Free Republic

With public funding options limited, Alabama transportation officials are turning to the private sector for advice and creative solutions in paying for the massive Interstate 10 overhaul in coastal Alabama.John Cooper, director of the Alabama Department of Transportation, said Monday that state officials were interested in learning more about project plans from approximately 400 private sector attendees during the two-day Industry Forum at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center.That includes financing, which remains the biggest hurdle toward moving the project forward in the next year. At this point, no options have been settled including whether to institute tolls to...

There were not many open seats at a pair of meetings last week over proposed routes that would send Interstate 11 through the Tucson area. Many of those in attendance were there to speak against two of the alternatives, which run west of Saguaro National Park West in the Avra Valley.“I understand the need to provide ways for people to move around," said Kimberly Baeza, "But it doesn't have to come at the expense of our open landscapes and beautiful Sonoran Desert.”The meeting is part of the second step in selecting the route I-11 could take through Arizona. The freeway...

Imagine a dust storm, driven by monsoon downbursts, building near the Maricopa-Pinal county line. There are thousands of Interstate 10 motorists and hundreds of thousands of Phoenix exurb residents who would probably want to know about such a storm before the stinging, blinding wall of sand arrives. But does all of metro Phoenix need to get the alert? Likely not, but the National Weather Service’s Ken Waters told the dozens of attendees at the annual dust-storm workshop in Coolidge last week that that’s exactly what would happen with the existing cellphone warning system in place for dust events. “If I’m...

Construction of two of the three sections of the multi-lane First Coast Expressway running through Clay County and neighboring Northeast Florida communities is behind schedule, according to Florida Department of Transportation officials, who cited a variety of factors for the delays. The expressway is a limited access toll facility is touted by elected officials and economic development authorities in Clay as being a gateway to new residential and commercial economic growth, which translates into an increased tax base. When completed, the expressway will span 46.5 miles. It be a connecting road outside of the existing Interstate 295 Loop between Interstate...

CASA GRANDE — Republican Congressional District 1 candidate Paul Babeu says he plans to make improvements to Interstate 10 a greater priority for the federal government. Babeu, who is Pinal County sheriff, assembled a number of Republican state lawmakers on Monday to discuss his intentions as a congressman to prioritize widening a portion of I-10 that runs between Phoenix and Casa Grande. His plan is to work on expanding this section from two lanes to three in each direction. Doing so, Babeu said, improves safety and economic development. “This is directly linked to a prosperous future for western Pinal County...

iOS 10 is here. Even though it looks just like iOS 9, a lot -- and we mean a lot -- of features are radically different. Messages is a lot more like Facebook Messenger, the lock screen packs a lot more info, and you can finally delete Apple's default apps. There's a lot more to know, so bookmark this page as you get started with iOS 10. Wait -- read this first! No seriously, wait. The iOS 10 update was freezing some people's phones. Apple has just issued a fix, but if you already ran into this issue, here's how...

You know something is a big deal when politicians start fighting for credit — and camera time. Given the "thank me" glomming going on in Baton Rouge these days, clearly news that the federal government will pony up enough cash to fix the disaster that is Interstate 10 westbound off the Mississippi River Bridge is one of those hallelujah moments. There was Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday (Aug. 4), at old McKinley High School with U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond by his side, telling the world Louisiana will be getting between $20 million and $25 million in FASTLANE grant money...

Motorists traveling on Interstate 10 will encounter restrictions next week — including a full closure of westbound I-10 between Benson and Tucson overnight Wednesday, April 20 — while the Arizona Department of Transportation continues making improvements in the area. The following restrictions are scheduled for next week: • The westbound I-10 on-ramp and eastbound I-10 off-ramp at Kolb Road in Tucson (Exit 270) will be closed from 7 p.m. Monday, April 18, until 5 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, for paving work on Kolb Road at the interchange. Traffic from Kolb Road can take eastbound I-10 to Rita Road and return...

The man who was arrested in connection with a spate of shootings along a major highway through Arizona made his initial court appearance on Saturday to face felony charges that include drive-by shooting and terrorism. Wearing a gray and white striped prison uniform, Leslie Allen Merritt Jr., 21, said he was not the person responsible for the shootings. He was arrested on Friday and appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. "All I have to say is that I'm the wrong guy. I tried telling the detective that," said Merritt, who said he has two children. "My gun's been...

{Heard this on the radio newsbreak five minutes ago} Phoenix, ARIZONA — There has been nine shootings in the past 10 days on Arizona’s highways, luckily no one has been killed. On Sunday, September 6, 2015, at approximately 8:30 p.m., a shooting occurred on westbound SR 202 near 32nd Street. After a disagreement in Tempe, a black Toyota Camry or Corolla with a temporary plate followed the victim vehicle west on SR 202. The Toyota was occupied by three males. At 32nd Street an occupant of the Toyota fired at least once at the victim vehicle striking the victim vehicle....

Webpage shows quite a few road problems/closures due to weather...

Lately I have heard from some of you, asking about the Corridor. Most folks believe it is over, dead, gone from our beautiful East Texas. I have been watching our government's actions on this subject. Did you know that in TxDOT's cover letter to the federal government it states they will only use existing highways to build their corridor? Did you know that TxDOT also stated that it may need to build in non-existing paths also, some time in the future. Citizens, I write you today to make sure you understand that the corridor issue in Trinity County has not...

Minutes south of Interstate 10 and Sealy, the pastures along FM 1458 are their own silent world in the morning. Mists lift to reveal black cattle, brown and spotted horses, snow-white egrets underfoot in lush green grass. Then a concrete mixer comes churning down the blacktop. Just up the road is a small subdivision. More are sure to come as city dwellers, including weekenders and retirees, move out in search of a quieter, simpler life — and relief from city traffic. Although the gradual influx may bring greater changes in the long run, what disturbs residents most is the planned...

SH 130 Concession Company LLC finalized the legal details of a financial close with Texas DOT on a $1,360m toll concession to build SH130 segments 5&6 Thursday and Friday last week in bankers' offices in New York City - at Orrick, 666 Fifth Avenue. The actual money flows should occur on Thursday or Friday (Mar 13 or 14) this week, Jose Maria Lopez de Fuentes, president of Cintra North America, told us this morning. Hundreds of documents and over 20 lawyers were involved last week representing TxDOT, private equity people, banks, mostly European, the TIFIA loan group from FHWA, and...

Trucks hauling everything from cars to produce use Southeast Texas roads to deliver their goods, and when a proposed Interstate 69/Trans Texas Corridor is completed, local drivers could see even more of them, local transportation officials said. The proposed I-69 corridor stretches from Michigan down to Texas. Once in Texas, the corridor goes about 650 miles from Texarkana to Brownsville and Laredo and includes separate lanes for cars and semis and areas for trains and utilities. It doesn't cut through Beaumont, but local arteries like U.S. 69 and Interstate 10 would connect to it. Travelers and truckers just need to...

Ever wish you weren't right? In 1997, the notion of selling off publicly owned infrastructure to private sector operators was coming into its own. After the city hired a consultant to determine the value of the publicly owned CPS Energy, it raised red flags. CPS consistently charges some of Texas' lowest utility rates while providing a significant chunk of the city's revenue, I argued. Profit motives can produce wondrous results. But uncontrolled, they can also produce costly disasters. Some things — especially those that efficiently deliver services that are essential — are best kept in the public sector to assure...

Just when you think, you have heard it all something else pops up. I have stated my opinion on the state's effort to utilize tolls as the future funding for highways in Texas. Just in case you missed it, I oppose the idea of tolls being the primary source of funding for state highways. I need to clarify my opposition by stating I am not so much opposed to new toll roads, but rather the idea of tolling existing roads. A large portion of the price for a gallon of gas goes to the state and federal folks for highway...

The Blackland Coalition is the largest of the grassroots coalitions fighting against the Trans-Texas 35 & 69 Corridors. It has been our priviledge to become acquainted with the Blackland Coalition leaders and members in the TTC “trenches” that we share. Some of them and members of CorridorWatch. org & IndyTexans will be joining together with citizens of our counties in attending the schedule of TTC-69 DEIS Hearings which will likely be in February 2008. Word of the February timeframe comes to us from the TTC-69 office of Jack Heiss (Texas Turnpike Authority TTC-69). As soon as an official hearings schedule...

The Interstate 69 corridor is one of six highways selected for a new federal program to develop multi-state corridors to help reduce congestion, according to Texas transportation officials. Interstate 69 from Texas to Michigan, and Interstate 10 from California through Texas to Florida, were among the highways selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of its "Corridors of the Future" program.It is aimed at developing innovative national and regional approaches to reduce congestion and improve efficiency of freight delivery, according to Marcus Sandifer, spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation's Atlanta District. Eight states, including Texas, will divide...

Transportation was a hot subject during the recent legislative session - and it continues to be so in the interim. This week, several Texas lawmakers, Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson and state Reps. Joe Farias, David Leibowitz, Nathan Macias and others held a press conference in San Antonio in protest against current transportation policy and the Texas Department of Transportation. Key among their concerns are recent reports the state agency has launched a public relations plan to promote the Trans-Texas Corridor and to lobby for toll roads. Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom founder Terri Hall is among those criticizing...