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Hearing held to discuss proposed superhighway (Trans-Texas Corridor)
NBC 6 News (KCEN-TV/DT) ^ | February 24, 2005 | Dawnica Jackson

Posted on 02/25/2005 6:27:03 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

McLennan County Commissioners and the Waco Chamber of Commerce have voiced their concern about the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor and Thursday, county residents got a chance to voice their opinions on the proposed superhighway.

The superhighway and train corridor is expected to cost $184 million. A hearing was held in Bellmead where the big argument surrounding the proposed Corridor doesn't seemed to be if it's needed, but where to put it.

The proposed superhighway would have six passenger lanes, four commercial lanes and high speed passenger rail lines. It's goal is to alleviate traffic on Interstate 35. But many in McLennan County say if the Trans-Texas Corridor is built outside of Waco, the effect on Waco would be more harm than good, hurting local farmers by taking nearly 1,000 square miles of land and Waco's economy and that's what they oppose.

Waco Chamber of Commerce President Jim Vaughn says, "We want the road the highway to serve Waco and that can't happen if it's 10, 15, 20 miles out of the city. It needs to be closer."

Vaughn says he's also concerned that work on the Trans-Texas Corridor would take away from construction on I-35. He is so concerned about the superhighway that he sent out an email to all Chamber members encouraging them to come to Thursday night’s meeting in Bellmead.

The meeting started around 5:00pm at the Bellmead Civic Center.

TxDOT spokesman Ken Roberts says, "As the population is anticipated to double over the next 20 or 30 years in Texas, we've got to be ready to deal with increased traffic."

But some residents are concerned about rural farm land and others urban areas. Robinson resident Milton Stabeno says, "It will definitely hurt a lot of farmers and ranchers by splitting their land and taking their land, land that's been in their families for centuries, generations."

"The expansion is a good thing,” Waco resident Ray Hicks says, “However, I'm afraid of the loss to the taxpayer."

Roberts says, "We want to work closely with those people along that corridor to get their concerns and work with them to provide access as much as possible."

There are several possible routes for the corridor, but TxDOT won't make its decision until November of this year. So until then, TxDOT plans to continue to hold these public meeting to find just what the public thinks about the future of Texas roads and where they should be built.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: bellmead; farmers; hearing; i35; ih35; jimvaughn; kenroberts; mclennancounty; rails; ranchers; tollroads; transtexascorridor; ttc; ttc35; txdot; utilities; waco
The latest...
1 posted on 02/25/2005 6:27:05 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: TxDOT; 1066AD; 185JHP; Abcdefg; Alamo-Girl; antivenom; anymouse; B-Chan; barkeep; basil; ...

Trans-Texas Corridor PING!

Please let me know if you want on or off the list.


2 posted on 02/25/2005 6:29:11 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Deport 'em all; let fox sort 'em out!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Thankfully, there is an attempt in the legislature to bring some sanity to this plan - let's see how far this effort gets.

I'll wait until the usuals post their pretty pics before posting my rebuttal.

(thanks much again for the ping, Tolerance)
3 posted on 02/25/2005 6:36:14 PM PST by BobL
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

if i were the city of waco, i'd be annexing like crazy!


4 posted on 02/25/2005 6:37:49 PM PST by ken21 ( warning: a blood bath when rehnquist, et al retire. >hang w dubya.< dems want 2 divide us.)
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To: BobL

if you think this area's got problems, allow me to turn your attention to an area that hasn't a clue:

a mountain valley from temecula, to riverside, to moreno valley, to hemet, back to temecula = roughly a rectangle of sorts.

they haven't a clue what's going on.

you'd think if they were smart rats, they'd crawl out of the box and look at what happened the last 60 years in los angeles.

not. they need to have built a new north-south freeway on the east side of the valley from moreno valley to hemet and into san diego county, parallel to the i-15. but it was not built.


they need multiple, east-west freeways from the i-15 across the valley. but they haven't built them.

meanwhile, they're filling up the area with new houses.

and the traffic locks up for miles. it's going to be a vast, parking lot.


5 posted on 02/25/2005 6:44:40 PM PST by ken21 ( warning: a blood bath when rehnquist, et al retire. >hang w dubya.< dems want 2 divide us.)
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To: ken21

I haven't been there in a decade+, but I think that their bigger problem is not getting around locally, it's getting out of there to where the good jobs are in LA, OC, and SD. That's something that they really can't control - and something that they knew they'd have to deal with once they located there (and generally that was because of the cheaper housing).


6 posted on 02/25/2005 6:48:39 PM PST by BobL
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

"If you build it, they will come."


7 posted on 02/25/2005 6:50:42 PM PST by Don Corleone (Leave the gun..take the cannoli)
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To: Don Corleone

If you charge 20+ cents per mile, they will flee.

Rules change when you start punishing people to drive their cars.


8 posted on 02/25/2005 6:54:26 PM PST by BobL
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To: BobL

you know about the 91.

they've talked about making a tunnel under the mountains. that'll take decades with environmentalists.

the ride over the hill to san juan capistrano is a nightmare! whoa, that road will make you religious. lights on. mountainous, curving roads. but people still kill themselves and others.

the i-15 to san diego is a commuter road. lower income people can afford to buy houses in temecula and murieta and commute to san diego.

like many areas of california, i've been on the i-15 doing 90 mph with the herd and the chp will sit by the side of the road and watch.

the key issue in california is: stay in your lane! drive the speed of the herd.

like the african veld, abrupt lane changes will get the attention of predators.

i talked to a chp once and asked him about why they sit and watch 8 lanes of freeway go 90 mph. his response: we lost control of traffic a long time ago.


9 posted on 02/25/2005 6:57:27 PM PST by ken21 ( warning: a blood bath when rehnquist, et al retire. >hang w dubya.< dems want 2 divide us.)
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To: ken21
That is a bummer.

The guys who drilled through the Alps between Italy and France (before France became Islamic, that is), could tunnel through the Santa Ana Mountains in their sleep, and that is EXACTLY what's needed. But what can be done now? The commuters are outnumbered. Maybe a good idea is to build a tunnel, say you will charge a $20 toll (something that would get Perry all excited here in Texas) to pay for healthcare of Illegals - then build the tunnel and cut way back on the tolls.

That's the only way I could think of to get the Dems on board.
10 posted on 02/25/2005 7:09:19 PM PST by BobL
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Any one interested in serving on the Advisory Committee has until March 14, 2005 to file an application.........

125 E. 11th Street
Austin, Texas 78701-2483
(512) 463-8588 FAX (512) 463-9896
February 22, 2005

Nominations for Trans-Texas Corridor advisory committee Texas Department of Transportation

Want to have a role in shaping the future of transportation in Texas?

The Texas Department of Transportation is now accepting applications from Texans interested in being on a citizen’s advisory committee for the Trans-Texas Corridor. When appointed, the committee will begin advising the department on issues dealing with the planning and development of the corridor, a multi-modal network of toll roads, commuter and freight rail and utilities to be developed over the next 50 years.

“We look forward to working with a diverse cross section of people in getting input as we move ahead with the development of the corridor,” said Mike Behrens, TxDOT executive director. “If you think you have something to offer, we will be happy to hear that you’d be interested in serving on this important committee.”

The Texas Transportation Commission, which voted at its January meeting to create a corridor advisory group, is expected to name the committee members and adopt the advisory group’s operating rules at its March 31 meeting.

Applications are available on TxDOT’s Web site, www.dot.state.tx.us or on the corridor Web site, www.keeptexasmoving.org. When completed, the application may be sent by email to corridor@dot.state.tx.us or by mail to Phillip E. Russell, P.E., Director, Texas Turnpike Authority Division, Texas Department of Transportation, 125 E. 11st St., Austin, TX, 78701. Applications are due by March 14.

“The commission and TxDOT staff is eager to begin getting feedback from the committee,” Behrens said. “Anyone who’d like to apply for appointment should do so by the deadline.”

- 30 -
For more information, call Gabriela Garcia, TxDOT Public Information Office, (512) 475-2134.

11 posted on 02/25/2005 7:32:05 PM PST by deport (Other states try to abolish the death penality, my state`s putting in an express lane."..TaterSalad)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Currently Texas is aflame with "imposed" highways and toll roads.

This is the government trying to make itself useful and "hard wired" in an age where it isn't.

Instead of building these roads we should be letting half of all government people "go", to work on the productive side of society and start contributing for a change rather than glomming on.


12 posted on 02/25/2005 7:56:28 PM PST by SURI
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Thanks for the ping!


13 posted on 02/25/2005 8:57:53 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
But many (liars) in McLennan County say if the Trans-Texas Corridor is built outside of Waco, the effect on Waco would be more harm than good, hurting local farmers by taking nearly 1,000 square miles of land and Waco's economy and that's what they oppose.

Which is total bullcrap, and whoever told the idiot reporter (who apparently didn't bother to fact check with some simple math, she'll go far in journalism) was intentionally lying.

Do the math. As previously proposed, the max width would be 1200', there are 5280' in a mile, so it would take a little over 4 miles of road to take up 1 square mile. Meaning that it would take more than 4,000 miles of road to consume 1,000 square miles of land, so the Waco area isn't going to lose anywhere near that amount of farmland. That figure might have been for the entire statewide project(planned to take more than 50 years to complete), but it is reported in a way that makes you think that the Waco area is going to lose 1,000 square miles of farm land.

The reality is far different. TXDOT has scaled back the width needed to a max of 800-1000', meaning it would take 5 to 6.5 miles of road to consume a single square mile. Define the Waco area as 30 miles on each side (Temple to Hillsboro), the amount of land taken in the area would be approx. 10-12 square miles.

14 posted on 02/26/2005 12:40:55 AM PST by Diddle E. Squat
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

BTT!!!!!


15 posted on 02/26/2005 3:12:35 AM PST by E.G.C.
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