Trans Texas Corridor Special Series Part 2

KCEN-TV ^ | February 10, 2007 | KCEN-TV

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

With a major interstate running right through our area traffic is a common topic for Central Texans.

How do we solve the problem of more traffic on i-35? Is the Trans Texas Corridor a realistic solution and do we even need it?

In part two of our Trans Texas Corridor series we look at the project from a needs angle.

There are basically two sides to the Trans Texas Corridor project, those for it and those against.

One thing both sides gree on is that something needs to be done.

There are twenty one million Texas residents. 45 percent of those live within 50 miles of I-35.

That means on any given day you'll hit a traffic jam on I-35 in the greater Waco area.

TexDot Executive Director Michael Behrens knows the stats all too well.

Behrens said, "When you look at traffic in the Waco area its probably at 80 thousand vehicles a day."

Those rates are expected to double in the next 25 years. At most I-35 only extends to three lanes in some areas of Central Texas.

An accident can cause delays for hours. TexDot says the proposed TTC-35 project would help take away traffic on I-35 by providing another parrallel interstate.It would have six lanes each way.

But, those who oppose TTC-35 supporters are not impressed with the proposal and point to how long it would take to complete.

Linda Stall from Corridor Watch said, "This is a huge project. 184 billion dollars, it's a 50 year agreement, 50 years. That is a long time."

The 10,000 Corridor Watch members like Stall admit we need more pavement, but they don't like this project that they call uncreative. they don't like the way it was presented either.

One of the chief complaints from critiques is that lawmakers and taxpayers weren't really consulted on the project. They feel like a vote should be taken.

But, like it or not, TexDot says the ball is already rolling. In fact the director of the agency says some existing toll roads in Austin like 130 may become part of TTC-35.

Behren said construction will continue on the existing I-35 for improvement but, they can only expand so far.

"We've run outtta room, we can't expand anymore because we have had a lot of things build up adjacent, said Behren."

So what will be the real impact of TTC-35 as far as economic boost and how do land owners feel? We'll talk about it next Saturday in part 3.

[Ben Ficklin]

"....its all about Globalism"

I don't dis-agree with you, but since we have very, very different views of what globalism is, we are in dis-agreement.

We all understand the wisdom of the statement "he who controls the language, controls the argument". But when the anti crowd tries to control the language, they always run into problems.

One example of this is what I have already pointed out on the thread, Linda Stall's obvious mis-info/dishonesty. This method may work with the poorly informed, but thru time most people eventually become informed and mis-info works against those using it. Linda, if you are lying to me about this, what else are you lying to me about?

A second example is how the anti crowd drifts into bizarro world. Do a google search of "cue spooky music" or "more thorazine please" and see where it takes you. Watch out, you're drooling on your keyboard.

[Ben Ficklin]

While most of the discussion revolves around the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas and Texas' transportation corridors, we need to recognize that other Mexican ports, such as Guaymas and Punta Colomet, intend to compete and other states, such as AZ and CA, intend to compete.

Additionally, as the second article above points out, if the canal gets enlarged, the Gulf and Atlantic ports will compete with the Pacific ports.

Considering all the various potential infrastructure improvements that can be put in place over time to accomodate international thread, it is obvious that there is a lot of exaggeration in regards how many new roads Texas will need accomodate trade. Most of the new roads that Texas will need will be related to population growth.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Linda Stall from Corridor Watch said, "This is a huge project. 184 billion dollars, it's a 50 year agreement, 50 years. That is a long time."

More deception and dishonesty from Corridor Watch's aptly named Stall family. TTC-35 is a $7 to $8 billion project, the $184 billion figure is for the total statewide buildout plan of many more roads, which is only a concept right now and most of those roads won't be built for decades, if ever. And only a few million dollars of the TTC-35 will be from tax money, all the rest being private investment recouped by tolls.

She is purposefully confusing the issue to mislead those who don't know much about the project. Read her sentence and many will come away thinking that just the I-35 corridor will cost $184 billion of tax money.

If Corridor Watch is correct on the issue, why do they always have to resort to dishonesty and misleading the public? Wouldn't the simple truth be good enough? But of course the truth doesn't support their claims and accusations.