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Eagle Pass MPO opens call for projects and outlines timeline, scoring and public outreach
Summary
The MPO began a two‑round call for projects tied to its first long‑range Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). The process includes a simple public submission (round 1) and a more detailed agency submittal (round 2); project sponsors must meet federal functional classification and readiness criteria.
Sid Martinez, senior transportation planner with Stanley Consultants (the MPO’s general planning consultant), briefed the Eagle Pass MPO on Oct. 8 about the call for projects that will feed the MPO’s first long‑range Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
Martinez said the MTP is a 25‑year, financially constrained plan that the MPO must approve locally by December 2026. The MPO’s call for projects is structured in two rounds: an initial, simple public form to capture needs and project concepts (open now through November), and a second, detailed submittal round for sponsoring agencies (cities, county, TxDOT, tribe) requiring cost estimates, timelines and documentation. Project sponsor submittals are due Feb. 6, 2026, Martinez said.
Why it matters: The MTP identifies regionally significant projects and establishes the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) window for projects ready for construction. Because federal/state funds for the region are limited, the MPO will score projects and include only those that fit the financial forecast.
Scoring and eligibility: Martinez reviewed the board‑adopted scoring framework (100 points total): safety and security (25 points), congestion mitigation/systems efficiency (25 points), project readiness/feasibility (weighting described during the presentation), multimodal and active transportation (10), transportation accessibility (10), and economic development/freight mobility (10). He said federal funds typically require projects to be on federally functionally classified roads (minor collectors and above) to be eligible.
Timeline and outreach: The MPO issued the call for projects publicly (announced Sept. 24 at the TAC meeting) and will accept general submittals through November. Consultants will evaluate incoming ideas, identify duplicates or ambiguous submissions, and then invite eligible sponsoring agencies to submit detailed applications by Feb. 6, 2026. Technical scoring and staff reviews are slated for late February–March, with TAC and policy board review in April–May. The MPO will conduct public outreach on the draft MTP and TIP in summer 2026 and pursue final approval by December 2026.
Public assistance and form design: Board members asked for a clearer, simpler public form. Martinez and MPO staff demonstrated the online form during the meeting and said hard copies and help by phone would be available. Staff committed to small edits (marking project name optional, adding clear type dropdowns such as roadway/transit/sidewalk, and improved Spanish translations) and to share incoming submissions with board members before the first deadline so members can coordinate with local constituents.
Ending: Board members were urged to publicize the call for projects and to help citizens and agencies submit project concepts. Martinez said the process aims to capture the region’s needs while reserving detailed scoring for sponsor submittals so the MPO can assemble a financially constrained list for the MTP.
