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Texas: COGs Create and Fund Own RPOs

Background on the Capital Area Regional Transportation Planning Organization (Headquartered in Austin)

The Capital Area Regional Transportation Planning Organization (CARTPO) was originally created as a response to TEA-21 legislation, which called for state departments of transportation to work with officials in non-metropolitan areas when making transportation planning and programming decisions.

CARTPO was one of several Rural Planning Organizations (RPOs) voluntarily created by Texas Councils of Governments to help address rural transportation needs. Some states recognize RPOs as direct counterparts to Metropolitan Planning Organizations, while others, including Texas, see RPOs primarily as a forum for communication between state transportation agencies and local non-metropolitan governments. Texas RPOs are not currently operating under any set guidelines or responsibilities, and do not receive planning funds.

CARTPO is actually more than an RPO because its membership consists of representatives from both urban and rural counties in the CAPCO region. It is not intended to duplicate the work of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), which plans for all of Travis County and portions of Williamson and Hays Counties. Rather, it recognizes the strong interconnectivity between urban and rural areas in our region and the importance of incorporating urban plans and input into a region-wide focus on transportation.

CARTPO's first few meetings were primarily educational; they served as a forum for local officials to learn about proposed transportation-related legislation, TxDOT procedures and projects, and common problems experienced by other communities in the region. While these meetings were indeed informative, participants expressed an interest in expanding upon the organization's goals and functions.

CAPCO responded to this interest by hosting two special work sessions, at which local officials and planners discussed and refined what CARTPO's role should be in regional planning and project development. The first meeting, held on September 28, 2001, resulted in the identification of organizational priorities and the development of issue-related subcommittees to address these priorities most effectively. The second work session, held on December 7, 2001, focused on working out the subcommittees' organizational structures and refining priorities and implementation strategies. Since that time, the subcommittees have met separately to address specific issues, such as TxDOT's proposed changes to the Unified Transportation Program, regional transportation planning, and potential funding opportunities.

CARTPO's most recent activities have focused on the identification and prioritization of unfunded roadway projects in the 10-county CAPCO region. CARTPO would like to send a regional delegation to the Texas Transportation Commission on April 24, 2002 to present and request discretionary funding for its top three transportation projects.

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