.jpg)
Yard Sign
Available By Mail
[ CLICK HERE ]
TxDOT prepares for
construction of TTC-35
SUNDAY — TxDOT is
advertising for a
contractor to
supervise TTC-35
engineers and
facility developers
and perform a wide
array of services
relating to:
procurement,
contracting,
planning, design,
construction
management,
maintenance, or
operations of
multi-modal
corridors.
[NOTICE]
Lou Dobbs puts
spotlight on the TTC
NAFTA Superhighway
TUESDAY — CNN's Lou
Dobbs and Bill
Tucker discuss the
Trans Texas
Corridor.
[VIDEO]
WEDNESDAY — Lou
Dobbs and Bill
Tucker continue
their look at
opposition to the
Trans Texas
Corridor.
[VIDEO]
FREE STICKERS!
TTC-69 Promoted as
an Interstate in Rio
Grande Valley
THURSDAY — Just one
member of the public
asked TxDOT
questions at the
town hall meeting
attended by less
than 100 in Weslaco.
Sadly the public and
press in the Valley
apparently believe
that the TTC could
give them a
traditional style
interstate highway.
Second Huntsville
Meeting Attracts 800
& "Different" Tone
WEDNESDAY — No
question, there is
strong opposition to
TTC-69 in Walker
County. The first
Huntsville meeting
was among those that
Commissioner
Houghton used as an
example in later
contentious
meetings, like
Hempstead, to say he
didn't hear a
negative tone from
those town hall
participants.
According to local
news reports,
Commissioner
Houghton was unable
to attend
Wednesday's meeting.
Too bad, he missed
seeing another Texas
community change its
tone.
Huntsville
News Report
Kolkhorst:
There are other road options
Victoria Produces
Another 1,000+ Full House
TUESDAY —
Like other stops on
the TxDOT town hall
tour, it was hard to
find anyone in
Victoria supporting the TTC
plan. Deputy
Executive Director
Steve Simmons was
asked why Texans
couldn't vote on the TTC. His answer was
repeated throughout
the evening, "the
public hearings give
you the opportunity
to vote on the TTC."
As 11pm approached
they were still
calling names out of
about 100 concerned
citizens who
remained. Then they called CorridorWatch
founder Linda Stall
to the microphone.
"Mr. Simmons," she
started. "You say
that the public
hearings will be a
vote on the TTC?,"
she continued before
driving her point
home. "How about the
public hearings for
TTC-35, how did that
vote turn out?" For
the record she
described the
outcome as about
14,000 opposed and 9
for the TTC.
Seriously, those
numbers are pretty
close. That lopsided
result led Ric
Williamson to tell
the press, " The
purpose of the
public hearings is
not to take a poll
or survey or to
estimate the
supporters or
detractors."
Despite the bluster
and brash rebuttal,
CorridorWatch is
preparing to force
the issue at the
federal level to
ensure the public
hearings are given
the proper weight
and consideration
required under the
law. The result may
not be the outcome
TxDOT is trying
desperately to
champion.
Victoria News Report
& Video
100,000
Hits Knock
CorridorWatch.org
Off The Internet
Visitors to our
website generated
99,782 hits and
downloaded 4.4GB of
data during a single
24 hour period
ending in the early
morning of January
29, 2008. "They rang
our bell," said
David Stall who
maintains the
website. The result
was four hours of
down time effecting
the website and
e-mail system until
6am Tuesday morning.
Stall says
Houghton's NAFTA
video created the
bandwidth spike that
led to the
disruption. To solve
the problem we have
both increased our
capacity and moved
the popular Houghton
video to YouTube.
[video]
More Than 1,000 Pack
Austin County
Meeting in Bellville
Week two of TxDOT's
town hall meetings
starts with a bang!
Over 1,000 show up
to ask questions and
let TxDOT know that
they don't need or
want the TTC. It's
another late night
for TxDOT, this time
without a member of
the Transportation
Commission in
attendance.
Study Committee on
Private
Participation in
Toll Projects Start
Meeting in February
At 1:00 pm Tuesday,
February 5, 2008,
the private
participation study
committee created by
SB792 will hold its
organizational
(first meeting)
MORE>>
Huntsville Gets 2nd
Town Hall Meeting
Tuesday, January
30, 2007, TxDOT will
hold a second TTC-69
town hall meeting in
Huntsville, TX.
MORE>>
Town Hall Mtg
Schedule
CorridorWatch.org Exhausts Free Sticker Supply
The requests for free round vinyl NO TTC stickers have
overwhelmed our supply. More than 2,000 stickers have been
mailed and more
requests
continue to arrive.
CorridorWatch.org
Testifies Before
Senate
Transportation and
Homeland Security
Committee
On Tuesday, August
7, 2007, David Stall
joined a panel
testifying on
infrastructure
issues in Irving,
Texas. You can read
his testimony [ HERE]
Governor Perry Vetoes TTC-35 Moratorium Bill HB1892
On Friday, May
18, 2007, the last day to do so, Governor Perry vetoed a bill that
would have placed significant limitations on future Trans Texas
Corridor projects and granted more authority to local road
agencies.
MORE>>
Senator Hutchison Expresses Concern Over FWHA Letter To TxDOT
In a letter to
the Federal Highway Administrator U.S. Senator Hutchinson
expresses concern that the FHWA has crossed the line between
technical guidance and advocacy.
The Senator says
it is imperative that steps be taken to remove the cloud over
the actions of the Texas Legislature.
LETTER>>
CDA Moratorium Bill Is Unanimously Approved by Senate Committee
HB1892 is on the
way to a vote by
the full Senate
with the committee's
unanimous
recommendation
that it be
passed.
MORE>>
TxDOT thumbs it's nose at Legislature
Like a defiant child stuffing candy into their mouth after being
told that maybe they've had enough, TxDOT rushes to sign 50-year
contracts that the legislature has begun calling into question.
MORE>>
Sen. Nichols objects to toll road monopoly that enriches
shareholders and leaves the taxpayer holding the bag.
State Senator Nichols, restates and strengthens his objection to
the state's private partner toll road policy.
MORE>>
We
would forfeit billions with private partnership on 121
So says Jere Thompson Jr. a former
chairman of the North Texas Turnpike Authority and its
predecessor, the Texas Turnpike Authority now serving as the
Transportation Chairman for the Dallas Citizens Council and the
Trinity Commons Foundation.
MORE>>
Senator Carona Jilts Toll Road Opposition
Sen. Carona gave hope to the people that are for a sane,
rational discussion of our transportation future in Texas. To a
certain extent what he’s done, giving hope and now taking it
away, is worse than if he’d have never done it in the first
place.
MORE>>
Senator Nichols Explains the Good, Bad & Ugly
Former Transportation Commissioner, now
Senator Nichols, explains why the Legislature should put a
2-year hold on private toll road agreements.
MORE>>
Senate Finance Chairman Ogden Says Legislature Should Rein In
TxDOT
Senator Ogden openly questions turning state highways over to
private contractors; tolling highways that have been paid for;
and blames TxDOT for creating controversy that is taking a
political toll on the legislature.
MORE>>
State Auditor's Office Releases Report on TxDOT & TTC-35 Finding
Project Could Cost More Than $105 Billion
Auditor's review reveals potential flaws in account practices
and says contracts longer than 4 years or valued at more than
$250 million should be reviewed and approved by the Attorney
General.
Based on the Auditor's numbers CorridorWatch finds cost of four
priority corridors will exceed $754 billion.
MORE>>
Senator Eltife Tells TxTC Nominees That He Thinks We've Created
a Monster in TxDOT
During the Senate Nominations Committee hearing with two
nominees to the Texas Transportation Commission, Vice-Chair
Eltife called into question the direction that TxDOT is going
with toll roads, concession agreements and privatization.
MORE>>
TxTC Chairman Williamson Snubs Chairman Carona
The continued refusal of Senator Carona's request for a meeting
led to a House Committee joust with Williamson. Before it was
over Carona called it tragic that a disagreement with
Williamson's view would result with his unwillingness to meet
with the Chair.
MORE>>
National Coalition
Formed to Oppose
Privatization of Toll Roads
New
coalition of highway user groups
will combat the growing trend toward the privatization or leasing
of toll facilities to private investors.
Group to hold government
accountable for ensuring financing is transparent, motivated by
public good and dedicated to transportation purposes.
MORE>>
Assemblyman Questions Role of Goldman Sachs,
MIG & Cintra
Concern raised about privatization advisors with a vested
interest.
MORE>>
US DOT Announces
Corridors for the Future
Program Semi-Finalists
I-69 (TTC-69) and I-10 (TTC-10) make list shortened to 14.
MORE>>
Bexar County Commissioner Alleges State Transportation Officials
Sought to Punish Local Officials for Vote Against Tolls
SAN ANTONIO
— Tommy Adkinsson sent a letter to Governor Perry to let him
know intimidation of toll opponents by his appointees is
unacceptable.
Promises Made To Investors
DUNCANVILLE
— Texas Transportation Commission confirms private investors set rules
for public safety
agency use of public owned toll roads.
Senator says the TTC plan was
a mistake
Chairman of Senate Transportation Committee
calls for change in TxDOT's top leadership.
Seeing Gold at the End of the Privatized
Road
"Thirty years from
now, when they're charging exorbitant tolls and the adjacent
roads are way over capacity, [motorists will] be looking for
someone with pitchforks"
RPA: Proceed with Caution on
Public-Private Partnerships
Report Identifies
Steps to Protect Public Interest
Before Deals are Pursued on Turnpike, other Transportation
Assets
TxDOT Charged with Extortion
HOUSTON
– State Senator Jon Lindsay charges TxDOT with extortion;
challenges sending Texas transportation revenues overseas; and
denounces selling state highways as terrible public policy.
A Documentary Film
What Does That Mean?
Transportation Glossary
MORE>>
TTC MAPS
FT. WORTH
–
The only thing bigger than the Trans-Texas
Corridor may be the rebellion against it.
FREE STICKERS! |
KEEP INFORMED
Join other CorridorWatch.org members in 199 Texas counties and subscribe to our
newsletter.
CLICK HERE
TIME MAGAZINE ASKS...
[
CLICK HERE ]
TV
NEWS VIDEO
[ CLICK HERE ]
Who Represents You?
TxDOT’s
Press Release
Misses the
"Reality" Mark
MORE>>
Rep. Joe Pickett
TxDOT
TRAMPLED
ON US
Six term Representative Joe Pickett (D-El Paso) is no newcomer to Texas
transportation issues. He has served on the House Transportation
Committee and is currently the Chairman of the Regional Transportation
Policy Board in El Paso. On July 15, 2006, the Austin American-Statesman
published a letter from Representative Pickett in which he charged the
Texas Transportation Commission of trampling local transportation
decisions and threatening to kill a pending project if the local
authority didn't get in line.
MORE>>
"We can go in and rip up this bill [HB-3588]
and throw it in the trash by repealing everything in it, or we can try
to fix it."
Tx Rep.Glenn Hegar, Jr. (07/14/04)
MORE>>
TxDOT
Can’t Even Spell
Local
Control
“Surprised and concerned leaders from San Antonio could only stand
on the sidelines Thursday as state officials agreed to pursue a
private bid to build and operate toll roads in Bexar County,” San
Antonio Express-News.
MORE>>
CorridorWatch.org Signs
"How are we going to be players in this system when we are from
small rural America?"
Susan Stasny,
Bee Co. Commissioner
MORE >>
"IF YOU AGGRESSIVELY INVITE THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO BE YOUR PARTNER,
YOU CAN'T TELL THEM WHERE TO BUILD THE ROAD"
MORE>>
Transportation Commissioner Confirms CorridorWatch Prediction
Only t wo weeks after CorridorWatch issued a bulletin to its membership expressing concern
that the massive Wal-Mart purchase-lease land scheme in Chambers County would serve as the
model for development along the length of the Trans-Texas Corridor that concern turned very real.
MORE>>
Who Represents You?
The Fayette County Commissioners Court goes on record in opposition
to the building of the Trans Texas Corridor.
Resolution Unanimously Adopted May 24, 2004
Bumper Stickers
Wharton County Commissioner's Court
opposes the Trans-Texas Corridor concept, and urges the Legislature to
amend H.B. 3588 to allow further public input before implementing this
plan.
Resolution Adopted September 13, 2004
CorridorWatch.org Submitted Three
TTC-35 Draft Environmental Impact Statement Comment Documents
August 17, 2006
August 21, 2006
CorridorWatch.org Files Complaint with the Federal Highway
Administration
charging that TxDOT is using a CDA to circumvent NEPA requirements.
MORE>>
Cintra Lobbyist With Ties To Governor
Perry
Offers TxDOT Officials and Key State Lawmakers
a
4 Day, 3 Night,
All Expense Paid Trip to Canada.
MORE >>
Associated Press'
Fact Check Error
O n October 15, 2006,
the Associated Press released analysis of a Texas
gubernatorial campaign ad, and erroneously stated that
Spain-based Cintra
holds a 65-percent equity position in
Cintra Zachry LP.
That's wrong.
MORE>>
Macquarie Buys TX Newspapers
Is this an attempt to influence public opinion?
MORE>>
Resolution Filed in U.S.
Congress Objecting to NAFTA Superhighway System and Foreign Consortium
Funding and Management.
MORE>>
Who Represents You?
Cintra's Inside Man: Dan Shelley
Cintra consultant turned
Governor Perry's legislative aide, turned
Cintra lobbyist. It's hard to
keep up with who is working for who. Or is it?
Austin lobbyist Dan Shelley has been one of Governor Perry's aides
and Cintra's inside man.
Shelley worked for
Cintra making introductions to
TxDOT just in time to see them get a winning proposal submitted for the
Trans Texas Corridor. Then he worked for Governor Perry just in time to
lobby the Legislature to protect and strengthen laws benefiting
Cintra. Now he's back working
for Cintra again planning all
expense paid trips to Canada for TxDOT and Texas law makers.
MORE
>>
US Senator
Hutchison
Agrees the TTC is
a Flawed Project
MORE >>
HUNDREDS OF TEXANS ARE LOCKED OUT OF PUBLIC HEARING IN SAN ANTONIO
Apparently
TxDOT didn't realize that San Antonio is the 2nd most populated city in
Texas. In fact the Alamo city is. And TxDOT might take note that it is
also the 7th most populated city in the entire United States. Really
something we would have expected them to have already known.
Hundreds of
Texans were unable to attend and participate in the TTC-35 DEIS Public
Hearing held in a San Antonio high school on August 8, 2006. When the
East Central High School Cafeteria reached it's 600 person capacity the
doors were closed. Many of those left standing outside had driven great
distances, some from as far away as Houston.
MORE >>
CorridorWatch.org Files Comment and Complaint at NEPA Tier One
TTC-35 DEIS Public Hearing
During the July 27, 2006, Public Hearing in Dallas, Texas, David
Stall presented oral comments and submitted written comments on
behalf the members of CorridorWatch.org.
"TxDOT has failed its NEPA mandate to alert and inform the public of
their planned actions."
"Under the leadership and direction of the Texas transportation
commission TxDOT has failed the NEPA mandate of a careful and informed
decision-making process conducted fully and in good faith."
MORE>>
TxDOT’s
"Myth Versus Reality" Press Release Misses the Mark
On July 18,
2006, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) issued a press
release titled, "Myth Versus Reality." A more accurate title might have
been, "Myth Versus PR Response." What’s missing in large measure is the
Reality.
CorridorWatch.org has prepared a reply to the list of eighteen ‘Myths’
provided by TxDOT.
MORE>>
"Texas freeways belong to Texans, not foreign companies"
– Carole Keeton Strayhorn
USA Today, 07/15/06
TEXAS
DEMOCRATIC PARTY Objects to the Trans Texas Corridor and Addresses
Eminent Domain Concerns in their 2006 Platform
"We oppose the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor
..."
MORE>>
TEXAS
REPUBLICAN PARTY Reaffirms Objection to the Trans Texas Corridor and
Adds Eminent Domain and Toll Roads to the 2006 Party Platform
MORE>>
TEXAS
LIBERTARIAN PARTY Opposes the Trans Texas Corridor and Addresses Eminent
Domain in Their 2006 Party Platform
MORE>>
Who Represents You?
TxDOT Declines CorridorWatch.org Application for Media Credentials to
Report on the Texas Transportation Forum
[ THE REST OF THE STORY ]
US SUPREME COURT RULES GOVERNMENT CAN SEIZE
YOUR PROPERTY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
June 23, 2005, the Supreme Court abandons
a long-held, basic limitation on government power.
The U.S. Supreme Court has greased the wheels of the Trans Texas
Corridor.
MORE>>
"The number of courts authorized to hear
eminent domain cases
should be expanded"
– Coby Chase, TxDOT Legislative Affairs Dir (November 18,
2004)
MORE>>
"If you look
behind the surface you'll see that a lot of what we 'know' about
privatization is mere puffery. Groups such as the Reason Foundation and
the National Council for Public Private Partnerships (formerly the
Privatization Council) have spent a lot of time and money convincing the
public that privatization is better."
Ellen J. Dannin, Professor of Law,
Wayne State University Law School
MORE>>
SCORE: Taxpayers 0
Wal-Mart $2.8 Million
The State of Texas has gone into
the land development business using powers and leverage only
available to government. By doing so the State is now directly
competing with private enterprise and violating the most fundamental
principles of capitalism.
MORE>>
Attorney General Shuts Down "You
Can't Take It"
Suit charges that promoters were
misleading property owners about TTC seizures.
MORE>>
The Newest Oxymoron:
Private Property Rights
Texas Representative Frank
Corte of San Antonio issued a release saying, "The right to own and use
property is inherent to a free society. When a government decides they
know how to use private property better than the individual, private
property rights cease to exist." CorridorWatch.org couldn't agree more.
MORE>>
|
|
Trouble
in Public-Private Toll Road Paradise?
CorridorWatch.org learns some of the most interesting information
about public-private partnerships and related activities taking place in
the U.S. from sources outside the country. Today is no exception.
In an article
titled,
"Macquarie model blowtorched,"
appeared in Friday's
Sydney Morning Herald and it tells us there is trouble in PPP paradise.
The Herald report points us to a document just released by
RiskMetrics Group,
an international corporate governance service headquartered in New York.
The document they authored is a report titled,
"Infrastructure Funds: Managing, Financing and Accounting; In Whose
Interest?"
The 39-page report
details a host of concerns and issues that should give pause to anyone
who thinks PPP infrastructure deals are free of serious risk.
Michael West of The
Sydney Morning Herald writes, "The RiskMetrics research is likely to
send shockwaves through the sector and give both state and federal
governments cause for concern as governments have mostly privatized
public assets via these structures." And so it should.
We
have often described the financial model being used by Cintra's partner
Macquarie as 'Enron-style accounting.' History has demonstrated time and
again that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't true.
This report is another step forward in debunking the PPP easy money
myth. We have consistently described the Trans Texas Corridor financial
scheme as highway alchemy and are certain we will eventually be proven
right.
Summarizing
the report the Herald article says, "RiskMetrics critiques the
financially-engineered infrastructure model for its high debt levels,
high fees, paying distributions out of capital rather than cashflow,
overpaying for assets, related-party transactions, booking profits from
revaluations, poor disclosure, myriad conflicts of interest, auditor
conflicts and other poor corporate governance."
We
hope government officials at both the federal and state level will
carefully study the RiskMetrics report. As we all know tremendous
pressure is being applied by the Federal Highway Administration to push
state government into public-private partnerships deals, partnerships we
fear will lead to disaster. We also hope this report will give rise to a
greater examination of the financial impact these partnerships will have
on the public. Special caution must be exercised to ensure that public
infrastructure such has highways, rails, and utilities serve the public
interest above any private interest.
I-69/TTC Tier I Public Hearings Complete
February 4, 2008,
TxDOT began a series of public hearings to receive comments on a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for I-69/Trans Texas
Corridor. Those hearings are now finished.
[SCHEDULE]
A Citizens' Guide to
Participating at Public Hearings on the
I-69/TTC Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) - CorridorWatch.org
I-69/TTC-69 Fact Sheet (PDF) - Brandt Mannchen
|
 |
NAMES & CONTACT INFORMATION:
Sunset Commission
[HERE]
Legislative Study Committee on Private Participation in
Toll Projects
[HERE] |
Commissioner Houghton
Declares TTC-69 Has Nothing to Do With NAFTA
The 800 or more
attendees who made it into the TxDOT's TTC-69 town hall meeting
in Hempstead heard largely defensive and
argumentative 'answers' to their questions, particularly from
Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton of El Paso.
To our surprise Houghton took and
defended the position that TTC-69 is not, and would not, be a
NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) highway. Late in the evening a citizen asked
Houghton "why is it not part of NAFTA?" Houghton's answer, "It
doesn't connect to Mexico," caused the room to erupt with
astonished laughter.
MORE>>
TxDOT Begins Public Reeducation Effort
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has formally begun a
massive
public relations
and
public reeducation effort in an
aggressive and expensive attempt to stem the chorus of
objections voiced thus far over the Trans Texas Corridor (TTC).
MORE>>
|
MAPS & INFORMATION BY COUNTY
CLICK HERE
Welcome to the Internet
home of
CorridorWatch.org, an organization of concerned Texans and
public officials who question the wisdom of the Trans-Texas Corridor.
"I don't think the general
public is aware of all the information they need to know . . ."
— Texas Representative
Robert "Robby" Cook
(July 4, 2004)
[link]
When did you first hear about
the Trans-Texas Corridor?
It's shocking just how few
Texans know about this massive super-highway-rail-utility project
launched by Governor Perry in 2002. Ten vehicle lanes, six rail
tracks, utilities, pipelines, state concessions (gas stations,
restaurants, motels, stores, warehouses, etc.) all on 4,000 miles of
toll roads that will consume more than one-half million acres of Texas.
MORE>>
[
Note: The Priority Routes alone total 4,000 miles;
the complete TTC is 8,000 miles consuming one million acres. ]
"We support the concept
of the Trans Texas Corridor,
but we don't want it at the expense of all the urban
transportation improvement that are needed."
— Lois Finkleman, Dallas City Councilwoman
MORE>>
|
It's
not about transportation . . . It's about
revenue.
"Governor Perry and his friends spent
a great deal of
time researching ideas to create more revenue"
— Transportation
Commissioner Ric Williamson
(March 25, 2003)
[citation]
[full
text]
"One of the big issues that kind of got 3588 going was
the issue of funding for transportation."
—
Transportation Policy Director
John Langmore, 78th
Legislature
(Austin, March 4,
2004)
"in your lifetime most existing roads will have tolls"
— Transportation
Commissioner Ric Williamson
(October 11, 2004)
"It's either
toll roads, slow roads or no roads"
— Transportation Commissioner Ric Williamson
(May 2004)
". . . concentrating on
the four primary routes first,
is the beginning of
generating the cash flow . . ."
— Transportation Commissioner Ric
Williamson
(June 27, 2002)
[citation]
[more
about tolls]
|
"... there are serious questions being raised by the citizens of
Texas
about this new approach to funding highways in our
state."
—
Carole Keeton Strayhorn,
Texas State Comptroller
MORE>>
"Local
citizens would suffer the negative impact of
such a corridor
without receiving any benefit"
—
Diane Lacy, Jeff Davis County Commissioner
MORE>>
Everyone should understand that
this isn't another Interstate Highway. It not just a jumbo-sized
highway. This Corridor project is a very wide, very flat, extremely
limited access, mostly toll, highway-rail-utility corridor. To cross the
Corridor at any point will require a quarter-mile long overpass.
"If there is no access to the
small towns, it will change the face of the state."
— Will Lowrance,
Hillsboro Mayor
MORE>>
It will connect to Interstate
and other major highways. However, by design it will not provide easy,
if any, access to the communities it passes by. It will not spur
commercial development along its frontage like our Interstate Highways.
There will be no frontage. There will be no opportunity for the owners
of property it abuts to develop new or expanded businesses with access
to the Corridor. Moreover, it has provisions in the plan and the law to
place all possible traveler services on the corridor itself.
Every mile of Corridor will
consume 146 acres of land. That's property that will become state owned
land - removed from county and school district tax rolls everywhere it
extends.
"If it is done the way it's proposed, it will hurt us eventually ..."
—
Carlos Vigil, Cooke County Community Development Director
MORE>>
Communities with travel and
tourism based economies will lose access to those travelers. If the
Corridor is successful in attracting traffic away from existing highways
communities will suffer significant economic loses.
"With a right-of-way approximately
1,200-feet-wide, the proposed corridor
could change the face of
agriculture in Texas forever as it
swallows up thousands of production acres of farmland."
— Juliet Briskin, Country World News (November 4, 2004)
[link]
Where will they build the
Corridor?
"The Trans Texas
Corridor is a state of mind, not an alignment on a map."
— Transportation
Commissioner Ric Williamson
(March 25, 2003)
[citation]
[full
text]
The plan adopted by the Texas
Transportation Commission outlines 4,000 miles of Corridor to crisscross
the entire state. Four of those Corridors have been identified by the
Texas Department of Transportation as Priority Corridors to be
constructed first (shown below in orange). No effort has been made by
the state to identify the specific placement of the Corridors. There are
however some known constraints. The Corridors do not directly connect
large cities. In fact they go around major urban areas for three prime
reasons: one, to keep traffic away from existing urban congestion; two,
to keep vehicle air pollution out of urban areas; and three, to provide
new routes for the transportation of hazardous materials. Topography
will also be very important because of the high-speed rail component of
the Corridor. It will be necessary that the Corridor be as straight and
level as possible (no uphill or downhill grades or sharp turns).
Note: The Priority Routes alone total 4,000
miles;
the complete TTC Plan totals 8,000 miles.
How did the Trans-Texas
Corridor get started?
"What started out as a campaign promise is now in the fast lane."
— Rudy
Koski, KVUE News, Austin
(March 16, 2004)
In 2002 Governor Perry announced his Corridor
vision and instructed TxDOT to prepare an action plan to build the
Trans-Texas Corridor. Within six-months TxDOT had completed the plan and
presented it to the Transportation Commission. Without any substantive
discussion or debate and without public comment the Commission approved
the plan as presented on June 27, 2002.
[the
plan]
"Once the Governor decided that
this is where we needed to head,
he wanted to remove it from the
political flow of the state,
he wanted it to become policy as
opposed to politics,
and that was one of the reasons he asked us to
move so fast,
and we've done an admirable job...."
— Transportation Commissioner Ric Williamson
(June 27, 2002)
[full
text]
"If this is the governor's
plan,
I'd like to have the governor come down and explain it to us."
—
Ed Janecka, Fayette County Judge
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"The Trans-Texas Corridor plan is not the product
of transportation professionals, urban planners, sociologists and
environmentalists hammering out affordable infrastructure to meet our
21st Century needs. Rather, it was hatched in a smoke-filled room where
nobody worried about the needs of ordinary Texans."
— Dick Kallerman,
Transportation Issue Coordinator, Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter
[more]
Since the plan was developed a series of state laws
have been put into place drastically changing the highway construction
and financing rules — giving the Texas Transportation Commission
unprecedented authority and power. The most significant of these new
laws is known as House Bill 3588. [HB-3588]
The Legislature
"threw the door wide open . . . and we intend to use it."
— Transportation
Commissioner Robert L. Nichols
(Texas Good Roads Annual Meeting: June 30,
2003)
"It [HB-3588] gives us all of the authority and all of the power we need on a state
level to move forward on the Trans-Texas Corridor, plus some."
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