Innovative Solutions to Transportation Needs in the Colonias (SWUTC/06/167144-1)

An estimated 400,000 Texas residents, most of whom are legal citizens of the United States, currently live under poor conditions in underdeveloped neighborhoods called colonias along the Texas-Mexico border. They are challenged daily with the simple tasks of seeing their children off to school, going to work, obtaining water for daily use, buying groceries, obtaining quality health care, and having their trash removed. A major link in all of these basic needs is sufficient and affordable transportation. While many areas are gradually working to provide desperately needed infrastructure to these communities, the process is slow and expensive. Innovative and cost-effective solutions are needed to solve immediate transportation needs to help support these Texans in daily life. This research attempts to assess and document innovative, affordable, and cost-effective methods for meeting some of the unique transportation challenges facing residents of the colonias. The overall approach is to provide resources that may help improve the quality of life for these citizens by meeting their transportation needs on a daily basis.