Consultant outlines MTP chapter plan, aims for December FHWA/FTA review

Sid Martinez, principal transportation planner with Scottie Consultants, walked the board through the draft chapter outline for the Eagle Pass Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) and the consulting team’s schedule to deliver the plan for federal review.

"My name is Sid Martinez, principal transportation planner with Scottie Consultants, and, of course, we are the general planning consultants for the Eagle Pass FTO," Martinez said as he opened the presentation. He listed planned chapters including the executive summary, planning process, vision and goals, public involvement, needs analysis, port of entry and trade, freight, multimodal (transit and bicycle/pedestrian), fiscal constraints, an improvement plan with an illustrative list of additional projects, a performance report, and an implementation plan that includes risk assessment and strategies.

Martinez told the board the consultant team has been presenting components over the last several months and plans to finalize the MTP in late summer–fall 2026, preparing it for Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration review before the December board meeting. He asked members to review chapter drafts as they are delivered monthly and said the consultants will continue public involvement with a final workshop in the fall.

Board members pressed for clarifications about parts of the plan, including boundary mapping and how projects will be prioritized under fiscal constraints. Martinez emphasized the plan is fiscally constrained — projects in the improvement plan will be selected based on available funding over the 25-year horizon, with an illustrative list of projects that may pursue discretionary grants or local funding if not currently affordable.