The Texas economy is forecast to reach $902 billion in term of the Gross State Product (GSP) by 2003, which would place it in the top 10 countries of the world (Comptroller of Accounts, 2002). An economy of this magnitude requires substantial modal infrastructure to facilitate intra- and inter-state transportation flows. Since the 1990s, the Texas economy has been diversifying—mining (oil and gas) has fallen to 5 percent of GSP, manufacturing remains relatively unchanged at 13% GSP, while the service sector has grown to 19 percent of GSP. Agriculture has held its own, despite a severe drought, and is the second largest industry in Texas, generating income of over $13 billion annually. Trucks play a critical part in the state economy and are the dominant surface mode. Rural areas are undergoing substantial social changes. Rural counties make up 16 percent of the Texas population, but 26 percent of those inhabitants are over 65 years of age. This is largely attributable to the movement of production and distribution jobs to metropolitan areas, resulting in less employment prospects for younger persons living in rural areas (Texas Community Profile Information, 1998). The traditional employers -like agriculture- have moved to heavily capitalized (almost industrialized) forms of production processes. These are operated on a very large scale and require fewer employees. This extends to the production of grains and also to their consumption in animal feed lots, which are now extremely large in scale. While this has helped keep the Texas agriculture sector profitable, it has also contributed to a migration from rural areas - a condition that many rural counties in Texas now face.

        Rural migration causes reduced political representation in the state legislature. In the House 2002 redistricting, for example, it is estimated that the rural Caucus will lose around 20 seats. This clearly weakens the likelihood of addressing rural concerns through direct political action. Rural transport concerns will thus have to be captured in the TxDOT planning process.

        Rural modal service offerings have changed substantially over the past decades. Until recently, rail and barge were predominantly movement of U.S. agricultural products over longer distances. However, these modes have lost modal share in critical areas of agricultural production. This is partly attributable to the changing transportation demands of agriculture and rural industry and the strategic rail decisions that resulted in the abandonment of many rural rail links. The following factors have thus contributed to increased truck volumes and axle loads on rural roads:

(1) The development of industrialized agriculture in parts of Texas generates heavy machinery movements for the production process, i.e. super large tractors and heavy truckloads.

(2) Environmental concerns over pollution of watersheds near poultry and dairy operations have caused these farms and dairies to move within and into the state, resulting in new facilities locating in the Texas panhandle. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality(TCEQ) recently shut down dairy operations near Stephenville and operations are expected to move to Muleshoe, where there are currently eight dairies milking close to 8,000 cows. A California dairy producer is expected to move to Muleshoe, because their current location can no longer supply the necessary water requirements. Such moves will greatly alter traffic operations with regard to movement of both feedstock and agricultural products.

(3) The move by Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe that to move to shuttle trains containing over 100 cars that provide a service between large railroad load centers.

(4) Railroads have abandoned, and continue to abandon, rural rail links to traditional centers of agricultural production, particularly country elevators (less than one million bushels in capacity).

(5) Improvements in truck technologies result in less empty running and the adoption of loading techniques to that ensure all vehicles, where the commodity permits, are loaded to the maximum legal limit of a 80,000 lb gross vehicle weight.

(6) In specific areas of Texas, particularly in the eastern regions, truck operators are taking advantage of 2060 permits to operate at levels up to 10% over axle and 5% over gross vehicle weight. This legislation has received substantial scrutiny in the previous decade, but in spite of compelling evidence and a fee which now stands at over $200 annually for a 20 county limit, 2060 permits allow the operator to run extremely heavy loads over highways that have weak designs.

        A central problem with the growth in truck usage is that while the arterial systems (particularly the interstate elements) have been designed to carry increased volumes and heavier axle loads, much of the rural systems have not. Both on- and off— systems contain posted highways and posted bridges, which reflect the 58,200 lb load limit that was in existence when these roads were originally designed by the Texas Highway Department in the l940s and 1950s.

        In recent years, it has become evident that TxDOT districts with rural areas and rural counties have inadequate funding for highway maintenance and rehabilitation. While TxDOT’s income only covers around 36 cents of each dollar of total state need, the rural situation is much worse with available income covering only about 20 to 30 cents per dollar of need.

        Clearly there is both a need to analyze rural truck traffic and to recommend strategies to enhance rural highways. The project will collect data on major rural truck traffic generators, highlight rural infrastructure concerns, and develop a methodology to prioritize these concerns. This will not only strengthen TxDOT planning — particularly as it relates to rural needs at the county and TxDOT district levels — but will also permit the identification and prioritization of critical rural needs, thereby strengthening the case for a resolution in the form of increased capital and maintenance funds.