,
reaching more than 1,000 City of San Antonio employees per year.
The Walk & Roll Program is particularly robust throughout the month of May,
recognized as National Bike Month since 1956. With support from the MPO’s
transportation partners and the community, the Walk & Roll Rally averages over 300
participants each year with other Bike Month events educating and activating hundreds
more. May 2014 marked the eighteenth anniversary of the MPO’s Walk & Roll program.
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Figure 4.1 San Antonio Bike Plan 2011 + Implementation Strategy Resolution
adopted by the Transportation Policy Board
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Figure 4.2 Walk & Roll Rally 2014
Walkable Community Program
The Walkable Community Program (WCP) is available to neighborhood
associations, religious organizations, Parent Teacher Associations, or a group of active
citizens who identify a need within a geographic boundary. The WCP is comprised of
three components: Walkable Community Workshops, safety classes for adults and
children, and bicycle rodeos. The workshop reports are available on the MPO’s website
at www.alamoareampo.org. These reports document the process used for each
workshop and assist in identifying where the greatest transportation needs exist within
the study area. The workshops
educate
participants
about
the
Figure 4.3 Walkable Community Workshop
benefits of active transportation,
improve awareness of the potential
improvements within each study area,
and providing the community with an
opportunity
for
two-way
communication with local agency
staff.
To publicize its Walk & Roll and
Walkable Community Programs, MPO
staff has created English and Spanish
language brochures and videos
describing the program, benefits of
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active transportation and biking and walking safety. The MPO participates in many
community events to publicize its role in transportation planning and, in particular, its
bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts. The MPO is represented annually at events
such as the City of San Antonio’s Earth Day and Síclovías, San Antonio River
Authority’s Get Outdoors!, the City of Leon Valley’s Earthwise Living Day, AACOG’s
Fresh Air Friday, and the Neighborhood resource Center’s Neighborhood Conference.
Vision, Goals, and Objectives
The MPO has adopted the following vision statement for bicycling in the region:
The Alamo Area recognizes bicycling as a clean, healthy and
affordable form of transportation and recreation.
A comprehensive on-road and off-road bicycle network will make our
community a place where bicycling will be desirable for trips of all
kinds by all segments of the population.
The following achievable goals and objectives support the adopted vision for a
bicycle friendly community.
Goal 1
Institutionalize bicycling: recognize and incorporate bicycling as a significant
and required element for all transportation, land use, and economic
development planning.
Objective 1.1
Provide agency training opportunities and continue staff
positions at local governmental and transportation agencies
to implement bicycle facilities.
Objective 1.2
Consider bicycle facilities from the planning and scoping
stages through the design and construction of all projects as
well as during the review of subdivision and development
plans.
Objective 1.3
Review all state- and federally-funded projects to ensure that
quality bicycle accommodations are provided.
Objective 1.4
Continue to coordinate bicycle planning with other
communities and agencies, including in the review of land
development and transportation projects and studies.
Objective 1.5
Conduct periodic surveys of bicyclists in the MPO study area
to determine bicycle travel patterns and other information
useful in developing the local bicycle network.
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Objective 1.6
Goal 2
Goal 3
Continue to assist local agencies and community groups in
identifying obstacles to and opportunities for safe bicycling in
neighborhoods and corridors.
Prioritize, fund, and implement bicycle facilities that will increase ridership.
Facilities are the physical improvements to the region’s bicycle infrastructure
and include trails, bike lanes, and bicycle parking.
Objective 2.1
Promote uniform facility
throughout the region.
design
and
implementation
Objective 2.2
Plan and prioritize reasonably direct routes between activity
centers.
Objective 2.3
Continue to maintain and improve the quality and operation
of on-road bike facilities. Encourage low-stress, protected
on-road bicycle facilities such as cycle tracks and buffered
bike lanes.
Objective 2.4
Continue the development of a regional off-road system.
Examples include creek-based linear parks, shared use
paths along utility easements, and Rails to Trails.
Objective 2.5
Connect existing bicycle facilities and eliminate gaps in the
region’s current bicycle network.
Objective 2.6
Continue updating and enhancing the database of all bicycle
facilities and maintain a regional bicycle map. MPO staff
should report regularly on implementation of bicycle facilities
by its partner agencies.
Objective 2.7
Develop standards for bicycle parking in existing and new
developments to include possible changes to local parking
ordinances.
Objective 2.8
Continue to work with VIA Metropolitan Transit and Alamo
Regional Transit to further integrate bicycling with transit.
Make bicycling safer through education, encouragement, and enforcement:
Grow the program to educate elected officials and the general public
concerning the opportunities, benefits, and safety aspects of bicycling in the
region.
Objective 3.1
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Work with the Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee and other
organizations to continue promoting bicyclist and motorist
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safety and education outreach programs initiated by the
MPO and/or its partner agencies.
Goal 4
Objective 3.2
Encourage agency partner employees to bike to work.
Quality bicycle parking should be provided at agency offices.
Objective 3.3
Strengthen public education efforts about plans, projects and
activities through the MPO’s website, social media, BMAC
Friends e-list, and printed publications.
Objective 3.4
Continue to support National Bike Month and other bicycling
events in the region, under the umbrella of the Walk & Roll
Program.
Find the funding: identify and secure local, state, federal, private, and grant
funding to expand and improve bicycle facilities and programs in the region.
Objective 4.1
Identify funding for stand-alone bicycle facilities.
Objective 4.2
Encourage local governments to adopt preventive
maintenance programs to extend the life of bicycle facilities.
Objective 4.3
Explore public-private partnerships to fund new and
replacement bicycle facilities.
Greenway Trails Systems
The Howard W. Peak Greenway Trails System in the City of San Antonio is a
growing network of multi-use hike and bike trails that wind through natural landscapes
along creekways. There are currently 46 miles of developed greenway trails now open
to the public along with approximately 1,200 acres of linear park creek-side open space.
The Linear Creekway Parks Development Program, which provides sales tax funding
for the land purchases and trails development, was approved by voters in 2000, 2005
and 2010. The current budget for trail development includes enough to build
approximately 40 additional miles of trails.
Trails are now either built or planned for many of San Antonio’s creeks, including
the Salado, Leon, Huebner, Olmos, Huesta, Culebra, Alazan, Apache, Martinez, San
Pedro, and the Medina River. The vision is to circle the City of San Antonio with a ring
of trail systems. When the system is completed the network of trails, using creeks,
neighborhood connections and the San Antonio River will total over 130 miles.
Future Bicycling Network: The Regional Bicycle/Pedestrian Planning Study
In September 2014, the MPO started a Regional Bicycle/Pedestrian Planning
Study to help additional municipalities accomplish the vision and goals for bicycling in
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the region. The study is being conducted with the aid of a consultant planning team who
will identify existing biking and walking conditions in the cities of Boerne, New Braunfels
and Seguin and prioritize projects for short-, intermediate- and long-term
implementation. In the City of San Antonio, which is actively following recommendations
made in the San Antonio Bike Plan 2011 + Implementation Strategy, the focus of the
study will be on bicycling and pedestrian issues in the area encompassing the San
Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
The study is following a timeline of seven core tasks and is scheduled to
conclude in May 2015. Project management and coordination (Task 1) is ongoing and
involves consultation with the Study Oversight Committee (SOC) during project
milestones. Project initiation (Task 2) occurred in September 2014 with meetings of the
SOC and with BMAC and the Pedestrian Mobility Advisory Committee (PMAC). At these
meetings, the SOC and stakeholders discussed opportunities and challenges, received
clarification of project objectives and expectations, defined general project deliverables
and were introduced to the public involvement tools.
Task 3 involved developing a public involvement plan (PIP) which is being
carried out through a series of public meetings meant both to request input on existing
bike and pedestrian issues and educate residents about successful solutions to similar
challenges implemented by other communities. Public input collected through an online
survey and interactive map will be used to support the study’s recommendations, which
will stem from an assessment of existing conditions (Task 4), including traffic crash
history and inventorying of bicycle and pedestrian networks.
The development of the draft study (Task 5) will present the methodology for
recommending projects prioritized at both the municipal and regional levels.
Recommended improvements will be provided in map and list form. Current
mechanisms for implementing and funding will be evaluated and new strategies may be
recommended, which will include (Task 6) non-infrastructure based methods for
improving walking and biking through education, encouragement, and enforcement.
The final report (Task 7) will be composed of an Executive Summary highlighting
the major recommendations of the study and sections covering the process for funding
and implementing those recommendations and summarizing the specific facility
recommendations for each community. A coordinated effort between numerous
agencies, stakeholder groups and residents of the Alamo Area, the Regional Bicycle
and Pedestrian Planning Study will be a document that fosters the growing interest in
bicycling in the communities of Boerne, New Braunfels and Seguin and guides policy
necessary for and implementation of a safe, accessible and comprehensive bicycling
network for the MPO study area.
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5.
Pedestrian System
___________________________________________
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years
The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and its partner
agencies recognize the importance of improving pedestrian mobility. With an average of
41 annual pedestrian-related fatalities, San Antonio surpasses the national average
pedestrian fatality rate and has been named a Pedestrian Safety Focus City by the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
An important step toward improving pedestrian safety in the Alamo Area has
been the MPO’s creation and adoption of a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) in
2012. The PSAP provides templates for different facility designs that make walking
safer and easier and outlines action strategies to make the area a better place to walk.
Beginning in 2010, the MPO’s Pedestrian Mobility Advisory Committee (PMAC)
oversaw the development of the PSAP. In April 2012, the TPB unanimously approved a
resolution (Figure 5.1) adopting the PSAP and strongly encouraging decision makers
within the study area to consider the implementation of the plan within their respective
jurisdictions. The plan can be downloaded at:
http://www.alamoareampo.org/Studies/PSAP/PedestrianSafetyActionPlan.pdf.
PMAC, created in 1997, advises the MPO’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
on technical matters and the Transportation Policy Board (TPB) on policy issues
concerning pedestrian mobility. PMAC meets monthly and is composed of citizens as
well as agency staff from the Alamo Area Council of Governments; Bexar County; Bexar
County Technical Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities; the Cities of
Boerne, New Braunfels, San Antonio, and Seguin; Texas Department of Transportation;
VIA Metropolitan Transit; Greater Bexar County Council of Cities; and walking
organizations.
The MPO‘s Walkable Community Program (WCP) continues to be an integral
part of the MPO’s safety and active transportation programs. Three activities – Walkable
Community Workshops, safety talks for adults and children, and bike rodeos – make up
the program. Since the previous the Metropolitan Transportation Plan was adopted in
2009, the MPO has facilitated eight Walkable Community Workshops throughout the
study area.
Pedestrian components are part of many projects in the MPO’s Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP). Since the development of the MPO’s 2011-2014 TIP, 100
points (out of a possible score of 1,100), have been deducted from proposed added
capacity and roadway rehabilitation projects that do not include facilities for pedestrians.
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Figure 5.1 Pedestrian Safety Action Plan Resolution
adopted by the Transportation Policy Board
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Background
Walking is a viable, active, alternative mode of transportation. Nearly every trip
starts and ends with walking, including trips that involve the use of an automobile. A
comprehensive approach to planning transportation facilities must identify pedestrian
needs. An inclusive approach ensures the needs of all potential users are addressed,
including people with disabilities.
Alternative transportation systems can enrich the livability of a community and
reduce congestion, improve mobility, as well as improve the overall quality of life for
residents. Pedestrian travel does not stop where the sidewalk ends, as seen by the
worn pathways throughout the study area, especially along transit routes. Poor street
connectivity and low-density development patterns create longer, indirect distances
between destinations, making it difficult to conveniently be accessed by walking.
In general, the regional land use patterns and lack of pedestrian facilities and
amenities create conditions that are uninviting to pedestrians. Wide streets with narrow
sidewalks, the absence of trees or building awnings for shade, and deep building
setbacks, are all designed to the scale of the automobile, not the pedestrian. Autooriented frontage-road development, in which storefronts are separated from the street
by vast, non-shaded parking lots, are not ideal pedestrian environments. A non-existent
or unsafe pedestrian system is a barrier to walking. Other barriers to walking include
lack of a street grid system, gated communities, cul-de-sacs, and schools and public
buildings built on major roadways.
Narrow streets with wide sidewalks, pedestrian islands or medians, buildings
close to the street with shade, and parking areas behind buildings provide safer
environments and are incentives for pedestrian use.
MPO Programs
Walk & Roll Program
The Walk & Roll Program is a regional effort to focus on pedestrian and cycling
issues during the month of May and throughout the air quality ozone season. The
program encourages walking, cycling, transit, or car/vanpooling instead of driving alone.
It identifies active transportation as viable options that can be chosen to improve the
health of the individual as well as the environment. With support from the MPO’s
transportation partners and the community, the Walk & Roll Rally averages over 300
participants each year, with May 2014 marking the eighteenth anniversary of the Walk &
Roll program.
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The Walk & Roll Challenge, conducted annually in September, focuses on the
benefits to air quality when people leave their single occupancy vehicles and use active
transportation. Individuals and employers are encouraged to actively participate in the
challenges through use of other modes of transportation.
Walkable Community Program
The Walkable Community Program (WCP) is available to neighborhood
associations, religious organizations, Parent Teacher Associations, or a group of active
citizens who identify a need within a geographic boundary. Components of the program
include Walkable Community Workshops, safety classes for adults and children, and
bicycle rodeos. The reports documenting individual Walkable Community Workshops
are available on the MPO’s website at http://www.alamoareampo.org. These reports are
also provided to TPB members, elected officials and partner agency staff to assist in
identifying where the greatest transportation needs exist within the study area.
Awareness of the potential improvements within the study area, safety, and providing
the community with an opportunity for two-way communication with local agency staff
are the primary goals of the public workshops.
Pedestrian Safety Action Plan
The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Pedestrian Safety Action
Plan (PSAP) defines a set of actions to encourage walking and to make it safer.
Propelled by the “Developing a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan” workshop hosted in San
Antonio by FHWA in 2009, the PSAP was funded in 2010 as part of a Communities
Putting Prevention to Work grant. Throughout 2010 and 2011, PMAC served as the
Study Oversight Committee and provided input on community outreach, crash data
analysis, and development of the toolkit of 43 recommended countermeasures. The
MPO’s Policy Board approved the PSAP in 2012, and since then, PMAC members have
been working to educate technical groups and public agencies about the plan.
The PSAP is a visionary, yet practical, action strategy to make the Alamo Area a
great place to walk. Taking advantage of the latest research, national guidance, and
practice throughout the United States, the PSAP provides a framework for making
decisions about facility design and allocating resources necessary to make walking a
viable choice for a wide variety of trips. Improving the convenience and safety of
walking will increase social interaction on the street, offer alternatives to driving on
congested roadways, reduce pollution, and improve personal health.
Vision, Goals, and Objectives
Several funded studies and plans are on the horizon that have the capacity to
positively shape the development of the regional pedestrian network. These include the
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MPO’s Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Study, the City of San Antonio’s
update of its comprehensive plan and the Strategic Multi-modal Transportation Plan
within Bexar County. The MPO encourages its partner agencies to participate in
comprehensive, coordinated and continuous regional planning. The following goals and
objectives support the development of a pedestrian network that encourages walking in
the Alamo Area and makes it safer:
Goal 1
Goal 2
Institutionalize transportation planning for pedestrians: recognize and
incorporate walking as a significant and required element for all persons.
Objective 1.1
Consider pedestrian facilities from the planning and scoping
stages through the design and construction of all projects as
well as during the review of subdivision and development
plans.
Objective 1.2
Review all state- and federally-funded projects to ensure that
quality pedestrian accommodations are provided.
Objective 1.3
Continue to coordinate pedestrian planning with other
agencies and organizations, including in the review of land
development and transportation projects and studies.
Recognize and incorporate the interrelated goals and
initiatives, such as Complete Streets and public health
promotion, of these partners.
Objective 1.4
Continue to assist local agencies and community groups in
identifying obstacles to and opportunities for safe pedestrian
activities.
Prioritize, fund, and implement projects that improve safety, accessibility and
comfort for pedestrians so that walking is a convenient and viable option.
Objective 2.1
Promote land use that encourages pedestrian travel.
Objective 2.2
Complete sidewalk gaps and maintain or improve the quality
of existing facilities, especially to provide sidewalk continuity
and connectivity within and between neighborhoods and
activity centers.
Objective 2.3
Enhance the pedestrian experience by incorporating
pedestrian design enhancements such as landscape buffers,
lighting, shade, and street furniture.
Objective 2.4
Provide safe and accessible facilities using the 43
treatments described in the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan.
Pay particular attention to improving pedestrian safety in
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areas with high volumes of pedestrian traffic including near
schools and downtowns and within ½-mile of all transit
stops.
Goal 3
Goal 4
Objective 2.5
Ensure safe pedestrian crossings over railroad tracks by
providing accessible, well-designed and constructed
walkways with adequate warning systems.
Objective 2.6
Ensure
barrier-free
sidewalks.
Eliminate
existing
obstructions such as mailboxes, utility poles, overhanging
trees, and vehicle parking that limit access.
Objective 2.7
Ensure that the Americans with Disabilities Act, including all
corresponding ADA Amendments, and Texas Accessibility
Standards are applied to all related goals and objectives
within this document.
Objective 2.8
Extend pedestrian facilities to serve all transit stops and all
transfer facilities.
Objective 2.9
Continue updating and enhance the database of all
pedestrian facilities. MPO staff should report regularly on
implementation of pedestrian facilities by its partner
agencies.
Make walking safer through education, encouragement, and enforcement.
Objective 3.1
Work with the Pedestrian Mobility Advisory Committee and
other organizations to continue promoting pedestrian safety
among all road users and educational outreach programs
initiated by the MPO and/or its partner agencies.
Objective 3.2
Continue the Walkable Community Program and Walk & Roll
Program and participate in other outreach opportunities.
Objective 3.3
Strengthen public education efforts regarding plans, projects
and activities through the MPO’s website, social media, and
printed publications.
Identify and effectively use available funding.
Objective 4.1
Identify funding for stand-alone pedestrian facilities.
Objective 4.2
Encourage local governments to adopt preventive
maintenance programs to extend the life of pedestrian
facilities.
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Objective 4.3
Explore public-private partnerships to fund new and
replacement pedestrian facilities.
Future Pedestrian System: The Regional Bicycle/Pedestrian Planning Study
The MPO recognizes the importance of a balance among all transportation
modes, the relationship between transportation and land use, and that economic and
community development is sustained by the region’s quality of life. The region has
achieved a great deal in the last five years, especially in the way of identifying needs
and planning for improvements, but at this time the need for pedestrian facilities is still a
priority. A successful pedestrian transportation system depends on the regional
partners’ ability to work together to enhance the pedestrian environment. Expanding on
the “Complete Streets” concept and developing policies and programs that support
walkable communities is a key step for the future.
In September 2014, the MPO took a step toward such development when it
began the Regional Bicycle/Pedestrian Planning Study to help municipalities
accomplish the vision and goals for walking in the region. The study is being conducted
with the aid of a consultant planning team who will identify existing walking and biking
conditions in the cities of Boerne, New Braunfels and Seguin and prioritize projects for
short-, intermediate- and long-term implementation. For the City of San Antonio, on
which the 2012 Pedestrian Safety Action Plan focused, the study will work specifically to
develop a methodology for prioritizing sidewalk gap and repair projects. It will also pay
particular attention to better connecting the areas encompassing the San Antonio
Missions National Historical Park with those public lands and shared-use trail running
through the Missions.
The study is following a timeline defined by seven core tasks and is scheduled to
conclude in May 2015. Project management and coordination (Task 1) is ongoing and
involves consultation with the Study Oversight Committee (SOC) during project
milestones. Project initiation (Task 2) occurred in September 2014 with meetings of the
SOC and with PMAC and the Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee (BMAC). At these
meetings, the SOC and stakeholders discussed opportunities and challenges, received
clarification of project objectives and expectations, defined general project deliverables
and were introduced to the public involvement tools.
Task 3 involved developing a public involvement plan (PIP) which is being
carried out through a series of public meetings meant both to request input on existing
pedestrian and bicyclist issues and educate residents about successful solutions to
similar challenges implemented by other communities. Public input collected through an
online survey and interactive map will be used to support the study’s recommendations,
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which will stem from an assessment of existing conditions (Task 4), including traffic
crash history and inventorying of bicycle and pedestrian networks.
The development of the draft study (Task 5) will present the methodology for
recommending projects prioritized at both the municipal and regional levels.
Recommended improvements will be provided in map and list form. Current
mechanisms for implementing and funding will be evaluated and new strategies may be
recommended, which will include (Task 6) non-infrastructure based methods for
improving walking and biking through education, encouragement, and enforcement.
The final report (Task 7) will be composed of an Executive Summary highlighting
the major recommendations of the Study and sections covering the process for funding
and implementing those recommendations and summarizing the specific facility
recommendations for each community. A coordinated effort between numerous
agencies, stakeholder groups and residents of the Alamo Area, the Regional Bicycle
and Pedestrian Planning Study will be integral to the City of San Antonio’s Strategic
Multi-Modal Transportation Plan and to informing pedestrian policy and implementation
decisions in the communities of Boerne, New Braunfels and Seguin.
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6. Public Transportation Services
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years
In December 2012, VIA Metropolitan launched its first bus rapid transit (BRT)
service called VIA Prímo in the Fredericksburg Road corridor. The service connects the
two largest employment centers in the region, San Antonio’s Central Business District
and the South Texas Medical Center, along a route approximately nine miles long. In
conjunction with the new service, VIA constructed major transit centers at each end of
the corridor, which serve multiple VIA routes and numerous customers in the region.
One of the new transit centers was the VIA Metro West Plaza (previously known
as Westside Multimodal Center) at historic Cattleman’s Square. The first phase of the
transit center was completed in Fall 2013, and as of Fall 2014, the facility now also
serves as VIA’s administrative offices.
Existing Public Transportation Providers
Two public transportation providers serve the Alamo Area MPO study area: VIA
Metropolitan Transit and the Alamo Regional Transit System. The Lone Star Rail District
is another existing public transportation entity, but it does not yet operate service.
Alamo Regional Transit
Alamo Regional Transit (ART), a rural public transit providers operated through
the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG), provides public transportation to the
11,255 square miles cover 12 rural counties overlapping the MPO study area. These
counties include Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes,
Kendall, Kerr, Medina, McMullen and Wilson. Figure 6.1 shows the service area for
ART. ART provides its service to the public using a predominately demand-response,
curb-to-curb format during weekdays. Trips may originate anywhere within the
12-county service area. The service transports riders between all points within that
service area, as well as into and out of Bexar County. In Fiscal Year 2014, ART
provided 112,861 one-way trips.
In April 2013, ART launched Connect Seguin, a deviated fixed-route bus system
serving major designation in Seguin and Guadalupe County on weekdays. The Connect
Seguin system is in addition to the established demand-response service for Seguin
and is funded with City of Seguin general funds and ART local funds.
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Until 2013, the Cities of New Braunfels, Cibolo, Marion, Schertz Selma, and
Garden Ridge, as well as the McQueeney census designed place, fell within ART’s rural
service area. However, the designation of these areas as urbanized by the US Census
Bureau changed the eligibility for rural transportation services and funding.
During 2013 and 2014, VIA Metropolitan Transit contracted with ART, through
AACOG, to continue the demand-response service in these areas as a result of this
change. Service for these areas is now for with VIA urban transit funding which is
matched by local funds from ART and the seven newly designated urbanized service
areas. For FY 2014, 16.26%, or 18,349, of ART”s total trips originated within these
areas.
Though ART serves the entire public, it places special emphasis on serving the
needs of low-income individuals, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and veterans
who have limited or no means of personal transportation. Nearly 55% of the total
ridership of ART are senior citizens.
While ART’s demand-response service takes riders directly to destinations for
any purpose, approximately 53% of the trips are for medical appointments, including
dialysis treatments. Other frequently requested destinations include shopping, school,
child and adult day care, nutrition centers and participation in senior center activities.
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Figure 6.1 ART Service Area
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VIA Metropolitan Transit
VIA Metropolitan Transit (VIA) is a political subdivision of the State of Texas,
authorized by state enabling legislation, to receive locally-generated sales tax income at
a rate not to exceed one percent (1%) and subject to approval by voters within the VIA
service area. VIA is governed by a Board of Trustees with eleven appointees. Board
members are appointed to staggered two-year terms by the following entities: San
Antonio City Council (appoints five), Bexar County Commissioners Court (appoints
three), and the Suburban Mayors (appoints two). The Chair of the Board is elected by
the Board members and serves a two-year term. The 11-member VIA Board of Trustees
meets monthly to discuss policy issues and hear comments from the community. VIA
Board meetings are generally held on the 4th Tuesday of each month.
The VIA service area depicted in Figure 6.2, is 1,226 square miles and
represents 98% of the Bexar County area. It currently includes the City of San Antonio,
the unincorporated areas of Bexar County, and 13 suburban cities: Alamo Heights,
Balcones Heights, Castle Hills, China Grove, Cibolo, Converse, Elmendorf, Kirby, Leon
Valley, Olmos Park, Shavano Park, St. Hedwig, and Terrell Hills. While the
unincorporated cities may be labeled as ‘suburban,’ many of them are now entirely
encircled by the City of San Antonio. Despite their integrated geography, suburban
cities may vote to exclude themselves from the VIA service area. Currently, cities that
are either entirely or partially located within Bexar County, but which are not part of the
VIA service area, include Cibolo (Bexar County portion), Fair Oaks Ranch, Grey Forest,
Helotes, Hill Country Village, Hollywood Park, Live Oak, Lytle, Somerset, Universal City,
Von Ormy and Windcrest.
Advanced Transportation District
In 2004 San Antonio citizens voted to improve traffic, streets and public transit by
creating the Advanced Transportation District (ATD). The ATD funds are distributed as
follows: ½ to VIA, ¼ to the City of San Antonio (CoSA), and ¼ to the Texas Department
of Transportation (TxDOT). In 2005, funding began and so did the improvements. The
ATD is governed by the identical board members as the VIA board.
The Advanced Transportation District (ATD) purpose is to develop a regional
multimodal vision and strategic plan for managed and/or transit priority lanes on high
capacity and express bus route corridors.
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Figure 6.2 VIA Metropolitan Transit Service Area
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The Importance of Public Transportation
Public transportation benefits all persons who live, work, or travel in the service
area, whether or not they use it. Public transportation plays an important role in the
regional transportation system and hence, the regional economy. The additional
automobile volume and congestion that the area would experience without transit, would
cause an increase in on-road air emissions, resulting in negative impacts to air quality
for the entire region. Beyond these indirect benefits, for people who chose to utilize
public transportation versus their personal vehicles, public transportation provides a
direct benefit reducing operating and maintenance costs of personal vehicles, the cost
of parking and congestion on the roadways.
According to the American Community Survey’s 2008-2012 five year estimate,
8.1% of households in Bexar County do not have an automobile available and must rely
on another form of transportation. More recently, VIA’s 2013 “Who is the Rider” survey
showed that 26% of riders are in households with an automobile and only 16% of riders
say they personally have an automobile. Furthermore, if no bus was available 35% of
riders said they couldn’t make their trip. Therefore, VIA is providing an invaluable
mobility choice for many.
The Census also reflects that 19% of the Bexar County population is below the
poverty threshold, while 52% of VIA’s riders are under the poverty threshold. A recent
VIA survey found that 33.7% of bus riders have an annual household income of less
than $10,000 (Who is the Rider Survey, 2013).
In addition to income, both age and health conditions also affect the community’s
need for public transportation. According to the American Community Survey’s 20082012 five year estimate, 13% of the Bexar County population reported having at least
one disability. VIA provided more than 1.04 million trips in fiscal year 2013 to those
disabled individuals that met VIA’s paratransit criteria.
For Bexar County, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community
Survey, it is estimated that 10.7% of the population is age 65 and older. The Texas
state demographer (0.5 scenario), projects the population of Bexar County age 65+ will
more than double by 2035, as follows: 204,740 in 2014, 401,473 in 2035 and 466,459 in
2045. That will make the proportion of age 65+ “seniors” 11% of the county’s population
in 2014, 17% in 2035 and 18% in 2045. The aging of the population in Bexar County is
a recognized trend.
About 24% of Bexar County’s population is younger than 16, and therefore too
young to drive.
Without public transportation, the younger population misses
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opportunities to personally develop or participate in community activities. Often they
must rely on parental or other adult support for transportation.
VIA Public Transportation Services
Fixed Route Service
VIA currently operates 91 fixed bus routes along 1,000 miles of roadway. These
routes are depicted in Figure 6.3. In fiscal year 2013, totals for vehicle hours and
passenger trips for VIA’s scheduled services were 1,619,682 and 44,635,608,
respectively. These figures include the downtown circulation service as described
below.
As part of the fixed route bus service, VIA also operates a Bike & Ride program,
which allows riders to transport their bicycles for no extra cost on racks attached to the
fronts of buses or inside VIA Primo vehicles.
VIA’s major transit activity centers include the central business district, San
Antonio College, North Star Mall, the South Texas Medical Center, the Deco District,
Las Palmas, Naco Pass, University Family Health Center - Southwest, Southwest
General Hospital, and both campuses of the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Downtown Circulation
VIA operates two downtown circulator routes. These routes are operated with
rubber-tired, propane-powered replica trolleys as well as compressed natural gas buses
and battery-powered electric buses. These routes operate on a fifteen-minute average
frequency.
VIA Primo also provides circulator service in the central business district along
Market Street and Commerce Street.
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Figure 6.3 VIA Metropolitan Transit Fixed Route Service, April 2014
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VIAtrans Service
As a complementary service to fixed route bus service, VIA operates VIAtrans,
an advance reservation, shared-ride, demand-response paratransit service for people
with disabilities who cannot navigate the fixed route bus service for some or all of their
trips. VIAtrans currently operates with a fleet of over 200 directly operated and
contracted vehicles, which provide approximately one million trips each year. Currently
12,200 people are registered for VIAtrans service.
Facilities and Fleet
As of 2014, VIA serves 7,173 bus stops and 13 transit centers and park & ride
facilities, as depicted in Figure 6.3.
VIA’s fleet, shown in Figure 6.3, consists of 450 buses, comprising 217 North
American Bus Industries (NABI) diesel buses, four NABI compressed natural gas
busses, 176 New Flyer diesel buses, 30 New Flyer diesel-electric hybrid buses, 3
Proterra electric buses, and 14 Optima streetcars. All buses purchased by VIA are lowfloor, kneeling vehicles with ramps to accommodate patrons with limited mobility, and
the replica trolleys in
Figure 6.4 VIA Fleet Vehicles
the downtown area
are equipped with
lifts.
The NABI and
New Flyer buses are
40-foot vehicles that
have a low-floor
design
and
a
retractable ramp for
wheelchair access.
The
VIA
Primo
vehicles are 60 feet
long
with
an
articulated
middle
section.
The active VIAtrans fleet consists of 104 vehicles owned by VIA, all of which are
equipped with wheelchair lifts. Each vehicle has the capacity to carry 5 ambulatory and
2 wheelchair patrons or 4 ambulatory and 3 wheelchair patrons.
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All of VIA’s service vehicles are equipped with an automated vehicle location and
secure voice communication system, allowing VIA to provide efficient service by making
adjustments for delays, overloading, or unforeseen occurrences.
VIA’s High Capacity Transit Service – Primo
In 2005, the MPO, through the Northwest Corridor Alternatives Analysis
determined that roadway expansion alone is not a viable option to handle future travel
demand on the Northwest corridor. The study concluded that there were no plans for
major capacity expansion in the area. Furthermore, given these constraints, it was
determined that an alternative to auto travel would be required to increase trip capacity
through the congested corridor. As auto travel time increases and auto trip capacity
becomes more constrained, alternative transportation options become more attractive,
thus shifting travel modes from single-occupant vehicles (SOV) to VIA Primo, enabling
greater trip capacity through the corridor. Furthermore, the proposed VIA Primo would
improve transportation services to the numerous employment centers located within the
corridor.
In December 2012, VIA launched Primo service on the Fredericksburg Road
corridor. The VIA Primo is defined as an alignment approximately nine miles long from
the South Texas Medical Center (STMC), southeast to the west side of downtown San
Antonio via Fredericksburg Road and IH 10. Service has also been extended to UTSA’s
Loop 1604 campus and the City of Leon Valley.
Figure 6.5 VIA Primo Station
Eight paired in-line stations
(16 platforms, see Figure 6.4)
were constructed curbside in the
Medical Center (on Medical
Drive)
and
along
the
Fredericksburg Road corridor. In
addition to constructing in-line
stations at key intersections
along the Fredericks-burg Road
corridor, VIA has constructed
major transit centers at each end
of the corridor – the South Texas
Medical Center Transit Center
(as shown in Figure 6.6) at the
intersection of Babcock Road and
Medical Drive and the Westside Multi-modal Transit Center (shown in Figure 6.7) in the
Cattleman Square Historic District. Both of these transit centers serve multiple VIA
routes and numerous customers in the region.
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Figure 6.6 South Texas Medical Center Transit Center
Figure 6.7 “VIA Metro West Plaza” previously known as
“Westside Multimodal” in the Cattleman Square Historic
District
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Ridership
VIA measures ridership based on the number of boardings, also known as unlinked
passenger trips. All of VIA’s services carried 45.9 million passenger trips during FY
2012-13, see Table 6.1.
Table 6.1 Transit Ridership for Fiscal Year 2012-13
Type of Service
Scheduled Line
Total Ridership
Weekday Average
44,635,608
139,335
VIATrans
1,046,552
N/A
Primo (began Dec. 2012)
1,465,773
5,623
Environmental Commitment
VIA continually seeks out ways to reduce pollution, waste, and energy demands.
As an operator of a fleet of buses and vans, the agency’s primary environmental efforts
are focused on the reduction of vehicle emissions. VIA will continue to monitor the
development of fuel and propulsion technologies that can help reduce local air pollution.
VIA employs rigorous recycling efforts, focusing on waste oil and lubricants, batteries,
paint solvents, office paper, cardboard, scrap metals, refrigerant, and plastics.
Conservation is also a high priority. VIA has retrofitted its facilities with energy efficient
lighting, installed upgrades to the HVAC systems and windows, and reduced the energy
requirements for the climate control system of the maintenance garage.
VIA is also exploring the use of renewable energy, where feasible. The agency
obtains 100 percent of its electricity from CPS Energy’s Windtricity program. Solar
panels power the lighting at new bus shelters, and solar-panel systems have been
installed to provide power at five transit centers and over 550 bus shelters. A small solar
farm is also in use at the South Texas Medical Center Transit Center to provide power
to the site. VIA also uses E10 ethanol/gasoline blends.
VIA is also working to reduce water pollution through the use of an on-site
industrial wastewater treatment facility and the installation of stormwater interceptors, in
order to prevent contaminated bus yard runoff from infiltrating the local watershed.
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Public Transportation Needs and Issues
The San Antonio region faces many challenges in the public transportation
arena. While VIA has long been one of the most financially efficient transit systems in
the country, its fiscal constraints and service area characteristics have limited its
offerings to the community.
Land Use Patterns
The suburban development patterns prevalent in San Antonio areas of high
growth pose a challenge for efficient operation of bus service. Gated communities and
residential subdivisions with low-density and poor street connectivity are not conducive
to efficient transit service for either the pedestrian or VIA and, therefore, not “transit
friendly”. Poor street connectivity and low-density development patterns create longer,
indirect distances between destinations, making transit options less viable for potential
riders, and transit service more expensive to provide, when not impossible to do so,
thus creating ‘auto-dependent’ communities.
Transit access to commercial development also poses challenges. Development
on one-way frontage roads, as experienced along many portions of IH 10 West, Loop
410, and Loop 1604, are difficult to serve by transit, due to the circuitous routing that is
required. In addition, riders are forced to decide whether to either ride ‘out of direction’
for much longer distances to reach their destination, in order to stay on the same side of
an expressway, or, to walk long distances under expressway ‘turnarounds,’ in generally
very pedestrian-unfriendly environments, in order to arrive at the opposing (returning)
direction bus stop.
Pedestrian Infrastructure
The region’s pedestrian network lags behind that of its road network. A short trip
that can be completed relatively quick and safe by vehicle may be more difficult and
less safe if travelled on foot. Transit service, although delivered through the use of a
vehicle and operated on a roadway, is dependent upon use by the pedestrian.
The current trend of regional land use patterns, along with the lack of pedestrian
facilities and amenities, create conditions that are uninviting, and oftentimes, unsafe to
pedestrians. Wide streets with narrow sidewalks placed against a curb, the absence of
trees or building awnings for shade, and deep building setbacks, represent a
streetscape designed to the scale of the automobile, not the pedestrian. Auto-oriented
frontage-road development, in which storefronts are separated from the street by vast,
non-shaded parking lots are not ideal pedestrian environments and serve as additional
incentives to choose driving over pedestrian and/or transit modes. A non-existent or
unsafe pedestrian system is a barrier to the walking experience and hence, a barrier to
transit use.
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Narrow streets with wide sidewalks, separated from the curb by
landscaping/street trees, pedestrian islands or medians, buildings close to the street
with shading devices and parking areas located behind buildings, are design
considerations that provide safer pedestrian environments and are incentives for
increased pedestrian and transit use. Without a safe, comfortable, and continuous
pedestrian network that links origins and destinations, transit use will never reach its full
potential, and driving will continue to be the travel mode of choice for those who can
afford it or have no other viable travel mode option.
Addressing the Challenges and Issues
Efforts to address some of the pedestrian network challenges are already
underway. The Advanced Transportation District (ATD) allows for additional investment
in public transportation, more sidewalks, and other infrastructure projects. As described
in Chapter 5 (Pedestrian System), other initiatives are being developed to improve the
pedestrian infrastructure within the region.
Alternative approaches to current
development patterns, as outlined in the City of San Antonio Unified Development
Code, may lead to urban conditions that are more conducive to transit use. However,
many improvements and policy changes are still needed in order to make transit a travel
mode of choice for residents in the San Antonio metropolitan area, and to reduce the
level of impending environmental challenges facing the region. Together with local
partners, VIA is facilitating planning efforts to identify opportunities where
implementation of pedestrian infrastructure improvements can make the greatest gains
in addressing a pedestrian network that supports increased transit use.
Goals: VIA’s Long Range Plan
The VIA Long Range Comprehensive Transportation Plan (LRCTP), branded as
SmartwaySA, was formally adopted by the VIA Board of Trustees (Board) in July 2011
and is shown in Figure 6.8.
Figure 6.8 SmartwaySA Long Range Plan
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The plan, which was prefaced by almost two years of intense public participation
by citizens, organizations and community leaders across the region, embraced the
community’s visioning process, coupled with the comprehensive analysis of long-term
regional mobility requirements, and established a need for alternative modes of
transportation in the region. Furthermore, the LRCTP provides a comprehensive
framework for directing transit investments, and identifies potential financial resources
and tools necessary to implement and sustain the Plan goals. The Plan incorporated the
MPO’s Transit Oriented Development and Infill Scenario as adopted in the Metropolitan
Transportation Plan for 2035.
Long Range Transit Projects
Derived from VIA’s Long Range Comprehensive Transportation Plan 2035
(LRCTP) are a number of key projects that make up VIA’s Capital Program. Following
are updates of several of the projects in progress.
VIA Metro West Plaza (previously known as Westside Multimodal Center)
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Phase I of the Metro West Plaza serves as a customer service center, a
passenger waiting facility and a point of intersection between several existing bus
routes, a suburban Express route, and the Primo bus rapid transit 100. As of Fall 2014,
the facility is home to VIA’s administrative offices. This facility will accommodate a
critical mass of bus activity, allowing patrons to make transfers from one route to
another at this location with improved amenities relative to their present-day experience.
Phase II will include the construction of improved amenities, a transit plaza, and area for
private sector retail and office opportunities. The longer-term goals include multiple
modes of transit to include high capacity, intercity bus (such as Greyhound), and
passenger rail (Amtrak and LoneStar).
Downtown Patron Amenities
Figure 6.9 Downtown Transit Stop
The proposed downtown amenity
improvements include the use of a
modular design component system for
signage and shelter elements, which can
be appropriately scaled to right-of-way
conditions. The intention is to create a
uniform look for VIA’s downtown services.
Real-time bus information will be
incorporated into many of the shelters,
particularly those stops with the highest
ridership levels. Wherever possible, the
shelters will be located within the right-ofway, in a manner that allows for an unimpeded flow of pedestrians while providing a
comfortable amenity for VIA customers. In 2014, new shelters were installed or replaced
at 66 downtown locations and an additional 258 locations systemwide. As opportunities
become available, enhancements (e.g. public art, hardscape improvements) to specific
locations will be considered.
Brooks Transit Center
This project includes a Transit Center proposed for the vicinity of Brooks City
Base. The need is driven in part by growing population and new employment and retail
opportunities, particularly focused on redevelopment initiatives at Brooks City Base. As
with other transit facilities in this program, this project will seek opportunities for joint
development. The Brooks Transit Center will provide a safe indoor waiting facility,
where customers can obtain information on next bus arrival time and other system
services. VIA currently operates five (5) bus routes in the vicinity of Brooks City Base,
which sometimes require riders to make complicated transfers between multiple routes,
and the Transit Center will bring these routes together at a central location. VIA also
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proposes to add a new Express route that will provide people with the choice to park at
or near the facility, and ride an express service into downtown, which will begin service
when the Transit Center opens. The longer-term objectives for Brooks Transit Center
not included under this program include expanded local bus services and introduction of
bus rapid transit services along Military Drive and Roosevelt Drive as outlined in the
Long Range Plan.
US 281 Park & Ride
The communities adjacent to US 281 north of Loop 1604 represent one of the
fastest growing areas in Bexar County. This area also has some of the highest
household transportation costs in the region due to the average length of commutes by
residents in the vicinity. A new Park & Ride facility offers residents the choice to relieve
some of that expense by choosing to use transit to make longer daily commutes. This
project offers a more convenient option for existing and potential riders, and for VIA,
provides the ability to invest in expanded services for the area. The project was initially
slated to be a two phased project, but with the recent influx of $15 million in Surface
Transportation Program and Metropolitan Mobility (STP-MM) funds from the MPO, VIA
now is able to build the complete project. The project is a 4-Level Parking Garage with
a Transit Facility on the ground level. The facility also has a ramp that will allow for
direct access to the managed lanes being constructed with the expansion of US 281 by
the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) and Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT). The project has an area for joint development which will be developed in a
subsequent phase. VIA staff is in close coordination with both the RMA and TxDOT to
ensure both projects complement each other.
Level of Public Investment: Transit Financial Forecast
Financial projections through 2040 show that sources of transit funds are
essentially equal to uses of funds, as shown in Table 6.2. Sales taxes account for
more than 70% of VIA’s funding. VIA receives sales taxes totaling 5/8-cent per dollar
(1/2-cent MTA tax and a 1/8-cent share of the Advanced Transportation District tax);
peer transit agencies in Houston, Dallas, and Austin all receive the full 1-cent tax. The
uses of funds figures show that operating expenses account for 78% of total uses, with
capital expenditures and related debt service accounting for the remaining amount.
VIA utilizes debt to finance some capital projects, so that transit benefits can be
delivered to the community more quickly. VIA will be using debt to finance transit facility
projects and the replacement of its bus fleet over the next several years. VIA will also be
replacing diesel-powered buses with buses powered by compressed natural gas.
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VIA’s financial projections reflect the agency continuing to remain a very costefficient organization. VIA’s cost per hour for delivering bus service is lower than that of
most peer agencies, in some cases by 25% or more. VIA has received a variety of
awards in recent years recognizing the dedication and commitment of the agency’s
employees.
VIA is committed to continue seeking additional funding so that services to a
rapidly growing community can be expanded. VIA actively pursues various federal and
other grant opportunities, and has been successful in the past at competing for
discretionary grants. “Formula funds” (grant apportionments) that VIA receives have
been included in financial projections.
Discretionary grant awards are not as
predictable, have been greatly reduced by the federal government in recent years, and
are not reflected.
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Table 6.2 VIA Financial Projections
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Lone Star Rail District
Lone Star Rail District (LSRD) is an independent special district authorized by the
Texas Legislature. The Rail District encompasses five counties — Bexar, Comal, Hays,
Travis and Williamson — and the cities of San Antonio, Schertz, New Braunfels, San
Marcos, Austin and Georgetown. The Rail District’s governing board of 20 members
includes elected and appointed officials from those counties and cities as well as
representatives of the Alamo Area and Capital Area Metropolitan Planning
Organizations (AAMPO and CAMPO), local transportation providers, and the San
Antonio and Austin business communities.
The Lone Star Rail passenger rail project is a key initiative to help alleviate the
congestion and safety problems on IH 35 due to extraordinary population growth and
increased NAFTA traffic. The locally preferred alternative—adopted in 2005 by the Rail
District Board as well as the Austin and Alamo Area MPOs—is a 112-mile regional
passenger rail system located in the existing Union Pacific rail corridor for most of its
length. Fifteen stations are planned along the route, which is anchored by the Austin
and San Antonio metropolitan areas with additional stations in Schertz, New Braunfels,
San Marcos, Kyle/Buda, Round Rock and Georgetown. A 16th station in south San
Antonio is being studied in the environmental clearance process which is currently
underway.
Intercity rail service will offer relaxing, stress-free travel that allows riders the
freedom to make the most of their travel time by studying, working, or simply enjoying
the scenery. Travel times will be competitive with, if not faster than, travel by
automobile; but the key element is that rail travel is predictable and dependable, while
accidents, weather conditions, and other variables can often cause unexpected delays
for drivers.
Significant technical work has been completed for the regional passenger rail
project, including: conceptual engineering, alternatives analysis, station location studies,
station economic impact analyses, capital and operating cost estimates, operating
plans, ridership studies, and financial and economic benefits studies.
In October 2010, Lone Star Rail and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) executed a
Memorandum of Understanding that states the Rail District and UPRR will study the
feasibility of relocating UPRR’s through freight to a new route. If an appropriate route is
identified, UP will consider moving its “through” freight, which makes up the bulk of the
freight traffic, to a new line in exchange for the existing freight line. In November 2010,
the Rail District launched the initial study in the freight rail relocation effort—a fatal flaw
analysis of alternative routes for the through freight. UPRR’s local freight will remain on
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the existing mainline, but the relocation of UPRR’s through-freight operations will allow
the Rail District to provide passenger rail service on the existing mainline. The Lone Star
Rail District believes this project to:






Improve mobility throughout the Austin-San Antonio Corridor
Provide a predictable, reliable travel choice
Divert trucks from IH 35 to new freight bypass, thus improving speed and
efficiency of NAFTA trade flows
Improve safety in the IH 35 corridor
Maintain air quality status (Austin and San Antonio both near-non-attainment
areas)
Create a regional, seamless, multi-modal transportation system
Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study
The Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study (TOPRS) is an evaluation of a range
of passenger rail service options in an 850-mile corridor from Oklahoma City to South
Texas. The study began in 2013 and is expected to conclude by the end of 2014. It will
document the costs, benefits and impacts of potential rail service alternatives compared
to a no-build alternative in a service-level environmental impact statement (EIS).
This rail corridor, shown in Figure 6.10, could potentially be a high-speed rail
corridor and could complement the aforementioned commuter rail system as a whole.
The study will consider the corridor as a whole, as well as three discrete portions of the
corridor:



Northern: Oklahoma City to Dallas/Fort Worth
Central: Dallas/Fort Worth to San Antonio
Southern: San Antonio to Rio Grande Valley/Corpus Christi/Laredo
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Figure 6.10: Texas Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study
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Conclusion
In the past five years, VIA has opened two new major transit centers connecting
the region’s largest employment centers - the Westside Multimodal Transit Center and
the South Texas Medical Center Transit Center, and implemented the region’s first highcapacity transit line, VIA Primo/BRT on the Fredericksburg Road corridor. In addition,
VIA has updated its fleet with new all-electric vehicles, low-emission, low-floor, bicycle
accessible, wheel-chair accessible buses, and in total has accumulated a fleet that’s
33% non-diesel. With an unprecedented local public involvement campaign, VIA
completed the Long Range Comprehensive Transportation Plan for 2035 SmartWaySA. The Plan established an integrated blueprint for future high capacity
transit options, new facilities and bus service enhancements throughout the region and
enhanced bus service options. VIA forged new partnerships with local partners and
was successful in obtaining federal grant awards to fund new innovative projects in the
region - SmartMove. VIA has developed a joint development program in an effort to
explore opportunities with the private sector for mixed-use development at locations
where higher densities are appropriate and can support live, work and play
opportunities. In addition, VIA has developed a public art program for integration into
capital projects to enhance the customer experience at their facilities.
Despite these numerous accomplishments, public transportation is still not a
mode of choice among most commuters in the metropolitan area. Land development
patterns, the lack of an accessible pedestrian system, the relatively low cost of owning
and operating a vehicle, and limited transit options continue to make travel by
automobile the preferred mode of choice.
However, future scenarios indicate, that by the year 2040, increases in
population and employment, as well as the regional costs associated with increased
congestion, reduced air quality and water sources, will affect an increase in demand for
public transportation services. Financial projections through 2040 show that current
revenue sources are insufficient to meet any public transportation demand beyond that
currently experienced. It is evident that new, creative and non-traditional revenue
sources are needed to guarantee that increased public transportation service and
modes will continue to play a vital role in the regional economy as the Alamo Area
continues to establish itself as a desirable location for high-tech and creative class
opportunities, and compete on a national scale.
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8. Freight Movement
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years
Over the last several years, regional leaders have worked to ensure that the San
Antonio region takes advantage of the considerable economic generators arising from
its unique geographic location, world-class infrastructure, bilingual-bicultural workforce,
and low cost business climate. San Antonio, known as an inland port, provides a
strategic location for distribution, transshipment and international trade processing
activities, and has key logistical assets that support the delivery of products to both
domestic and international customers. In support of the regional freight vision, the
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has completed a number of
tasks to maintain and improve freight infrastructure and operations.
Over the past five years, MPO staff has identified and mapped National Highway
System (NHS) Intermodal Facilities and Intermodal Connectors throughout the region.
MPO staff hosted a regional Freight Stakeholder’s Workshop in November 2013 and will
likely conduct similar workshops every two years. Staff has also been active in the
Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) statewide Freight Advisory Committee
as well as participating in TxDOT’s Freight Planning meetings for establishing the MAP21 required freight performance measures. In addition the MPO utilizes both the Freight
Analysis Framework 3 (FAF3) data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
as well as acquired the Transearch Freight data made available through TxDOT’s
Transportation Planning and Programming Division (TPP). To further support the
planning process, a representative of Union Pacific Railroad has served in the nongovernmental, ex-officio position on the Transportation Policy Board (TPB) and a
representative of the trucking industry serves on the Technical Advisory Committee
(TAC). MPO staff also has ongoing participation with freight providers through the Union
Pacific Advisory Committee and the San Antonio Transportation Association.
The movement of goods by truck, rail and air is essential to the economic
strength of an area. Trucks transport between local supply sources (warehouses) to
points of consumption (retail stores or homes) and connect elements (seaports, airports,
and rail and freight terminals) of the transportation system. To support the truck and
rail-based freight analysis the MPO utilized Transearch data and FHWA’s Freight
Analysis Framework (FAF3) to provide current and projected flow of domestic and
international cargo to, from and through the region. Additionally, TxDOT has
undertaken three rail plans in the past several years: a Regional Rail Master Plan,
Freight Rail Relocation Study, and Adaptive Rail Reuse (Land Use) Study. The City of
San Antonio also continues to implement its adopted Airport Master Plan.
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The National Freight Picture
The U.S. freight transportation network moves a staggering volume of goods
each year. Over 15 billion tons of goods, worth over $9 trillion, were moved in 1998
according to the FHWA. By 2020, the U.S. transportation system is expected to handle
about 23 billion tons of cargo valued at nearly $30 trillion. Freight moves throughout the
U.S., according to the FHWA, on 985,000 miles of Federal –aid highways, 141,000
miles of railroads, 11,000 miles of inland waterways and 1.6 million miles of pipelines.
According to the American Trucking Association, trucks move roughly 67% of the
nation's freight by weight. In 2011, there was $603.9 billion in gross freight revenues
(primary shipments only) from trucking, representing 80.9% of the nation’s freight bill
and 9.2 billion tons of freight (primary shipments only) transported by trucks,
representing 67.0% of total domestic tonnage shipped.
Table 8.1 are the Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimates based on preliminary
data from the 2012 Commodity Flow Survey.
Table 8.1 Shipment Characteristics by Total Modal Activity
for the United States: 2012
Mode of
2012 Ton– Ton-miles
transportation
miles (2)
(Percent
(1)
(millions)
of Total)
All modes
3,319,666
100.0
Truck
1,270,507
38.3
Rail
1,696,694
51.1
Inland water
163,972
4.9
Great Lakes
28,478
0.9
Deep sea
81,693
2.5
Air
5,597
0.2
Pipeline (4)
S
S
Parcel,
U.S.P.S. or
courier
20,438
0.6
Other
modes
279
Z
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
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Tonmiles CV
(3)
3.9
1.2
7.8
9.8
31.1
17.3
22.4
S
Standard
Error for
Ton-miles
(Percent of
Total)
0.0
1.5
2.0
0.6
0.3
0.4
Z
S
Average
miles per
shipment
CV
1.5
4.2
9.5
9.8
15.0
6.6
10.4
S
873
2.0
Z
1.5
2
27.5
Z
30.3
2012
Average
miles per
shipment
572
212
901
358
522
1,288
909
S
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Texas ranks first in trading with Mexico and third in trading with Canada
based on value of goods. This includes all modes, but demonstrates the tremendous
impact freight is having and will continue to have, based on the amount of truck
freight traffic as mentioned previously, on IH 35 through the San Antonio region.
Table 8.2 Top 10 States Trading with Canada by All Modes of Transportation
January 2012
January 2013
Value
Rank
Value
Rank
Michigan
5,786
1
5,676
1
-1.9
Illinois
5,099
2
5,059
2
-0.8
Texas
3,119
4
3,222
3
3.3
Ohio
2,904
5
3,221
4
10.9
California
3,208
3
3,026
5
-5.7
New York
2,603
6
2,915
6
12.0
Washington
1,876
8
1,979
7
5.5
Pennsylvania
1,987
7
1,938
8
-2.5
Indiana
1,439
11
1,609
9
11.8
Minnesota
1,576
9
1,512
10
-4.1
State
Percent Change January 2012- 2013
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data.
Table 8.3 Top 10 States Trading with Mexico by All Modes of Transportation
January 2012
January 2013
State
Percent Change January 2012- 2013
Value
Rank
Value
Rank
Texas
15,604
1
15,887
1
1.8
California
4,975
2
4,748
2
-4.6
Michigan
3,147
3
3,540
3
12.5
Illinois
1,219
4
1,335
4
9.5
Arizona
1,141
5
1,216
5
6.5
Ohio
851
7
1,013
6
19.1
Louisiana
1,050
6
859
7
-18.2
Tennessee
726
8
790
8
8.8
Georgia
513
13
576
9
12.2
Indiana
572
10
572
10
-0.02
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data.
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As described in the aforementioned tables, the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) related trade continues to impact the not only the state, but also
the Alamo area and will continue to do so, growing at a faster rate than what had been
anticipated. NAFTA came into force in 1995 and removed trade barriers between
Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Mexico is now Texas’ largest trading partner,
making up 35.7% of Texas’ total exports; Canada is second at 9%. From 2011 to 2012,
trade with Mexico from Texas increased 8.5% while trade with Canada increased 7.8%.
The top commodities being exported to Mexico from Texas, according to the Texas
Freight Advisory Committee, are Computer and Electronic Products (23.4%), Petroleum
and Coal Products (15.3%), Transportation Equipment (12%) and Chemicals (11.3%).
Maintaining and growing trade with Mexico relies on maintaining adequate capacity and
increasing efficiency of the Texas transportation network, especially near border
crossings. In the Alamo Area, the forecasted growth in freight movement, local
population and employment will increase the stress to our entire network system,
continuing to reinforce the need for continued multi-modal development.
Truck Freight Data
National and Statewide Truck Freight Data
Figure 8.1 and 8.2 on the following page depict the national truck traffic network
flows through the region. Figure 8.1 shows the 2010 major flows by truck to, from and
within Texas. While Figure 8.2 shows the projected 2040 major flows by truck to, from
and within Texas. It not only establishes Texas’, but also San Antonio’s importance in
the trucking freight industry. The map shows Texas’ importance in freight movement
throughout the country. Trucks are a critical link in the Texas multimodal freight system.
According to the Texas Freight Mobility Plan, annually over $1.6 trillion/1.2 billion tons of
freight are moved on Texas highways. In 2011, trucks moved over 46% of all freight
moved in Texas. By 2040, it is predicted that truck tonnage will increase by 78% and
account for 56% of all freight moved.
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Figure 8.1 Average Daily Non-local Freight Truck Traffic on the National
Highway System: 2010
Source: Freight Analysis Framework 3.5
Figure 8.2 Projected Average Daily Non-local Freight Truck Traffic on the
National Highway System: 2040
Source: Freight Analysis Framework 3.5
Local Truck Freight Conditions
Figure 8.3 depicts the amount of freight that comes to and from San Antonio in
tons. It demonstrates San Antonio’s importance as it serves as a hub based on its
location for cargo traveling to and from important ports of entry such as Houston,
Laredo, Corpus Christi and El Paso.
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Figure 8.3 Statewide Truck Flow Network To and From the
San Antonio region
Source: Freight Analysis Framework 3.5
San Antonio Region NHS Intermodal Connectors and Facilities
Due to the importance the Alamo Area plays in national freight movement of all
modes, in 2012, MPO staff identified and mapped intermodal terminals for the following
categories:






Fuel Terminals
Truck/Rail terminals
Intercity Rail terminals
Commercial Airports
Intercity Bus Terminals Public Transit (Park and Rides)
Public Transit (Transit Centers)
Once these terminals were identified and mapped, staff used traffic counts and
field observations to identify the intermodal connectors from the terminals to the
highway system. This is important for the national infrastructure to support freight
movement in the region. Due to the recent expansion of the MPO’s boundary, the
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updating of these facilities and connectors will continue and can be found on the MPO’s
iMap (online mapping application) following the MPO’s Transportation Policy Board,
TxDOT and FHWA approval.
Freight Stakeholder Meetings
In order to gain more information concerning freight movement throughout the
region, in the fall of 2013, the MPO held a Freight Stakeholder Workshop. Truck freight
and rail freight were represented from those located in Bexar County, Comal County,
Guadalupe County and a portion of Kendall County participated. The workshop was
held at the Schertz Civic Center along the heavily congested IH 35 corridor. MPO staff
provided a short presentation followed by a question and answer session. Participants
were then asked to visit each of the four mapping stations each containing maps of the
aforementioned counties. Each station was set up for a specific category of freight
related issues. These categories included: Congestion, Safety Issues, Rail Issues,
Delivery Issues, Physical Barriers and Conflict Points.
Participants moved from station to station noting their concerns directly on the
maps and MPO staff served as scribes annotating each issue. Additionally, an MPO
staff member using Google Earth Streetview projected onto a large wall where
participants could identify the specific location of a certain issue encountered for better
documentation.
Two sessions were held: one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Both
were similar in format and content so attendees could participate in the workshop that fit
best with their schedule. Both workshops were very well attended with participants from:
TxDOT, FHWA, local law enforcement including Bexar County Sherriff’s Department
and Schertz Police Department, the Economic Development Corporation of Schertz,
Independent school district officials of Schertz, Cibolo and Universal City, local city
department officials, trucking companies and distribution centers with employees within
logistics, safety, and operations and maintenance of major trucking companies.
The results of the Freight Stakeholder’s Meeting sessions were the notation and
documentation of the following within the MPO boundary:







61 segments and or locations of traffic congestion
23 specific areas identifying safety concerns
8 segments identifying combined safety/congestion concerns
10 locations of rail issues
2 places of delivery issues
23 points of physical barriers
6 areas of conflict points
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This input was compiled in a GIS data layer that is available on the MPO’s
website along with the documentation provided to partner agencies concerning their
roadways to consider potential improvements that may be developed and implemented.
The MPO hopes to use these workshops as a way to continue the dialogue concerning
freight related issues within the region and note the transportation solutions that have
been implemented.
Figure 8.4 Freight Stakeholder Workshop Results
Source: AAMPO
Rail Freight Data
National Rail Freight Data
Trucks move most of the nation’s freight and will continue to do so, but rail freight
is critical to the freight transportation system, the competitiveness of many industries,
and the economies of most states. In the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Freight Rail Bottom line report, AASHTO reports the
following public benefits of the freight-rail system: Transportation System Capacity and
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Highway Cost Savings, Economic Development and Productivity, Environmental Health
and Safety, International Trade Competitiveness and Emergency Response.
According to the American Railroad Association, America’s freight railroads have
reinvested $550 billion since 1980, including more than $25 billion in both 2012 and
2013. Recent forecasts from the Federal Highway Administration found that total U.S.
freight shipments will rise from an estimated 19.7 billion tons in 2012 to 28.5 billion tons
in 2040. This is a 45% increase as shown in Figure 8.5.
Figure 8.5 US Freight Forecasts
Source: FHWA Office of Freight Management and
Operations, Freight Analysis Framework version 3.5
Texas leads the nation in both Rail Freight Originating and Terminating sites with
18 million rail tons originating and 39.6 million tons terminating.
Figure 8.6 shows the freight rail network in the United States, including routes
operated by both the major carriers and smaller railroads. According to the American
Association of American Railroads, the Nation’s freight rail networks—with more than
140,810 miles of track—move more than 2.2 billion tons of commodities every year. The
seven large Class I railroads accounted for 95,664 miles, about 68% of total mileage.
Texas is the largest carrier of the nation’s rail freight accounting for 8% nationally.
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Figure 8.6. U.S. Freight Rail Network
Source: Association of American Railroads
Local Rail Freight Data
The basic framework of San Antonio’s rail network was laid out many years ago,
with the construction occurring between 1877 and 1912 according to TxDOT. With the
deregulation of the railroad industry in 1980, the railroads have endured increasing
competitive pressures from other modes of transportation, especially the trucking
industry. This competition has impacted railroad infrastructure improvements and
expansion projects to the point where they are done very selectively. As a result, the
railroads are turning to the movement of higher profit margin products such as
containerized freight. It is predicted that the next 25 years will see tremendous demands
placed on the rail network due to international trade growth and rising fuel costs. This
may lead to more truck to rail modal shifting and thus longer and heavier trains.
According to estimates from the American Association of Railroads, railroads move the
equivalent of 20.3 million trucks in Texas annually. It is worth noting, that Texas has the
single largest rail system in the U.S. and carries 8% of all U.S. rail freight.
By 2040, total rail traffic in the region, excluding through traffic, is expected to
increase by 15% for an average of .5% annually. Domestic rail intermodal is expected to
more than double by 2040, growing nearly 3% annually. Currently according to TxDOT,
there are on average 100 trains a day moving through the MPO region.
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Multi-modal Freight Developments
As shown in Figure 8.7 San Antonio is a key highway crossroads and, crossrail
location. Within San Antonio, IH 10 runs east to west and stretches from Los Angeles to
Florida, which intersects IH 35 running north-south from the border in Laredo to
Canada. The rail system also boasts both east-west and north-south rails. Because of
its location at this national intersection, San Antonio serves as a vital connection point
joining California coastal ports, the 600 Mexican maquiladoras dotting the border, the
many Texas cities within 250 miles of San Antonio, and a long list of U.S. East Coast,
Midwest, and Southeastern metropolitan areas.
Figure 8.7 San Antonio Rail Network
(Source: TxDOT San Antonio Region Freight Study)
Until 2008, the two north-south and east-west rail systems were not accessible
from a single intermodal facility. Instead, Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) operated its
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intermodal services out of two inner-city yards, requiring 80,000 semi-trucks to pick up
or drop off containers each year. Trains often had to bypass San Antonio and deliver
containers to Houston; trucks then transported those shipments back to the San Antonio
area. In 2008, the Alamo Area began seeing more sustainable transportation
improvement projects occur. These would lead to improved safety, better fuel economy
by multi-modal opportunities and reduced emissions from truck freight. In 2009, Union
Pacific Railroad opened an intermodal rail terminal in southwest Bexar County. This
facility transfers freight between rail cars and trucks. UP’s state-of-the-art San Antonio
Intermodal Terminal helped the multi-modal aspect of freight making it accessible to
both north-south and east-west rails, as well as IH 35 and IH 410. The 350-acre facility
offers three ramp tracks, seven support tracks, and two receiving/departing tracks, and
is capable of processing about 250,000 containers per year.
This intermodal terminal created a distribution point for both inbound and
outbound freight to a large part of the country that previously had limited truckcompetitive rail product service. The move attracted customers that had never used rail
before. This multi-modal option helps alleviate some of the truck freight congestion by
encouraging coordination between freight modes while enhancing the efficiency of
goods movement. All of these transportation improvements have encouraged economic
development for the San Antonio region.
Future Multi-modal Freight Growth
Airports, railroad lines and the area’s highway system serve as the primary
conduit for movement of goods throughout the region. The San Antonio International
Airport offers state-of-the art cargo facilities. Port San Antonio is a master-planned,
aerospace, industrial complex and international logistics platform created from the
former Kelly Air Force Base. It is centered halfway between the East and West coasts
and at the center of the NAFTA Corridor between Mexico and Canada. The port also
enjoys designation as a Foreign Trade Zone. Port San Antonio includes an airport,
accessibility by the rail roads of Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Railroads, and three interstate highways, IH 35, IH 10 and IH 37. According to the Port,
markets of more than 90 million people are within two days drive, and five major
seaports are accessible within a three day drive: the Ports of Houston, Corpus Christi,
Manzanillo, Lazaro Cardenas and Veracruz.
San Antonio exported $6.7 billion in goods and services in 2010, making it one of
the least export-intensive metro areas in the country (ranked 79th out of the top 100
metropolitan areas). Nearly a quarter of San Antonio’s exports came in the
transportation equipment sector, followed by travel and tourism (12%) and business
services (11%). Its role in transportation equipment manufacturing has increased after
Toyota chose to locate a pickup truck manufacturing facility in San Antonio in 2003, and
it sits squarely in the Texas-Mexico Automotive SuperCluster. Boeing has also
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concentrated jobs in the region by deciding to partly produce its 787 Dreamliner there
and move its aircraft maintenance, modification, and support work from Wichita to San
Antonio. While it has a low export base, the region has experienced the seventh-fastest
export growth of any U.S. metropolitan area post-recession, partly because
manufacturing employment rose 6% over the past two years.
One industry having a dramatic impact on San Antonio's economy is oil and gas.
Eagle Ford Shale is a fracking project extracting natural gas from shale in southwest
Texas, in a massive area stretching from Dallas-Ft. Worth to Mexico. San Antonio is the
closest metro area to the project, and, as a result, has become the desired location for
all of the corporate, professional, and distribution activities related to it.
These activities and manufacturing plants have increased the overall level of
freight logistics and distribution related activities. Over the long term, the region will
need to not only try to maintain, but also improve its freight infrastructure due to this
increased freight traffic.
Local Domestic Air Freight
In 2013 and 2014, total air cargo freight carried into or out of the San Antonio
International Airport was around 115,000,000 lbs., each year. According to the City of
San Antonio, the San Antonio International Airport cargo traffic is expected to increase
by 35% by the year 2040.
TxDOT’s Statewide Freight Efforts
In early 2013, TxDOT held their Freight Planning, Freight Advisory Committee
kick-off meeting at Port San Antonio. At this meeting stakeholders discussed the drivers
of freight demand in Texas including but not limited to: population growth, economic
growth, the energy sector and Texas as a Global Gateway.
Current State Freight Performance Measurement Efforts
TxDOT, has been reviewing data to set targets for each of the likely national
performance measures. TxDOT is well positioned to support upcoming federal
performance measure requirements. Currently the agency is collecting data and
reporting results for anticipated measures which include Annual Hours of Truck Delay
and the Truck Reliability Index. The target-setting component will require input and
collaboration with MPO’s and other freight partners.
Developing freight performance measures for Texas’s multimodal transportation
system will be closely integrated with establishing goals and objectives for the Texas
Freight Mobility Plan and the state long range plan update. While neither of these
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strategic frameworks are currently in place at the time of publication, both will likely build
from the goals identified in TxDOT’s existing Long Range Transportation Plan, the
Strategic Plan and the Texas Freight Planning Technical Report. As shown in Table 8.4,
common goal areas in these documents generally align with the national goal areas in
MAP-21.
Table 8.4 MAP-21 and TxDOT Freight Performance Measure Areas/Categories
MAP-21 Goal Areas and TxDOT General Goal Categories
MAP-21 Goal Areas
TxDOT Goal Category
Safety
Safety
Infrastructure Condition
Preservation
Congestion Reduction
System Performance
System Reliability
System Performance
Freight Movement and Economic Vitality
Economic Development/Connectivity
Environmental Sustainability
Environment
Reduce Project Delivery Delays
Operations
As noted by TxDOT, the Texas Freight Advisory Committee (TxFAC), of which
the MPO is a member, plays an important role in supporting the development of freight
performance measures for the Texas Freight Mobility Plan. The Texas Freight Mobility
Plan will be the first comprehensive and multimodal Freight Mobility Plan TxDOT has
published. According to TxDOT, the Plan will:



Enhance freight mobility and improve the state’s economic competitiveness by
providing efficient, reliable and safe freight transportation while maintaining the
quality of life in the state’s communities
Define policies and investments that will enhance Texas’ freight transportation
system into the future
Establish a framework for Texas’ comprehensive freight planning program and
decision making
The Texas Freight Mobility Plan is on schedule to be completed by December
2014. The MPO looks forward to working with the state in establishing and pursuing the
Freight performance measurement goals.
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9. Environmental Concerns
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years
One of the most significant accomplishments over the past five years is the
acceptance by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into the Ozone Advance
Protocol. In 2013, the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) worked with
partner agencies to draft a Path Forward letter for remaining the largest city in the
United States still in Attainment. In addition, the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning
organization (MPO) funds the Commute Solutions program the Alamo Area Council of
Governments manages which helps to reduce congestion, by emphasizing ridesharing
and telecommuting and focuses on public outreach on air quality issues in the region.
Beginning with the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity
Act - A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) and subsequently advanced with the Moving
Ahead for Progress in the 21st century (MAP-21) these acts better defined
environmental goals that include more integration of metropolitan and statewide
planning with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) activities. SAFETEA-LU
also required the MPO’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), to include a
discussion of types of potential environmental mitigation activities and potential areas to
carry out these activities which was then continued into MAP-21.
In addition to the air quality analysis, during the last five years there has been
continued concern among various groups to look after and preserve the water
resources within the region. Much of this focus has been centered on protecting the
Edwards Aquifer, the primary source of drinking water for the San Antonio area, and the
Carrizo Aquifer that provides the water for San Antonio and areas recently incorporated
into the MPO study area.
Background
When considering any transportation project for funding, the MPO takes into
general account potential impacts to the environment and community and considers,
where appropriate and necessary, environmental mitigation activities.
The following are some of the environmental concerns required to be analyzed
by sponsoring agencies within their project development process:
 Air Quality
 Water Quality
 Floodplains
 Wildlife Habitat
 Agriculture
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 Edwards Aquifer Impacts
 Environmental Justice
 Threatened and Endangered Wildlife (state/federal)
Additionally, social and economic justice criteria are required for evaluation for
projects that could affect such communities.
The MPO utilizes NEPAssist for environmental consideration analysis. However,
it is the responsibility of the sponsoring agency, in conducting the environmental
analysis for proposed projects, to accurately and fully identify any impacts covering
social, economic and environmental concerns, and proposed mitigation approaches, as
applicable and warranted, to ensure compliance with relevant state and federal
requirements.
The MPO and partner agencies work together to ensure there is minimal impact
within implementation of transportation projects. The NEPA documentation for each
specific project, at the level required by state and federal requirements, specifically
addresses impacts related to each project, and the indirect and cumulative impact of
projects on a regional scale.
Environmental issues in transportation planning continue to be a priority. This
chapter discusses local environmental issues: Linking NEPA and Planning, air quality
and water and sustainability.
Linking Planning and NEPA
Planning and Environment Linkages or PEL is an umbrella term for the many
environmental issues that should be considered and used in the planning process to
improve the environment. PEL addresses many of the concerns addressed under
NEPA, such as environmental effects, endangered species, wetlands, and cultural
preservation. It also includes Linking Planning and NEPA activities and concepts
regarding how to conduct transportation planning-level choices and analyses so they
may be adopted or incorporated into the process required by NEPA. PEL pertains to a
wider array of issues and topics, including planning-level interagency consultation and
coordination.
The MPO utilizes PEL as an approach to transportation decision-making that
considers environmental, community, and economic goals early in the planning stage,
and carries them through project development, design, and construction. The MPO
strives for a seamless decision-making process that minimizes duplication of effort,
promotes environmental stewardship, and reduces delays in project implementation.
The MPO has continued to be a part of PEL working groups within the MPO Study
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Area. MPO staff has been and continues to be involved in several IH 35 TxDOT led PEL
initiatives.
Environmental Analysis Tools
The MPO uses mapping-based programs to help in the environmental evaluation
of projects. NEPAssist is an innovative tool that facilitates the environmental review
process and project planning in relation to environmental considerations. This webbased application draws environmental data dynamically from EPA regions' Geographic
Information System databases and provides immediate screening of environmental
assessment indicators for a user-defined area of interest. These features contribute to a
streamlined review process that potentially raises important environmental issues at the
earliest stages of project development and can be used in project planning. NEPAssist
draws information from publicly available federal, state, and local datasets, allowing
stakeholders to view information about environmental conditions within the area of a
proposed project quickly and easily at early stages of project development. The data
sets include information on regulated facilities, demographics, water features, historic
places, threatened & endangered species and wetlands.
The Clean Air Act
The ratification of the Clean Air Act of 1970 authorized the development of
comprehensive federal and state regulations to limit emissions from both stationary
(industrial) sources and mobile sources. Four major regulatory programs were initiated:
the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) State Implementation Plans
(SIPs), New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), and National Emission Standards
for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs). The EPA was created on May 2, 1971 in
order to implement the various requirements included in the Clean Air Act.
The Clean Air Act required areas to create plans to meet the air quality standards
and set deadlines for achieving those standards. Using this authority, the EPA has
promulgated air quality standards for six air pollutants: sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate
matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone, and
lead. The Act required the EPA to review the scientific data upon which the standards
are based, and revise the standards, if necessary, every five years. Originally, the Act
required that the air quality standards be attained by 1977 at the latest, but states
experienced widespread difficulty in complying with this deadline. As a result, deadlines
have been extended several times. Under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, areas
not in attainment with the air quality standards were required to meet special
compliance schedules, staggered according to the severity of an area’s air pollution
problem. In a major departure from the prior law, the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments
group nonattainment areas into classifications based on the extent to which the air
quality standard is exceeded, and establish specific pollution controls and attainment
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dates for each classification. The classifications are as follows: Marginal, Moderate,
Serious, Severe, and Extreme. Areas with more severe air pollution problems have a
longer time to meet the standards, but also have more stringent control requirements
placed on them.
Currently, air pollutants are monitored on a daily basis. These pollutants include
ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. A community may be
in attainment for one of these pollutants and non-attainment for another. As stated
earlier, the issue in San Antonio with regard to air quality is ground level ozone.
However, unlike the other pollutants, ozone is not directly emitted, but is formed by the
interaction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the
presence of sunlight as shown in Figure 9.1. Therefore, the control of ozone is based on
regulating emissions of VOCs and NOx.
Figure 9.1 Ozone Formation
(Source: AIRNow.gov)
The Ozone Standard
In April 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency published revisions to the air
quality standards. A key modification to the ozone standard was a change in averaging
time, thus strengthening the standard. Formerly, measurements of ozone were
averaged over a one-hour block of time, but the new requirement increased the time to
an eight-hour period. Due to these stricter standards more areas throughout the nation
were labeled non-attainment. The EPA is required to revisit the air quality standards
every five years and set new standards if deemed necessary to protect public health
with “an adequate margin of safety”.
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In March 2008, the EPA significantly strengthened the air quality standards
again, by lowering the ozone standard from 85 parts per billion (ppb) to 75 ppb. These
changes increased the number of areas to receive non-attainment status, but at the
same time improved both public health and the protection of sensitive trees and plants.
The San Antonio region met the 2004 standard of 85 ppb, but has not consistently
stayed under the 2008 standard of 75 ppb. In 2011 and 2012 the Alamo Area MPO
study area exceeded this standard. However, EPA is no longer designating NonAttainment status under the 2008 Standard, but instead waiting for the release of its
new, most likely, stricter standard. While the lower standard of 75 ppb has according to
EPA yielded more public health benefits, it was not set as low as the EPA’s scientific
advisors had originally recommended.
Since the Clean Air Act makes science the preeminent criterion in the standard
setting process, many who felt it should be lower did not believe that the EPA followed
the Act correctly in revising the standard in 2008. In 2009, the EPA announced the
agency would “reconsider” the 2008 national ozone standard to ensure they are
scientifically sound and protective of human health.
As of publication of this document, EPA is scheduled to propose revisions to the
ozone standards by January 2015 and will issue a Final Rulemaking by September
2015. State recommended Non-Attainment Designations by the Texas Governor would
be due to EPA by September 2016 and by May 2017 EPA would respond by proposing
Non-Attainment Designation boundaries. Final Non-Attainment Designations will be
made in September 2017 with transportation conformity due a year from that date.
Therefore, for the Alamo Area MPO to stay in attainment, we will likely need 2014, 2015
and 2016 ozone seasons to be in compliance with the new lower standard.
Air Quality Conditions
The MPO study area currently has several Continuous Air Quality Monitoring
Systems (CAMS), which record ozone levels daily. The regulatory ozone CAMS include
the San Antonio Northwest (C23), Camp Bullis (C58), Calaveras Lake (C59), Pecan
Valley (C678) and the CPS Heritage Middle School (C622). In addition, the Alamo Area
Council of Governments (AACOG) operates six non-regulatory ozone monitoring sites
across the region during the ozone season.
Currently, since a new standard has not yet been adopted, the ozone regulation
for the San Antonio region is still based on the 2008 8-hour ozone average of 75 ppb.
To meet the eight-hour standard, the community’s “three-year average of the annual
fourth-highest daily maximum eight-hour concentration measured at each monitoring
site” must be less than 75 ppb. Figure 9.2 shows the areas certified 8-hour design
value trends by CAMS site for the years 1980-2013 and Table 9.1 shows the percent
change in emissions from 1980 to 2012.
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In this region, on-road vehicles are the largest single source of all ozone
precursors. Fortunately, improvements in technology have had a considerable effect on
the reduction of air pollution (emissions from new vehicles have declined over time as
emission controls and fuel efficiency have improved).
Figure 9.2 San Antonio Eight-Hour Design Value Trends by Site
(Source: April 2014 Air Tech AACOG presentation)
Table 9.1 Percent Change in Emissions Nationwide Since 1980
Pollutant Carbon Monoxide (CO) 1980 vs 2012 ‐72 1990 vs 2012 ‐65 Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) ‐59 ‐52 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) ‐57 ‐45 Fine Particulate Matter PM2.5 ‐‐‐ ‐57 Notes: ‐‐‐ Trend data not available Negative numbers indicate reductions in emissions Percent change in emissions based on thousand tons units Mobility 2040
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Annual emissions estimates are used as one indicator of the effectiveness of air
quality programs. Figure 9.3 shows that between 1980 and 2012, gross domestic
product increased 133%, vehicle miles traveled increased 92%, energy consumption
increased 27%, and U.S. population grew by 38%. During the same time period, total
emissions of the six principal air pollutants dropped by 67%. The graph also shows that
between 1980 and 2012, CO2 emissions increased by 19%. Therefore in some criteria
pollutant areas, we are improving while in others we are seeing increases.
Figure 9.3 Comparison of Growth Areas and Emissions, 1980-2012
Source: EPA CO2 emissions estimate through 2012
EPA Clearinghouse for Inventories and Emissions Factors
In order to reduce criteria pollutants, even though we have cleaner vehicles, we
should try to reduce vehicle miles of travel. Reduction in the growth of vehicle miles of
travel requires behavioral changes rather than solely relying on improvements in
technology. The challenge is to reduce the length of most trips and to identify and
implement strategies to encourage walking, bicycling and transit use.
Vehicles are not the only source however, according to the AACOG Emissions
Trend Analysis for the San Antonio-New Braunfels Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)
of ozone forming pollutants, there are 275.36 tons of VOCs and 240.26 tons of NOx
emitted daily in from all man-made sources (power generation, vehicles, aircraft, etc.) in
2012. See Table 9.2.
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Table 9.2 2012 Human-Made Emission Sources Ozone Season
Weekday Anthropogenic VOC and NOx emissions for the
San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA, 2012.
Source
Type
Other
Non-Road
Off-Road
Area
Point
On-Road
VOC (tons/weekday)
Tons/Weekday
Percentage
3.07
1.4%
27.10
12.1%
3.26
1.5%
151.25
67.6%
6.11
2.7%
32.93
14.7%
Total
223.70
NOx (tons/weekday)
Tons/Weekday
Percentage
3.85
2.0%
19.59
10.3%
8.13
4.3%
15.61
8.2%
66.35
34.9%
76.71
40.3%
100.0%
190.24
100.0%
Source: AACOG, Oct. 2013. “Emissions Trend Analysis for the San Antonio-New Braunfels
MSA: 1999, 2002, 2006, 2012, 2018, and 2023”
It is expected that new gasoline standards will be effective in significantly
reducing motor vehicle emissions, including nitrogen oxides (NOX), volatile organic
compounds (VOC), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO) and air
toxics.
Air Quality Mitigation Efforts
Currently, the MPO is involved in the Ozone Advance Protocol. In order to be a
part of the Ozone Advance, the region needed to list conditions and mitigations efforts
to submit to EPA in a Path Forward letter. The Ozone Advance Path Forward lists the
things partner agencies and the area will do in order to ensure compliance with the
current and future Ozone Standards. The MPO, working through TxDOT and the Texas
Transportation Institute (TTI) added projects to the Ozone Advance, which we have in
our Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that show benefits for air quality from
several projects through Mobile Source Emission Reduction Strategies (MoSERS)
analysis. The MPO also funds the Commute Solutions program the Alamo Area
Council of Governments manages which helps to reduce congestion, by emphasizing
ridesharing and telecommuting and focuses on public outreach on air quality issues in
the region.
During the Ozone Season, from April through October, the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) designates an Ozone Action Day (known locally as an
Air Quality Health Alert Day) when meteorologists predict that, on the following day,
weather conditions will be suited for the production of high ozone levels. Ozone Action
Days are broadcast across the region by the National Weather Service. Notice is given
to local officials, news media, business, and industry in participating areas. On Ozone
Action Days groups sensitive to the effects of ozone, specifically the elderly, children,
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and individuals with lung diseases, are advised to avoid exposure by minimizing time
outdoors. When TCEQ forecasts an Ozone Action Day, AACOG and the Alamo Area
MPO and other local agencies put up their Ozone Alert Flags and list a number of steps
people can take to improve air quality, including driving less, carpooling, properly
inflating your tires, using transit and refueling vehicles and mowing after 6:00 pm.
Additionally, several local activities have been implemented to reduce the
production of ozone. The use of lower Reid Vapor Pressure gasoline, conversion of
fleets to alternative fuels, delayed school start times, encouraging model shifts (carpool
and public transportation), restriction of construction and maintenance activities, and a
gas cap replacement program have all contributed to improving air quality. In the Ozone
Advance Protocol, local agencies including but not limited to the MPO, City of San
Antonio, CPS Energy, the Alamo Area Council of Governments and VIA Metropolitan
Transit, have taken further actions that remain ongoing which will have a positive impact
on ozone levels in the region.
Transportation Conformity and State Implementation Plans
Transportation Conformity will be required if the San Antonio region fails to stay
in attainment for ozone. Transportation Conformity addresses air pollution from on-road
mobile sources. The EPA’s air quality conformity regulations ensure that transportation
projects do not cause new air quality violations, exacerbate existing ones, or delay
attainment of the standards. In non-attainment areas, these regulations force a
determination and offsetting of emission impacts before implementation of
transportation plans and projects.
The Clean Air Act requires a general plan to attain air quality standards in all
areas of the country and a specific plan for each nonattainment area. Each state is
responsible for developing and submitting plans to demonstrate how standards will be
achieved, maintained, and enforced.
In Texas, these plans are developed by the TCEQ and are referred to as State
Implementation Plans (SIPs). These SIPs show allowable levels of pollutants. The
portion of the SIP that deals with the on-road mobile sources emitted in our region is
known as Motor Vehicle Emission Budget (MVEB). SIPs are plans that provide the
framework for control measures that will improve air quality and achieve or maintain the
air quality standards. Conformity to a SIP means that activities will not:



Cause or contribute to any new violation of any standard
Increase the frequency or severity of any existing violation of any standard; or
Delay timely attainment of any standard
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In order to conform, the MPO’s adopted MTP and Transportation Improvement
Program (TIP) must include an analysis showing that projects do not negatively affect
the air quality. To be in conformity with the SIP, an area's MTP and TIP must be found
to result in emissions that are within the SIP’s MVEB. If the MVEB used for SIP
compliance is not available, then the MPO must demonstrate conformity using Interim
Tests. The projected emissions resulting from the MPO’s MTP and TIP must be less
than the SIP budget or the Interim Emissions Test to be found in conformity. To ensure
a smooth conformity process, there are numerous agencies involved within this
process.
Final determinations of conformity for MTPs and TIPs are made by the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The
transportation conformity process relies heavily on the interagency Consultation
Procedures as outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations and the Texas
Administrative Code. The MPO and TCEQ are responsible to meet legal public
consultation requirements, and the MPO has principal responsibility for demonstrating
transportation conformity. FHWA and FTA are responsible for issuing a final conformity
determination.
If conformity is not demonstrated, federal funds for highway and transit
improvements can be delayed, diverted or in extreme cases even lost. Only a few
projects can move forward in a lapse, these include: SIP transportation control
measures, safety projects, rehabilitation projects and those projects that do not have a
negative impact on air quality.
If designated as non-attainment for ozone, the MPO has one year to complete
the transportation conformity process. A conformity determination is required every
time a new or amended long range plan (MTP) or short range plan (TIP) is adopted
(unless only adding exempted projects).
Near-Roadside Monitoring
On February 9, 2010, the EPA promulgated new minimum monitoring
requirements for the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) monitoring network in support of a newly
revised 1-hour NO2 NAAQS and they retained annual NAAQS. This created a 1-hour
NO2 standard at 100 parts per billion (ppb) defined as the maximum allowable
concentration anywhere in an area. This is expressed as 3-year average of the 98th
percentile of the annual distribution of daily maximum 1-hour average concentrations,
based upon the highest monitor reading located within the area. EPA annual average
NO2 standard at 53 ppb.
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Within the new monitoring requirements, state and local air monitoring agencies
were required to install near-road NO2 monitoring stations at locations where peak
hourly NO2 concentrations were expected to occur within the near-road environment in
larger urban areas. During the spring of 2013, the MPO received a letter from TCEQ
indicating that five locations had been chosen for a potential site near the Loop 410 and
IH-10 interchange. The MPO responded by noting that no construction projects were
planned to take place in those locations. In early 2014, the MPO was notified that TCEQ
had chosen a different location this time near the Loop 410 / IH-35 Fratt Interchange
and the roadside monitor had been deployed. The roadside monitor took initial NO2
readings starting in January 2014 as shown in Table 9.3. The MPO does not believe the
area is in jeopardy for violating the NO2 1 hour standard in the near term.
Table 9.3 NO2 Roadside Monitoring
Near Road Monitor Site Data For NO2 in San Antonio Near Road Monitor Site NO2 NAAQS Loop 410/IH 35 Interchange location Monthly High 100 ppb Jan Feb 50.1 ppb 40 ppb Source: TxDOT Environmental Section
Although the IH 35 monitoring station is the only near roadside station, there are
two other stations that also monitor NO2. In Figure 9.4, the IH 35 NO2 monitor tracks
with the others and is only slightly higher, but yet well under the NO2 threshold for
NAAQS.
Figure 9.4 All NO2 Monitoring Stations within the MPO Boundary
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EPA reviewed the NAAQS Standards for both Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Fine
Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) and in August 2011 decided to retain the CO Standard at 9
parts per million (ppm) 8hr Standard and the 35 ppm 1hr Standard. The area currently
complies with both of these following testing data. In December 2012 the EPA retained
the PM 2.5 24hr Standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter, but revised the Annual
Standard to 12 micrograms per cubic meter. The plan by the TCEQ is to utilize the
same NO2 Roadside monitoring station to begin measuring for Carbon Monoxide (CO)
and Fine Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) beginning in January 2017
Green House Gases
Overview
In the United States, transportation is the largest source of Greenhouse Gas
(GHG) after electrical generation, and within the transportation sector, cars and trucks
account for the majority of emissions. The GHG effects, as seen in Figure 9.5, are a
natural process by which GHG trap heat from the sun and warm the Earth. Greenhouse
gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, water vapor and ozone.
Figure 9.5 The Greenhouse Effect
Source: December 2008 CTE broadcast TC-43: Transportation and Climate Change
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On June 2, 2014, the EPA announced a new proposal aimed at cutting pollution
from coal-fired power plants, the nation’s largest source of GHG emissions. This
proposal is intended to cut carbon pollution from power plants by 30% from 2005 levels
by 2030. The regulation, to be finalized in 2015, represents the strongest action yet by
the EPA to deal with climate change.
The EPA said it is setting goals for each state and that each one will be able to
choose how it will meet those goals. The local public utility, CPS Energy, has been
planning to cut its reliance on coal in anticipation of tougher federal regulations.
Officials at CPS Energy said they support the EPA proposal, noting that the utility is well
prepared to comply with a stringent carbon-reduction rule. CPS Energy has been on a
path to diversify its power generation sources in recent years. At CPS Energy, coal
represented 31.8 % of its capacity in 2010. By 2020, it estimates, its coal-powered
capacity will decline to 17.2 %.
In addition, CPS purchased an 800-megawatt natural-gas-fired plant in Seguin,
Texas in 2012 to replace its coal-fired J.T. Deely plant. CPS Energy decided in 2011
that it would shutter the plant in 2018, 15 years ahead of schedule. CPS Energy has an
agreement to buy 400 megawatts of solar power, and the utility is the largest municipal
buyer of wind power in the country. CPS Energy has also cited its investment in nuclear
power and its plan to reduce power demand through energy efficiency and conservation
programs.
To date, the U.S. government has not adopted a specific GHG reduction goal for
mobile source emissions. With regards to the long-range transportation plan, the FHWA
stated that climate change should be addressed in the planning process from both
mitigation and an adaptation perspective. The FHWA states that “broad geographic
scope and time scale of the planning process makes it an appropriate place to consider
GHG emissions and the effects of climate change.” Recognizing that the transportation
planning process plays a fundamental role in the state’s, regions’, and communities’
vision for their future, some states and metropolitan areas are incorporating GHG
reduction goals into their planning efforts. While there is no Federal requirement for
consideration of GHG impacts in statewide and metropolitan transportation planning,
some agencies are moving ahead with efforts to quantify GHGs and explore
transportation strategies to reduce these emissions.
GHG Trends
The transportation sector is one of the largest sources of GHG emissions in the
U.S., comprising 27 % U.S. GHG emissions in 2010. Figure 9.6 shows that nationally,
transportation has historically been the second largest contributor of GHGs behind the
electric power industry.
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Figure 9.6 U.S. GHG Emissions Allocated to Economic Sectors,
1990 to 2010
Source: U.S. EPA, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2010,
Note: Does not include U.S. territories
Nationally, on-road sources account for about 84% of transportation GHG
emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary GHG associated with the combustion of
transportation fuels, accounting for over 95 % of transportation GHG emissions based
on global warming potential. CO2 is emitted in direct proportion to fuel consumption,
with different emissions levels associated with different fuel types.
GHG Motor Vehicle Scale of Impact
Because of the amount of GHG from motor vehicles, as noted earlier, there is a
lot of interest in policies to reduce the growth of highway demand by utilizing more
efficient and alternative modes of transportation. Other modes of travel include transit,
walking, biking, carpooling, vanpooling, and telecommuting. In addition to alternative
methods of transportation, reducing traffic congestion can also make a significant
contribution to reducing GHG and prevent the waste of billions of gallons of fuel burned
every day.
Fuel economy standards and alternative fuels can also greatly reduce GHG.
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GHG Mitigation Efforts
The FHWA notes that strategies to reduce GHG include:








Increased vehicle energy efficiency
Reduced carbon content of fuels
Reduced vehicle miles of travel
More efficient land usage
Improved vehicle operations
Use of new approaches to decision-making
Integration of climate change with other regional dynamics
Risk assessment approach
These strategies have been recognized as effective means around the country to
address GHG in transportation plans. The strategies the MPO is implementing, includes
looking at ways to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through alternative modes of
transportation and scenario planning. The long range transportation plan looks at future
growth options concerning land use and the reduction of VMT while giving the public
more transportation options.
Although the MPO Study Area is projected to increase in population to
approximately 3.5 million people by 2040, where the region’s population resides and the
footprint they leave on the environment remains to be seen. The 2040 population and
employment maps in Chapter 2 Scenario Planning, show possible future growth
patterns and planning focus areas by scenario. Alternative policy initiatives in
transportation investments, market trends and land use policies may reshape these
growth patterns into forms that are more beneficial to the area’s environment and quality
of life.
As part of the MPO’s strategies in reducing GHG, it is important to track and
reduce VMT throughout the region. A downward trend in VMT is of the greatest
benefits in reducing mobile source emissions. There is a new tool that can analyze
GHG emissions from local transportation sources, the Mobile Source Vehicle Emissions
Simulator model known as the MoVES model. The model represents a significant
improvement over older emissions models. It develops energy consumption and
emissions estimates based on speed and vehicle power output, and also has the ability
to perform some lifecycle analyses. The 2007 version of the model has already been
used by several state and local agencies for GHG analyses. EPA plans to add
additional energy and GHG enhancements for future versions of MOVES.
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Climate change and related effects are complex and there is not yet a single
approach to addressing these issues. FHWA has recently focused its resources on
supporting transportation and climate change research and disseminating the results to
MPOs, providing technical assistance to stakeholders, and coordinating its activities
with other Federal agencies. The MPO understands that climate change considerations
can be integrated into many planning factors, such as supporting economic vitality,
increasing safety and mobility, enhancing the environment, promoting energy
conservation, and improving the quality of life.
Water Availability
There is a continued interest in the protection of natural resources, especially
water. Due to the development and expansion in the recharge zone of the Edwards
Aquifer area and recent weather conditions including drought, concerns regarding the
importance of looking after and preserving the water resources in the San Antonio area
continues. The Edwards Aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for the area. It is
important for governmental entities, private corporations and citizens to work together to
address urban development that impacts the aquifer. Plans such as the Edwards
Aquifer Sustainability Initiative specify preferred restrictions on impervious cover
percentages that will sustain existing water quality, as well as other measures that will
assist in protecting the aquifer.
There are three major areas that make up the Edwards Aquifer as noted in
Figure 9.7. The largest of these three is the Drainage Area, which makes up
approximately 60% of the total Aquifer System. Rain falling in this zone flows south and
east by way of rivers and creeks onto the Recharge Zone. In this area, the water flows
down through the cracks and joints in the streambeds and sinkholes into the porous
limestone below. Moving underground, the water flows south and east, where it
becomes contained at depth under pressure in the artesian area or within the well zone
limits. Here the water forces its way to the surface through springs or is easily
withdrawn by wells. Outside the well zone limit line, groundwater is usually of poorer
quality or insufficient quantities to sustain urban development. The study area primarily
uses water that enters the Recharge Zone in the west, from Uvalde and Medina
Counties. Rapid urbanization poses the potential threat to over pump the aquifer.
Therefore if future unsustainable development occurs in the region, sources other than
the aquifer will have to be relied upon to supply the area with its water.
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Figure 9.7 Edwards Aquifer System
Source: Edwardsaquifer.net
The Edwards Aquifer is one of the major groundwater systems in Texas. It has
been a source of water for people in south central Texas for more than 12,000
years. Today, it is the primary source of water for approximately 1.7 million people.
Geographically, the Aquifer extends through parts of Kinney, Uvalde, Zavala, Medina,
Frio, Atascosa, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, and Hays counties and covers an area
approximately 180 miles long and five to 40 miles wide. The total surface area overlying
the Aquifer is approximately 3,600 square miles. The Aquifer is the primary water
source for much of this area, including the City of San Antonio and its surrounding
communities.
Historically, the cities of Uvalde, San Antonio, New Braunfels, and San Marcos
were founded around large springs that discharged from the Aquifer. As the region
grew, wells were drilled into the Aquifer in order to supplement the water supplied by
those springs. The Aquifer also serves as the principal source of water for the region’s
agricultural and industrial activities and provides necessary spring flow for endangered
species habitat, as well as recreational purposes and downstream uses in the
Guadalupe, Nueces, and San Antonio river basins. During the 1970s and 1980s,
residential development in the San Antonio Metropolitan Area occurred predominantly in
the northern part of the region. Because of the concern of continued development over
the Recharge Zone, construction in the 1990s occurred in the western and northeastern
areas of the County, slightly curbing the expansion to the north.
As the metropolitan area continues to grow, the needed transportation projects
will impact surface water flow and infiltration, especially during storm or flood conditions.
The Aquifer is divided into three main zones: the contributing zone, the recharge zone,
and the artesian zone. The contributing zone is also called the drainage area or the
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catchment area. Here the land surface "catches" water from rainfall that averages
about 30" per year, and water runs off into streams or infiltrates into the water table
aquifer of the plateau. Runoff from the land surface and water table springs then both
feed streams that flow over relatively impermeable limestone until they reach the
recharge zone. Because transportation facilities generally cause an increase in the
impermeable surface area, roadways can result in increasing local surface runoff and
reducing water infiltration into the soil. Roadway construction projects can also cause
the altering of drainage patterns at stream crossings, by changing the speed, direction
and amount of storm water flow.
Aquifer Mitigation Efforts
In 2013, the City of San Antonio (CoSA) approved a Conservation Ordinance. For
planning purposes, the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) now includes water savings
from conservation as a significant and separate "supply" to recognize its true
contribution and value to our diverse water supply projects. Revisions to the CoSA
drought ordinance will continue to build on our region’s conservation success and
water-wise ways to reach greater savings. Residents will have more opportunities to
achieve those results by participating in effective residential and commercial
conservation programs outlined by the City
There are several mitigation strategies that could be used to reduce storm water
runoff and degradation of the Edwards Aquifer by minimizing the impact of
transportation improvements. Most of these can be directly incorporated into the design
of the transportation facility. Engineering on new projects, and redesign and retrofit of
existing facilities could include:

erosion control measures and runoff management techniques used to prevent
pollution of adjacent waterways and the Edwards Aquifer

adjustments to the alignments of transportation facilities used to avoid flood
hazards

greater use of permeable surfaces employed to reduce impacts on ground water
recharge

cost/pricing strategies to reduce demand for paved parking or increasing fines for
intentional discharge
Other mitigation strategies could include compliance with federal, state and local
policies, standards and land use strategies that address water resources.
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Water Supply
The Carrizo Aquifer is also of great importance here in the Alamo Area. Recently,
in 2011 the SAWS and Schertz-Seguin Local Government Corporation (SSLGC)
finalized the Largest Non-Edwards Regional Water Project.
Culminating years of work, SAWS signed a regional water supply agreement with
Schertz-Seguin Local Government Corporation (SSLGC) and the cities of Schertz and
Seguin to secure the largest non-Edwards Aquifer supply in SAWS history. SAWS
Board of Trustees approved a contract to collaborate on a project bringing water from
the Carrizo Aquifer in Gonzales County to the cities of San Antonio, Schertz and
Seguin.
In July 2010, the Gonzales
County
Underground
Water
Conservation District (GCUWCD)
approved permits for SAWS to
produce and transport up to 11,688
acre-feet per year of Carrizo Aquifer
water from Gonzales County. SAWS is
partnering with the SSLGC to utilize
the Corporation’s infrastructure to
transport water from Gonzales County
to San Antonio renting available
capacity in an existing pipeline.
Figure 9.8 –
SAWS and SSLGC Infrastructure – Current
and Future
SAWS estimated the Regional Carrizo
Aquifer Project has supplied water for
approximately 60,000 households that
started flowing to San Antonio in late
2013.
Texas Drought
The majority of Texas is currently experiencing drought. Most of the state has
been under drought conditions for over three years. Some climatologists note that
Texas could be in the midst of a drought worse than the drought of record in the 1950s.
2011 was the driest year ever for Texas, with an average of only 14.8 inches of rain.
2011 also set new lows for rainfall for March through May, and again from June through
August. The high summer temperatures also increased evaporation, further lowering
river and lake levels. The effects of drought include draining reservoirs, fueling wildfires,
ruining crops, and putting strain on the state’s electric grid.
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Drought and its effects on the aquifers may be felt for some time to come. As
population increases and we see more drought, the impact to our water supply may be
dramatic. However, we can also alleviate any future degradation of these aquifers by
minimizing the impact of transportation improvements in these sensitive areas by using
the latest mitigation strategies.
With no definitive end to the state’s water woes in sight, the 83rd Texas
Legislature voted to hold a referendum to decide whether the state will allocate $2
billion from the Rainy Day Fund to fund projects in the State Water Plan. Proposition 6
passed with an overwhelming majority, meaning that the $2 billion will launch a rotating
loan program to fund conservation, pipelines, reservoirs, and other water projects that
are approved by the Texas Water Development Board. Twenty percent of the fund is
earmarked for conservation projects, and another 10 percent is set aside for rural water
projects.
With increased population and vehicle miles traveled projected, it is important the
region stay on top of the latest regulations concerning water quality and air quality. The
area will need to be proactive in its protective measures and getting information out to
the general public in order to help reduce potential negative impacts to both sensitivities
and in order to stay in compliance with the NAAQS in the future.
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10. Congestion Management Process
Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years
The
Alamo
Area
Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO)
continually
monitors activities and events
that reduce traffic congestion.
Additionally, on September
20, 2012, the MPO held a
“Traffic
Congestion
and
Safety” public workshop to
gather
input
on
traffic
congestion
and
safety
concerns within the MPO
study area. Once the MPO
Figure 10.1 Traffic Congestion and Safety Workshop in
Seguin, Texas
boundary was expanded,
MPO
staff
held
three
additional workshops in Seguin (see Figure 10.1), New Braunfels and Boerne on June
16, 17 and 19 of 2014, respectively.
On-going activities to reduce congestion include a joint program by the City of San
Antonio and MPO that studies then implements signal re-timings in travel corridors.
Other mechanisms to reduce congestion include expansion of the TransGuide system
(intelligent transportation system) to provide updated motorist travel information,
expanded access management techniques, increased frequency of buses in major
travel corridors, improved transit amenities to encourage ridership, construction of more
pedestrian and bicycle facilities, use of new funding tools to build additional travel lanes,
and improved rideshare services between San Antonio and Austin through the River
Cities Rideshare Program.
With a new travel demand model being completed, the Congestion Management
Process (CMP) is continually updated to include new congested corridors and
congestion reduction strategies identified through this update of the Metropolitan
Transportation Plan. The MPO has also adopted a growth scenario that takes
advantage of the transportation system’s capacity and real world growth expectations.
VIA Metropolitan Transit is also pursuing the development of high capacity transit in
certain corridors. The Lone Star Rail District continues to coordinate with stakeholders
throughout the IH 35 corridor for future rail services and the Environmental Impact
Statement for this project is underway.
Background
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A CMP is a process that monitors transportation facilities for traffic congestion
problems and seeks to implement projects, plans and programs to reduce congestion.
The CMP is intended to be a systematic, transparent way for transportation planning
agencies to identify and manage congestion using performance measures and to direct
funding towards projects and strategies that are most effective for alleviating
congestion. The United States Department of Transportation describes the results of a
CMP as “…presenting a systematic process for managing traffic congestion and
providing information on transportation system performance.”
Previous federal funding legislation contained the provision for the development
of a CMP. A CMP is required in metropolitan areas with population exceeding 200,000.
These metropolitan areas are known as Transportation Management Areas (TMAs).
Federal requirements also state that in all TMAs, the CMP shall be developed and
implemented as part of the metropolitan planning process. A CMP should include
alternative strategies for alleviating traffic congestion and enhancing the movement of
persons and goods to meet state and local needs. In order to produce an effective
CMP, a data collection and monitoring system, a range of strategies for addressing
congestion, performance measures or criteria for identifying when action is needed, and
a system for prioritizing which congestion management strategies would be most
effective should be included.
The current transportation bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century
(MAP-21) retains the CMP requirement, focusing especially on enhanced monitoring
and reporting of congestion and reliability. In addition, MAP-21 features a new federal
emphasis on performance measurement. Under MAP-21, MPOs will work with state
and public transportation officials to set system performance targets.
Although the Alamo area is not considered one of the most congested regions in
the country, it has been identified as having one of the fastest growing congestion
levels. The average citizen in San Antonio spends more than 38 hours in traffic each
year, an increase of 58% over the past decade (Urban Mobility Report, Texas
Transportation Institute (TTI), 2014). Congestion is a major contributor to air quality
concerns as it causes each driver to burn fuel inefficiently and reduces the overall
efficiency of the area wide transportation system. With non-attainment of air quality
standards imminent for this area, congestion management strategies and transportation
control measures must be applied effectively toward relieving a substantial portion of
these concerns. Table 10.1 and Figure 10.2 compare San Antonio’s congestion
measures with other major Texas cities.
At the national level, based on the data, traffic congestion in U.S. cities has
remained relatively stable in recent years and continues to underscore the link between
traffic and the economy, showing declines in traffic congestion since 2008
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Table 10.1 Comparison of Congestion Measures
Source: Texas Transportation Institute’s 2014 Urban Mobility Report
Congestion Measure
San
Antonio
Austin
Houston
Dallas/
Fort Worth
National
Annual hours of delay per
traveler (1982)
5
10
22
7
16
Annual hours of delay per
traveler (1997)
24
37
35
29
38
Annual hours of delay per
traveler (2006)
39
56
49
52
43
Annual hours of delay per
traveler (2007)
39
52
47
48
42
Annual hours of delay per
traveler (2008)
35
46
55
46
38
Annual hours of delay per
traveler (2009)
37
44
50
45
38
Annual hours of delay per
traveler (2010)
37
43
51
44
38
Annual hours of delay per
traveler (2011)
38
44
52
45
38
Travel Time Index (1982)
1.03
1.09
1.17
1.06
1.07
Travel Time Index (1997)
1.12
1.26
1.23
1.17
1.17
Travel Time Index (2006)
1.20
1.33
1.30
1.32
1.22
Travel Time Index (2007)
1.21
1.31
1.29
1.31
1.22
Travel Time Index (2008)
1.17
1.30
1.26
1.25
1.18
Travel Time Index (2009)
1.17
1.31
1.24
1.24
1.18
Travel Time Index (2010)
1.19
1.31
1.26
1.25
1.18
Travel Time Index (2011)
1.19
1.32
1.26
1.26
1.18
TTI researchers say that the most effective way to address traffic congestion will
vary from one region to another, but that in all cases; a multi-faceted approach should
be used, relying on more efficient traffic management and public transportation in
addition to new construction. Travel options such as flexible work hours and
telecommuting should also be part of the mix. More effective land use patterns can also
reduce congestion levels
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Figure 10.1 Comparison of Congestion Measures
Source: Texas Transportation Institute’s 2012 Urban Mobility Report
Annual delay per
traveler is extra
travel time for
people for peakperiod travel
during the year
divided by the
number of
travelers who
begin a trip during
during the peak
period (6 a.m. to 9
a.m. and 4 p.m. to
7 p.m.) Free flow
speeds (60 mph
on freeways and
35 mph on
principal arterials)
are used as the
comparison
threshold.
Travel Time Index
is the ratio of travel
time in the peak
period to the travel
time at free-flow
conditions. A value
of 1.30 indicates a
30 minute freeflow trip takes 39
minutes in the
peak
Source: 2012 Urban
Mobility Report,
Texas
Transportation
institute
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Measurement of Congestion and Transportation System Performance
There are numerous ways to measure congestion and system performance.
Examples include roadway and transit level of service (LOS), crash rates, transit
headways, vehicle miles traveled, volume to capacity ratios, and travel delay. Some of
these performance measures require extensive data collection efforts or model
simulations to produce detailed measurements of system performance. In updating the
current CMP for the MPO planning area, the availability of system wide comparable
data was an important factor when selecting the performance measures utilized.
Congestion Management and Air Quality
Currently, the MPO area is in attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS), but is vulnerable to be designated as nonattainment for ozone in
the next few years. In regions designated as ozone non-attainment areas, the CMP
takes on a greater significance. Federal guidelines prohibit transportation projects that
increase capacity for single occupant vehicles unless the project comes from a CMP.
The following guidelines pertain to the CMP air quality relationship and are
abstracted from the federal rules and regulations:
In a TMA designated as nonattainment for carbon monoxide and / or
ozone, the CMS shall provide an appropriate analysis of all reasonable
(including multimodal) travel demand reduction and operational
management strategies for the corridor in which a project that will result in
a significant increase in capacity for SOVs (adding general purpose lanes
to an existing highway or constructing a new highway) is proposed. If the
analysis demonstrates that travel demand reduction and operational
management strategies cannot fully satisfy the need for additional
capacity in the corridor and additional SOV capacity is warranted, then the
CMS shall identify all reasonable strategies to manage the SOV facility
effectively (or to facilitate its management in the future). Other travel
demand reduction and operational management strategies appropriate for
the corridor, but not appropriate for incorporation into the SOV facility itself
shall also be identified through the CMS. All identified reasonable travel
demand reduction and operational management strategies shall be
incorporated into the SOV project or committed to by the State and MPO
for implementation.
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Goals and Objectives
The MPO’s CMP is a regional level planning tool designed to help manage
congestion by identifying congested corridors and recommending multimodal strategies
to mitigate congestion. In general, roadway congestion results when traffic demand
approaches or exceeds the available capacity of the roadway system. The level of traffic
demand can vary significantly depending on the season, the day of the week, and the
time of day. Also, the capacity of the roadway system, which is usually thought of as
constant, can change as result of weather, work zones, traffic incidents, or other nonrecurring events. The goal of the CMP is to provide information that helps transportation
planners, professionals and others to understand the overall congestion among
individual corridors and the region. Data on congestion levels helps the MPO, in
partnership with other agencies, to formulate congestion management strategies.
The following goals and objectives support the vision of an accessible, safe, and
efficient surface transportation system that integrates convenience, affordability and
improved air quality.
Goal 1
Increase the efficiency of the existing transportation system and decrease
traffic congestion through coordination of traffic operations and
development of strategies to reduce travel demand at both the regional
and corridor levels.
Objective 1.1
Develop and implement operational improvements for
the management of traffic along major travel
corridors, including incident management, intersection
improvements, construction coordination, access
management, signal re-timing programs, and freight
management.
Objective 1.2
Establish and enforce new policies for the effective
management of growth, vehicle usage, and parking,
where appropriate.
Objective 1.3
Continue and extend existing community programs
and campaigns to reduce vehicle trips through ride
sharing, work scheduling, telecommuting, and trip
planning.
Objective 1.4
Continue the implementation of motorist
information systems such as TransGuide.
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Goal 2
Reduce congestion through a project implementation process that
encourages the use of other modes of transportation.
Objective 2.1
Extend public transportation services, including
frequency, expanded route coverage, passenger
amenities, and ridership incentives.
Objective 2.2
Encourage implementation of a continuous pedestrian
system and on and off-road bicycle facilities,
emphasizing connectivity with other modes.
Objective 2.3
Establish and use congestion management based
criteria for project selection, to include added capacity
projects, right-of-way preservation, and operational
improvements.
Objective 2.4
Continue efforts with TxDOT, the Alamo Regional
Mobility Authority (ARMA), VIA Metropolitan Transit,
the Advanced Transportation District (ATD), and
others to finance major congestion relief projects
including passenger rail service, high capacity transit
(including bus rapid transit, streetcar, light rail, and
busways), and roadways.
Local Definition of Congestion
As noted in the federal guidelines, “congestion means the level at which
transportation system performance is no longer acceptable due to traffic interference.”
In other words, commuters typically expect and are generally willing to accept a certain
amount of traffic during morning and evening “rush hours.” However, the same
commuters may not be willing to accept that identical level of performance in the middle
of the day. The MPO has defined congested corridors as follows:

Base year congested facilities were defined as a corridor with a 24 hour volume/
capacity (V/A) ratio over 1.0, using the base year, 2010 network and the 2010
saturation traffic counts.

Future year congested facilities were defined as a corridor with a 24 hour V/C
ratio over 1.0, using the future year (2040) network and the 2040 vehicle trips

Some consideration was given to corridors with a V/C ratio of 0.85 to 1.00.
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
Major activity centers such as downtown San Antonio, hospital districts, and
military bases will also be monitored.

Corridors, interchanges, intersections, and subareas perceived by the public as
being congested, with details as to the potential causes were included in the
CMP list.

All designated hazardous cargo routes were included in the CMP list.
Congestion Mitigation Strategies
Congestion Mitigation Strategies are evaluated for applicability within each of the
identified CMP corridors. Strategies deemed most effective for the region were grouped
in the following categories defined below. The implementation of these strategies is
completed by one or more of the following agencies: Alamo Area Council of
Governments, Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, Lone Star Rail District, cities and
counties throughout the region, TxDOT and VIA Metropolitan Transit/Advanced Transportation District. A summary of these strategies ca be found at the end of this section
in Table 10.2.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS): TransGuide, an Intelligent Transportation
System was designed by the San Antonio District of the Texas Department of
Transportation (TxDOT). This "smart highway" project provides information to motorists
about traffic conditions, such as accidents, congestion and construction. With the use of
cameras, message signs and fiber optics, TransGuide can detect travel times and
provide that information to motorists not only with the message signs on the highways,
but also with the use of the Internet and a Low-Power Television Station. TransGuide
rapidly responds to accidents and emergencies. Partners in the TransGuide project
include TxDOT, the City of San Antonio (police/fire/EMS/traffic), and VIA Metropolitan
Transit. ITS focuses on communication and real time information of traffic conditions.
Components of ITS include:

Advanced Traffic Management: monitoring roadway conditions and providing the
public with real time travel information. “TransGuide” is the traffic management
system in the San Antonio area

Advanced Public Transit Systems: on-board vehicle locating system to ensure
travel time reliability and communications between buses and headquarters

Emergency Management: related to disaster threats and marshalling resources
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Policy Management includes existing and new ordinances and regulations that impact
the transportation system. Policy management includes:

Land Use: land use decisions to discourage urban sprawl and promote higher
density levels and mixed use development to encourage travel by walking,
bicycling and transit

Preservation of Green Space: preserve undeveloped land and open spaces to
provide for continuation of landscape character, scenic beauty and recreational
opportunities so as not to worsen congestion, air and water quality

Parking Management: includes policies for both public and private parking
facilities (parking garages, lots, and meters)

Vehicle Use Limitations: refers to geographic areas where travel by car is
restricted; can also include implementing no-drive days

Preserve Neighborhood Aesthetic: refers to congestion mitigation with
improvements complementing and protecting the cultural and historical nature of
a corridor, neighborhood or geographic area
Corridor Improvements are strategies for corridors that are at least one mile in length.
These improvements include:

Capacity Improvements: add more travel lanes to roads for vehicles in both
directions; if there is high rush travel flow in one direction consider adding
reversible lanes that will change direction depending on the peak travel

Congestion Relief Corridors: new roadways on new alignments that will relieve
congestion on parallel roadways

Roadway Rehabilitation: includes improving the roadway surface through filling
potholes, resurfacing, or stabilizing the roadway structure

Bicycle Facilities: addition of bicycle lanes, bikeable shoulders, wide curb lanes,
multi-use paths, off-road paths, bicycle racks and lockers

Pedestrian Facilities: includes improving sidewalks, adding countdown and/or
audible signals and crosswalks
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Advanced Transportation Systems are new strategies and technologies for the region
including:

High Capacity Transit: such as bus rapid transit (BRT), streetcars, and light rail

Managed Lanes: includes High Occupancy Vehicle lanes, express lanes or other
special lanes

Passenger Rail Service: between regional hubs such as San Antonio and Austin

High Speed Rail: TxDOT is currently studying a potential high-speed rail corridor
between Monterrey, Mexico and San Antonio. This is part of the state’s Texas Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study
Operational Management includes techniques to optimize capacity and improve safety
and reliability of the roadway system. Operational Management includes the following:

Incident Management: clearing incidents, crashes and major events to allow
traffic flow to resume

Access Management: limiting the number and placement of access points such
as driveways on major roads; also includes the use of roadway medians and
turning restrictions to improve safety and traffic flow

Signalization & Traffic Flow Improvements: optimizing traffic signals, adding turn
lanes or making lanes reversible to improve efficiency

Railroad Crossing Improvements: installing gates and warning signals at railroad
crossings or closing some at-grade (surface street) crossings to improve safety

Construction Coordination: coordinating construction with other known projects in
an area and scheduling the work during non rush hour periods; inform the public
and improve signage for safer travel

Freight Management: monitoring freight travel patterns and identifying preferred
truck routes or truck lanes.
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Community Campaigns are strategies to reduce automobile use and congestion. The
Alamo Area Council of Governments’ “Commute Solutions Program” and “River Cities
Rideshare” Program, and the MPO’s Walkable Community Program lead these efforts.
These strategies potentially serve many people, employees and students, and include:

Rideshare Program: includes informal and employer sponsored carpool and
vanpool programs

Work Schedule Coordination: includes staggered schedules, flexible hours and
compressed work weeks

Telecommuting: working full or part time at home, at a satellite or branch facility

Walkable Community Program: the geographic area would benefit from the MPO
hosting a Walkable Community Workshop or Safe Routes to Schools Workshop
.
Trip Planning: the act of consolidating, linking or timing trips for efficiency

Public Transportation Improvements include the following activities:

Transit Service Enhancements: includes adding new transit routes, improving
service frequency on existing routes, extending routes to serve more areas, and
better timing to allow for faster transfers

Transit Facilities: improving amenities such as adding benches, passenger
shelters, and real time bus arrival information; also includes enhancing and
constructing passenger facilities such as transfer centers, park & rides, or multimodal terminals

Ridership Incentives: includes programs to encourage transit use such as
reduced fares, monthly passes and employer subsidies for the passes
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Table 10.2 Congestion Management Strategies and Definitions
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Congestion Management Development Process
The MPO used its travel demand model for projecting roadway congestion levels.
The MPO modeled the volume/capacity ratios for the roadway system for the analysis
years 2010, 2040 No Build and 2040. For each year, congested corridors were
identified, analyzed and effective mitigation strategies were assigned to each corridor,
as shown in Table 10.3. Figures 10.3 and 10.4 show congested roadways for year
2010 and year 2040.
Figure 10.3 Year 2010 Congested Facilities
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Figure 10.4 Year 2040 Congested Facilities
Conclusions
The Congestion Management Process is a continuing program of identifying
congested corridors and applicable strategies then assessing the effectiveness of the
selected congestion management strategies. Future endeavors include establishing
strategy performance effectiveness measures, identifying the status of each selected
strategy, identifying issues and problems associated with each strategy, and exploring
new and more effective ways to monitor and mitigate congestion.
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Technical Advisory Committee
5.
November 14, 2014
Review of MPO Policies
Purpose
The purpose of this agenda item is for TAC to review the MPO’s Policy 1:
Funding Procedures for Planning Studies and Policy 3: Guidelines for
Programming Projects in the Transportation Improvement Program and consider
proposing revisions to both policies.
Issue
a.
Policy 1: Funding Procedures for Planning Studies
The next call for funding planning studies using MPO federal planning
funds will begin in February 2015. The product of this call will be the FY
2016-2017 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). This UPWP covers
the time period of October 1, 2015 – September 30, 2017.
Policy 1 outlines the process for submitting planning studies for funding
consideration in the development of the UPWP. This is an opportunity for
TAC to revisit that process and consider recommending policy revisions
prior to the development of the next UPWP. The current draft Policy 1 is
attached.
Based on the current process, the general schedule for the development
of the FY 2016-2017 UPWP is as follows:









January 30, 2015: Agency call for projects for the FY 2016-2017 UPWP is
included in the February 2015 TAC package
March 31, 2015: Governing body approved objective statements and
preliminary budgets are due to the MPO
During April: multi-agency workgroup meeting will review submittals and
begin prioritizing studies
April 30, 2015: Governing body approved scopes of work and final study
budgets are due to the MPO
May 29, 2015: MPO distributes draft UPWP to agencies for review (in the
June TAC package); draft UPWP is also due to TxDOT (Austin) for review
June 2015: TAC and TPB review the draft UPWP
July 2015: TAC and TPB take action on the UPWP
July 31, 2015: transmit UPWP to TxDOT by this date
October 1, 2015: FY 2016-2017 UPWP goes into effect.
The May 29th and July 31st deadlines are set by TxDOT.
Action Requested
For discussion only. Action is scheduled for a later date.
November 14, 2014 MPO Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Package: Page 154 of 170
Policy 1:
Funding Procedures for Planning Studies
Guidelines for Funding Planning Studies in the
Unified Planning Work Program - Draft
A. Development of the Budget Document (Unified Planning Work Program)
As required by federal and state regulations, the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO) adopts a document detailing the transportation planning tasks and their budgets for the
study area for a given time period. This document is referred to as the Unified Planning Work
Program or UPWP. The Alamo Area MPO currently adopts a two-year UPWP.
The MPO issues a call for projects to local agencies requesting planning studies to be funded and,
thereby programmed in the upcoming budget document (UPWP). Additionally, the MPO develops
a list of planning needs that must be accomplished during the time frame covered by the UPWP.
Each agency submits a Project Proposal Form for each of the planning issues that their agency
wishes to address through the UPWP. This Project Proposal Form requires a project name,
project description, preliminary budget, and an analysis of the project’s need, benefits, and
contribution to transportation planning. These project proposals are required to be
approved by the submitting agency's Policy Board prior to transmittal to the MPO.
After preliminary approval of the Project Proposal Form by the MPO Director, each agency
prepares detailed study designs based on priorities, policy direction, and available funding. Study
designs must include more detail concerning the type of work to be performed under each task
and how it will be performed. Each detailed study design will outline the following:
In February of the UPWP development year, the MPO’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), in
coordination with MPO staff, will identify priorities for the upcoming two-year time period.
Priorities may include refinements to the MPO’s processes, databases, or other aspects of multimodal transportation planning to include travel demand modeling, demographic development,
public involvement, geographic subareas or corridors, transit, bicycle and/or pedestrian, freight,
environmental, congestion management or others. These priorities will then become planning
studies to be considered for funding.
In March, TAC and MPO staff will develop a scope of work (specifically noting data requirements,
including data that already exists and data that will need to be collected) and budget for the
priorities identified in February. A recommendation will be made for the work to be performed by
MPO staff, partner agency staff or consultants. For each identified planning study, MPO staff will
identify previous related work and a reasonable timeframe for completing the scope of work.





Objective
Previous Work
Scope of Work (specifically noting data requirements, including data that already exists
and data that will need to be collected)
Work Product(s)
Status
1
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


Agency Involvement
Budget and Percentage of Effort by Work Element/Deliverable
Time Line by Work Element/Deliverable
Throughout April of the UPWP development year, MPO staff, in consultation with TAC as
necessary, will prepare a draft UPWP and present it to TAC for review in June. In consultation
with the Agencies as necessary, a draft UPWP is prepared by the MPO staff and presented to the
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for review. This draft is also submitted to TxDOT (Austin) by
the required deadline.
In July, the TAC will makes a recommendation concerning the UPWP and submits it to the
Transportation Policy Board for final approval.
The Transportation Policy Board gives final approval of studies and budgets for inclusion in the
Unified Planning Work Program.
B. Reporting Requirements
Monthly Progress Report
For each Subtask approved in the UPWP, For studies and projects undertaken by either agency
staff or consultant, a written monthly progress report (Form "C") will be prepared and submitted
to the MPO Director by the appropriate Agency or consultant with each monthly billing package.
This monthly progress report will outline specifically the work accomplished under each work
element/deliverable and compare that work, specifically with the objectives and tasks outlined to
be accomplished. The progress report will specify and delineate any problems that have occurred
as well as indicate whether the study will be completed on time and within the budget as
approved. This report will be submitted along with monthly billings and signed in accordance with
the agency or consultant’s internal procedures.
Annual Performance and Expenditure Report
The annual performance and expenditure report will be prepared by the MPO staff and forwarded
to the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal funding agencies by the required
deadline. The annual report work documents work completed for each subtask, and provides a
year-to-date funding summary.
Technical Memorandum
A Technical Memorandum is a status report of work completed for one or more work
elements/deliverable as outlined in the agency or consultant contract, with a timeframe of less
than a complete fiscal year. The effort required for each technical memorandum is dependent on
the amount of work performed in the timeframe specified in the contract. The technical
memorandum format of those products being reviewed by the Technical Advisory Committee will
be in report document form. Agencies and consultants will be responsible for providing an
electronic version to post on the MPO’s website and from which to make hardcopies as necessary.
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Technical Report
A Technical Report is the documentation of work accomplished within an entire fiscal year for a
subtask that extends beyond one fiscal year. This document will fully describe the work
performed without a requirement for final recommendations or conclusions. Agencies and
consultants will be responsible for providing an electronic version to post on the MPO’s website
and from which to make hardcopies as necessary.
Final Report
A Final Report is a stand-alone document that states the objective of the study, describes the
planning work accomplished, and provides recommendations or conclusions (this report may
consist of work accomplishments in more than a single fiscal year). Agencies and consultants will
be responsible for providing an electronic version to post on the MPO’s website and from which to
make hardcopies as necessary.
C. Study Carry-over Procedures
Each agency who is not going to complete a specified study within the fiscal year it is
programmed will be required to submit to the MPO Director in writing, a request to carry the
project funding and/or scope of work over to the following fiscal year. The written request
must include how and when the study will be completed, as well as an estimated carry-over
budget. The written request to carry-over a study needs to be made prior to July 1st.
D. Sanctions
If an agency or consultant fails to submit reports, deliverables, billings, executed contracts,
technical memoranda, and/or technical reports in a timely fashion, or have not executed a
contract with the MPO after 90 days of original receipt, the agency or consultant will be
requested to present to the Transportation Policy Board reasons for not submitting the
required documents. The Transportation Policy Board will make a decision concerning future
actions.
E. Budget Amendment Approval
The MPO Director is authorized to approve/disapprove agency and consultant line-item budget
amendments that stay within the total contract amount.
The following amendments shall be presented to the Technical Advisory Committee and
Transportation Policy Board for review and subsequent approval:
a. Any proposed change in scope of work for any study (Agency or consultant)
regardless of dollar amount.
b. Any request for additional funding.
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F. Participation in Planning Studies
Transportation Policy Board members, Technical Advisory Committee members and MPO staff
shall not be eligible to participate in contracted work for a period of one year following their
departure from one of the aforementioned entities. Any violations of this policy will result in
the disqualification of the consulting team from the procurement process for that project.
Member agencies of the MPO are ineligible to compete for studies identified in the UPWP as
consultant studies.
Adopted: April 28, 2014
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Unified Planning Work Program Project Proposal Form
Project Name:
Preliminary Budget:
YES
QUESTIONS
NO
1. Does the project meet the primary objective of the funding
agency, i.e. the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA)?
2. What is the proposed project expected to accomplish? What are the benefits of the project?
3. How is this project related to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan?
4.Is the project similar to recent existing or previous work? Explain how the project may differ
from similar previous work or how it is a logical extension of previous work.
5. Is the proposed time frame for the project reasonable and does
the agency have the resources available to accomplish the work
being done?
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Technical Advisory Committee
b.
November 14, 2014
Policy 3: Guidelines for Programming Projects in the Transportation
Improvement Program
The next Surface Transportation Program – Metro Mobility (STP-MM) call
for projects is scheduled to occur in March 2015. This call for projects will
be used in the development of the FY 2017 – 2020 Transportation
Improvement Program.
A draft revised Policy 3 is attached for your review.
.
Action Requested
For discussion only. Action is scheduled for a later date.
November 14, 2014 MPO Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Package: Page 160 of 170
Policy 3:
Guidelines for Programming Projects
in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and the
Transportation Improvement Program DRAFT
This document constitutes
programming projects in the
Program. When considered
period of approximately 30
Transportation Policy Board.
the Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s process for
Metropolitan Transportation Plan and the Transportation Improvement
for amendment, this document shall be subject to a public comment
days prior to adoption by the Metropolitan Planning Organization
A. Purpose
The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) develops a Transportation
Improvement Program (TIP) that programs projects for a minimum of the following four (4) fiscal
years. The TIP is forwarded to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for inclusion into
the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. The TIP project selection process begins
with the long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan process. The public is invited to fully
participate in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan development process thus assisting in the
selection and prioritization of transportation improvement projects. Implementing agencies which
include the Alamo Area Council of Governments, Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, cities and
counties within the MPO study area, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and VIA
Metropolitan Transit, participate in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan development process with
one of the final products of the process being a prioritized list of transportation projects to be
eventually considered for inclusion in the TIP.
Projects in the TIP are either selected by the Transportation Policy Board in consultation with the
State (TxDOT) and transit operator (VIA) or selected by the State (TxDOT) in cooperation with
the MPO. Projects selected by the Transportation Policy Board are those that are to be funded
with Surface Transportation Program - Metro Mobility (STP-MM), Congestion Mitigation & Air
Quality (CMAQ), and any other future U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) or TxDOT
funds suballocated to the local level.
B. Project Funding Categories
Project funding categories include but are not limited to:
1

Category 1 Preventative Maintenance & Rehabilitation
 Category 2 Metropolitan and Urban Corridor Projects
 Category 3 Non-Traditional Funding
1
These projects are identified through the use of Statewide CSJs and a lump sum dollar amount.
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2

Category 4 Statewide Connectivity Corridor

Category 5 Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ)

Category 6 Structure Rehabilitation
Category 7 Surface Transportation Program – Metro Mobility or STP-MM

2
1
1

Category 8 Safety
Category 9 Transportation Enhancements Program

Category 10 Miscellaneous

Category 11 District Discretionary

Category 12 Strategic Priority

Federal Transit Administration Section 5307 (Urbanized Area Formula Grant Program)

Federal Transit Administration Section 5309 (Capital Grant Program)

Federal Transit Administration Section 5310 (Elderly and Disabled Transportation
Assistance Grant Program)
Federal Transit Administration Section 5316 (Job Access & Reverse Commute Grant
Program)
Federal Transit Administration Section 5317 (New Freedom Grant Program)



1
C. Use of ‘Grouped’ or ‘Statewide’ CSJs
3
The MPO will use ‘Grouped’ or ‘Statewide’ CSJs for the following types of projects:











Preliminary Engineering
Right-of-Way Acquisition
Preventive Maintenance and Rehabilitation
Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation
Railroad Grade Separations
Safety
Landscaping
Intelligent Transportation Systems Deployment
Bicycle and Pedestrian
Safety Rest Areas and Truck Weigh Stations
Transit Improvements
Projects that fall within these categories will be listed in an appendix of the Transportation
Improvement Program. Generally these statewide Grouped CSJs will be used for projects funded
under Category 1 (Preventive Maintenance & Rehabilitation), Category 6 (Structure
1
2
3
These projects are identified through the use of Statewide Grouped CSJs and a lump sum dollar amount.
The Alamo Area MPO does not currently receive these types of funds. If the area is declared non-attainment
and CMAQ funds are made available to the region, a project selection process will be established by the
Transportation Policy Board to assist in the distribution of the region’s funding allocation.
CSJ stands for Control Section Job and is an identifying number used by the Texas Department of Transportation.
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Rehabilitation), Category 8 (Safety), and Category 10 (Miscellaneous). These projects are initially
included in an Appendix of a new TIP and are revised or amended administratively as allowed in
Section G Administrative Revisions.
Statewide Grouped CSJs will not be used for wholly or partially funded Category 2 (Metropolitan
and Urban Corridor) or Category 7 (STP-MM) projects.
Statewide Grouped CSJ projects will be revised or amended administratively as allowed in Section
G Administrative Revisions.
D. Use of Appendix D - Projects Undergoing Environmental Assessment
The purpose of Appendix D is to identify projects that are undergoing preliminary engineering and
environmental analysis (PE/EA) consistent with early project development. The Federal Highway
Administration allows these projects to be referenced in the current Transportation Improvement
Program in order to facilitate the feasibility and PE/EA phases. This Appendix contains projects
that are scheduled for implementation beyond the four years of the TIP time frame, and it in no
way implies that these projects are programmed in the TIP. Cost estimates are preliminary and
do not represent any commitment of construction funding. Consistency with the Metropolitan
Transportation Plan will be verified as alternatives are examined in studies or environmental
clearance efforts.
Projects listed in Appendix D will include, at a minimum, CSJ Number, MPO ID number, county,
TxDOT district, sponsoring entity, street name, project limits, project description, estimated let
date and preliminary project cost.
E. Quarterly Review of Projects
Category 2 (Metropolitan and Urban Corridor) Projects
The implementing agency will submit amendments to the Category 2 (Metropolitan and Urban
Corridor) projects to the MPO in writing. For cost increases greater than 10%, the implementing
agency will also submit to the MPO justification for the cost increase and the funding source of
the additional amount, i.e. which other Category 2 projects are being amended to cover the
requested TIP revision. For new projects being amended into the TIP that are not part of the
current Unified Transportation Program, the implementing agency will also submit to the MPO
which other Category 2 projects are being amended to allow for the inclusion of the new project
unless the new projects are funded using additional allocation.
Category 7 (STP-MM) Projects
Every three (3) months, a detailed review of Category 7 (STP-MM) funded projects in the TIP will
be conducted. These projects will be reviewed for progress towards their letting (contract) dates,
cost estimates, description and limits. If warranted by the detailed review, projects may be reprioritized at the discretion of the Transportation Policy Board.
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If the quarterly review warrants amendment(s) to the TIP, such amendment(s) will be presented
to the Transportation Policy Board for consideration in sufficient time to allow the amendment(s)
to be incorporated into the next regularly scheduled quarterly amendment of the Statewide
Transportation Improvement Program.
F. Amendment Process
The following changes will require an amendment to the TIP and MTP:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Adding or deleting project(s)
Revising the project scope of work
Revising the project cost
Revising funding categories
Revising the phase of work (ex: from P.E. to construction)
Revising project limits
Amendments to the TIP and MTP require a two-step process. To permit adequate public
review and comment, amendments to the TIP and MTP will be presented at a Transportation
Policy Board meeting with action on the amendment occurring at the following Transportation
Policy Board meeting (approximately 30 days after initial presentation). Amendments to both the
TIP and the MTP may be initiated concurrently.
To the extent possible, amendments to delete a project or significantly change the scope of work
of a project will be explicitly listed on both the presentation and action agendas for the
Transportation Policy Board meetings.
Routine amendments to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan occurring between major updates
also require a two-step process. To permit adequate public review and comment, amendments to
the Metropolitan Transportation Plan will be presented at a meeting of the Transportation Policy
Board with action on the amendment occurring at the following Transportation Policy Board
meeting (approximately 30 days after initial presentation). Amendments to both the TIP and the
Metropolitan Transportation Plan may be initiated concurrently.
Amendments to the TIP or the MTP requiring quick action due to impending federal or state
requirements or deadlines (or for other reasons deemed in the community's best interest) may be
accomplished by a 75% vote of the TPB quorum present to waive the routine two-step process.
In these cases, the Transportation Policy Board will hold a special public hearing within their
normal meeting agenda to specifically solicit public comment on the proposed TIP or MTP
amendment. These actions will be emphasized on the meeting agenda that is both mailed and emailed out ten (10) days prior to the Transportation Policy Board meeting. This will alert the
public and permit special attendance to comment on the action prior to adoption by the
Transportation Policy Board. To the extent possible, amendments to delete a project or
significantly change the scope of work of a project will be explicitly listed on the agenda for the
Transportation Policy Board meeting.
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Governing bodies of the sponsoring agencies will promptly notify the MPO in writing of any
currently programmed projects that are proposed to be deleted from the TIP. The governing
body of the sponsoring agency shall state its preference for project replacement in the written
notification. The Transportation Policy Board will provide direction and/or may consider action at
the next appropriate meeting with respect to amending the TIP.
To the extent possible, any project amended outside the timeframe of the current TIP due to
funding limitations will have priority consideration in being amended back into the TIP when
additional funding becomes available.
G. Administrative Revisions
The MPO Director is authorized to approve certain “administrative changes” to the TIP with the
notification of such to the appropriate transportation planning partners. The intent of this section
is not to circumvent the public process for amending the TIP, but to allow for minor corrections to
the TIP that do not materially change a project’s function. These revisions may include minor
corrections to project limits, scope or project costs.
H. Category 7 (STP-MM) Funded Projects
Basic Requirements for STP-MM Projects
All projects submitted for consideration for funding through normal Category 7 (STP-MM) program
allocations will compete through a standard project call when a new TIP is being developed. The
Transportation Policy Board will approve a schedule, parameters and project selection criteria
prior to the formal project call. Submitted projects must meet the following basic requirements:
1. Projects will be submitted to the MPO through an implementing agency (Alamo Area
Council of Governments, Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, Texas Department of
Transportation, VIA Metropolitan Transit and cities and counties within the MPO Study
Area) and appropriate commitments of local match shall be made. Approval of the
commitment of the local match from the Texas Department of Transportation District
Engineer or the policy body of the local agency submitting the project for consideration will
be obtained and submitted to the MPO. An ‘in-kind’ match is not allowed for construction
projects.
2. Each implementing agency is encouraged to address Title VI and Environmental Justice
considerations in submitting projects to the MPO for consideration.
3. Agencies should consider the transit service area when submitting projects.
4. Pedestrian and bicycle facilities will be included in all future transportation improvement
projects. Any exceptions will need to be adequately documented justified by management
of the implementing entity. Regardless, technical points will be subtracted for not
including bicycle and pedestrian components in an added capacity roadway project or
roadway rehabilitation project. Because of the numerous individual and community
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benefits that walking and bicycling provide – including health, safety, environmental,
transportation, and quality of life – implementing agencies are encouraged to go beyond
minimum standards to provide safe, convenient and context-sensitive facilities for these
modes. Bicycle and pedestrian components included in a funded project may not be
deleted from the project at a future date.
5. Funded TIP projects will also be included in the latest approved MTP. Note: Amendments
to the MTP and the TIP can be are made through the amendment process at the discretion
of the Transportation Policy Board. Any required Amendments to the MTP must be made
prior to amending the and TIP, can be made simultaneously. however amendments to
both may be initiated concurrently.
6. A roadway project submitted for consideration must be on a functionally classified facility
as defined by the MPO and approved by Federal Highway Administration through the
State. Roadway projects on facilities classified as a local street or rural minor collector do
NOT qualify for Federal funding transportation assistance.
7. All deadlines set by the MPO are firm.
Project Selection
1.
Projects will be primarily selected from priority corridors/projects identified through the
MTP development process. However, the flexibility to incorporate other projects into
the MTP and TIP when essential will be retained.
2.
When the project is submitted to the MPO for funding consideration, the sponsoring
agency will include the following information as outlined on the project submittal form:
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Project name,
Project limits (logical termini)
Project description
Project justification
Length of roadway (in miles)
Roadway classification
Right of way requirements
Drainage requirements (with initial cost estimates)
Location map with adjacent land uses shown
Typical cross-section, existing and proposed
Bicycle and pedestrian facilities
Initial total cost construction estimate
Source of match funding
Utility impacts (not eligible for reimbursement) and
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To the extent that data is available and used for project scoring, MPO staff will provide
the following information for submitted projects:
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3.
Current (base year) and future year volume to capacity ratio
Congestion Management System status for project prioritization
Cost/vehicle mile traveled
Transit route information
Number of trucks
Critical intersection
Existing and future traffic volumes
Bicycle information
Pedestrian information
System connectivity
Crash rates
The sponsoring agency will also be required to submit a signed process understanding
form in which the agency understands and agrees to the following:
a) commits to providing a minimum 20% required local match for construction and
understands that 80% of the eligible construction items will be reimbursed;
b) understands the project development process and requirements for the use of
federal transportation funds;
c) will secure the necessary rights-of-way for the project;
d) will be responsible costs associated with utility relocation/betterment and for project
development costs including planning, engineering, environmental document
preparation, right-of-way purchase, and all components necessary to let the project;
e) commits to letting the project within one year of the TIP fiscal year in which the
project is programmed;
f)
4.
will be responsible for any cost overruns associated with this project or will rescope the project, with the approval of the MPO Transportation Policy Board, in
order to not exceed the funding allocation as outlined in #7 and #8 below..
If more projects are submitted than funding is available, the projects submitted will be
scored based on technical criteria adopted by the Transportation Policy Board.
Submitted projects may be grouped by project type to allow for direct technical
comparisons between projects within those project types. Project types may include
transit, added roadway capacity, roadway operational, roadway rehabilitation, bicycle
and pedestrian, and “other” to include transit, rideshare, and planning studies.
Awarding of points will always be given to projects supported by transit service.
Additional points will be awarded for overmatching or leveraging a project.
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5.
Projects will be presented to the Transportation Policy Board for consideration in
sufficient time to allow the new TIP or amendment(s) to be incorporated into the next
regularly scheduled quarterly amendment or adoption of the Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program.
Project Implementation
1.
Unless allocated a fixed amount, each STP-MM project will have a cost figure in the
approved TIP that is an estimate. This TIP “Estimated Construction Bid” shall include
all construction costs at 100% and shall designate what percent match is required by
the local agency. “Construction cost” is to be defined consistent with the Texas
Administrative Code 43 Part 1 Chapter 15 Subchapter E. “Construction cost” includes
all direct and indirect costs to a highway improvement project,
“Estimated Construction Bid” is defined as all anticipated bid item costs of the
improvement project, other than for right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation or
betterment, preliminary engineering, environmental analysis/clearance, contingency,
change orders and construction engineering. The amount programmed as the
“Construction Cost” in the TIP shall equal the “Estimated Construction Bid”.
Construction estimates will not include other than for right-of-way acquisition, utilities,
preliminary engineering and construction engineering. The amount programmed in the
TIP shall be calculated as follows:
Construction estimate + maximum 10% contingency for eligible
change orders + maximum 1% for construction management
services
2.
Unless allocated a fixed amount, each selected STP-MM project will may be adjusted
when bids are approved.
a. If bids are higher than the TIP Construction Cost, the TIP estimate shall become a
fixed construction funding cap. unless an increase is approved by the TPB.
b. If the Approved Construction Bid is bids are lower than the TIP estimate
Construction Cost, the TIP shall be administratively revised by MPO staff as follows:
revised to reflect the approved Construction bid (excludes any right-of-way
acquisition, utility relocation or betterment, preliminary engineering, environmental
analysis/clearance, contingency, and construction engineering)
c. Following the establishment of the project construction amount in items 2a and 2b
above, the sponsoring entity is then eligible for up to 10% contingency of STP-MM
project funding towards eligible change orders and up to 11% of STP-MM project
funding towards eligible construction engineering and construction management
costs. An under run in contingency cannot cover an over run in construction
engineering/construction management and vice versa.
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As these eligible change orders and eligible construction engineering costs are
potential costs, they are not specifically programmed in the TIP towards the STPMM. These costs, if incurred, would impact future fiscal allocations and it must be
acknowledged that this could require the delay and/or re-scoping of existing TIP
projects to remain fiscally constrained by fiscal year.
3.
Once a project is included in the TIP, TxDOT and the local governmental entity
(implementing agency) shall execute a Funding Agreement.
a. Prior to letting, the executed Funding Agreement will be based on the Estimated
Construction Bid (identified as Construction Cost in the TIP) and reflect:
Estimated Construction Bid + maximum 10% contingency of STP-MM
project funding for eligible change orders + maximum 11% of STP-MM
funding for eligible construction engineering and construction
management costs.
b. Post Letting, if the Approved Construction Bid (excluding any right-of-way
acquisition, utility relocation or betterment, preliminary engineering, environmental
analysis/clearance, contingency, and construction engineering) is lower than the
TIP Construction Cost, the Funding Agreement will be amended and re-executed
to reflect:
Approved Construction Bid + maximum 10% contingency of STP-MM
project funding for eligible change orders + maximum 11% of STP-MM
funding for eligible construction engineering and construction
management costs.
Construction bid + 10% contingency for eligible change
orders + 11% for construction management services (not to
exceed the TIP programmed amount).
c. TxDOT and the local governmental entity shall execute an amendment to the
Funding Agreement (Federal Letter of Authority) to reflect a change in the TIP
amount.
4.
Owner requested change orders will be covered 100% by the local agency. Owner
requested change orders are the result of changes requested by the local agency, not
included in the original TPB approved scope of work.
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I. Public Involvement
The MPO commits to a public involvement process that includes the provision of timely
information, provides reasonable public access to technical and policy information, provides
adequate public notice, seeks out and considers traditionally underserved populations, and
documents significant comments. Please see the MPO Policy 2: Public Involvement Process for
additional information on public involvement.
Adopted: April 28, 2014
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Technical Advisory Committee
6.
Announcements
November 14, 2014