1. (a) Development. The department, in cooperation with metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), will develop mutually acceptable assumptions for the purposes of long-range federal and state funding forecasts that are consistent with the project selection criteria prescribed under §16.105(d) of this chapter (relating to Unified Transportation Program (UTP)). The department and each planning organization will use those funding assumptions to guide development of the metropolitan transportation plans and statewide long-range transportation plan under §16.53 and §16.54 of this chapter (relating to Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) and Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan (SLRTP), respectively).

2. (b) Factors. The assumptions will include the following factors:

   1. (1) anticipated level of available state gas tax revenues to be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund;
   2. (2) anticipated level of registration fees and other state non-gas tax revenues to be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund and the Texas Mobility Fund;
   3. (3) anticipated level of federal transportation funding; and
   4. (4) other factors considered appropriate by the commission for projection of available revenue.

3. (c) Optional factors. In addition to the funding forecasts developed under subsection (b) of this section, an MPO may, in order to guide development of a separate supplement to the MPO's metropolitan transportation plan and its portion of the statewide long-range transportation plan, also include reasonable funding assumptions based on local funding options and contingent state, federal, and local funding sources.

   1. (1) The supplement must:

      1. (A) clearly identify and separate the funding forecasts developed by the department under subsection (b) of this section from the forecasts using assumptions based on local funding options and contingent funding sources;
      2. (B) describe the rationale for incorporating each additional funding option and source; and
      3. (C) be approved by the MPO policy board.
   2. (2) The MPO will cooperate with the department in development of the additional funding assumptions.

Source Note:The provisions of this §16.151 adopted to be effective January 1, 2011, 35 TexReg 8388.