Transportation
BY JULIANNA WASHBURN
Ron Papsdorf, HGAC’s chief transportation ocer, discusses priorities in Greater Houston area
Community Impact interviewed Ron Papsdorf, the chief transportation o cer for the Houston-Gal- veston Area Council, about the current state of transportation in the Greater Houston area. HGAC is a regional organization through which local gov- ernments consider issues and cooperate in solving problems in areas such as transportation. Papsdorf, who stepped into the role of chief transportation o cer in June, spoke about the biggest priorities and challenges for transportation in the Greater Houston area as well as new trends he is seeing in mobility needs across the region. What are your responsibilities as the chief transportation o cer? I have the honor of working with a group of dedicated professionals in service to the Houston region. With the Transportation Policy Council, we partner with local, regional and state agencies to plan, prioritize and invest in transportation system improvements to improve the lives of the people who live and work here. That means marshaling our resources to achieve the region’s transporta- tion goals: improve safety, keep the system well maintained, move people and goods e ciently, strengthen economic competitiveness and protect the environment. In your view, what are the biggest priorities for transportation and mobility in the Greater Houston area? I view addressing the region’s safety, congestion and air quality issues as paramount. If we can address those core issues, we will have a trans- portation system that contributes to a thriving and livable region. As an example, during the last three months of 2024, we experienced over 47,000 crashes on the region’s transportation system. Not only was each of those crashes probably the worst thing that happened that day to the people involved in them, but those crashes also make it harder for people to get to work on time, slow down the deliv- ery of goods to our stores and put our emergency responders at risk. That adds to our congestion, worsens our air quality and hurts the economy. What are some of the challenges this area has when it comes to transportation and mobility? The Houston region is large, dynamic and growing. Our population tripled over the past fty years to 7.7 million people, and we expect to grow by another 3 million people over the next 20 years. The choices we make about how to manage and
improve the transportation system in response to that growth will have a big impact on the long-term success of the region as a desirable place to live and do business. We also have challenges with con- gestion and our ability to e ciently move freight through the region. In fact, according to a study by the American Transportation Research Institute, the Houston region has eight of the nation’s top 100 truck bottleneck locations and two of the top 10. As a port region, our economy depends on being able to move goods e ciently. The HGAC is currently in the process of updating its Regional Transportation Plan. How will that plan guide transportation and mobility projects for the region in the near future? The Regional Transportation Plan is arguably the most important thing we do. It identies the transportation investments we will make over the next 20 years that best achieve our region’s goals. Because we don’t have enough resources to do everything we want to do, let alone need to do, we must prioritize. Then we work together as a region to implement those improvements. Are there any new trends you are seeing in mobility needs across the region? Like most regions around the country, we’re still experiencing changes in travel patterns post- COVID, from some people working from home some of the time. E-commerce and increased home deliveries are inuencing transportation needs. Finally, changing technologies like self-driving vehicles, articial intelligence ... will change the way we use and experience the transportation system over time. What do you want people to know about the HGAC and the role it plays in the region’s transportation and mobility projects? At our core, we are conveners. We bring people together to wrestle through di cult issues and collaborate to make the best possible decisions to address the region’s transportation problems and build a livable future.
COURTESY HOUSTONGALVESTON AREA COUNCIL
H GAC Projected population growth
Harris Brazoria
Fort Bend Galveston
Montgomery
Chambers, Waller and Liberty
2020
66.7% 11.6% 8.8% 5.2% 5% 2.7%
Total: 7.09M
2030
62.7% 12.4% 10.7% 5.6% 4.8% 3.8%
Total: 8.33M
2040
60.2% 12.9% 12% 6%
Total: 10.15M
4.6% 4.3%
2050
57.5% 13.5% 12.5% 7.2% 4.7% 4.6%
Total: 10.72M
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com .
SOURCE: HOUSTONGALVESTON AREA COUNCILCOMMUNITY IMPACT
11
CYFAIR JERSEY VILLAGE EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook