A Symposium Assessing the Concept of Regional Transportation Authorities: Application to Houston,Texas
Robert Hill and Carol A. Lewis, Texas Southern University, January 2004, 23 pp. (473700-00047-1)
The Houston metropolitan area is in the planning phases of determining if a multi-modal regional transportation authority is required to address the region’s mobility challenge. Various regions of the country are developing innovative ways to address their multi-modal transportation challenges. In the greater Houston area, there is a tremendous need for agencies, jurisdictions and all modes of transportation to collaborate on future projects in the region, known as “Regionalism”. The purpose of “Regionalism” is to facilitate liaisons between the region’s leadership, resources and citizens around a shared agenda for improving the economic vitality, the standard of living and quality of life in the region.
The purpose of this study is to assemble transportation professionals to address current transportation needs in light of new national transportation initiatives in the region. The establishment of collaboration between public agencies and private entities that are stakeholders in the Houston region’s transportation infrastructure and the creation of awareness of current and future transportation needs in the region will be discussed. The outlined objective was achieved by conducting: 1) a literature review to assess national initiatives on regionalism or regional cooperation and 2) a symposium, which attracted the area’ s transportation professionals to discuss questions.
Keywords: Regionalism, Multi-Modal, Regional Transportation Authorities
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