This is a pro Trans-Texas Corridor ping list.
Please let me know by Freepmail if you want on or off the list.
Posted on 02/10/2005 7:41:42 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The Texas Department of Transportation held one of its 27 public meetings at NT's Gateway Center Wednesday, concerning the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor, a highway that will run from Oklahoma to Mexico. The highway is estimated to cover an area approximately 800 miles long and will include 77 counties.
The Trans-Texas Corridor is a long-term project. Its estimated completion date will not be for another 30 to 60 years. The corridor will come with a price tag of somewhere between $145.2 billion and $183.2 billion. Paying for the highway was one of the major concerns addressed at the meeting. Obtaining funds from the private sector, leasing right of way, toll revenues and state and federal funds were discussed as possible options for paying for the corridor.
Denton resident Misty Simons said the funding question was one of the main reasons she attended the meeting.
"I heard Governor Perry talking about trying to finance it through gas tax or maybe adding tollways to existing highways that didn't have them before," she said.
Officials from the Texas Department of Transportation said there is a need for the corridor due to the projected population growth in Texas. They are also betting that the corridor will sustain and enhance the economic vitality of the state.
Angela Loston, assistant public information officer of the Texas Department of Transportation, said the highway will be used by many different types of vehicles.
"It will have divided roadways for regular vehicles and another lane for 18 wheel trucks, a light rails for trains and cable wires for utilities," she said.
Loston also noted that, because of the length of time it will take to complete the project, there would be a generational economical impact. Many jobs will be available, most in construction and engineering.
While Denton resident Gary Salmon came out see how much the corridor might cost him, Debra Kutsky, Justin resident, came to the meeting to "find out how it's going to affect me and where I live."
The public meetings are part of preliminary Trans-Texas Corridor plans. The project is broken into two sections, the first being concentrated on the environmental impact of the whole corridor and the second concentrating on the environmental impact of the smaller sections of the corridor. If too many environmental concerns are raised, a no-action option will be exercised and plans for the corridor will be halted.
The environmental study will concentrate on impacts to resources such as habitat, air quality, noise and cultural resources. The results should be announced to the public in early 2006 and then met with federal approval in the spring of the same year.
Besides environmental factors, people are asking if their land will be acquired by the state so the corridor can be built. Dieter Billek, advanced project development director of the Texas Turnpike Authority Division, said those questions do not need to be addressed in the near future.
"We're still in the environmental process," Billek said. "We're not even talking about facilities right now. The earliest we could do acquisitions will be next year."
Because they want the "acquisitions" to be a done deal before any of us have input, just like they've operated since this boondoggle began. Shameful.
Resolution Opposing Trans-Texas Corridor Passes — (02/09/2005)
The Trans Texas Corridor is fueling a lot of discussion in Central Texas. Tuesday, Mclennan County Commissions passed a resolution unanimously opposing the concept of the corridor. The super highway would have three car lanes, two truck lanes and a high speed rail in each direction.
It would also connect most of the major cities in Texas, but McLennan County Commissioners fear it would do more harm than good.
They're affraid it would hurt Waco's economy by taking away traffic from I-35.
They also say McLennan County would lose a large portion of its tax base, since about 4300 acres of land would be eaten up by eminent domain.
The Commissioners also oppose the proposed toll system; which would cost you additional money to travel on the highway.
The Texas Farm Bureau is also opposed to the project, because it would eat up farm land.
But not everyone against the project.
Temple Mayor Bill Jones thinks it would actually benefit Temple and other cities along I-35, because it would allow inter-local traffic to move more freely along the interstate.
Meantime, most of the people News Channel-25 spoke with agree if the corridor is built, it should stay as close to cities like Waco and Temple as possible, so less rural farm land gets eaten up, and traffic isn't diverted too far away.
By KP.
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this list. Thanks.
traffic's going to increase, no doubt.
your chances of arriving safely will increase with the segregation of semi-trucks.
This is a pro Trans-Texas Corridor ping list.
Please let me know by Freepmail if you want on or off the list.
/sarcasm
Free Republic search on keyword "TTC"
Interview (Audio) NPR | February 8, 2005 A Superhighway for Texas?
Here's the website with more info and explanation:
http://www.keeptexasmoving.org/
Here's a list of meetings where you can ask questions(and I encourage everyone who can to attend and ask questions)
http://www.keeptexasmoving.org/pdfs/TTC-35_Public_Meetings.pdf
Here's a link to the map of the TTC-35 corridor alternatives, which are approximately 10 miles wide study areas (the actual selected single corridor will be at most 1/4 mile wide):
http://www.keeptexasmoving.org/pdfs/TTC- 35_Alternatives_Map.pdf
1990-2000 Population Growth of Border Metro Areas
Texas Sets the Pace in Highway Finance
Ray Perryman's Economic Benefit Analysis Of TTC
Port of Houston teams up with Panama to draw a piece of Asia's massive trade away from West Coast
Do you work for TxDOT or Gov. Perry's office? Maybe Zackery construction?
Thanks for the ping!
"The highway is estimated to cover an area approximately 800 miles long"
Another example of a careless writer and no editor verification.
Yep. The section being considered is roughly 300 miles long, and the entire system, if completed, will be roughly 4000 miles long and take up to around 1000 sq. mi. of Texas.
From Corridor Watch:
CorridorWatch.org Member NEWS (02.10.05)
CorridorWatch.org Members > CorridorWatch.org Members Newsletter
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CORRIDORWATCH.org WELCOMES MEMBERS FROM 133 COUNTIES!
=====================================================
We now have members in ONE out of every TWO counties!
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETS AND SPINS THE TTC
This week the House Transportation Committee and its newest members met for the second time of this new legislative Session.
At their first meeting on February 1st they discussed with TxDOT the implementation of House Bill 3588 in glowing terms.
Chairman Mike Krusee suggested that TxDOT has neither asked for, nor received, a 1,200-foot wide corridor proposal from Cintra. Yet the Request For Proposal document TxDOT issued for TTC-35, and to which Cintra responded, clearly identifies the Crossroads of the Americas: The Trans Texas Corridor Plan as the implementation plan. That plan consistently, and without reservation, details the TTC as having a width of 1,200-feet. Clearly TxDOT asked for a 1,200-foot wide corridor. When the Cintra proposal is made public, we will see what width Cintra has planned for TTC-35.
Peggy Hamric suggested that TxDOT hire someone for public relations like Disney to do a better job selling the TTC to the public.
At their most recent meeting they heard from Dallas and other members of the River of Trade Corridor Coalition. They also heard from Transportation Commission members Robert Nichols and Hope Andrade.
Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and others expressed serious concern about TTC-35 and negative impact it would have on their cities and counties if it is located away from the existing IH-35 route.
ANOTHER COUNTY OFFICIALLY QUESTIONS THE TRANS TEXAS CORRIDOR
Last Tuesday McLennan County (Waco) joined a growing list of County Commissioner’s Courts that have passed Resolutions opposing the Trans Texas Corridor project.
TEXAS’ SUPERHIGHWAY QUESTIONS RAISED IN TODAY’S WASHINGTON POST
On Tuesday morning Washington Post readers in our Nation’s Capitol read about Gov. Perry’s TTC toll road Vision. It contrasts the Texas shift from gas tax to tolls against toll weary states like Ohio, Washington and Indiana who are now moving back to gas taxes. It points out that public-private transportation contracts are not universally well received and in some case are costing taxpayers millions of dollars through subsidies and tax-exempt bonds.
NEXT ROUND OF TTC-35 PUBLIC MEETINGS HAVE BEGUN
TxDOT is holding another 47 open house style public meetings in 46 of the 77 counties that could be impacted by the Mexico to Oklahoma corridor element. All meetings will occur from 5pm to 8pm.
These meetings will end on March 31.
Click on the blue Hot Topics button [TTC-35 PUBLIC MTGS] on the CorridorWatch.org home page for meeting dates and locations.
TELL THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE WHAT YOU THINK
As of this week no bills have been filed to change or repeal any element of HB-3588 (which includes the Trans Texas Corridor and toll conversion).
Whenever such a bill is filed it will go before the House Transportation Committee. They will have control over what leaves that committee for House consideration. They need to know what the voters are expecting them to do!
We’ve told our Representatives that we’re unhappy about the TTC project. Now we need to tell those who sit on this Committee.
Please write the Chairman and members of the House Transportation Committee.
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
The Honorable Mike Krusee, Chairman
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
The Honorable Larry Phillips, Vice-Chairman
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
The Honorable Fred Hill
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
The Honorable William Callegari
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
The Honorable Joseph Dehotel
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
The Honorable Peggy Hamric
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
The Honorable G. E. West
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
The Honorable Carter Casteel
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
The Honorable Ismael Flores
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN AND INTEREST
CorridorWatch.org
Between the two of us, this thread could become the ultimate clearinghouse. :-)
Thanks for the ping!
You're welcome. :-)
You're welcome again. :-)
The last link in post #8 isn't Deport's :o)
NO.
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