Seantors Huffines, Hall and Ellis join forces to support Senator Ellis’ bill to stop the driver responsiblity program. The program can result in hefty surcharges for individuals to retain their driver’s license.
Category Archives: roads
Transportation Funding $3 B or $2.5B per year to TXDOT
TXDOT is getting closer to additional funding. The House and Senate transportation proposal both relate to sales tax and here’s the differences:
- House: $3 B of sales tax to TXDOT, the remainder to General Revenue sytarting in 2018
- House: TXDOT will get 2% of the remaining slaes tax over $3 billion. (the sales tax brings in roughly $25 billion per year)
- House plan supported by Chairman Otto according to the
Posted infunding, legislative trend, roads, tollroad
Peak Toll Pricing: Does it Work?
Peak toll pricing helps pay for roads, but does not help reduce congestion according to the nternational Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association. Two case studies:
- Los Angeles County’s Metro uses peak toll pricing, which can cost $15 for 11 miles. Their peak toll priced lanes often become so congested, that the lanes are closed for periods of time.
- Atlanta uses peak toll pricing and is considering approaching the 270 drivers that use the peak pay toll lanes 5 days …
Funding Trend: Make Cities Pay the State Hundreds of Millions Annually
The Chair of a New York legislative committee is proposing the creation of a transportation finance authority that would fund transportation with:
- “A 10-cent increase in the state gas tax would yield $500 million annually.
- A half-percent income tax increase on New Yorkers earning between $500,000 and $2 million each year would raise their rate from 6.85 percent to 7.35 percent, bringing in $750 million annually.
- A mandatory contribution from New York City, …
Dedicated Transportation Funding: The California 3 Step Approach from Republicans
- In 2002, California passed a constitutional amendment that dedicates the sales tax on fuel for motor vehicles for maintaining and expanding our roads, highways and bridges.
- In 2010, California passed a constitutional amendment that prohibits transportation taxes from being borrowed for non-transportation purposes.
- In 2015, California Legislature is moving its way through Senate Constitutional Amendment 7 (SCA 7) that closes a loophole allowing transportation taxes…
California Condemns More Land for High Speed Rail. TX High Speed Rail Replies- Texas is NOT California.
While Texas Central Railway openly talks to landowners, California is building a state financed high speed rail.
On Friday, California’s Public Works Board voted to condemn 38 more pieces of property. in total, the state has condemned 192 land parcels to build high speed rail. In total, they need 1,300 parcels of property.
The very next day Texas Central Railway …
4 Points from Texas Central Rail Public April Meetings
Texas Central Rail is keeping a up a public meeting schedule. On Saturday April 11, 2015, they held a meeting in Montgomery County. the Highlights:
- The new route follows a utility easement and will not traverse Montgomery Co.
- If the project isn’t built and land is taken by eminent domain, the land will be returned to the land owner
- Roads will not be split
- “In no place are we going to cut off a county road, an FM road or cut off access to some body’…
3 Reasons to Oppose High Speed Rail
- Eminent Domain
- Private funding claim is a rouse.
- Texas needs to build roads, not rails.
Eminent Domain
Building the high speed rail will grant a private entity, the Texas Central Railway, the power of eminent domain. Private entities with eminent domain are out of vogue in Texas.
Public Funding
Opposition claims that if ridership goals are not met, public funds will be applied to the project.
5 Point Transportation Funding Plan from a California Republican Legislator
- Before adding new fees and taxes, look at how the current funding is used. Too much is used to build and not enough to maintain existing infrastructure.
- Any new funding has to be protected so it can only be used for roads, bridges and highways
- Reduce the nearly $60 billion in deferred transportation maintenance
- Look at California’s revenue surplus and a rainy day reserve fund; some of which should be dedicated to our transportation system.
- No ne…
Truckers v. Conductors: A Transportation Cage Fight
More and more big trucks are on the roads, hauling goods to and fro. Good for the economy. Bad for public safety according to troopers who the New York times labels as unwittingly lobbying for an increase in rail.
Naturally the rail industry wants more rail and the trucking industry wants more and bigger trucks on the road. The rail industry is ginning up support from troopers through a non-profit.