Help wanted: Sound transportation policy

East Texas Review ^ | August 29, 2007 | William Lutz

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Trans-Texas Corridor PING!

[ken21]

they need to tell perry and his thugs to take a hike.

afterwards, the people of texas should decide what roads to build.

i’m not against new freeways.

[org.whodat]

I think they need to start checking the bank accounts of the texas DOT to see who has been bought off.

[zeugma]

It would also help if they didn’t keep stealing our highway money for other things.

[zeugma]

I think they need to start checking the bank accounts of the texas DOT to see who has been bought off.

Texas has turned into a criminal enterprise IMO. Perhaps the politics of the folks to our south are flowing with their invaders. 

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Ben Ficklin]

Maybe you should be more concerned with all the road tax increases in Virginia?

[wolfcreek]

“PR campaign to sell to Texas voters.”

The People HAVE spoken. Perry can go take a leap.

[wolfcreek]

Virginia is trying to play the same game. Creating these unelected, basically ungovernable agencies (RMAs) and bigger Gov.

[TXnMA]

Thanks for the ping!

[Ben Ficklin]

"ungovernable agencies"

Like the North Texas Toll Road Authority or the DFW Airport Board or the North Texas Council of Governments.

I think that time will show, and as a few states have followed, more states will also follow Texas' method of organizing transportation authority.

[TXnMA]

The relationship between damage to a road and weight is exponential....

Exactly!

The only thing about the TTC concept that makes sense is the building of separate truck lanes. Doing so would:

1. Remove the road-smashing freight loads from existing (toll-free) interstates, etc, so that they would last far longer -- especially if well-maintained.

2. Greatly reduce the traffic loads so that existing roads can carry much greater POV traffic.

3. Remove one of the major existing safeiy hazards (mixing trucks and autos) from passenger roads.

4. Facilitate policing (traffic, weight loading, smuggling, terrrorism, etc.) of trucks (especially Mexican trucks) cargo.

TXDOT has absolutely no business dictating where utilities and rail tracks run. And they da*n sure have no business putting theim in expensive, fenced off (read "uncrossable") rights of way (ROWs) along with passenger lanes.

[TXnMA]

"ungovernable agencies"

The only reason local road authorities are being created is to work around the fact that Perry/Willamson's TXDOT itself has become an "ungovernable agency".

The Legislature should clean out that rat's nest (TXDOT) and legislate that their charter is forevermore constrained to building and maintaining roads -- only...

[wolfcreek]

Like CTRMA:

Governance
The Mobility Authority is an independent government agency with a seven member Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board is appointed by the Governor of Texas. The Travis County Commissioner’s Court appoints three members and the Williamson County Commissioner’s Court appoints three. The Board Members serve two year terms and can be reappointed. The Mobility Authority is run by an Executive Director and a staff of approximately a dozen individuals.

In the case of the TTC, one commissioner from each county effected.

[Ben Ficklin]

The state legislature has stolen uncountable sums of road tax money, yet you say that they will save us from the evil engineers at TxDot.

[Ben Ficklin]

Do they have the authority to tax?

[org.whodat]

Maybe you should be more concerned with all the road tax increases in Virginia?Maybe you should kiss my elbow! Unlike you I am against the selling of American highway and bridges to the Saudis and their partners.

[Ben Ficklin]

Changing the subject?