Regional Mobility Authority of Brazos County kicks off first meeting

The Regional Mobility Authority of Brazos County met for the first time on Thursday after being approved by the Texas Transportation Commission in 2019.

The RMA helps fund roadway and infrastructure projects that are presented by the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

College Station citizen Douglas Bramwell moved back to his college town in 2010 after graduating years before.

“After living here for a few years, I’ve just experienced a lot more traffic and congestion,” said Bramwell.

So, he did something about it.

“I started asking some questions and started talking to some of the local leaders; apparently, I spoke to the right ones,” said Bramwell.

That’s when the RMA was formed. The meeting on Thursday consisted of ironing out a few things like funding, board members and future projects.

“It was primarily an organizational meeting to get them started on the road to beginning to address transportation issues,” said the Executive Director of the Bryan/College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization, Dan Rudge.

The RMA was created in hopes of tackling University Drive first. The concept is to have a lowered University Drive and an upper University Drive so that through traffic would go up, and traffic that is going to Northgate would go under.

Rudge said this project could take up to five years, so they will begin to tackle other projects in the meantime.

Some of the roadway projects they plan on undertaking range from improvements to SH 21 and SH 47 near RELLIS Campus, a loop connecting Bryan and College Station, more work on SH 6 and FM 2818.

“In order to fund RMA operations, one of the ways you can do that is going to the Texas legislature and request that $10 be added to the vehicle registration fee,” said Rudge.

This fee didn’t pass in the last legislature, but they’re trying again next year.

“It allows us to reach out and do other projects that would otherwise not get done,” said Rudge.

Bramwell said helping the RMA get started is one of the most rewarding projects he’s ever done.

“Having this regional mobility authority created, I think it’s really going to elevate our stature into the future,” said Bramwell.

The authority will continue to meet quarterly.