In the summer of 2013 the Texas Legislature was busy with three back to back special sessions. The final special session brought us SJR 1 and HB 1 which begins the process of solving Texas transportation funding structure. Legislative voyeurs are concerned about diversions in transportation funding. Transportation funding has been used to fund everything from education to law enforcement. [SJR 1 (2013…
Category Archives: roads
North Texans Not Happy Campers with Private Toll Road
Local governments are paying attention to the robust public input on a North Texas private toll road project by the Texas Turnpike Corporation. To translate lawyer speak- robust public input means angry voters. This week the town of Wylie called a special council meeting & voted to OPPOSE a private toll road, which gives the private corporation eminent domain authority. Texans don’t like private toll roads. Texans dislike private companies using eminent domain & building private t…
Future of Texas Transportation Funding in Voter Hands
From Waco’s ABC 25 News: ” Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization Director Chris Evilia says, “I can tell you that our financial forecasts are pretty bleak.”
When it comes to transportation funding, the Waco MPO isn’t alone. That’s why lawmakers are putting Proposition 1 on the November ballot.
If it passes, a significant amount of money will be diverted from Texas’ Rainy Day Fund — into the Highway Transportation Fund every year. ”
Posted in2013 Legislation, funding, roads
Way back in the summer of 2013, the Legislature passed legislation to support adding $1 Billion, a fraction of oil and gas tax revenues, to the State Highway Fund. Usually a 2013 constititional amdendment is put to the vote in 2013. But, not in this case of this quirky bill, it set the election date as 2014. [KUT] [2013’s transportation bills:
Posted in2013 Legislation, funding, roads
A tiny blind spider colony is causing major headaches in San Antonio. Three years after finding the blind spider, the project has been re-routed, and the price tag trippled. The spider gets to keep its habitat, the citizens get their needed roadways. [My SA] Preserving farmland is high on the minds of West Texans. The Brazos River Bottom Alliance says Texas leads the nation in disappearing farm land. Texas without farm land is like Texas without cowboys, a seeming impossibility. [Odessa American] Private companies exercising eminent domain is eerily familiar to the TransTexas Corridor. TransTexas Corridor brought an emergence of grassroots groups opposed to a private, foreign company being granted the power of eminent domain. The Legislature ended the TransTexas Corridor years ago. But, private tollroad companies still exist, including The Texas Turnpike Corporation. It has proposed a new Northeast Gateway Toll Project. Vocal opposition to this project caused the first public meeti… The North Central Texas Council of Government did the right thing by hosting a public meeting on a planned toll road linking Bush Turnpike with Greenville. Unexpectedly the meeting drew a crowd. A really big crowd. A crowd too big for the school cafeteria. People were there to voice opinions about eminent domain. The big crowd caused a quick end to the meeting. There is nothing that pleases people who are upset more than being denied a forum to voice their opinions. Tempers are sure to fla…Prop. 1: Transportation Funding. Is $1 Billion Enough?
Itsy Bitsy Spider Climbed Up the Water Spout. Stopped on Bridge. Stopped Construction.
A View from West Texas
Private Companies Exercising Eminent Domain as Popular as Richard Simmons' Jazzercise in Collin County
Greenville Crowd Silenced from Discussing Eminent Domain