Victoria’s transportation network is the product of collaboration between multiple agencies at different levels of government – the City of Victoria Development Services, Victoria County and the Texas Department of Transportation, to name a few. How do these agencies work together to create a cohesive network, and how can residents get involved?
The Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) activities are overseen by an advisory board that includes elected and appointed representatives of the City of Victoria, Victoria County, TxDOT Yoakum District, the Port of Victoria and even the Victoria Regional Airport. All these organizations are responsible for some aspect of transportation within the region and bring their collective knowledge to plan regional transportation projects.
The MPO is the regional transportation decision-making board when federal and state funds are involved. Individual agencies are responsible for designing and executing projects for their respective roadways and infrastructure, which is helpful to us since it means that (for example) TxDOT can make sure the same standards are applied to U.S. 77 in Victoria, in Waco and everywhere in between. With that being said, the MPO’s input is one way that TxDOT and other agencies accept local feedback to ensure projects align with our area’s needs.
The MPO’s guiding document is the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), a 25-year transportation plan that gets updated every five years. The newest version is being developed this year, and we are seeking input from residents to ensure that the MPO and its member agencies meet residents’ needs for the next five years and beyond.
The MTP touches on every aspect of transportation in Victoria: not just street projects but bicycle and pedestrian safety features, public transportation and traffic lights, as well as our port and airport. It includes changes that not only help residents get around safely but help to support economic growth; one example of this is the upgrading of U.S. 59 in Victoria to interstate standards, which will eventually allow us to join the I-69 corridor.
Community input is a crucial component of a strong and functional MTP. The MPO member agencies have many data sources that play into decision-making, but community input is the secret ingredient that helps us to tailor our MTP to local wants and needs.
We are currently in the first phase of gathering community input, with a survey that residents can take by visiting www.victoriatx.gov/2050mtp. You’ll be asked to respond to a series of questions about yourself, your primary mode of transportation and your priorities for improving transportation. You can also use our interactive map to point out specific changes you’d like to see.
We will also be gathering input through stakeholder meetings this month, followed by a public meeting before we enter the final stages of refining and adopting the plan. Once the plan is adopted, it will be five more years before we create a new one, so don’t wait to make your voice heard!
To learn more about the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, visit www.victoriatx.gov/2050mtp.
Maggie Bergeron is the Metropolitan Planning Organization Administrator for the City of Victoria.