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Eagle Pass MPO staff and consultants outline ambitious timeline for Metropolitan Transportation Plan update
Summary
MPO staff and consultants presented the scope and aggressive schedule for a 25-year Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), discussed modeling options and a likely off-model approach if a full travel-demand model cannot be completed within the schedule.
MPO staff and consultants on Feb. 12 reviewed the scope, required components and an aggressive schedule for updating the Eagle Pass Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the MPO's long-range 25-year transportation blueprint.
Placido Madera, MPO director, and Tim Juarez of Stanley Consultants told the board the MTP will cover land use, multimodal needs (roads, transit, bicycle and pedestrian), freight and international trade, safety and resiliency, financial constraint and a prioritization framework for projects through 2050. Juarez said the MPO established a 2025 base year and a 2050 forecast year to meet federal and state requirements.
Juarez said the state requires submission of the MTP by December 2026. He and Madera described two possible schedules: an 18-month accelerated timeline that could meet a December 2026/early 2027 target if chapters are completed quickly, or a more typical two-plus year development schedule. Juarez said the plan will aim to synchronize with TxDOT's 10-year Unified Transportation Program and noted fiscal constraint will require coordination with TxDOT's Laredo district and Austin programming staff.
Board member Eppy Gonzales asked whether the MTP would include a travel demand model. Juarez said developing a full travel demand model typically takes two to three years and that, given the timeline, the team will pursue an “off-model” analysis using available counts, level-of-service and origin-destination data to estimate network needs unless resources and time permit a full model.
Juarez said the MTP will include a 10-year interim forecast (2035) and a 2040/2050 horizon for comparison with Census updates and TxDOT planning documents. He outlined key milestones: kickoff and stakeholder visioning in spring 2025, multimodal needs analysis in summer 2025, freight and trade work in fall 2025, fiscal constraint and project prioritization in winter 2025–spring 2026, and targeted adoption before the December 2026 submittal deadline if the accelerated schedule holds.
No formal action was requested on the MTP item at the Feb. 12 meeting; the board received the presentation and discussed next steps for consultant and staff coordination.
