Initial Contact.

A political subdivision considering the establishment of an NRHM route must contact the local TxDOT district office and any other political subdivisions within a 25 mile radius of any point along the proposed route. The political subdivision must consult with the district office and other affected political subdivisions during the process of determining the best NRHM route. Coordination with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the local emergency planning council or committee is encouraged.

Route Analysis and Proposal.

The political subdivision must develop a route proposal. The written proposal must address all of the federal standards and factors listed in . The political subdivision must use the most current version of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) publication entitled or an equivalent routing analysis tool to develop the route proposal. If an equivalent routing analysis tool is used, the political subdivision must include in its route proposal a written explanation of how the tool is equivalent to the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) standards.

Local Public Hearing.

The political subdivision must hold at least one public hearing on the proposed NRHM routing designation. Public hearings may take the form of a city council or commissioners court meeting and must conform to all applicable state laws governing public meetings, including the .

Proposal Submission.

After performing the analysis and conducting a local public hearing, the political subdivision must submit eight copies of the NRHM route designation proposal and one original color map of the proposed NRHM route to TRF for approval. The proposal must include:

documentation demonstrating compliance with
49 C.F.R. Part 397, Subpart C
and
43 T.A.C. Section 25.103
a complete description of the proposed route
a signature of approval by an authorized official of the political subdivision, such as the mayor, city manager, county judge, or an equivalent level of authority.

Proposal Review:

TxDOT Public Hearing.
TRF will provide the public with notice through publication in the Texas Register and a 30-day period in which to comment. TRF will also conduct a public hearing to receive additional comments on the proposed NRHM routing designation. TRF will publish a notice satisfying the criteria described in Step 3 above. The notice must be published in two newspapers of general circulation in the affected area. The public hearing must be held in Austin, Texas, and conducted before the TxDOT executive director or a designee of the executive director.

Coordination.
TRF provides copies of the proposed route designation for review and comment to the local TxDOT district office, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) headquarters office, and appropriate TxDOT division offices.
Resolution of Concerns.
In coordination with the local TxDOT district office, TRF contacts the political subdivision proposing the route to resolve any concerns or issues about the proposed route designation and subsequent proposal expressed at the public hearing or received as written comments.

Coordination with other States and Indian Tribes.

At least 60 days prior to establishing the NRMH routing designation, TRF will provide written notice to the officials responsible for NRMH highway routing in all other affected states or Indian tribes. If no response is received within 60 days from the date of receipt of the notification of the proposed routing designation, the routing designation will be considered approved by the affected states or Indian tribes.

Authorization and Approval.

If TxDOT determines that a route designation has met all criteria for approval, TRF will submit the proposed NRHM routing designation to the TxDOT executive director for approval. Upon approval by the TxDOT executive director, TRF will notify the political subdivision in writing that the proposed routing designation is authorized, and will issue appropriate notice to the FHWA and the Texas DPS.

Route Designation and Signing

:

Designation.
Upon receipt of a letter of approval from TxDOT, the political subdivision must designate the NRHM route by ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation, or other official order. The political subdivision must forward a copy of the order to TRF within 30 days of receipt of the letter of approval.
Signing.
After passage of the order, the political subdivision must submit the proposed sign and installation locations of the NRHM route designation to the local TxDOT district office for approval. All signs must conform to the latest version of the
Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
(TMUTCD). (See “Route Signing Guidelines” below.)
The local TxDOT district office should submit the proposed signing schematic to TRF for review.
The political subdivision must coordinate sign installations with the local TxDOT district office prior to placement.