COLLEGE STATION, TX — A proposed bill in the Texas Legislature would allow to counties with 190,000 residents, such as Brazos County, to collect additional funding from vehicle registration fees to use toward transportation projects.
If House Bill 642 becomes law, drivers would have to pay $10 extra in vehicle registration fees, which officials said would generate $1.2 million dollars per year.
College Station Mayor Karl Mooney said the additional funds for the Regional Mobility Authority would help to improve the quality and width of state roads and alleviate the traffic congestion.
RMAs can have toll or non-toll roads. However, Mooney said toll roads are not being considered at the moment. He added the proposed bill is to address current and future transportation concerns associated with a growing population.
"We are going to hit 122,000 people this year alone in Bryan-College Station, which means there is more traffic on our roads, including Highway 6," Mooney said.
Some of the roads that would benefit from the additional charge would include, Texas Avenue, University Drive, Wellborn Road and Highway 6.
Currently, a $750 million project in the Northgate area would be funded much sooner, if the bill was approved. It would lower University Drive and add a pedestrian walkway.
"The growth of high density housing for students that has dramatically increased the number of students who are traversing University Drive by foot or bicycle," Mooney said.
Texas A&M graduate student Kristin Hamons said she wouldn't mind paying more to alleviate congestion and improve safety.
"As a student, I wouldn't mind it because I would see those benefits and I know future students would benefit from it too," Hamons said.
Texas A&M post-doctoral student Juan Gomez said local governments should find other sources of funding.
"Definitely something has to be done. I don't know if an additional charge would be the way," Gomez said.
However, Mooney said currently this bill would be the preferred option.
"We have to find a way to be able to supplement what the state is unable to do because of its limited funding and its desire to first focus on those larger population areas," Mooney said.
Bryan District TxDOT Spokesman Bobby Colwell said transportation funding is allocated after considering maintenance, congestion, safety, bridges and connectivity. In addition, data related to daily traffic volumes related to crashes, system condition and age are also taken into account.
"As such, population density does indirectly relate to an area receiving funds," Colwell said.
If lawmakers don't approve HB 642, Mooney said they will try again during the next legislative session.
"We need to look beyond the number of residents that we have and consider the congestion that happens in that downtown. We are going to have to lobby hard, talk to TxDOT as much as we can," Mooney said.
He added it appears the discussions regarding HB 642 are not moving forward with less than 10 days left in the regular session of the legislative session.
It was referred to the Transportation Committee on May 3 but no action has been taken since then.
If the bill is not approved, there is another for the plans for the Regional Mobility Authority to move forward. An amendment attached to Senate Bill 604would allow Brazos County to collect the additional vehicle registration fees.
The amendments will be discussed at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Texas State Capitol.
