Who Will Be Affected?

Texas Landowners

Local Businesses

Local Government

All Texans (YOU)

 

Texas Landowners — Approximately 580,000 acres (908 square miles) of private land will be taken by the State for the superhighway, bullet train, and any other use that TxDOT can lease or sell to generate income for the Trans Texas Corridor. The Take it Now, Build it Later plan adopted by TxDOT will accelerate the impact. [TTC Plan] Those directly affected by land takings may find that they can no longer access portions of there property divided by the Corridor.  Unlike the development of the Interstate Highway system, the Corridor will not increase adjacent property values through future commercial development. By design the Corridor will have no access to adjacent property nor will it have frontage roads. The TxDOT plan provides that business development along the Corridor be on State owned land leased to State concession businesses. [HB-3588]

 

Local Businesses — New authority granted to TxDOT allows them to acquire and lease land for gas stations, garages, stores, hotels, restaurants and any other unrelated commercial or industrial purposes. [HB-3588] These state concession businesses will enjoy direct access to the corridor denied to existing businesses in your community.  The state will use this advantage to compete for business revenue.

 

Local Government — There has been a very real and dangerous fundamental shift in thinking at the State level. No longer does the State want to concern itself with local transportation issues. That burden is being shifted to local communities. Now the State is embarking on a 'State-first' model to generate state revenues without regard to local impact. "The Governor recognizes that for many years the state perspective and planning for the future have been sacrificed for needs of today in our respective communities." — Transportation Commissioner Ric Williamson (March 25, 2003) [citation] [full text] New authority granted to TxDOT allows the taking of city or county owned real property, parkways, streets, highways, alleys, or reservations and prohibits TxDOT from paying any compensation for that land. [HB-3588] TxDOT may require a governmental entity to pay a fee to use any part of the Trans Texas Corridor.  [HB-3588] State concession businesses on the corridor will be outside nearly all city taxing jurisdictions.  "Large roads promote more growth, placing a burden on counties and local governments, who then have to provide the infrastructure." — Brian Sybert, Natural Resources Director, Sierra Club Cities across Texas will be devastated by the loss of traveler revenues captured by the State concessions located on the Corridor. Counties and School Districts will loose approximately 146 acres of taxable land for every mile of the Trans Texas Corridor that passes through their jurisdiction.

 

All Texans (YOU) — It does not matter where the construction and operating money comes from, all Texans will get to pay for this project.  They will pay directly through tolls, fees, leases and taxes whenever the revenues are insufficient to cover the costs.  They will pay indirectly through tolls, fees, leases and taxes that service providers pay for use of the Corridor.  They will pay indirectly through the cost of goods that include the increased expense of tolls, fees, leases and taxes paid for use of the Corridor.