Posted on 02/18/2005 8:05:46 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Start all over with the Trans Texas Corridor. And let the legislature oversee future highway planning.
That was the gist of the testimony delivered by TFB State Director Albert Thompson on behalf of the Texas Farm Bureau during a recent Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security hearing on the massive transportation project.
"...it appears to us that the legislature has given the Texas Department of Transportation what amounts to a blank check worth approximately $180 billion," Thompson said on Feb. 9. "We would feel more comfortable if citizens had the opportunity to voice opinions with elected officials who should have the responsibility of making decisions regarding the future of the Trans Texas Corridor.
"We ask that the legislature take responsibility for approving projects relating to this corridor, if it is to continue. More importantly, we believe this corridor concept should be scrapped and future highway planning be given serious oversight by the legislature."
Noting that delegates overwhelmingly voted against the Trans Texas Corridor at the TFB annual convention in December, Thompson said the lack of access due to the division of family farms and ranches is the major reason for opposition. As proposed, he said, the Corridor provides rights-of-way through rural Texas of up to 1,200 feet. If considered as acreage, that amounts to 146 acres per road mile.
"Furthermore, the Corridor will negatively affect wildlife and hunting in many areas of the state where hunting has become a major part of farm income," Thompson said. "We believe the impact will be devastating to the agricultural industry and rural communities."
Thompson, a cow/calf producer and timber owner from Martinsville, said Texas Farm Bureau believes the first option for new roads and highways construction should be to use current rights-of-way.
"If new land is needed, at a minimum, landowners must have reasonable access to their property in situations where farms and ranches have been divided," he testified, adding that without proper access, valuable time would be lost in agricultural production activities. "Such guarantees were not included in HB 3855 last session."
Farm Bureau members also oppose the corridor because of the special authority the Texas Department of Transportation has for condemning land. Chapter 361 of the Transportation Code gives the department and turnpike authorities the right to take possession of land before the court has ruled on the condemnation.
"We believe this provision, known as 'quick take,' violates due process and should be repealed," Thompson said.
In addition, the department has the authority to condemn land for private business. The statute, he said, explicitly allows the taking of private property for service stations, restaurants and warehouses.
"We strongly feel that condemning private property on behalf of private businesses is not the taking of private property for a `public purpose' as allowed by the constitution," Thompson said.
Groundwater is also a concern. Stronger language—that explicitly prohibits an entity from leasing the right to drill or operate a groundwater well in the corridor—needs to be included in the Transportation Code, he testified, citing the potential devastating impact wells large enough for a public water supply in the corridor could have on adjacent landowners.
Farm Bureau's final concern, Thompson said, deals with loss of tax base to rural schools and counties.
"Any loss further compounds the current funding problems with public school and county operations," he said. "Not only will rights-of-way not be taxed, but any private business located on the right-of-way will also not pay taxes on their structures. Local taxing entities will lose revenue on the land and improvements."
Texas Farm Bureau State Director Albert Thompson testified during a recent Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security hearing regarding the Trans Texas Corridor.
The right track? Fannin residents kick the tires on proposed Trans-Texas Corridor
By Vicki Graves
Herald Democrat
BONHAM - Local residents attended a three-hour Trans-Texas Corridor exhibit Tuesday night at Bonham High School, taking the opportunity to review large maps of preliminary corridor alternatives, learn more about the TTC environmental study, ask questions and make comments.
The proposed Trans-Texas Corridor, an 800-mile-long project from Oklahoma to Mexico, would include roadways, rail and a dedicated utility zone.
It includes all or part of 77 Texas counties and several alternative routes are being considered.
The idea, though opposed by environmentalists, rural landowners and small towns that possibly would die as a result of traffic diversion, is to improve the movement of goods and people, address long term transportation needs and promote economic development.
The Fannin County people were concerned about their farms and ranches.
One proposed route would take in a large part of extreme western Fannin County all the way from the north county line to the south county line, as well as part of eastern Grayson County.
Another possible route would take in the extreme southeastern corner, which is a very small section, of Fannin County.
Residents attending the exhibit filled out forms for their comments and some spoke with a person available to transcribe and enter their comments electronically.
They also noted, and informed project development directors on hand, that the proposed Lake Ralph Hall is not included on TxDOT's corridor alternatives map.
The TTC might affect that proposed project, which would be near Ladonia and the southeastern Fannin County line.
The corridor alternatives map shows that possible route crossing Hunt County, coming across the southeastern corner of Fannin County and continuing through Lamar County to Oklahoma.
Late-Night Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
Please let me know if you want on or off this list.
"We ask that the legislature take responsibility for approving projects relating to this corridor, if it is to continue. More importantly, we believe this corridor concept should be scrapped and future highway planning be given serious oversight by the legislature."
my thoughts exactly.
i got repuked a couple weeks ago for saying so.
i'm for building freeways, but we need accountability.
JUST SAY NO TO THIS STUPID TTC PROPOSAL.
BTW, I had these folks on my show today. They maybe part of an alternative to the Texas Corridor Plan. Bring Texas high speed rail. At the same time improve existing Interstate system and build new highways in a practical manner.http://texasrailadvocates.org/
Vicki Graves
Herald Democrat
Fannin County residents, at Bonham High School, visit with Texas Department of Transportation engineers about the proposed Trans Texas Corridor.
thanks.
This is a pro Trans-Texas Corridor ping list.
Please let me know by Freepmail if you want on or off the list.
A map of possible alternatives for TTC-35.
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
All this does is bring Texas more concrete and pollution and WE get the bill.
Thanks for the ping!
It will help keep Mexican trucks off regular Texas highways.
Look at the location of the corridors. They are well outside of cities. By diverting long distance traffic away from cities they will decrease pollution emitted in cities. Also by diverting traffic away from cities, congestion in those cities is decreased and cars operate more cleanly when they can maintain speed rather than have to start and stop frequently. Houston's air quality improved in the late eighties and nineties as freeway projects improved the flow of traffic.
Do you really think that mexican truckers who are probably lucky to make $20/day are going to be paying these tolls? I doubt it. This is nothing but a boondoggle brought to you courtesy of democrat gov. Perry and his cronys.
No, the users get the bill. Considering that trucks will be able to travel at 85 mph on their own lanes, it means drivers will be able to cover more miles in a day especially considering they will avoid urban congestion during rush hour.
There are limits on how many consecutive hours truck drivers are allowed to operate their trucks. Between faster speed limits and avoidance of urban congestion, Mexican truckers will be able to reach there destinations faster if they use the toll roads.
Ok, that makes some sense. Shifting long haul traffic away from pop areas. Traffic in the population centers, however, will only decline by a volume equal to traffic that need not come to town. If we talk about Houston then I'm not sure I understand how the project would reduce traffic in the Houston area. I mean if the traffic is coming from down south and it needs to head to the SE US then it will still have to cross Texas and would likely travel I-10 through Houston. Seems to me that this particular thoroughfare will have only a minimal affect on Houston. As for SA, Austin, and Dallas I could imagine a more significant impact.
I've looked at the maps now and see that the plans include a loop aroound the Houston metro area.
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