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Background
Metropolitan Transportation Authorities (MTAs) provide public
transportation to Texas' seven largest urbanized areas. Currently, there
are seven urban operators providing transportation in areas with
populations greater than 200,000 persons. The urbanized areas of Austin,
Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio are all
served by MTAs with dedicated taxing authority. The voters in those
areas approved the formation of the agencies and approved levying taxes
ranging from ¼% to 1%.
The Cities of El Paso and Laredo both operate a City Transit Department
as authorized by the Texas Transportation Code. This legislation allows
city voters to create a city transit department financed by either a ¼%
or ½% sales tax. Subsequent legislation (House Bill 9 of the 72nd
Legislature) more specifically defined MTAs as those agencies created by
a municipality of at least 200,000 population. Since El Paso’s transit
system falls under this provision, it is referred to as an MTA. Though
Laredo’s transit system receives a dedicated sales tax revenue similar
to the MTAs above, it serves a population of less than 200,000 and thus
is referred to as a municipal transit system or an urbanized transit system.
The majority of Texans live in the large urbanized areas served by the
seven MTAs. Providing mobility in these metropolitan areas is critical
to alleviate congestion, reduce pollution, and provide access to jobs,
schools and human services. Quality of life travel for social purposes,
recreational and shopping are other important functions of public transportation.
Funding MTAs rely on federal and local sources for their annual funding. Unlike
small urban and rural agencies, they are not eligible for state funds.
The legislature believes the large amount of money raised through local
sales taxes makes additional state support unnecessary.
Metropolitan Transit Authority Contacts
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