Nuff Said...
Posted on 11/04/2006 10:26:12 AM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The ability to move people and things in an efficient manner is essential to competing in a global environment.
Economic and population growth have strained many aspects of Texas' transportation infrastructure, particularly in urban areas. Congestion not only decreases safety, it also reduces economic efficiency, raises transportation costs and otherwise hampers the competitiveness of the state economy.
With the growing population and expanding economy of Texas, transportation constraints and congestion will only worsen over the coming decades. In fact, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) projects that road use will rise by 214 percent during the next 25 years. Although TxDOT engages in an active program (spending several billion dollars each year in state and federal funds) of maintaining and upgrading existing roadways and extending capacity, it is estimated that traditional approaches and resources can only meet about 36 percent of significant needs. It is obvious that something must be done.
The Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) is a proposed statewide network of multi-use transportation routes that will significantly expand transportation capacity. The TTC is vital to relieving congestion, increasing safety, enhancing efficiency and improving the prospects for economic development and trade. In fact, such infrastructure will serve as a significant incremental stimulus to the future prosperity of the state economy.
Funded through innovative public-private partnerships, various routes are to be completed as justified by traffic patterns and economic feasibility, beginning with the TTC-35 route. The TTC-35 is approximately 800 miles long and a maximum of 1,200 feet (less than 1/4 mile) in width and runs basically parallel to I-35.
My firm recently completed an study of the TTC entitled "Moving Into Prosperity: The Potential Impact of the Trans-Texas Corridor on Business Activity in Texas." Here are some of the key findings from our analysis.
The economic stimulus associated with development of the TTC system is substantial. Over the next 25 hears, the cumulative overall benefits of the TTC-35 are conservatively estimated to be $1.429 trillion (in constant 2005 dollars) in Gross State Product ($845.5 billion on a net present value basis) and 14.829 million person-years of employment. These benefits would continue to grow, and other corridors such as the proposed TTC-69, would generate substantial additional effects.
Construction and development of the Trans-Texas Corridor stands to fundamentally shift the Texas economy into a more competitive position. TTC development will stimulate business activity and investment in the areas along the corridor routes. Because the TTC enhances efficiency, improves logistics and reduces transportation time and costs, it increases the ability of companies within the region to expand intrastate trade and operations and, thus, increases market size and market share on a global basis. These factors improve competitiveness and profitability across a broad spectrum of industrial sectors and the strategic position of Texas as a site for corporate locations and expansions is enhanced.
The activity generated by the TTC also provides investment, job opportunities and increased tax revenues to municipalities and other local governments throughout the relevant areas. Moreover, at project maturity, local government revenues from other sources (such as sales and occupancy taxes) will rise by about $1.4 billion per year (in constant 2005 dollars). These amounts can be used to enhance public services and other infrastructure to better meet existing needs and accommodate the higher levels of business activity and prosperity.
Rural areas also benefit, and the net taxable value of agricultural land along the TTC-35 corridor is expected to rise by a minimum of 8.1 percent based on aggregate receipts (net of land removed for right-of-way). Even using maximum reductions in agricultural production, the annual gains to farmers and ranchers from enhanced efficiency and development exceed the losses by a ratio of 39.4 to 1 in the TTC-35 area. Under the conservative value capture scenarios for intracorridor and external trade, the agriculture sector enjoys a net gain of $1.7 billion per year (in constant 2005 dollars) and 10,927 jobs along the TTC-35 route. Even in the absence of intracorridor and external trade gains, the net impact on the agriculture sector remains positive.
Individuals within the corridor areas would enjoy reduced travel times, more cost-effective purchasing options and increased job opportunities. Local residents also benefit from lower levels of congestion, greater public safety and improved environmental conditions. These quality-of-life effects are notable; traffic congestion is an important factor in the perceived desirability of living in various areas. Enhancing Texas highway infrastructure will better position the state to attract firms with large concentrations of knowledge workers and other desirable forms of economic development.
By leveraging private resources, the state is able to increase overall competitiveness and the business climate. At maturity, the activity generated with the TTC-35 brings an annual increment to state revenue of approximately $6.9 billion per annum (in constant 2005 dollars) while the TTC-69 offers a yearly revenue enhancement to the state of about $3.2 billion.
The TTC provides much-needed transportation capacity to meet the long-term growth requirements of the Lone Star State. The enhanced system of transportation will increase productivity and earnings of companies operating within the state and strengthen the attractiveness of Texas as a location for other businesses. Decreasing congestion also has a positive impact on quality of life.
In short, the TTC improves the competitive position of Texas in the national and international marketplace. Change is always difficult, and new ideas often face substantial concern and controversy. Election season doesn't do anything to help the situation. Nevertheless, infrastructure to support economic growth is essential to achieving long-term prosperity and the TTC represents a fundamental new concept that will enhance the prosperity of Texas and Texans in both absolute and relative terms for generations to come.
Gubernatorial candidates take stand on Trans-Texas Corridor (spot the media bias)
Waco economist touts financial impact of Trans Texas Corridor
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
For those of you who haven't seen this at You Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSIZ2-1kLnY
Nuff Said...
BTTT
More flat-out lies from Strayhorn. That ad looks like (and has the same accuracy) as the liberal lies about Halliburton and Cheney. Lots of BS scare tactics, such as claiming that 500,000 persons would be displaced by the TTC. Anyone who believes anywhere close to that number would be displaced is a complete idiot.
bump.
TTC, another idea from 'safe seat' Republicans
more freeway frontage property,
in the making.
not that the current owners benefit
c'mon folks, grown up and learn how
roads are routed
Are you sure? When I looked at the Master Plan Cintra-Zachry and TxDOT put out last month, the various planned routes had little in the way of frontage roads.
Well, I must say that I feel pretty good about voting to dump Gov. Goodhair yesterday in early voting. WooHoo!
B.S.may be your problem. Listen to it again. There is no mention that 500,000 persons would be displaced by the TCC.
I won't comment on the idiot part of your post.
The ability to move drugs, illegals, slave labor, terrorists, guns, gangs, cheap shoes, steal private property, by-pass the U.S. Constitution and Congress in an efficient manner is essential to completing the destruction of our borders, our language, our culture, our political and legal systems, our sovereignty, and our Republic.
Bigger, faster, and cheaper, is not necessarily better.
"Keep America As A Melting Pot -- Not A Chamber Pot!" -- M. Savage
I'm lazy, Tuesday it will be a straight ticket, hope goodhair wins by the slimest of margins and then I will write him daily.
Hope he gets investigated out the wazoo, he wants to be one of them, let him... (you reap what you sow)
TT
Weiner, Michael Weiner
is a fraud and a schlub
TT
Opposing a highway because it might make it easier for some illegal aliens and drug dealers to move around is like supporting gun control because some people use guns in school shootings.
is a fraud and a schlub"
But Michael Savage is a political showman and may just be responsible for influencing his 8 million listeners to vote straight Republican Tuesday.
Call him what you will.
Ah, yes. If it were only that simple. Tell you what. Refute all the points Corsi and Gilchrest are making concerning this and I'll help shovel the gravel.
Hey Hydro,
Your man Kinky has not called me, mailed me, or even spammed my spam-only e-mail. What gives? I demand a better showing from him. I truly believe in his potential to split, er, motivate the liberal base in '08. I have been buying his salsa and everything. I already cast my ballot in EV, yet would really like the Kinkster to toss a little campaign cash around. Simply to gauge how well he will be used, er, positioned in future efforts.
Is this the same M Savage that donates to Liberal Dem campaigns?
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