AUSTIN, TX — Today, Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa was joined by Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, City of Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, Hidalgo County Commissioner Eddie Cantu, and City of Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez at the Texas Transportation Commission (Commission) meeting to officially present the Commissioners with the recently signed re-designation agreement for Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) consolidation. The agreement allows for the merging of the Harlingen-San Benito MPO, the Brownsville MPO, and the Hidalgo County MPO to create the new Rio Grande Valley MPO. This is the first time in Texas history that three MPOs are merging into one.

The Rio Grande Valley is one of the fastest growing regions of the state and the infrastructure must be able to support the growth. The merger of the MPOs will provide increased revenue to repair roads, provide congestion relief, maintain the highway system, and fund border projects to prevent loss of revenue at the international ports of entry.

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement:

"After three years from the time we started the conversation about merging the three Valley MPOs, I was honored to present the signed agreement to the Texas Transportation Commission. By taking this regional approach, the newly created Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (the Valley MPO) will be one of the largest in the state. This merger will allow South Texas to access more funds to construct larger projects. The merged MPO will be more efficient and allow for projects to be considered and approved as a region.

This historic moment would not have been possible without the regional cooperation, collaboration, and negotiations that were pretty tense at times. However, in the end, the benefits of a merged MPO prevailed over a small city approach. With the creation of the Valley MPO, we have delivered on our commitment to speak with one voice. The Valley MPO will be a powerful advocate for addressing the infrastructure needs of South Texas that are required to continue being an economic driver for the state.

I appreciate the leadership, cooperation, and team work from all of our public officials involved in making this a reality. I also want to thank Governor Greg Abbott for his continued support of our region. Lastly, I want to recognize and commend TxDOT Pharr District Engineer Pete Alvarez for his commitment, guidance, and support throughout this process."

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