Posted on 03/22/2007 1:19:51 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
THERE'S GOOD NEWS in the latest Ports-to-Plains progress report for Lubbock and West Texas residents who recognize the evolving trade route's potential economic benefit to our area.
Extending from the most active U.S.-Mexico border port, Laredo, through Lubbock and West Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Colorado, the Ports-to-Plains Corridor links the nation's plains states to the border centers of commerce.
The Texas Department of Transportation is analyzing funding alternatives including opportunities for private investment and partnerships to pay for moving freight and utilities along the trade route.
Using Ports-to-Plains as a case study, TxDOT will research the best potential applications of the Trans-Texas corridor concept for routes that may not attract tolling as a primary revenue source, such as here in West Texas.
The Ports-to-Plains Corridor Research Consortium, including Texas Tech University, is attempting to establish the potential for utilization of the route by a typical trucking company.
Other studies due for completion this spring include mapping truck data from Lamesa to Amarillo using what's called GIS, a computer system capable of integrating, analyzing and displaying geographically-referenced information.
Nationally there is an ongoing change in trade patterns being driven by changes in international trade, according to the PTP's current newsletter.
Historically U.S. trade patterns have been laid out east-west, such as the current alignment of the majority of the interstate highway system. With increases in international trade - especially of container cargo and capacity issues at seaports on both the east and west coasts - that historical pattern is changing, and the need for north-south corridors is growing.
Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor and its sister corridors in the Great Plains area have a significant opportunity to keep freight moving and grow their economies. Both highway and rail modes will be affected by this shift.
"Being able to tie our regions together," says U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, Ports-to-Plains Congressional Caucus co-chairman, "will ensure our nation's farmers, ranchers and businesses have a direct route to ship their goods."
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
BTTT
Carona says no vote likely on bill.
bump.
"it's Alive!" TXDOT working to better fund their existance. They have learned well from NASA.
How big are the easements along the Trans-Texas Corridor, who owns them and are they for sale?
Statement from Corridor Watch (email):
Has Senator Carona Been Crushed By TxDOT Special Interest Toll Pressure?
TxDOT and just about every agency and organization that wants to build a toll road has pulled out all the stops to pressure our legislators to stop the private toll road moratorium.
CorridorWatch.org is shocked to read in this morning's Austin American Statesman a report that Senate Transportation Chairman Carona doesn't plan to allow SB1267 a vote before his committee.
"I don't intend to move it," Senator John Carona.
It would be nice if this were a misquote, but we're afraid it isn't. At best we might find the intent and effect of SB1267 incorporated into SB1929, a much larger transportation bill. At worst we might find that our protection from private toll monopolies were traded away in a backroom political poker game.
Who's in charge?
It's not TxDOT, it's not Ric Williamson, and it's not Senator Carona either. It's the citizens, taxpayers, and voters of Texas. It hasn't been more than a couple weeks since Senator Carona admonished Chairman Williamson that he didn't have just one person to keep happy [Governor Perry]. Carona told Williamson that he worked for 181 legislators and the citizens of Texas. Senator Carona, remember us, the citizens?
What the heck is going on?
You might have a plan Senator but right now we feel pretty ripped off and sold out. We're all ears.
And we're not alone - how about the other 129 legislators who stood up to represented their districts by signed on in support of SB1267 and HB2772?
Yes, we need roads. But . . .
We also need to know at what cost our state is entering into 50 year contracts with for-profit toll road operators. We need to know if we are making bad public-private deals because toll road proponents have been blinded by big money. We need to know that average Texans 30, 40 and 50 years from now will be able to afford to travel on highways they should own. These are just a few of the many serious questions that deserve serious consideration, and anwswers.
We believe the citizens of Texas would be best served by legislative review and a cautious approach to long-term contracts that could rob our communities of future transportation funds, limit future transportation alternatives, and unnecessarily increase the cost of public mobility.
Put the public back in public decisions.
Somehow we have left the public out of toll road decision making. Historically we have voted for highways with our taxes. When you hit the limit of how much we are willing to be taxed the expansion stops. We are effectively making a purchase decision.
Unfortunately virtually all of these new toll road decisions are being made without public approval.
Let's revisit the moratorium.
Once we start down this public-private road and begin signing away the control over our highways the cost of turning back may only be exceed by the cost of driving on those highways.
Chairman Carona, we sent our Senators to Austin to represent us and vote as we would if we were there. As Chairman of the Transportation and Homeland Security Committee you represent all Texans. Let our individual representatives do what we sent them to Austin to do. Let our Senators vote. Please move SB1267 out of committee.
David & Linda Stall, Co-founders
CorridorWatch.org
Carona filed a shell bill before the bill deadline passed, and whatever gets negotiated will be put into that shell bill.
The lege will have a special session devoted to roads. A Constitutional Amendement will be proposed to restore the full 20 cent gas tax to roads. This way, the lege will not have to vote on a tax increase, the voters will. If the voters say yes to the amendment, that implies that the voters are also willing to accept some other type of tax increase to compensate school fundings loss of the 5 cents from the gax tax.
Thanks for the ping!
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