Texas Legislature

2025, 89th Legislature

Legislative Timeline

TXSC Transportation Policy Paper

Legislature can improve our Texas transportation system by allowing TxDOT to choose the right mode of transportation for the right challenge, backed by expertise, public input, and efficient design solutions.

Bills to Watch

See what transportation bills we’re following.

Legislative priorities

The common theme throughout our priorities is allowing for transportation freedom. It is about people having choices in mobility — to ensure that all people have access to schools, jobs, medical care, groceries, and other resources. 

Listen to Miriam Schoenfield discuss Texas Transportation and TXSC priorities with Representative John Bucy: 
Happy Hour 209: Transportation in Texas Under Trump with Rep. John Bucy and Rethink 35’s Miriam Scholenfield. 41.21

Originally published by Progress Texas, by Tatum Owens, April 25, 2025. “Progress Texas is a rapid response media organization promoting progressive messages and actions. While campaigns come and go, we’re the permanent home for progressive media and action in our state.”

TxDOT’s funding must allow flexibility to invest in more transportation options. 

TxDOT must have the flexibility to use federal, state, and other funds to build and maintain the most efficient mode of transportation to increase safety and reduce congestion. TxDOT staff have expertise in multiple modes of transit, but are limited by the constitutional limitations on the State Highway Fund. This fund must be amended in order to invest in multiple modes of transit to increase health and safety. 

HJR 58, Bucy: Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the temporary use of money in the state highway fund for transit-oriented projects.
HJR 63, Walle/SJR 33, Miles: Proposing a constitutional amendment to permit additional uses of certain dedicated general revenue transferred each fiscal year to the state highway fund.

SB 2770, Cook: One Texas Transportation Commissioner (TTC) must have multimodal expertise. 

The TTC, the decision making body for transportation planning, must have experience as a frequent user of multimodal transportation. The Governor appoints members with the advice and consent of the Senate. Of the five current members, none have the expertise of a multimodal user. Two work in banking, one in food stores, one in petroleum, and one in property development. In order to ensure that the transportation needs of all Texans are met, at least one of the five voting members represent the demographic of a multimodal user. 

SB 2732, Cook: TxDOT must hold District-wide meetings. 

TxDOT holds public education and input meetings for individual projects, which are intermittent and create confusion among impacted communities and elected officials. There must be a public forum on the TxDOT District level to: 1- demonstrate how projects in planning and development within each TxDOT District work together, 2- gather public input on the overall District plan and how it fits into TxDOT’s Statewide Long Range Transportation Plan.

Though Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) do hold bi-annual Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) meetings, TxDOT is responsible for building highways and therefore, as a State agency, must be accountable to the public and our elected officials. 

HB 5413, Hinojosa: TxDOT must have the flexibility to optimize roadways in urban areas.

Implementing managed lanes – freight only, high occupancy vehicle, or public transit – can help address congestion by providing a lower congestion or congestion free route to people traveling in carpools,
vanpools, buses, or carrying freight. Currently, when TxDOT wishes to add managed lanes, they expand
the highway to accommodate these new lanes. But such projects are extremely expensive, and often
face challenges and delays due to right of way acquisition.

HB 5413 gives TxDOT the flexibility to convert existing lanes in certain locations into managed lanes. Such treatment can provide immediate low-cost relief on our most congested roads.

  • Allows a Metropolitan Planning Organization to dedicate up to 10% of on-system roadways as
    Metropolitan Lanes.
  • Allows TxDOT the flexibility to convert existing lanes into managed lanes (freight only, high occupancy vehicle or transit) on Metropolitan Lanes.
  • Does not remove any existing prohibitions on tolling.

Articles to Read

Transportation Advocacy Day, April 3, 2025

We took our transportation issues and thanks to Austin, meeting with almost 30 legislators, including members of the House and Senate Transportation Committees. A special thank you to Senator Cook for welcoming us and acknowledging our work on the Senate Floor!

 

Advocacy Day Prep meeting — listen to the audio and view the slides. 60 mins total.

 

2023, 88th Legislature

The coalition promoted five legislative priorities, along with wider agendas of partner organizations. One priority bill became policy.

We organized and participated in two lobby days, one focusing on our agenda and one supporting advocates advocating for their own concerns.

Legislative Agenda 

Safe Neighborhood Streets: HB 2224, Hernandez / SB 1663, Alvarado.

TXSC advocacy led by Farm&City.

Allows cities to set safe speed limits on residential streets at 20 or 25 mph, which matches what counties are already allowed to do. Removes cumbersome bureaucracy and costs to implement. Will increase quality of life, economic growth and property values, as crashes, injuries, and fatalities are reduced.

OUTCOME: 

  • House passed on 4/20/23.
  • Senate Committee report sent to Calendars, 05/05/23.
 

Transparent ID for TxDOT Field Staff and Contractors: HB 1969, Morales Shaw / SB 1775 Alvarado. 

TXSC advocacy led by STOP TxDOT I-45.

Requires on-site identification for TxDOT contractors and subcontractors when imminent domain is a factor, via a visible ID badge and vehicle decal. Will increase public awareness of TxDOT projects, and protection from potential scammers.

OUTCOME: TxDOT committed to enact internally without legislative action.
 

State Highway and Transportation Fund: HJR 77, Walle / SJR 37, Miles et al. 

TXSC advocacy led by Air Alliance Houston.

Proposes a constitutional amendment to allow the Texas State Highway Fund to be used on multi modal transportation projects that safely get Texans where they need to go. Allows TxDOT to build projects to best meet the needs of the diverse Texas population.

OUTCOME:

  • House referred to Transportation Committee, 4/12/23.
  • Senate co-author authorized, 2/21/23.
 

Local Street Design Alternatives in EIS: HB 5154, Morales Shaw. 

TXSC advocacy led by STOP TxDOT I-45.

For highway projects, requires TxDOT to consider safety, economy, multimodal, and impact on adjacent communities and environment, in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

OUTCOME: House referred to Transportation Committee, 3/24/23.
 

Fair Representation at Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs): HB 5156, Morales Shaw. 

TXSC advocacy led by Farm&City.

Requires Texas Metropolitan Planning Organizations to analyze their decision-making strategies to ensure democratic processes are aligned to the principle of one-person, one-vote — giving proportional weight by population.

OUTCOME: House referred to Transportation Committee, 3/24/23.