BROWNSVILLE STANDS UP FOR ITSELF AGAINST MERGING PRESSURES

Pedro Alvarez, Texas Department of Transportation, Pharr District,  Makes Case for Merging MPOs

It seems so simple to advocates of merging the three RGV Metropolitan Planning Organizations, one in Harlingen, another in Hidalgo County and, of course, one in Brownsville.  Merge and get much more revenue from the state for highway and other transportation projects.  

Even the Port of Brownsville, they say, could easily get a largesse to dredge its channel from a 42 to 52 foot depth if only Brownsville would just merge, or, as Mayor Tony Martinez prefers to say, realign itself with Harlingen and Hidalgo(McAllen).

The numbers seem to make it a no-brainer to merge/realign, with currently 80% of the transportation funding going to the largest 5 MPOs and the remaining 20% split among the 17 smallish MPOs, including Brownsville.

Alvarez, who claimed not to have a dog in the merger fight, said that, should the 3 RGV MPOs join, they would vault past El Paso into the 5th spot, sharing an 83% pot.(Alvarez issued a veiled threat, indicating he'd been advised that talks had taken place suggesting an even larger pot for the largest MPOs, "maybe even 85 to 90% of the total funding," hinting that, should Brownsville vote AGAINST merging, they might find themselves in a group of 17 or so splitting only 10 to 15% of the transportation monies.)

City Commissioner Rick Longoria laid down before Alvarez what may be the merging dealbreaker for Brownsville in asking why in the hell the urgently needed East Loop around Brownsville, redirecting heavy trucks away from International Blvd. and the Padre Island Highway 48 has not even been partially funded or included in the MPOs ten year plan.  

Following Alvarez's non-answer Rick added that "he was tired of the run around," and pointing to Mayor Tony Martinez, added:  "and I'll tell you right now, as of right now, he's voting 'no!'"

The current estimate for the East Loop is $60 million, while TxDot has approved over $150 million for a tiny segment of an eventual toll road bypassing Pharr, McAllen and Edinburg.

Brownsville seems to get shafted here.

Mayor Tony Martinez, in his opening remarks, reminded the audience of how sharing a college, UT-RGV, with the upper valley had worked to Brownsville's detriment, with Edinburg getting the lion's share of the university including the administration.

I joked before the workshop with four militant anti-merger cyclists, Edgar Gaucin, Gene Novogrodsky, Mssrs. Burke and Holzman.

I asked Gene what he was "against" tonight.

"The merger.  Tony's right for once.  A merged MPO will not respect the environment, the planet, just build roads," added Novogrodsky.

The cyclists' heroine, Commissioner Rose Gowen, did gamely try to remind the TxDot Power Pointer Alvarez that, not only did a second causeway need funding, but also a bike lane to accommodate the throngs of Cameron County residents who want to cross the Laguna Madre on two human-powered wheels.  

Alvarez reminded Gowen that years ago the "Texas Highway Department" had changed its name to the Texas Department of Transportation to accommodate ALL forms of transportation, not just cars and trucks."

Since Mayor Martinez, in his opening remarks, used the word "compromise," let's offer one:

Guarantee the funding of the East Loop in Brownsville as a non-toll road and Brownsville agrees to merge its MPO with Harlingen and McAllen.

The Ricardo Longoria, Jr. East Loop Freeway has a nice ring to it, don't you think?