Tax policy can be complicated to explain and hard to depict with graphics. The good folks at the Transportation Research Center at Texas A&M have solved this dilemna for us. They have an easy to follow graphic on the gas tax and all state highway funding. It’s beautifully executed. [Transportation Policy Research Center at Texas A&M]
Animated Transportation Funding
There are animated speakers who talk about the need for increased transportation funding and then there are animated depictions of transportation funding. This is the latter. The Texas A&M Transportation Policy Research Center animates Prop 1. [Transportation Policy Research Center]
Toll Road Opponents Hosting Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday sounds like a primary day. For North Texas Super Tuesday is today, October 14th. Texas TURF will ake a public stand on its opposition to the Texas Turnpike Corp.’s Northeast Gateway. Six city council’s along the toll road’s path have passed resolutions opposing the toll road. [KETR]
Toll Road Reversal?
The controversial Northeast Gateway, a new toll road project in North Texas, spearheaded by the Texas Turnpike Corporation, is facing a reversal of fortune. The North Central Texas Council of Governments may reverse its support for the project.
The project that has been greeted by over flowing crowds overwhelmingly opposed to the new toll road. Toll roads, especially toll roads by private companies, are not en vogue in 2014 Texas. [Dallas Morning News]
Prop 1: Rainy Day Road Relief
Community Impact Papers have a fantastic headline, Rainy Day Road Relief, even if revenue types would question the veracity of the headline. Back in the summer of 2013, Texas Legislature passed SJR 1 to add $1 billion in transportation funding which diverts a portion of the oil and gas revenues before the revenues reach the Rainy Day Fund. [Community Impact] [SJR 1]
Bexar Co. commissioner Supports Gas Tax
Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Addkisson supports indexing the gas tax. He points to the Governor’s Business Council which said that a 10 cent per gallon increase could make up the $60-90 Billion deficit in Texas transportation funding. He goes on to say that local governments are contributing millions in upfront funding to cover TXDOT transportation projects. [My SA]
Refresher: SAO Report on Federal Highway Planning
Texas recevied $48.6 billion in federal funds for fiscal year 2013. Texas complied with federal rules when it spent the $2.6 billion in funds from the federal highway planning cluster programs audited. [SAO]
Houston Metro Hosting Premier Transportation Expo
Every expo has its day. The days October 12-15 this year are the days for the APTA transportation expo. [APTA]
2013 Transportation Refresher
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)] [HB 1(2013)]
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 toll roads more.[NBC DFW]