Andrea Flores Hidalgo County- As the population in the Rio Grande Valley increases every year, so does the number of drivers, leading to road expansions but this is not the most sustainable way to approach this issue.
As of 2022 Hidalgo County had a population of 888,367 with an increase of two percent from 2020, while Cameron County had a population of 425,208 with a one percent increase, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Pilar Rodriguez, executive director for the Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority, said the population increase adds pressure to the transportation system.
“In this region, we’re constantly playing catch up, we’re trying to build facilities just to meet the existing demands, because the population growth has increased so rapidly,” Rodriguez said. “Typically, that requires you to expand the roadway. In other words, add more lanes.”
According to Rodriguez, road expansion is not the most sustainable way to alleviate traffic in a region with a growing population.
He added the best way to address the issue is adding mass transit facilities.
“You want to add bicycle facilities, to take some of the pressure off of the need to have to expand the roadway networks for passenger cars and trucks, for example, at such a rapid pace,” Rodriguez said.
Ali Ramos, co-president for Alternative Transportation Alliance at UTRGV, said the organization’s goal is to change the infrastructure around local cities and the university to be less car-centric.
Ramos said car-centric cities lead to poor air quality and do not promote exercise.
“I can’t just go for a walk if I want to without being worried about getting hit by a car, someone running a red light,” they said.
They added that in car-centric cities, people with lower incomes are forced to buy cars to commute.
The mean travel time for workers in Hidalgo County is about 22 minutes and about 20 for Cameron County, according to the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau.
The Cameron county Regional mobility authority was unable to speak to KVAQ-TV.
