Texas Freight Mobility Plan
The importance of the Texas Freight Mobility Plan
If Texas were a nation, it would be the 8th largest economy in the world. It has been the #1 U.S. exporter for 23 years in a row, and it is the largest energy-producing state in the Nation. Integral to the state’s robust economy is global trade and commerce which requires ensuring efficient, reliable supply chains. Without reliable transport and distribution of freight, including raw materials, intermediate, and final goods to, from, and within the state, the Texas economy would come to a stop.
2027 Texas Freight Mobility Plan (TFMP)
TxDOT is developing its 2027 TFMP. This will be the four-year update of its 2023 plan, in accordance with requirements in the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act and 49 USC 70202. The TFMP will capture Texas freight transportation assets, conditions, current and future needs, and economic importance through the lens of critical supply chains as well as broader findings related to freight operations and international trade. The TFMP will culminate in recommendations and strategies including policies, programs, and projects for TxDOT to advance over the next four years as well as in the medium and longer term.
Stakeholder engagement
Successful development and implementation of the TFMP requires continuation of the ongoing relationship between TxDOT and the regional freight community as well as the development of new relationships with supply chain working groups. In addition to freight-specific stakeholders, there will be engagement with local and regional economic development and infrastructure planning stakeholders, as well as public officials.
The TFMP will incorporate an active stakeholder engagement process to ensure appropriate representatives are involved in helping identify challenges and solutions to the State’s freight mobility. It will feature a multifaceted approach to ensure diverse perspectives, industries, and communities are represented and engaged.
The engagement plan includes interaction with, but not limited to, the Texas Freight Advisory Committee and Metropolitan Planning Organization freight advisory committees in the state, stakeholder workshops, interviews, project communications, surveys, and project webpage contents.
Planned outcomes
The development of the 2027 Texas Freight Mobility Plan culminates in policy, program, technology and operations, and project recommendations.
- Policies: Specific courses of action that, if adopted, will shape the way Texas approaches freight.
- Programs: Collection of initiatives or activities to achieve desired outcomes.
- Technology & Operations: Investments that improve safety and efficiency of existing systems and prepare Texas for the future of freight mobility.
- Projects: Capital investments under development, proposed, and strategic.
Plan development and timeline
- Late 2025 through Late 2027 – Public involvement
- Late 2025 – Project kickoff, data assessment, analysis of trends, disruptors, and opportunities.
- Early 2026 – Multimodal data inventory, conduct a data needs assessment, supply chain review, critical freight facility assessment.
- Mid 2026 – Begin stakeholder engagement, conduct a freight bottleneck and network assessments.
- Late 2026 – Document economic importance of multimodal freight, finalize Texas freight mobility recommendations, finalize implementation plan.