Inside Scoop: Texas Transportation Commission January 2025

1/31/25
By Laura Butterbrodt
AUSTIN – Here’s what the Texas Transportation Commission discussed and approved at its January 2025 meeting.
The Commission approved $2 million in state funds for nine transit agencies throughout Texas for rural service expansion. In addition, the Commission awarded the Gulf Coast Transit District more than $800,000 in state and federal funds to support rural and urbanized public transportation needs.
Unified Transportation Program
The Commission heard its first presentation on the 2026 Unified Transportation Program (UTP), TxDOT’s 10-year plan to guide transportation development across the state.
The draft 2026 UTP is estimated to be approximately $100.3 billion, with around $7.5 billion of new available funding for projects.
Texas has seen significant growth in the UTP over the last decade, thanks in part to the passing of Proposition 1 and 7. In the past two years, TxDOT has had record levels of UTP investment in construction and major maintenance projects as the UTP eclipsed $100 billion dollars, with the 2026 UTP proposing to follow suit.
Humberto “Tito” Gonzalez Jr., director of TxDOT’s Transportation Planning and Programming Division, predicts the department will spend roughly $33.5 billion in additional funds for project development activities and $11 billion in routine maintenance contracts through a separate maintenance budget strategy, making the total 10-year estimated investment in projects to be $144.8 billion.
The plan will be developed over the next seven months in collaboration with TxDOT districts and metropolitan planning organization partners. A public comment period will open in July, and the final 2026 UTP will be presented for adoption at the August 2025 Texas Transportation Commission meeting.
Progress Report
Commission Chairman Bruce Bugg highlighted the new 2015-2024 TxDOT Progress Report. TxDOT currently has a record-setting $54 billion in projects under construction, with more than $148 billion planned to address safety, connectivity, congestion and preservation over the next 10 years.
According to the report, the number of miles traveled in Texas has grown 17% from 2013 to 2023, while annual delay hours spent in traffic have decreased 15% in that same time frame. Bugg also noted rural investment has grown from less than $2 billion in 2015 to more than $18 billion in 2025.
Aviation
The Commission awarded $16.9 million in state and federal grant funding for capital improvement projects and to assist in the development and establishment of six Texas airports.
Contracts
Commissioners awarded low-bid value amounts of $954.5 million for 74 highway improvement projects, $78.6 million for 24 routine maintenance projects and $1.6 million for one building construction and rehabilitation project.
State Infrastructure Bank
The Commission awarded three State Infrastructure Bank loans totaling up to $10.9 million. The loans will assist with utility relocations in Collin and Johnson counties, and assistance for Phases II and III of the West Laredo Multimodal Trade Corridor in Webb County. The State Infrastructure Bank now has 58 outstanding loans and a remaining cash balance of $247 million.
Winter Weather Response
Commissioner Steven Alvis and TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams praised the winter weather response of TxDOT crews and communication throughout two winter storms on Jan. 6-11 and Jan. 18-23. Williams praised the collaboration within TxDOT -- noting crews drove equipment across the state to assist in affected areas – and the collaboration with other state agencies like the Texas Department of Emergency Management to ensure the traveling public’s safety during the weather events.