SECTION 16.151. Long-Term Planning Assumptions

(a) Development. The department, in collaboration with local transportation entities, will develop mutually acceptable assumptions for the purposes of long-range federal and state funding forecasts that are consistent with the project selection criteria prescribed under §16.105(d) of this chapter (relating to Unified Transportation Program (UTP)). The department and each planning organization will use those funding assumptions to coordinate and guide development of the metropolitan transportation plans, statewide long-range transportation plan, transportation improvement programs, rural transportation improvement programs, statewide transportation improvement program, and unified transportation program under §§16.53 - 16.54, 16.101 - 16.103, and 16.105 of this chapter (relating to Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan (SLRTP), Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), Rural Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP), and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), respectively).

(b) Factors. The assumptions will include the following factors:

(1) anticipated level of available state gas tax revenues to be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund;

(2) anticipated level of registration fees and other state non-gas tax revenues to be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund;

(3) anticipated level of federal transportation funding; and

(4) other factors considered appropriate by the commission for projection of available funding.

(c) Optional factors. In addition to the funding forecasts developed under subsection (b) of this section, an MPO may, in order to guide development of a separate supplement to the MPO's metropolitan transportation plan and its portion of the statewide long-range transportation plan, also include reasonable funding assumptions based on local funding options and contingent state, federal, and local funding sources.

(1) The supplement must:

(A) clearly identify and separate the funding forecasts developed by the department under subsection (b) of this section from the forecasts using assumptions based on local funding options and contingent funding sources;

(B) describe the rationale for incorporating each additional funding option and source; and

(C) be approved by the MPO policy board.

(2) The MPO will collaborate with the department in development of the additional funding assumptions.

Source Note: The provisions of this §16.151 adopted to be effective January 1, 2011, 35 TexReg 8388; amended to be effective November 15, 2012, 37 TexReg 8981; amended to be effective September 1, 2018, 43 TexReg 5240