Highways & Transportation
Federal
Investment
In only a decade, 1990-2000, truck facilitated trade with
Mexico through the Valley increased by 233%, but during the same period
highway lane miles here increased only 4.22%, according to a regional
plan prepared by the Rio Grande Valley Mobility Task Force, a committee
of the Partnership.
From the Partnership boardroom, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison responded to the regional need for expanded infrastructure, announcing she secured $7.4 million in federal funding for Interstate 69, a highway that ultimately will stretch from Mexico to Canada.
Crediting the Rio Grande Valley Partnership for its success advocating South Texas' infrastructure needs through its Mobility Task Force, Hutchison said, "I-69 will create jobs, ease congestion and enhance the Valley's role in our nation's transportation and trade network."
State
Investment
In its perennial effort to promote this unique role, the
Rio Grande Valley Partnership also welcomed to its board room Commissioner
Esperanza "Hope" Andrade, recently-appointed Commissioner
to the Texas Department of Transportation.
"We want Commissioner Andrade to know how important Rio Grande Valley infrastructure is to a strong state and national economy," said Bill Summers, president/CEO of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership and honored Road Hand, one of four citizens in the Rio Grande Valley recognized by the Texas Department of Transportation for their contributions to state infrastructure. "During her visit to the Valley, we hope she sees our needs so that she can better help us meet those needs through the Texas Transportation Commission."
"I applaud this Partnership for what it has done, bringing people together," commented Andrade, referring to the Mobility Task Force. Andrade then invited the Partnership to bring people together again in Austin, where she will facilitate personally the presentation of Valley needs to the whole Transportation Commission.
Meanwhile, she added, this is only the first of many trips she has planned
to the Valley so that she can witness firsthand how much has been done
but also how much more remains to be done by the Transportation Commission.
Accomplishments in Transportation:
| 1945 |
Advocated causeway construction to South Padre Island |
|
1949 |
Contributed towards the successful completion of the Inter-Coastal CanalProduced first Valley street map |
|
1951 |
Campaigned to improve the Mexico highways between Matamoros and Victoria as well as Reynosa and Monterrey |
|
1952 |
Hosted Valley-wide Highway Conference, surveying future infrastructure needs and submitting them to the State Highway Department |
|
1967 |
Secured first international flight from Valley (TTA flies into Mexico) |
|
1974 |
Advocated Queen Isabella Causeway construction |
|
1977 |
Successfully advocated Department of Highways and Public Transportation in Austin for a Tourist Information Center in the Valley |
|
1992 |
Assembled Regional Mobility Plan, 200-pages demonstrated "a new level of cooperation," requesting $1.6 billion from Texas Transportation Commission to meet regional infrastructure needs for next 30-years, including highways, international bridges, airports, and ports |
|
1994 |
Facilitated second Mobility Task Force, advocating I-69 project |
|
2003 |
Presented third Mobility Plan, requesting $3.5 billion from Texas Department of Transportation for regional infrastructure projects; currently, more than $500 million in ongoing construction because of Mobility Plan |
For more
information, visit the I-69 Texas Alliance
website.