Texas Department of Transportation

The Texas Department of Transportation administers a number of federal and state grant programs for public transportation projects. Descriptions of grant programs, on the following pages, are included below.   Sections 5303 and 5304 Grant Programs - Planning and Research:  Section 5303 funds are provided to metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) through TxDOT for transit  planning activities. Those funds are administered in concert with the Federal Highway Administration  (FHWA) PL112 planning funds (not listed on the following pages). Section 5304 funds are available for statewide and local transit planning and research activities. TxDOT balances its internal needs for 5304 funds in conjunction with transit planning issues when developing the  budgets for both facets of the program.   Section 5307 Grant Program - Urbanized Areas:  The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), by formula, distributes grants for public transportation in urbanized  areas (populations 50,000 and higher). The grant recipients work directly with FTA to receive their  respective funds. Transit agencies in the 50,000 to 199,999 population group are commonly referred to as "small urban or small  "urbanized" systems. These agencies are also eligible to receive state funds for all activities that are eligible  under the federal program. Funds can be used to pay for capital, administrative, and operational expenses.  See "State Funds" below.   Section 5309 Grant Program / Flex Funding - (Discretionary) Capital Investment Grants Congress, through the Section 5309 program, appropriates capital grants to states and local public bodies for  new rail systems, modifications for existing rail systems, and assistance for bus systems. During Fiscal  Year 2002, Texas enhanced this program by flexing (transferring) $5 million of Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds to assist with the capital replacement needs of small urbanized and rural transit systems.   Section 5310 Grant Program - Elderly & Persons with Disabilities Transportation (E&D) The goal of the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (E&D) Public Transportation (Section 5310) Grant Program is to improve accessibility and mobility for the elderly and persons with disabilities. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) makes capital grants to the state of Texas to help provide mass transportation service that is planned, designed, and carried out to meet the special needs of elderly individuals and individuals with disabilities throughout the state.   Section 5311 Grant Program - Rural/Non-Urbanized Areas:  Under the Section 5311 program, eligible recipients for grants are public transportation systems in rural/non- urbanized areas (population less than 50,000). In Texas, agencies (except the state) must be a rural transit  district to receive a grant. Funds can be used to pay for capital, administrative, and operational expenses.  Intercity bus (ICB) and rural transit assistance program (RTAP) projects are included.    Section 5316 Job Access/ Reverse Commute: The Job Access/Reverse Commute Grants program is intended to establish an area-wide regional planning approach to job access challenges. It seeks to increase collaboration among transportation providers, human service agencies, employers, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), states, and affected communities and individuals. This program has two major goals: to provide transportation services in urban, suburban and rural areas to assist welfare recipients and low income individual in gaining access to employment opportunities; and to provide transportation for all income groups from the center city areas to employers in suburban and rural locations.   Section 5317 New Freedom:  The New Freedom Grants program is intended to support projects that provide transportation and transportation alternatives that go beyond the transit requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  These projects assist individuals with disabilities with transportation, including transportation to and from  jobs and employment support services.   State Funds: Each biennium, the Texas Legislature appropriates state funds for public transportation. These funds are distributed by Administrative code formula to small urban and rural operators of urban and rural transit  districts. Funds can be used to defray the cost of providing public transportation, either independently or in  conjunction with the above federal programs.   Transportation Development Credits (TDCs - formerly known as Toll Credits):  Federal law permits a state to count as a credit toward a project's local share certain expenditures on eligible toll facilities. When beneficial and appropriate, the Texas Transportation Commission awards TDCs  as a financing tool on capital projects. Transit and other projects may be eligible. 

“Pass- Through Toll” means a per vehicle fee or a per vehicle mile fee that is determined by the number of vehicles using a highway.

Each year TxDOT re-calculates road user costs, which the department sets for use in A + B bidding, incentive/disincentives for milestones, final substantial completion and lane rentals.

Parcels Acquired Through Eminent Domain for Transportation Projects: Sheet: ROW-DISCOS ED

Legal Citation: TEX. CONST. art. VIII, § 7-a;TEX. TRANSP. CODE ANN. § § 222.001, 222.002, 222.072 Date: 1917 Administering Agency: Texas Department of Transportation, Agency 601

DISCOS - District and County Statistics - is prepared, published and electronically distributed annually by the Funds Management Section of the Texas Department of Transportation's Finance Division. This publication provides selected transportation-related statistics for each of the 254 counties and 25 TxDOT districts within the state.