Category Archives: roads

The Transportation Needs of Business and Texas Ports. 3 Pieces of Intel.

Where did the issue of transportation needs at Texas ports arise? The Harris County International Trade and Transportation Conference

Why is more transportation infrastucture needed? nflux of petrochemical-related cargo

What are trains saying? 

  • trains take big trucks off the roads
  • big trucks don’t pay their fair share for road damage

What does a petrochemical logistics manager say about the need for roads? A dedicated corridor for trucks carrying heavier loads would be an…

25% of November Bond Propositions are Transportation Bonds.

The Texas Comptroller tracks bond elections. Its a handy spreadsheet for data junkies.

On November 8th, 12 of the 50 bond measures tracked are for transportation projects:

  • Amarillo $89.5 million for streets
  • Austin $720 million for transportation and mobility
  • Bellaire $24 Million for streets, drainage and sidewalks
  • Hays Co. $131 million for transportation improvements
  • Hunt Co. $24.5 million for transportation
  • Parker Co. $76.2 million for transportation projects
  • Willis Point ISD $42.5…

Fund Transportation with a Dedicated Tax Mitigated by Tax Cuts Elsewhere. 2 Key Pieces of Info

New Jersey Legislature passed a 23 cent gas tax increase to fund transportation. 

What do I need to know about the 23 cent tax gas increase?

  • Offset by other tax cuts ($16 billion or $1.4 billion depending who you ask)
    • elimination of the estate tax
    • cuts the sales from 7 cents to 6.625 cents
    • increased tax benefits for the working poor and veterans
  • Also created a 4 member transportation project approval board consisting of:
    • Governor appointees
    • Senate President appointee
    • Speaker…

Study Says Best Long Term Highway Funding Mechanism is Mileage Charge

The researchers: School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis & IndyGo

The study:“State and federal fuel taxes: The road ahead for U.S. infrastructure funding” published in January 2017 Journal of Transport Policy 

The reasons why a vehicle mileage tax is the best long term transportation funding source:

  • fuel tax revenues decline with no adjustment for inflation
  • taxing vehicle mileage avoids long term revenue declines

Indiana…

TREND. 3 Ways Port of Houston Freight Shuttle Will Change Port Transportation.

The Port of Houston and researchers at Texas A&M Transportation Institute generated Freight Shuttle International entered into an agreement to start testing.

3 Ways this shuttle project will revolutionize freight, disrupting the industry: 

  • It solves for freight’s most pressing quagmire: moving goods less than 500 miles
  • It will make use of existing right of ways to move freight on a guideway track
  • Uses 1/3 the energy of trucks

Railway Track and Structures | Freight Shuttle eyes…

Federal Grant to Test Alternative to Gas Tax

Which state received this federal grant? Delaware  Department of Transportation

What alternative to the gas tax is Delaware testing? Mileage based tax

Grant amount: $1.49 million federal grant

Are other states involved?  yes, 5 Atlantic Coast states are testing a mileage based transportation funding mechanism

What does the pilot program look like?

  • Transportation officials will track the driving habits of 50 volunteer Delaware motorists
  • The goal is to assess a charge based…

Highway Signs. Bill Boards. Appellate Court Opens Doors for Advertisers.

Which Court of Appeals? 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin

What did the Court do with the Texas Highway Beautification Act? Struck down key portions of the Act, specifically Subchapters B and C

For those who love statutes: Subchapter B REGULATION OF OUTDOOR ADVERTISING GENERALLY & Subchapter C LICENSE AND PERMIT FOR OUTDOOR ADVERTISING

Why were these subchapters struck? unconstitutional content based restrictions on free speech

Houston Chronicle | Core of Texas highway sign ban…