Ensuring seamless connectivity is increasingly important, especially as rural areas—home to one in ten Texans—rely on improved infrastructure for economic growth and mobility. TRB hosted a webinar on Monday, April 28, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM Eastern that explored statewide multimodal connectivity planning and strategies in Texas for enhancing connectivity between rural and urban communities while addressing growing population and workforce demands. Presenters highlighted major corridor improvements, the role of community engagement in transportation planning, and considerations for multimodal connectivity to support the movement of people and goods across Texas, the U.S., and Mexico.

This webinar was sponsored by TRB’s Standing Technical Committee on Freight Transportation Planning and Logistics.

The slides are linked in the meeting materials. View the recorded webinar below.

Webinar agenda and presenters

1. Urban and rural freight movement: Texas statewide corridor considerations – Andrew A. Canon, Texas Department of Transportation

2. Texas corridor planning – Lorena Echeverria De Misi, Texas Department of Transportation

3. Connecting rural and urban communities: Ports-to-Plains alliance – Lauren D. Garduño, Ports-to-Plains Alliance

4. Question and answer session moderated by Loretta Brown, Texas Department of Transportation

The first 60 minutes of the webinar were for presentations and the final 30 minutes were reserved for audience questions.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this webinar, participants can:

1. Explain successful strategies for enhancing connectivity between rural and urban communities

Professional Development Hours

This webinar was delivered as a scheduled – e-learning live event and is categorized within RCEP as Technical, Health and Safety.

Professional Development Hours (PDHs) earned on completion of this program were reported to the Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP). Certificates of Completion are issued to all participants via the RCEP.net online system. Complaints about registered providers may be addressed to RCEP, 1015 15th Street, NW, 8th Fl., Washington, DC, 20005.

American Institute of Certified Planners Certification Maintenance Credits

This webinar was approved by the American Planning Association (APA) for 1.5 Certification Maintenance (CM) Credits. CM credits provide continuing education opportunities for AICP Certified Planners to continue their professional skills and knowledge. To receive CM credits, Certified Planners should visit the TRB event webpage on American Planning Association and register their participation. If you have problems reporting your CM credits or have general questions about the CM program, please contact the APA.