Hundreds of millions spent on Texas transportation projects that have little to do with traffic

STAR=TELEGRAM ^ | GORDON DICKSON

[Dubya]

No one disputes that the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park under construction in downtown Dallas is innovative.

The 5-acre park is being built on top of an eyesore freeway. Soon, the concrete canyon of a roadway will be covered by an elevated green space where people can walk, ride bikes or play checkers.

[Dubya]

But nearly all the money that’s being spent on the first phase of construction — $42.7 million — comes from federal transportation funds, supported largely by gasoline taxes that Americans pay at the pump.

[lacrew]

In Topeka, an old rail depot (the Great Overland Station) was rehabilitated using TEA money (as well as donations). It is now a museum/meeting hall - not much transportation happening.

[Dubya]

Thanks for you input.

[Sacajaweau]

Put some of these “spaces” on the open market...and you might just make some tax money.

[K-oneTexas]

No one disputes that the Woodall Rodgers Deck Park under construction in downtown Dallas is innovative. The 5-acre park is being built on top of an eyesore freeway ...

Saw this on a cable show last month from NYC, the High Line Park. The High Line is a 1.45-mile (2.33 km) New York City park built on a section of the former elevated freight railroad of the West Side Line, along the lower west side of Manhattan. See http://www.thehighline.org/galleries/images.

Quite an idea.

[Jedidah]

Beautification efforts all around the state, but tolls on our crowded roads.

[smokingfrog]

... federal officials require states to spend 10 percent of transportation funds on enhancement projects to gain access to the other 90 percent for actual road work.

So it is the Federal Government that requires the state to waste money on pet projects before they will release the real money.

Enhancement funds, like earmarks, have become a way for federal and state elected officials to prove to constituents that they can bring home the bacon...

[Dubya]

I had not thought of that. Its true.

[Oldexpat]

Not just enhancement,but impact projects that soak up much of the transportation money. Plus state sales tax on the projects diverts another 7-10% to the general fund..so we really get very little bang for the buck out of transportation projects.

[Dubya]

Thanks I didn’t know that.

[BobL]

At least we here in Texas now know why our roads aren’t being widened.

And to think our governor’s solution to this funding issue is to sell off control of our highways to foreign companies, and giving them monopoly-protection for tolling. But then again it should not be a surprise, considering he was a state chairman of Al Gore’s 1988 Presidential campaign.

Thank goodness Kay is blasting him on this in radio ads - hopefully we’re through with this governor, finally.

[Dubya]

Good for her.

[Dubya]

“Texans should be outraged by it, especially when they’re being asked to support tax increases for transportation,” said Justin Keener, vice president for policy and communications at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a nonpartisan research institute in Austin.

[corbe]

Just WoW, what a colossal waste of money. (and all these years), we need more lanes to move traffic, NOW. I can't see how this is a Perry hit piece, though I tried, just really dislike KBH

[freekitty]

There’s that old slush fund again.

[TheZMan]

Ugh, KBH is horrid. Perry’s a RINO, but not near the level KBH is.

[ZOOKER]

$43 million for 5 acres of park? On land that they already own?

I think anyone who approved this boondoggle should be horsewhipped. I know that sounds cruel, but you can't fix stupid and it would at least make me feel better.

[Dubya]

Me too. LOL

[Dubya]

Good idea.

[Mark was here]

Sounds like the decks built over I-696 in Oakland County Michigan. There was a 20 year delay in getting the freeway finished, the decks were the reward for stalling the project.