Brazos County Regional Mobility Authority
​The Brazos County Regional Mobility Authority was created in December 2019 with the purpose "to serve as a political subdivision formed by one or more counties to finance, acquire, design, construct, operate, maintain, expand or extend transportation projects." RMAs function as regionally focused transportation development and implementation authorities with oversight from the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC). RMAs as defined in this very detailed document by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute are independent government agencies enabled by legislation (TCC, Chapter 370) and may include multiple counties.
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BCRMA Leadership
They are governed by a board of directors consisting of a presiding officer that is appointed by the governor, and additional directors appointed by the county commissioner’s court or city council from the host RMA city, county, or counties. Board members are term limited and cannot be elected officials or an employee of a government entity, but may be re-appointed by commissioner courts. RMA boards may also hire an executive director to operate the RMA and carry out duties assigned by the board. Executive directors serve at the pleasure of the board of directors. Board members are not compensated. This allows flexibility for the board to be extremely creative. Also in that document is the very interesting statement of "RMA reporting requirements are minimal and may not capture detailed financial and
operating data."
Hear from Chairman Barry Moore himself on what the BCRMA is and does in an interview with a podcast called Think Brazos in October of 2022. Note that Mr. Moore in an interview with WTAW mentioned that the BCRMA has eminent domain authority which seems a little concerning. Of course, it would mean the board members would need experience in transportation matters. For example, as a former member of the College Station City Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission, Mr. Moore has extensive experience that is very beneficial. However, we question whether a conflict of interest arises when the Chairman is also the principal of a capital investment firm and the founding partner of a commerical brokerage firm.
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BCRMA Funding Attempt
As stated in the BCRMA's own publication from January of 2022, the time of their first meeting, they reported that College Station residents primary concern was managing traffic congestion. The potential projects listed for the RMA to tackle included: East Inner Loop on the thoroughfare plan, access around RELLIS Campus, the Fitch Parkway/Arrington Road overpass and regional transit discussion. Also in that document, and on the BCSRMA website, for the RMA to receive the support it needed, the voters would need to approve a $10 per vehicle fee (read about the TRIP Bond).
The RMA defined its scope of work in a document titled "Moving Forward: 2022 and Beyond." That document declared that in November 2022, the RMA would be asking Brazos County voters to approve the $10 increase in the vehicle registration fee that would eventually appear in the November 2022 TRIP Bond election as Proposition B to support RMA activities. This document also outlines the philosophy that the RMA would follow and the specific tasks that the RMA would undertake, should the voters approve the increase in the county vehicle registration fee. Ultimately for the RMA to become an active organization, it would have required legislation. However, with voters failing Proposition B of the TRIP Bond, the RMA didn't receive its funding and thus never received recognition by the state giving it authoritative power in Brazos County.
The three projects identified in the Moving Forward document included - Near Term: William D Fitch and Arrington Road Intersection, Intermediate Term: the interchange at RELLIS at HWY 21 and HWY 47, Long Term: inner eastern loop. Language in this document also includes:
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Initiate planning work on the eastern inner loop, including working with TxDOT to pursue adding this roadway to the state highway system. This proposed roadway connects SH 6 north of Bryan to W. D. Fitch in south College Station. The RMA role will be to conduct public awareness meetings, identify constraints to the alignment, and identify alignments warranting further study, all intended to accelerate implementation. Actions are needed to begin the planning process for this project, which is included in the MPO fiscally constrained project list. However, it is not funded until after 2030. This project will address significant safety issues associated with the SH 21 and SH 6 interchange by diverting truck traffic further to the east. This project is important for economic development on the east side of Brazos County and enhances connectivity as a new north–south corridor.
