If you are wondering what kind construction is going on at the corner of Lawrence road and Call-field road you will be happy to know there might be less traffic congestion in the upcoming year. The project is to realign Rhea road into Lawrence road to relieve some of the congestion at Kemp and Midwestern Parkway. The following image is a rough concept of what is being done. This draft is subject to change.

It is known as MAP-21, or Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century. Washington D.C has reached their debt ceiling. Officials are passing a new bill that could terminate all existing MPO's under 200,000 in population. The Wichita Falls MPO boundary sits at an approximate population of 140,000. This means our MPO could be eliminated by 2013. If the WFMPO was selected for termination, we have a chance to petition the decision by proving we have demonstrated adequate technical capacity and that we should remain active.

The petition would then be reviewed by the Secretary of Transportation and the USDOT will make the final determination. If the petition is denied, the responsibilities of the MPO would then be turned over to TxDOT and the state, in addition to Washington D.C, they would be responsible for making decisions on local transportation and planning needs.

As of today, the Texas Association of MPO's (TEMPO) sent letters to 32 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the two U.S. Senators. A second letter was sent to the 59 members of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. A third letter was sent to the 18 members of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The WFMPO has sent letters to all 34 members of the Texas Delegation of the U.S. Congress. The letters describe many of our top achievements over the past few years. The achievements focus on innovative transportation solutions involving land use, population density, and environmental concerns that affect the efficient movement of goods and people, which are critical components of the U.S. economy.

*Excerpt taken from USDOT Draft Reauthorization Bill

WICHITA FALLS APPLIES FOR $35 MILLION GRANT TO RENOVATE SAFB/MUNICIPIAL AIRPORT

December 9, 2010

On December 6th, 2010, the City of Wichita Falls Aviation, Traffic, and Trans portation Department applied for a 5 year, $35 million grant to fund the renovation of the Wichita Falls Municipal Airport. Sheppard AFB and the City of Wichita Falls operate a joint-use airport, which qualifies the City of Wichita Fallsfor Military Airport Program funding. The MAP grant, which is housed under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), if approved, will replace the aging terminal facility in three phases. Phase I will consist of a new entrance road as well as revenue generating automobile parking areas. Phase II consists of constructing a new passenger terminal facility. Phase III will consist of constructing a commercial aircraft parking lot.

The current terminal building is over 50 years old, has many roof leaks, water damage and is grossly undersized for current and future commercial operations. In 2008, a wind storm destroyed the roof over the passenger screening and departure holdroom. The damage was repaired but has caused long term effects to the terminal. Buckets have been placed to collect water when it rains; there is significant water damage as well as heavy mildew odor. The moisture has also affected video surveillance equipment, computer equipment, and electrical wiring. Furthermore, the passenger waiting areas are congested and poorly designed. There is no space to provide comfort items beyond bathrooms and vending machines to accommodate passengers. The total cost of the renovation is approximately $34,049,590. The MAP assistance will help to accelerate the construction of the project and improve capacity related issues.

The City of Wichita Falls has the support of public officials such as Representative David Farabee, Congressman Mac Thornberry, and Judge Woody Gossom, to name a few. They feel the construction of the new airport terminal facility will put the citizens of North Texas and Southern Oklahoma back to work by creating construction jobs as well as creating a gateway for air travelers to pass through our area. If Wichita Falls is approved for the grant, it will benefit not only our city, but the citizens and residents of our region as well.

The following images are computer renderings of the proposed SAFB/Municipal Airport.

More information about MAP can be found by clicking here.

WICHITA FALLS AREA HOUSEHOLDS NEEDED FOR TRAVEL SURVEY

Wichita Falls and Wichita County area residents will be asked to participate in an upcoming household travel survey being sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to update local traffic analysis and travel demand models.

The travel survey will help TxDOT and local officials prioritize local transportation projects as well as plan new roads needed to increase mobility and reduce congestion in the area.

Beginning this week, pre-notification letters for the survey will be mailed out from ETC Institute, the vendor hired by TxDOT to randomly selected households in the Wichita Falls MPO study area. The letter will provide background information and inform the residents that the survey is voluntary.  A few days later the households will receive a call requesting their participation.  For households that agree to participate, a survey packet will be mailed out and a “travel day” will be assigned in order to record their travels for that particular day.  The participating household will also receive a date when the vendor will call and retrieve their travel data.  In order to collect sufficient usable data thousands of households will be contacted.

The results of the travel survey will be shared with the Wichita Falls MPO to update their computer model that will help plan for future traffic demands. It is extremely important that those selected participate in this critical survey to determine how to best manage the traffic in the Wichita Falls and Wichita County area.

For more information, call the TxDOT Wichita Falls District Public Information Office at (940) 720-7728, or Charlie Hall, TxDOT Travel Survey Program Manager at (512) 486-5120.