1. (a) Purpose. Under Transportation Code, Chapter 204, the department publishes the Texas Official Travel Map (map) for the general motoring public depicting major Texas highways, cities and towns, mileage between such points, locations of Texas state parks, national forests, national parks and wildlife refuges, safety rest areas, Travel Information Centers, major lakes and rivers, counties, and certain other geographic details.

2. (b) Content. Content will be determined by the department and may include:

   1. (1) a city or town that meets the following criteria:

      1. (A) located on the state-maintained highway system;
      2. (B) has a population of 50 or more; and
      3. (C) is near a significant park or recreational area, or a historical, recreational, or scenic tourist interest facility that is open to the public continuously or on a regular seasonal basis;

   2. (2) highways designated by the commission, including:

      1. (A) interstate highways;
      2. (B) United States highways;
      3. (C) state highways;
      4. (D) farm-to-market (FM), ranch-to-market (RM), or recreational (RR) roads that connect with one or more higher-grade highways or roadways; and
      5. (E) FM, RM, RR, spurs, loops, business routes, or park roads that provide access to widely recognized parks, lakes, tourism attractions, or recreational areas;

   3. (3) map insets:

      1. (A) representing cities or areas, selected by the department, in descending numerical order on the basis of annual traffic volume in each of the metropolitan areas, or their location as a port of entry, to best utilize the limited space available on the map; and
      2. (B) designed insets to show only a few primary highways or through routes (not all city streets); and

   4. (4) mileage chart containing a limited number of cities and towns selected on the basis of a matrix composed of the following factors:

      1. (A) the significance of the location as a geographic reference point for calculating long-distance trips within Texas, to assure statewide balance in the selections;
      2. (B) the importance of the location as a gateway or entrance point to the state of Texas;
      3. (C) the status of the location as a primary travel or tourist destination;
      4. (D) the population size of the location; and
      5. (E) the use of the location as the site of significant highway intersections.

Source Note:The provisions of this §23.12 adopted to be effective April 21, 1993, 18 TexReg 2309; amended to be effective September 16, 2004, 29 TexReg 8837; amended to be effective January 6, 2011, 35 TexReg 11961.