I watched as much as I could of the live stream coverage of the House debate today of the massive TxDOT Sunset bill hoping to see if Rep. Kolkhorst's amendment to repeal the Trans-Texas Corridor made it in. I didn't see that this was brought up yet, and I haven't been able to find any coverage of it.
I did find an AP report that the House did adopt an amendment that would change the five-member Texas Transportation Commission (the current one appointed by Gov. 39%) to one Transportation Commissioner who would be elected statewide like the Agriculture Commissioner.
Another proposal being considered is the addition of 14 regional commissioners that would address the concern that the different constituents and needs of different areas of the state be represented.
The Legislature Online site shows that the House is still in session (10:20 p.m.) debating HB 300. They have just allowed amendments to the amendment against concession agreements to allow projects in progress to go forward, the best I can tell.
I would appreciate any news on killing the Corridor, if anybody has any.
Showing posts with label Texas Transportation Commission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas Transportation Commission. Show all posts
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Transportation Commission NOT using stimulus funds where most needed
Ben Wear has coverage of the tolled "Manor Expressway" flyovers that will be built with the stimulus funds that are supposed to be going to help people and the economy:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/09/0309wear.html
"Q: I saw that $90 million of federal stimulus money will be used to build four flyover bridges connecting U.S. 290 and U.S. 183. Wouldn't it make more sense to use that money for flyovers at U.S. 183 and Interstate 35, or 290 and MoPac Boulevard? Isn't there more traffic at those places?
"A: Well yes, there is more traffic and missing flyovers at several other locations around town. The interstate has almost 250,000 cars a day at U.S. 183, which has 84,000 cars a day there, according to Texas Department of Transportation counts, and there are only two "direct connectors" there. It's the same at MoPac/U.S. 290 — two flyovers — with MoPac having 110,000 cars a day and U.S. 290 with 80,000 cars a day. At 183/290, by contrast, U.S. 183 has 50,000 cars a day and U.S. 290 has 43,000 cars a day.
"The key difference: tolls. The 183/290 interchange will be the west entry to and exit from what will be a toll road within three years, and the plan is to charge a 25-cent to 50-cent toll on the flyover bridges.
"The Texas Transportation Commission controlled the stimulus purse and, as evidenced by two-thirds of the $1.2 billion for new roads going to tollways, they had a clear preference."
If you follow the link, you can see several reader comments criticizing the stimulus funds going to this toll project.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/09/0309wear.html
"Q: I saw that $90 million of federal stimulus money will be used to build four flyover bridges connecting U.S. 290 and U.S. 183. Wouldn't it make more sense to use that money for flyovers at U.S. 183 and Interstate 35, or 290 and MoPac Boulevard? Isn't there more traffic at those places?
"A: Well yes, there is more traffic and missing flyovers at several other locations around town. The interstate has almost 250,000 cars a day at U.S. 183, which has 84,000 cars a day there, according to Texas Department of Transportation counts, and there are only two "direct connectors" there. It's the same at MoPac/U.S. 290 — two flyovers — with MoPac having 110,000 cars a day and U.S. 290 with 80,000 cars a day. At 183/290, by contrast, U.S. 183 has 50,000 cars a day and U.S. 290 has 43,000 cars a day.
"The key difference: tolls. The 183/290 interchange will be the west entry to and exit from what will be a toll road within three years, and the plan is to charge a 25-cent to 50-cent toll on the flyover bridges.
"The Texas Transportation Commission controlled the stimulus purse and, as evidenced by two-thirds of the $1.2 billion for new roads going to tollways, they had a clear preference."
If you follow the link, you can see several reader comments criticizing the stimulus funds going to this toll project.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Perry-appointed flunky calls citizen "bigot"--entire testimony
Bill Molina of Storm Pictures has created a wonderful video of Hank Gilbert testifying before the Transportation Commission, where Perry-appointed Houghton felt free to call a testifying citizen a "bigot." Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8HtyJXsNcY
Seeing Hank make his points calmly and rationally--valuable. Seeing the expressions on the faces of the commissioners--priceless!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8HtyJXsNcY
Seeing Hank make his points calmly and rationally--valuable. Seeing the expressions on the faces of the commissioners--priceless!
Friday, March 6, 2009
And another thing re Houghton calls Gilbert "bigot"
Bet this wouldn't happen if the Commissioners (or as one proposal has it, a single Transportation Commissioner) were elected by the people. An elected official wouldn't personally insult a constituent in a public hearing. We need more responsiveness and accountability to citizens from the Commission.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
"Bigots" are those who would oppress Manor commuters
Thanks to Bruce Burton and Texans Against Tolls for sending around this link. http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/txdot_makes_plans_for_stimulus_money
Here, you can see the coverage of today's Texas Transportation Commission meeting, where they approved the list of Texas transportation projects to get the stimulus funds. The most expensive project in our area is flyovers at 290 East and 183, intended to be the west end of tolling 290 East, the "Manor Expressway."
The stimulus funds were supposed to help economically disadvantaged areas--this project will be the beginning of further oppression of an economically disadvantaged community in Eastern Travis County that cannot afford the additional burden of paying tolls to commute to work.
As transportation analyst Roger Baker says, "290 E had seen stagnant . . . user demand. It had to be combined with 183 A to keep it financially viable. . . . Starting the 290 E toll road project at one end will help keep it alive as a project, but it still needs a lot of additional federal TIFIA loans, plus big private bond loans to build the rest of the road. Bottom line: it's a waste of money to widen a road that ain't broke when you look at the numbers. It's pure road lobby pork."
MEMBER OF TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION INSULTS CITIZEN
The KXAN video shows Hank Gilbert testifying. Hank is one of the founders of TURF and was the Democratic candidate for Ag Commissioner in 2006, drawing the most votes of any Democratic state-wide candidate. For some strange reason, Commissioner Houghton decides to call Hank and his TURF group "bigots." It seems to me that the "bigots" are the Transportation Commissioners who use our taxpayer stimulus funds to cause even further economic distress to the Manor-area commuters.
Here, you can see the coverage of today's Texas Transportation Commission meeting, where they approved the list of Texas transportation projects to get the stimulus funds. The most expensive project in our area is flyovers at 290 East and 183, intended to be the west end of tolling 290 East, the "Manor Expressway."
The stimulus funds were supposed to help economically disadvantaged areas--this project will be the beginning of further oppression of an economically disadvantaged community in Eastern Travis County that cannot afford the additional burden of paying tolls to commute to work.
As transportation analyst Roger Baker says, "290 E had seen stagnant . . . user demand. It had to be combined with 183 A to keep it financially viable. . . . Starting the 290 E toll road project at one end will help keep it alive as a project, but it still needs a lot of additional federal TIFIA loans, plus big private bond loans to build the rest of the road. Bottom line: it's a waste of money to widen a road that ain't broke when you look at the numbers. It's pure road lobby pork."
MEMBER OF TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION INSULTS CITIZEN
The KXAN video shows Hank Gilbert testifying. Hank is one of the founders of TURF and was the Democratic candidate for Ag Commissioner in 2006, drawing the most votes of any Democratic state-wide candidate. For some strange reason, Commissioner Houghton decides to call Hank and his TURF group "bigots." It seems to me that the "bigots" are the Transportation Commissioners who use our taxpayer stimulus funds to cause even further economic distress to the Manor-area commuters.
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