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Celebrating 60 Years of Regional Impact
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This September marks 60 years of regional cooperation through the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC). The organization we know today as H-GAC began in 1966 as the Houston-Galveston Regional Planning Commission, bringing local governments together to address challenges that cross city and county boundaries and help build a stronger region.
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Grounded in Vision and Partnership
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The foundation for regional planning in Texas was laid in 1965, when the Texas Legislature authorized local governments to organize regional councils. As Texas’ Gulf Coast region experienced rapid growth, leaders recognized the need to work together on issues such as transportation, environmental protection, and community development.
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On September 8, 1966, local leaders gathered at Friendswood Town Hall for H-GAC’s first organizational meeting. That meeting established a forum for communities to work together on shared regional priorities.
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Six Decades of Regional Impact
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What began in 1966 as a collaboration among local officials has grown into a regional organization serving 13 counties and more than 100 member cities.
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Over the past 60 years, H-GAC and its regional partners have worked together on issues that affect communities across the Texas Gulf Coast, including:
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| • | Transportation and Mobility: Supporting long-range transportation planning, transit coordination, freight planning, and roadway safety.
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| • | Environmental Stewardship: Advancing watershed protection, air quality, and solid waste management efforts.
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| • | Public Safety and Resilience: Supporting emergency communications, coordinated evacuation planning, disaster recovery, and community development.
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| • | Healthy, Aging Communities and Workforce Development: Supporting older adults, families, and individuals through aging and elder justice services, workforce development, and educational opportunities that strengthen communities across the region.
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Looking Toward the Future
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Regional planning prepares for what comes next. As the region continues to grow and evolve, H-GAC remains committed to the principle that brought regional leaders together 60 years ago: communities can accomplish more when they work together.
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From that first meeting in Friendswood to today's challenges, H-GAC’s story is one of partnership, collaboration, and 60 years of regional impact.
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| | Historic Headline:
| A September 8, 1966, newspaper clipping in The Baytown Sun announces the upcoming September 9 organizational meeting that led to the formation of the Houston-Galveston Area Council.
| The meeting at Friendswood Town Hall brought together local leaders to begin building a framework for regional cooperation.
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Help Inform the Future of Regional Public Transportation
Public comment period: October 1–30
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H-GAC is seeking public input on the 2027–2031 Regional Public Transportation Coordination Plan, a five-year plan identifying transportation needs, service gaps, and opportunities to improve coordination across the 13-county Texas Gulf Coast region.
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What input is helpful?
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You don't have to be a transportation expert to participate. H-GAC wants to hear what you are seeing, experiencing, and hearing in your community.
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Consider sharing:
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| • | Where transportation options are limited or unavailable
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| • | Destinations that are difficult to reach
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| • | Gaps or barriers related to service, schedules, accessibility, cost, or information
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| • | What is working well and should continue
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| • | Opportunities to improve coordination or address unmet needs
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| • | Anything you think is missing or should be addressed differently in the plan
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Specific examples are helpful. When possible, include where the issue occurs, who is affected, and what makes the situation difficult.
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What happens to your comments?
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Comments received during the October public comment period will be documented and included in an appendix to the final plan. We will submit the comments to the Texas Department of Transportation along with the plan later this fall.
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Share your input before Oct. 30 – Review the 2027–2031 Regional Public Transportation Coordination Plan and provide comments.
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Biketober: Ride, Rate, Share
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What if your next bike ride could do more than get you where you're going?
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| | This October, H-GAC’s Commute Solutions program is inviting residents, workplaces, schools, and community groups to participate in Biketober, a free, month-long celebration of bicycling running October 1 through 31.
| Whether you ride to work or school, run an errand, visit a local business, or simply ride for fun, every ride counts. Biketober is open to everyone, regardless of experience or fitness level.
| Participants can register for free at lovetoride.net/greaterhouston and log rides using the Love to Ride app or website.
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Riders can participate individually or join a workplace, school, or community group and compete on local, national, and industry leaderboards.
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There are also opportunities to win prizes, including a $3,000 getaway, a $250 bike-service prize, workplace prizes, and cash prizes for encouraging others to ride.
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Your ride can help inform the region’s future
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New this year, participants can earn points by rating their routes through the Love to Ride app. Riders can share feedback about what it is like to bike on local streets, providing insight into where people enjoy riding and where improvements could encourage more people to choose a bike.
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That kind of firsthand experience is valuable as H-GAC develops the Regional Active Transportation Plan, which will identify strategies to improve opportunities for people to walk, bike, roll, and connect to other transportation options throughout the region.
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Where do you feel comfortable biking? Where do you encounter a difficult crossing or missing connection? What would make it easier to bike to the places you need to go?
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The conversation will continue this fall. H-GAC will host public meetings and launch a community survey later this fall to gather input for the Regional Active Transportation Plan. Watch engage.h-gac.com/2050-ratp for meeting information and opportunities to participate.
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You don't have to be a regular cyclist to participate. Try a new route, invite a friend or coworker to ride, and share what you experience along the way.
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Ride. Rate. Share.
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Learn more and register for Biketober at lovetoride.net/greaterhouston. To learn more about the Regional Active Transportation Plan and share your input, visit engage.h-gac.com/2050-ratp.
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Cleaner Air Starts at Home
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At its core, H-GAC’s Regional Clean Air Action Plan recognizes that improving our region’s air quality is a collective effort, with opportunities for everyone to participate. Whether it's local industry investing in innovative carbon capture technology, a small business installing energy-efficient appliances, or an individual reducing household waste, everyone has a role to play in working toward cleaner air.
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Throughout the region, local city and county governments are making it easier for residents to contribute to cleaner communities. One approach is promoting waste reduction, which can help reduce landfill emissions and the energy used to process and transport waste.
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Local governments are helping residents put waste-reduction practices into action. In some communities, environmental departments educate residents about reducing waste while providing services that make it easier to sustain those habits, such as curbside recycling collection and composting programs for yard clippings.
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In Pearland, for example, the Stella Roberts Recycling Center provides residents with options for recycling and properly disposing of materials that may not be accepted through curbside collection.
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In Bay City, residents can drop off used cooking oil at a recycling center, where it is collected and later transferred to another facility to be converted into biodiesel or used in making pet food. Recycling used cooking oil repurposes household waste, helps keep waterways free of grease, and can save residents money by reducing the risk of clogged pipes and related plumbing repairs.
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Programs like this show how waste reduction can provide multiple benefits, from conserving resources and diverting materials from landfills to protecting waterways and supporting cleaner communities.
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Where Can You Start?
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Residents can take simple steps to begin living more sustainably. Start by:
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| • | Check your local recycling guidelines to learn which materials are accepted in your community.
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| • | Compost organic materials such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and yard clippings.
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| • | Reduce household waste by reusing items when possible and choosing products with less packaging.
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For more ideas, the Take Care of Texas Guide to Yard Care offers practical information about managing yard waste and maintaining your landscape in environmentally responsible ways.
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You can also explore these resources to learn more about what you can do at home and in your community:
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| • | Take Care of Texas: Explore TCEQ’s statewide campaign for information about environmental protection at home, at work, and in your community.
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| • | Clean Air Action Plan: Explore the plan’s Opportunity Menus for ways to participate in regional clean-air efforts.
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Cleaner air is a regional goal, but meaningful progress can start with everyday choices about what we throw away, recycle, reuse, or compost at home.
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Free Legal Clinics Help Older Adults Plan for the Future
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H-GAC’s Elder Justice Program is accepting reservations from community centers, churches, and nonprofit organizations interested in hosting a free Advance Planning Legal Clinic for adults age 65 and older.
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The four-session clinic helps participants understand the legal documents that can safeguard their assets, protect their wishes, and help preserve their independence. Staff attorneys provide educational sessions and assist eligible participants with completing documents.
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| | Topics include:
| | • | Statutory Durable Power of Attorney
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| | • | Medical Power of Attorney
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| | • | Mental Health Power of Attorney
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| | • | Advance Directive to Physicians and Family, also known as a Living Will
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| | • | Do Not Resuscitate Orders
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| | • | Advance Declaration of Guardian
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Clinics are held over four consecutive weeks on the same day of the week and time. Participants who attend the required educational sessions, submit the requested information on time, and return for the scheduled notary signing can receive attorney-drafted, fully executed legal documents at no cost, a value of approximately $1,500.
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Clinics are available: Mid-October 2026 through March 2027.
Minimum: 10 participants
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Interested in hosting a clinic? Contact Helen Malveaux, Senior Program Attorney, at 346-500-4594 or helen.malveaux@h-gac.com.
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Give Unused Medications a Safe Destination
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Unused, expired, or unwanted prescription medications can pose serious risks when they are not stored or disposed of properly. Medications left unsecured can fall into the wrong hands, creating risks for children, family members, visitors, or others who may access them. Improper disposal can also allow pharmaceuticals to enter the environment.
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends using a drug take-back program as the preferred way to dispose of most unwanted medicines. When medications are flushed or thrown in the trash, some can ultimately enter waterways or the environment. Wastewater treatment systems are not designed to remove every type of pharmaceutical, and researchers have detected medications in waterways and drinking water supplies. Pharmaceuticals that enter the environment can also affect fish and other wildlife.
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The good news is that residents have safe disposal options.
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The next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, Oct. 24. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) helps local governments host these events twice a year, allowing communities to safely dispose of unwanted medications.
| Find a collection site: DEA Collection Site Locator
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H-GAC has also helped expand access to year-round pharmaceutical disposal throughout the region. In 2018, only eight of the 13 counties in the H-GAC region had permanent pharmaceutical drop boxes available to the public. With grant funding, H-GAC purchased 18 permanent collection boxes and four liners for each box. H-GAC worked with local law enforcement agencies to place the boxes throughout the region, providing at least one permanent collection box in every county.
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These permanent collection sites give residents an option beyond twice-yearly take-back events. For additional information about pharmaceutical waste management and disposal, visit H-GAC’s pharmaceutical waste resources.
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Residents can find year-round medication drop-off locations through the DEA’s Every Day Is Take Back Day webpage and H-GAC’s webpage.
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Before disposing of medications, check the disposal instructions for the specific medication. The FDA maintains information about safe disposal, including its Drug Disposal: FDA’s Flush List for Certain Medicines.
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Taking a few minutes to clear out unused medications can help protect people, prevent misuse, and reduce the potential for pharmaceuticals to enter the environment. Safe disposal is a simple step residents can take to protect their households and the communities they call home.
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More Time to Apply:
Freight Grade Separation Feasibility Studies
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Due to overwhelming interest, H-GAC has extended the deadline for its Freight Grade Separation Feasibility Studies Call for Projects. Eligible local governments and other sponsors now have until 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 to submit proposals.
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The program provides funding for planning-level feasibility studies involving existing at-grade rail-highway crossings within the eight-county H-GAC metropolitan planning area. Studies will help develop solutions for safer, faster, and more reliable transportation and advance potential grade separation projects.
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Missed the Sept. 24 virtual information session? View the presentation and recording to learn more about the program, eligibility, and submission process.
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Build Freedom Summit Connects Industry, Workforce and Education
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The Build Freedom Summit and Defense Industrial Base Workforce Conference will bring employers, workforce leaders, educators, and industry partners together Oct. 20–21 in Galveston to explore manufacturing innovation, workforce development, and career pathways in defense-related industries.
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Oct. 20–21, 2026
Galveston Island Convention Center
5600 Seawall Blvd., Galveston, TX 77551
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Supported by the U.S. Department of Defense and sponsored by Texas A&M Engineering, the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program, and the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, the two-day event will focus on strengthening the manufacturing workforce, supporting industrial readiness, and building regional talent pipelines.
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The summit will be followed by the Build Freedom Career Expo, hosted by the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership with support from the Gulf Coast Workforce Board and Workforce Solutions. The expo will connect job seekers with employers in advanced manufacturing and defense, with opportunities to explore careers, meet hiring managers, and participate in on-site interviews.
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Career and technical education and high school programs will participate in the morning, followed by an afternoon session open to the public. Active-duty military members, transitioning service members, and veterans are also encouraged to attend.
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Connect Housing and Transportation Planning
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How can communities better connect housing and transportation planning? H-GAC is hosting a free HUD Thriving Communities Housing and Transportation Group Assistance Session on Oct. 29 to help local partners explore that connection and identify shared regional priorities.
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9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | Oct. 29
Houston-Galveston Area Council
3555 Timmons Ln., Houston 77027
2nd Floor, Conference Rooms ABC
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The session will bring local partners together to build a shared understanding of the relationship between housing and transportation, discuss common challenges, and identify opportunities for collaboration. The technical assistance is provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Program in collaboration with H-GAC.
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Lunch will be on your own. Space is limited, and registration is required.
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For more information, contact Jose Cantu at jose.cantu@h-gac.com.
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Hiring Red, White & You! Connects Veterans With Employers
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Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast is joining the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Medical Center, and Texas Veterans Commission for the 15th Annual Hiring Red, White & You! Statewide Hiring Fair on Nov. 18.
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1-4 p.m. | Nov. 18, 2026
Reliant Center
1 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77054
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There is no cost for job seekers.
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The free, in-person event will connect transitioning service members, military spouses, National Guard and Reserve members, veterans, and their families with employers offering career opportunities.
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H-GAC Earns National Recognition for World Cup Transportation Planning
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H-GAC has received national recognition for its regional efforts to prepare for the transportation impacts of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup and other major events.
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The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) presented H-GAC with the 2026 Outstanding Overall Achievement – Large MPO Award during its Annual Conference in Sacramento. The award recognizes H-GAC’s transportation planning, partnerships, and efforts to help employers, commuters, and transportation partners prepare for increased travel demand.
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Houston hosted seven World Cup matches, a 39-day FIFA Fan Festival, and numerous other major events. H-GAC and its partners used advance modeling and forecasting to identify areas likely to experience increased travel demand and coordinated information to help travelers plan.
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Through Commute Solutions, H-GAC provided centralized trip-planning information through Commute Game Plan, including high-traffic day forecasts, a regional Park & Ride map, real-time Houston TranStar information, employer planning resources, multilingual outreach, and guidance on transit, carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, and flexible work schedules.
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While localized congestion occurred around Houston Stadium and key access corridors, overall transportation operations remained manageable.
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Learn more: yourcommutesolution.org
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H-GAC Executive Director Ron Papsdorf, center right, and Robyn Egbert, manager of Travel Demand Management (Commute Solutions), center left, accept the 2026 Outstanding Overall Achievement – Large MPO Award from the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) during its Annual Conference in Sacramento.
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Members of H-GAC’s Metropolitan Planning Organization attend the AMPO Annual Conference in Sacramento, where H-GAC received national recognition for its regional transportation planning and coordination efforts surrounding the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
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New Podcasts Explore
Careers, Services, and
the Changing Workforce
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Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast is back with new podcast episodes exploring workforce services, resources, and issues affecting people and employers across the region.
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The latest episodes highlight three areas of the workforce system:
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| • | Adult Education and Literacy: More Than a GED explores education and skill-building opportunities for adults and who can benefit.
Adult Education and Literacy
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| • | Vocational Rehabilitation: From Goals to Careers looks at how the Vocational Rehabilitation services team helps people with disabilities identify career goals, address barriers, and pursue employment.
Vocational Rehabilitation
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| • | Child Care Quality: A Workforce Investment examines the workforce board’s role in child care quality, including support for providers through Texas Rising Star and the importance of dependable, quality care for working families.
Child Care
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More episodes are coming soon, covering topics such as artificial intelligence and the changing workforce, WorkInTexas.com, employer workforce services, youth employment, and additional conversations about adult education and vocational rehabilitation.
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Follow Workforce Solutions on YouTube for more episodes and news.
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See How Tomball Transformed Its Downtown
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The next Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable will showcase how Tomball’s downtown has grown and developed over the past decade and highlight the role collaboration has played in its success.
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The event also marks a return to Tomball, where H-GAC hosted its first Bringing Back Main Street roundtable in October 2015.
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10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Oct. 27
Tomball Community Center
221 Market Street, Tomball, TX
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Networking and check-in begin at 9:30 a.m. Registration will open soon.
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Learn more about Bringing Back Main Street.
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