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RMA reports $1.19M in January overweight-permit collections; applies to MPO for planning funds for West and East Loop studies
Summary
Staff reported 5,795 overweight/oversize permits issued in January 2025, generating $1,186,096 in collections; the RMA received $156,465 of that. The authority applied to the Rio Grande Valley MPO for planning funds (one request for $77,000 and two requests split across $1.9 million) to fund PEL route studies for West and East Loop segments.
Ruben Alfaro, program manager for the Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority, reported to the board on the authority's overweight-and-oversize permit program and planning-funding applications on Feb. 2025.
Alfaro said the RMA issued 5,795 permits in January, producing $1,186,096 in total collections; convenience fees accounted for $27,096. Of the total, $971,532 went to TxDOT for on-system roads, $13,618 went to local jurisdictions for off-system roads, and the RMA received $156,465. He noted January figures are seasonal and that the primary commodity is produce, which can produce month-to-month variation.
"The numbers for January ... we collected a total amount of 5,795 permits, for a total of $1,186,096," Alfaro said. "Of that ... the RMA received $156,465." He added that year-to-date historic totals since 2014 show 394,618 permits and $69,420,656 collected, of which the RMA's cumulative share is $9,047,646.
Alfaro also updated the board on outreach and planning funding: the authority applied to the Rio Grande Valley MPO on Feb. 6 for two planning funding lines. One is a Unified Planning Work Program item with $77,000 available; the other is the Transportation Planning Studies funding with $1.9 million available. The RMA applied for portions of the $1.9 million to fund Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) studies: one half for the West Loop and the other half for the East Loop. Alfaro said awards have not been announced and the MPO's review commission will make selections.
Staff said they are preparing a request for qualifications to secure environmental-consultant services for the RMA's strategic-plan projects and expected to post the RFQ after legal review.
Why this matters: overweight-permit revenue is an operational income stream the RMA uses for operations and early project work; planned PEL studies would refine routing alternatives and right-of-way needs and feed into environmental clearance and design work.
The board accepted the program report; staff will follow up with the MPO process and post the RFQ for environmental consultants.
