Ruby Martinez, traffic safety specialist at TxDOT, presents on the South Texas Rio Grande Valley (RGV) to help listeners understand why RGV and the Pharr District where chosen for the DDACTS implementation project. Learn more about the Texas Statewide Impaired Driving Forum here: http://www.dyingtodrink.org/impaired-driving-forum/

1. Ruby Martinez, Traffic Safety Specialist
Pharr District
SOUTH TEXAS
RIO GRANDE VALLEY

2. Rio Grande Valley
2
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
1. We are not part of Mexico, RGV is actually part of Texas
Yeah, it’s actually in Texas.

3. Rio Grande Valley
3
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
2. We are not Corpus Christi
You’re about two hours off, buddy. And our beach is a lot prettier. Think South Padre Island

4. Rio Grande Valley
4
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
3. Our Stripes tacos dominate all Stripes tacos.
Don’t question it.

5. Rio Grande Valley
5
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
4. We do speak English.
But, most of us are bilingual. So, the real question is: Y u no speak Spanish?

6. Rio Grande Valley
6
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
5. We like HEB

7. Rio Grande Valley
7
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
6. We eat raspas. Not “snow cones.” Whatever those are.
And we put really fun stuff in ours, like pickles, chamoy y leche. Just not all at once.

8. Rio Grande Valley
8
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
7. We’re not overrun by the drug cartel.
Nor are we a part of it.

9. Rio Grande Valley
9
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
8. Some people call us the cheapest place to live in the country. Oh, wait. That’s fact.

10. Rio Grande Valley
10
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
9. Our population’s around 1.5 million, which means we’re larger than Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island, Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska and North Dakota.
Come at us.

11. Rio Grande Valley
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20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
10. We don’t pay a cent to have fun.
We’ve got fields to mud in, canals to fish off of and resacas to swim in for that.

12. Rio Grande Valley
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20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
11. We grow corn, cotton, sugar cane, and a whole bunch of stuff your life would suck without.
Elote en vaso? You’re looking at the creators.

13. Rio Grande Valley
13
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
12. And we do wind power. A lot of it.
Go green, fellow Americans. Because we’re from the Valley, and we’re also Americans.

14. Rio Grande Valley
14
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
13. We even grow celebrities, like Freddy Fender. 14. And Kris Kristofferson.
And you thought we were small town.

15. Notable people who were born, lived, or died in the Rio Grande Valley:
 David V. Aguilar (Chief Border Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol; Rio Grande Valley Station, Texas)
 Micaela Alvarez (Federal judge; Donna, Texas)
 Natalia Anciso (Contemporary Artist; Weslaco and Mercedes, Texas)
 Gloria E. Anzaldúa (Writer/Poet; Hargill, Texas)
 Cathy Baker (T.V. performer; Edinburg, Texas)
 Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. (U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative; Mission, Texas)
 James Carlos Blake (Novelist, Brownsville)
 Harlon Block (Iwo Jima flag raiser, died on Iwo Jima; Weslaco, Texas)
 David Bowles (Critic, author and translator; Donna, Texas)
 William S. Burroughs American writer, his time as a farmer in the valley in Pharr, Texas is briefly chronicled in
his books Junky and Queer
 Rolando Cantu is a Mexican football player who used to play for the Arizona Cardinals in the U.S. and
graduated from McAllen High School; McAllen, Texas.
 Thomas Haden Church (Actor; Harlingen, Texas)
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16. Notable people who were born, lived, or died in the Rio Grande Valley:
 Kika de la Garza (U.S. Representative; Mission, Texas)
 Roberto Garza (Professional Football Player Chicago Bears; Rio Hondo, Texas)
 Xavier Garza (Children's author and illustrator; Rio Grande City, Texas)
 Tony Garza (U.S. Ambassador to Mexico; Brownsville, Texas)
 Alfredo C. Gonzalez (Medal of Honor Recipient, U.S. Marine Veteran; Edinburg, Texas)
 Matt Gonzalez (2008 Vice Presidential candidate; former president of the Board of Supervisors of San
Francisco, California; born, McAllen, Texas)
 Esteban Jordan (Accordionist; Elsa, Texas)
 Bill Haley (Musician; Harlingen, Texas)
 Catherine Hardwicke (Film director, writer, producer; McAllen, Texas)
 Rolando Hinojosa (Author; Mercedes, Texas)
 Rubén Hinojosa (U.S. Representative, Edcouch Elsa, Texas)
 Kris Kristofferson (Musician, actor, songwriter; Brownsville, Texas)
 Tom Landry (American football coach, Mission, Texas)
 Bobby Lackey (College Football Player; Weslaco, Texas)
 Jose M. Lopez (Medal of Honor Recipient; Mission, Texas)
 Domingo Martinez (author; Brownsville, Texas)
 Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas (Musician in rock band MuteMath; McAllen, Texas)
 Jack Morava (Mathematician at Johns Hopkins University; Mercedes, Texas)
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17. Notable people who were born, lived, or died in the Rio Grande Valley:
 Mike Fossum (Astronaut; McAllen, Texas)
 Reynaldo Guerra Garza (Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; Brownsville, Texas)
Rachel McLish (Ms. Olympia, actor; Harlingen, Texas)
 Bobby Morrow (Olympic gold medalist; San Benito, Texas)
 Eduardo “Eddie” Perez (Tejano Roots Hall of Fame inductee 2005, Tejano Academy Of Musicians Legacy
Award 2008, Latin Grammy winner 2013, Edinburg, Texas)
 Major Samuel Ringgold (Father of modern artillery, served at what is now Fort Ringgold; Rio Grande City,
Texas)
 Charles M. Robinson III (Author; San Benito, Texas)
 Valente Rodriguez (Actor; Edcouch, Texas)
 James Nicholas "Nick" Rowe (February 8, 1938 – April 21, 1989) McAllen,TX Col, USASF Green Beret 5th
Group Battalion Commander, Vietnam POW, Created modern day Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape (SERE)
training for most at risk Military personnel and civilians still used today by SOCOM community
 Ricardo Sanchez (U.S. Army lieutenant general; Ground forces commander in Iraq; Rio Grande City, Texas)
 Julian Schnabel (Filmmaker; Brownsville, Texas)
 Merced Solis aka Tito Santana (Wrestler; Mission, Texas)
 Nick Stahl (Actor; Harlingen, Texas)
 Emeraude Toubia (Actress; Brownsville, Texas)
 Filemon Bartolome Vela (Federal judge; Harlingen, Texas)
 Eric Miles Williamson (Novelist/Literary Critic/Professor; McAllen, Texas)
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18. Rio Grande Valley
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Thomas Wade “Tom” Landry Roberto Garza – Chicago Bears
Mission, Texas Rio Hondo, Texas

19. Rio Grande Valley
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Valente Rodriguez Cristal Alonzo
Edcouch, Texas San Juan, Texas

20. Rio Grande Valley
Ricardo Sanchez, Former United States Army Lieutenant General
Iraq Commander
Rio Grande City, Texas
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21. Rio Grande Valley
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20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
15. We also throw the nation’s largest beach party.
Even if it gets weird. And crazy. It’s the largest, and it’s ours.

22. Rio Grande Valley
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20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
16. We’re one of the best places for bird watching in the country, y’all.

23. Rio Grande Valley
23
20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
17. We are the authority on all things pan dulce. 18. You don’t serve free chips and salsa at your
restaurant? We’re walking out.

24. Rio Grande Valley
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20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
19. We ride horses, raise livestock and go to the Mercedes Livestock Show, because we’ve all got a little “country”
in us.

25. Rio Grande Valley
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20 Things You Should Know About The Rio Grande Valley
Because I’m tired of explaining where I’m from. - BuzzFeed Community
20. If you don’t like us, we don’t care.

26. Rio Grande Valley - A Case Study of South Texas
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27. Rio Grande Valley - A Case Study of South Texas
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28. Rio Grande Valley - A Case Study of South Texas
Bucking the migration trend: One of the biggest changes along the entire U.S.-Mexico border since the mid-2000s
has been a sharp reduction in the number of migrants being apprehended by U.S. law enforcement (and thus,
probably, a similarly sharp drop in migrants who are crossing the border). The area we visited, however—especially
the southernmost region (the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector)—bucked this trend in 2012: it saw a sharp
increase in the flow of migrants this year. While official 2012 numbers aren’t out yet, the Rio Grande Valley
Sector experienced a 60 to 70 percent increase in apprehensions of migrants over 2011, to somewhere around
100,000. – Border Security and Migration: A Report from South Texas; WOLA
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29. Rio Grande Valley - A Case Study of South Texas
Migrant deaths are way up in south Texas: Despite the danger on the Mexican side, the Tamaulipas-Texas border
still appears to be attractive to migrants. Currently the Rio Grande Valley sector has 52 miles of fence along 317
miles of riverfront border, and the crossing is increasingly deadly. Some migrants drown in their attempt to cross
the swift river. An even larger number are dying of dehydration and exposure in the dry scrublands north of the
border towns. Once past the border, migrants seek to continue northward—toward Houston, Dallas, and further
on—where employment opportunities are greater…
Many migrants begin this long walk already dehydrated after days of neglect in a smuggler’s “safe house.” The
bodies of about 127 migrants were recovered in 2012 in Brooks County (an hour north of the border) alone,
nearly double the grim 2011 number and similar to the 150-200 annual deaths normally recorded in Arizona,
where the tragedy gets more attention. - Border Security and Migration: A Report from South Texas; WOLA
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30. Rio Grande Valley - A Case Study of South Texas
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31. Rio Grande Valley - A Case Study of South Texas
The Zetas’ control is strong, but perhaps slipping: On the U.S. side, when we asked residents when they had last
crossed into their sister towns in Mexico, the answer was invariably “years.” Very few visitors go to Nuevo Laredo,
Reynosa, or Matamoros; in fact, a large number of wealthy and upper-middle-class residents of those towns has
moved across the border into the U.S. towns, taking their businesses (including prominent shops and
restaurants) with them….
The bloodshed remained frequent after that, as the Zetas went well beyond drugs to include control over
networks of extortion, migrant smuggling (we were told that smugglers must pay whoever controls the border area
a toll of about US$500 per migrant), kidnapping, and other highly predatory activity. The population of these
cities has been hit very hard; waves of violence, including shootouts in broad daylight in the center of town, have
claimed many innocent lives following the takedowns of top Zetas leaders or internal disputes.
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32. Rio Grande Valley - A Case Study of South Texas
Border Highway Heavily Patrolled by State and Local Police – But Not Border Patrol
State, local police step up patrols as Border Patrol stands down
Kit Daniels | Infowars.com - June 24, 2014
A stretch of Texas highway hugging the Mexican border is heavily patrolled by state and local police, but not by the thinly stretched
Border Patrol which has been told to stand down from enforcing immigration and trafficking laws.
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33. Rio Grande Valley - A Case Study of South Texas
Homeland Security Funding in Texas
Legislative Budget Board
Operation Rio Grande
In February 2006, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security in conjunction with the Texas Border Sheriffs’ Coalition
expanded the state’s border-wide effort. Operation Rio Grande coordinated the combined capabilities of local, state, and
federal law enforcement agencies as well as National Guard troops to conduct massive surge operations along the entire
length of the Texas/Mexico border.
Operation StoneGarden
In 2007, Operation Stonegarden provided federal resources that enhanced border state efforts.
Purpose: Operation Stonegarden funds land border jurisdictions’ efforts to improve border security, encourage local
operational objectives and capabilities, enhance federal and state homeland security strategies, and improve capabilities
required for border security and protection. The intent of Operation Stonegarden is to enhance law enforcement
preparedness and operational readiness along the land borders of the United States.
Operation Border Star
In September 2007, the Governor’s Office launched the latest border security initiative: Operation Border Star. Funded
with $110 million in General Revenue and State Highway Fund 6 for the 2007–08 biennium, Operation Border Star began
in high-threat areas along the Texas/Mexico border. Using the combined state resources of DPS, the Texas Rangers, Texas
Parks and Wildlife game wardens, the Texas Civil Air Patrol, the U.S. Border Patrol, and local police and sheriffs’
departments, Texas was able to disrupt smuggling operations and crime cartels and enhance border security. Also, the
Adjutant General’s Office received $3.6 million in federal funds in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 for border deployment of
National Guard troops to assist in these efforts.
The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security reports that these various operations have resulted in a 45 percent drop in
the apprehension of undocumented persons since 2005 and a 65 percent reduction in serious crime along the
unincorporated areas of the Texas-Mexico border.
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34. Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS)
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35. Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS)
Pharr District DDACTS Implementation Project
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) will provide law enforcement agencies that have completed DDACTS
training in the Pharr TxDOT District with crash analysis and technical assistance or an evaluation of their existing
DDACTS agency action plan so they can proceed with implementing/continuing DDACTS at their agency.
TTI will gather and analyze crash data to determine contributing factors, injury severity, location, and time of
crashes that are occurring within their jurisdiction over the past three years. GIS mapping tools will be used to
visually represent where law enforcement should allocate their limited resources for a proactive enforcement
strategy to reduce crashes, injuries, and deaths.
TTI will research various PI&E strategies in coordination with the Pharr District TSS, taking into account the
results of the crash analysis. These strategies will be presented to the TxDOT Pharr District TSS for future
consideration. PI&E is a crucial component of community outreach which is one of the seven guiding principles
of DDACTS and is important for establishing a strong foundation to implement DDACTS.
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36. DDACTS Becoming the New Crime and Crash-Fighting Tool for Law Enforcement
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Valley Star Posted: Saturday, April 7, 2012 12:00 am
Saturday, April 7, 2012 12:00 am
HARLINGEN — In late March and early April, a spate of robberies targeting gas stations, restaurants and even an individual
struck the west side of Harlingen.
While it wasn’t immediately clear if the robbers were in cahoots, they were using similar approaches to their crimes — a knife,
a bandana covering their faces and a threat of harm if money wasn’t turned over.
Police have now arrested three suspects, including one accused in four separate robberies and another accused of stealing
his girlfriend’s car and robbing a person at Walmart.
What the suspects who police say committed the crimes may not have known, was that the Harlingen Police Department had
a behind-the-scenes electronic strategy helping them track crime: the Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety, or
DDACTS.
And HPD spokesman Dave Osborne said it directly contributed to solving the recent rash of robberies on Harlingen’s west side
and bringing suspects into custody.

37. TxDOT Districts
Dallam Sherman Hansford Ochiltree Lipscomb
Hartley Moore Roberts Hemphill
Oldham Potter Carson Gray Wheeler
Deaf Smith Randall Armstrong Donley
Collings-
woth
Parmer Castro Swisher Briscoe Hall
Bailey Lamb Hale Floyd Motley
Dickens King KnoxHockley
Lubbock
Crosby
GarzaLynnTerryYoakum
Gaines Dawson Borden Scurry Fisher Jones
Kent Stonewall Haskell
Throck-
morton
Baylor
Wilbarger
Wichita
WICHITA
FALLS
Clay
Archer
Young
Jack
Howard Mitchell Nolan
Taylor Callahan
Eastland
Glasscock Sterling Coke Runnels
Reagan
Irion
Cooke Grayson Fannin
Lamar
Delta
Red
River
PARIS
Bowie
Wise Denton Collin
Hunt Hopkins
Rains
Wood
Upshur
Marion
Cass
Titus
Morris
Camp
ATLANTA
Harrison
Smith
Van
Zandt
Henderson TYLER
Rusk Panola
Anderson
Cherokee
Freestone
Dallas
DALLAS
Rockwall
Palo
Pinto
Parker Tarrant
Shelby
SabineHouston
LUFKIN
Angelina
TylerPolk
Trinity
Jasper
Newton
San
Jacinto
Walker
Leon
Navarro
Ellis
Hardin
FORT
WORTH
Erath
Hood
Johnson
Hill
Bosque
Mc
Lennan
Hamilton
Coryell
Bell
Falls
WACO
Robertson
Madison
Milam
Brazos
Grimes
Burleson
BRYAN
Washington
Lee
Austin
Fayette
Harris
Montgomery Liberty
BEAUMONT
Orange
Jefferson
ChambersHOUSTON
Fort
Bend
Brazoria
Matagorda
Wharton
Colorado
Lavaca
Gonzales
Dewitt
YOAKUM
Jackson
Victoria
Calhoun
Goliad
Bee Refugio
Karnes
Live
Oak
Jim
Wells
San
Patricio
Nuceces
CORPUS
CHRISTI
Kleberg
Kenedy
Willacy
Hidalgo
Brooks
Jim
Hogg
Zapata
Starr
PHARR
Duval
Webb
LAREDO
La SalleDimmit
Zavala Frio Atascosa
Mc
Mullen
Guadalupe
Wilson
Bexar
MedinaUvalde
Real Bandera
Kerr
Kendall
Gillespie
Blanco
Kinney
SAN
ANTONIO
Edwards
Sutton Kimble
Mason Llano
Burner
Williamson
Trayis
AUSTIN
Bastrop
Hays
Caldwell
Comal
Brown Comanche
BROWNWOOD
Coleman
Mills
Mc
Culloch
San Saba Lampasas
Concho
Menard
SAN
ANGELO
Schleicher
Tom
Green
Andrews Martin
Midland
Pecos
Ector
Crane
Ward
Winkler
Loving
Crockett
ValVarde
Upton
Terrell
Reeves
Culberson
JeffDavis
Brewster
Presidio
Hudspeth
El Pasd
EL PASO
ODESSA
LUBBOCK
AMARILLO
ABILENE
Cottle Foard
CHILDRESS
Franklin
37

38. Texas – Transportation System
38