Saturday, December 16, 2006
The Trans-Texas Corridor is one of many possible solutions for creating a better state transportation system.
Few question the projections of significantly increased traffic over the next few decades, nor the obvious approaching gridlock on Interstate 35.
However, the TTC is more costly to Texans, more damaging to the environment and more destructive of Texas farms, ranches and small communities than other options.
Anyone would agree that current and projected truck traffic present a major problem. An easy way to carry cargo across Texas, with no adverse impact to the existing highway system, is to build new rail lines that are dedicated to cargo only.
The system could be substantially funded by charging each cargo truck at least what the trucker currently spends to deliver goods in and across our state (in fuel, vehicle maintenance, personnel, vehicle registration fees and associated expenses).
The Texas Department of Transportation should clearly state how much current and future truck traffic could be removed from the I-35 system by this method, so that Texans could compare the costs and projected I-35 traffic with the results expected from the TTC.
Pavement-design engineers generally assume that one truck pass causes more pavement damage than 4,000 passes of a passenger vehicle. Substantially reducing the truck traffic would result in much lower maintenance costs for I-35.
Passenger traffic capacity should also be more than adequate for the passenger vehicles that would be using the system for the next several years.
To simplify right-of-way issues, the rail system could generally follow I-35.
Sure, anticipated passenger traffic is a problem. But significantly reducing truck traffic would put this problem on the back-burner for several years.
Long-term, a passenger rail system could further reduce traffic to keep I-35 viable as a primary corridor of transportation.
A high-speed rail system, shelved after serious consideration in the 1990s, should be reconsidered to connect Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Waco and Dallas, with Waco at the tip of the triangle so that College Station can be on the Waco/Houston leg.
Travelers opposed to sitting in highway traffic would likely take the train, and a proper rail system would have less adverse environmental impact than increased plane travel.
To consider these and other alternatives to the TTC, Texas’ leaders should create a more inclusive process to develop plans that more Texans would generally agree are necessary and appropriate.
I attended two local hearings on the TTC in which the public expressed overwhelming opposition to the toll road. I hope Texas leaders will listen to the people of Texas as expressed through the public hearings and make sure agreements between the state and private entities concerning such major public projects are kept open for public review.
Ottis Foster of McGregor is a licensed engineer.
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
Some parts were 4 lane divided highway, some were 2 lane country road all connected at once.
They built when the money was available and let it sit for years when money was scarce.
It was one screwed up road.
"Cole said that like most people at the meeting, she is also part of the Baby Boomer generation and that most of the people would most likely be dead in 20 years when the Outer Loop is completed."
Well that certainly makes me feel better about the whole thing. s/