Permian Basin MPO adopts its latest long range transportation plan

The Forward50 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) is long-range transportation plan tailored to the unique needs of the Permian Basin MPO region in Texas. The Permian Basin Metropolitan Planning Organization (PBMPO) unanimously adopted the MTP at its Board meeting on November 18, 2024.

The final report can be found on the project website www.forward50mtp.com.

A Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is a federally mandated regional agency charged with carrying out a region’s transportation planning processes. MPOs are required in all urbanized areas with populations over 50,000. The Permian Basin MPO (PBMPO) was established in 1965 to ensure federal transportation dollars are spent based on a continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative process.

The PBMPO is responsible for preparing and ensuring that the MTP considers the built and natural environment in the region as it sets the long-term transportation vision for the area. The Forward50 MTP serves as the guiding framework for transportation investments, directing funding from local, state, and federal sources toward projects that enhance regional connectivity and address community needs. It is crucial to note that projects must be included in the MTP to be eligible for federal funding.

The Forward50 MTP is the product of a coordinated planning effort to establish and fulfill the region’s transportation vision by identifying transportation needs, selecting projects to address those needs, and creating a financially constrained set of projects based on a reasonable assumption of available funding.

The planning process required a collaborative effort between stakeholders, municipalities, and MPO staff to create a plan that reflects the values and needs of the region. The process also educated the public about the MTP and other MPO processes while listening to participants as they identified issues and opportunities. The result is an MTP that emphasizes engagement as an important tenet of a performance-based planning process.

The region continues to see an upward trend in available transportation dollars, and the Forward50 MTP projects nearly $3.6 billion in funding for transportation projects through the year 2050. Despite the continued increase in transportation dollars, the region’s transportation needs will exceed available funding. 

The Forward50 MTP allocates funding to several priority corridors.

Two new interstate corridors will benefit the Permian Basin MPO. I-14 and I-27 will offer economic growth, additional public safety, and reduced congestion over time. Stakeholders understand that projects such as these interstates will take decades to complete. The MPO’s initial action is to place fiscally constrained projects into the Forward50 MTP.

Stakeholders and the PBMPO’s Technical Advisory Committee identified additional ways to build out the regional freeway system. A corridor identified for freeway conversion includes major portions of Loop 338 in Odessa. Also identified were two locations on SH 191 in need of Direct Connects, one at E Loop 338 and the other at Loop 250.

The Forward50 MTP recommendations serve as a foundation for promoting complete street concepts by integrating enhancements for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation. Notable multimodal strategies include continued implementation of the Wildcatter Trail and continued investment of $175 million for public transit.