AUSTIN, TX — The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is proposing a $740 billion long-range transportation plan, “Connecting Texas 2050,” and is seeking public feedback.
Texas, which boasts more road miles than any other state — 701,000 miles, compared to California's 478,000 miles — is facing soaring maintenance costs.
TxDOT currently manages 201,000 miles of roads, with an annual maintenance cost nearing $2 billion. Texans collectively drive an estimated 540 million miles per day, equivalent to circling the earth nearly 100 times every minute.
The proposed plan spans 2025 to 2046 and addresses the state's growing transportation needs due to "rapid population growth" and increased travel demands.
TxDOT’s proposed budget includes $520 billion for movement-related projects, with annual spending needs projected at $22 billion for the next 22 years. Currently, Texas spends approximately $13 billion annually on transportation.
The plan anticipates a 42% increase in vehicle miles traveled, driven by a projected 60% rise in the state’s population, potentially reaching 40 million by 2050. Urban areas will demand more maintenance, while rural connectivity projects are estimated to cost between $85 billion and $95 billion.
Truck freight tonnage in Texas is expected to double, with significant implications for infrastructure development, particularly around seaports and major highways.
A key goal of the plan is to eliminate roadway deaths by 2050. Despite a recent record of 4,028 fatal crashes in 2021, TxDOT aims to reduce this number by half by 2035.
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