History

In August 1964, a study of transportation in the San Angelo urban area was begun, with respect to existing facilities, existing deficiencies, and future needs. This study was initiated as a result of the passage by Congress of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962, which provided for a "continuing, comprehensive transportation planning process carried on cooperatively by states and local communities" for each urban area of more than 50,000 population.

Formal adoption of a transportation plan for the San Angelo area was through the combined efforts of the City of San Angelo, Tom Green County, the Texas Highway Department, and the Bureau of Public Roads of the U. S. Department of Commerce. Completion of the initial phase of study in 1966 covering ten (10) basic study elements resulted in the publication of a two-volume report: San Angelo Urban Transportation Study, Volume 1, 1964 Origin-Destination Survey; and San Angelo Urban Transportation Study, Volume 2, 1964-1985 Transportation Plan. While many revisions have been made, the original scope of this transportation plan remains.

In 1988, the Governor of Texas designated the City of San Angelo as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for transportation planning in the San Angelo urbanized area using the Committee structure established pursuant to Section 134 of Chapter 1 of Title 23 U.S.C. as the group responsible for giving the MPO overall transportation guidance. On October 19, 2010, the Council for the City of San Angelo resolved to re-designate the City of San Angelo Metropolitan Planning Organization to the San Angelo Metropolitan Planning Organization as a separate entity, from the City of San Angelo, with the City to serve as the fiduciary agent of the re-designated San Angelo Metropolitan Planning Organization. On December 9, 2010 the City of San Angelo MPO Policy Board, with a quorum present at a meeting duly called, agreed with the proposal for the re-designation. The Texas Transportation Commission at its January 27, 2011 meeting entered a Minute Order approving the said re-designation.

In order to provide for the continuing phase of the comprehensive cooperative planning process for the purpose of keeping San Angelo’s transportation plan up-to-date, a continuing phase agreement between the San Angelo MPO Policy Board and the State of Texas is executed every six years. This agreement provides the guidelines for the organization and functioning of the San Angelo MPO. The San Angelo Metropolitan Planning Organization (SAMPO) Policy Board works cooperatively with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to provide the best transportation plans possible while maintaining a financially constrained budget. The MPO Policy Board consists of voting representatives from TxDOT, Tom Green County, the City of San Angelo, the Concho Valley Council of Governments, and the Chamber of Commerce. State and federal elected officials participate as non-voting members. The City of San Angelo and TxDOT provide staff services.

In June of 1998 the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) was signed into law. TEA 21 modified the mandatory planning considerations required under previous law but retained the emphasis on cooperative decision making in transportation plans and programs. SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users) was enacted on August 10, 2005, and requires that Metropolitan Planning Organizations provideconsideration of projects and strategies that will serve to advance transportation planning factors.