July 15, 2024 - TRA Newswire -

To help keep a thriving Texas economy moving, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is drafting a record-breaking 10-year transportation plan, and the public is invited to weigh in on potential projects in communities across the state.

The draft 2025 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) proposes $104.2 billion in transportation spending, making it the second year in a row that the UTP plan exceeds $100 billion.

The draft 2025 UTP public comment period ends Monday, Aug. 5, at 4 p.m. (CDT). 

The UTP has some freight rail projects on the horizon but it is non-existent on plans for intercity and regional passenger rail in the future. This is your opportunity to alert TxDOT (and in turn the legislators who will approve these programs) that this is not acceptable and that the agency and the Transportation Commission must have a vision like other states.

The UTP provides a road map to help develop projects around Texas to improve safety, address congestion and connectivity, and preserve roadways for Texas drivers. The UTP also addresses public transportation, maritime, aviation, rail, freight and international trade, and bicycle and pedestrian connectivity. TxDOT works with its transportation partners to identify projects to be included in the UTP and updates it every year.

"The UTP serves as TxDOT's strategic 10-year blueprint for advancing projects statewide," said Executive Director Marc Williams. "Collaborating with our transportation partners and communities ensures that we continue connecting you with Texas while prioritizing safety, delivery, innovation and stewardship.”

To learn more about different ways to comment, visit the UTP Public Involvement webpage. Both the public meeting and hearing presentations will be recorded and available for viewing at a later time.  An online comment form link is also available for submission in English, Arabic, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin, Spanish and Vietnamese.  

Public comments and feedback are important in developing the plan. Available in English and Spanish, the  UTP Fact Sheet provides an overview of the program. 

The Texas Transportation Commission approves the UTP annually in accordance with Texas state law at its August commission meeting and publishes the approved UTP on TxDOT.gov.