Posted on 01/21/2008 2:13:20 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
State Sen. Glen Hegar says he opposes a route that would bring the mammoth Trans Texas Corridor through his district.
The Texas Department of Transportation has kicked off a series of public meetings to discuss the project. Meetings are scheduled for Tuesday in Hempstead (6:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 22892 Mack Washington St.) and Jan. 29 in Bellville (at the Austin County fairgrounds, also beginning at 6:30 p.m.).
No meetings are scheduled in Washington County, which likely wouldn’t be impacted much by the highway project.
Much of the discussion in public meetings already held centers on Interstate 69, a north-south superhighway through East Texas and into South Texas that would follow the route of U.S. 59.
Gov. Rick Perry first proposed the TTC six years ago. It would roughly parallel interstate highways with up to a quarter-mile-wide stretch of toll roads, rail lines, pipelines and utility lines. Cost of the project has been estimated at approaching $200 billion, the biggest construction project ever in Texas.
If eventually approved, it wouldn’t be completed for decades.
Hegar says he isn’t convinced that the project is a good thing.
“As Texas grows from 23 million to 40 million residents over the next several decades, careful study of the expansion of our highway system will be needed to ensure a healthy business climate and the continued flow of jobs to Texas,” he said.
“With this tremendous growth we must take great care in planning to protect our natural resources and quality of life. I do not believe a 1,200-foot wide corridor is necessary in Senate District 18, and I know that many of my constituents agree. That is why I strongly encourage attendance at these extremely important meetings.”
State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) has also weighed in against the project.
Hegar also said that TxDOT is gathering applications for advisory committees that will study the project’s development and include affected property and business owners, representatives of local government and chambers of commerce, as well as environmental, technical, and engineering experts, among others.
Applications are available at www.txdot.gov and are due by Feb. 8.
By Stephen Palkot
Monday, January 21, 2008
A public hearing in Rosenberg Thursday will give Fort Bend County residents a chance to speak out on one of the most highly contentious public projects in the state.
The Trans-Texas Corridor/I-69 project is a massive, multi-modal transportation corridor designed to carry trade traffic to and from the state roughly along the Gulf Coast, and to take on traffic increases expected with the state's ongoing population growth.
The corridor is expected to start near Brownsville or Laredo at its southern end and mostly follow the route of U.S. 59 for connections to Louisiana and Arkansas.
Notably, the main artery of this corridor, expected to feature rail lines alongside dedicated car and truck lanes, will be bypassing Fort Bend County and the Houston area. However, current maps of the project show that a “connector” corridor has been planned that would run through southern Fort Bend County and ultimately connect traffic to area ports and cities.
Specifically, the TTC-69 could impact Fort Bend County with what is called Section S. Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maps show planners are examining the possibility of Section S passing either between Beasley and Kendleton or cutting across the county south of Needville. No final route has been determined, and five variations are being explored within a swath of land.
Criticisms of the TTC concept have run the gamut from landowners opposing a property grab to a growing fear that the international implications of the TTC could erode the sovereignty of the United States. TxDOT has proposed that a private company could built the project and charge tolls and other fees for its use.
Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert said he believes the connection corridors contemplated to run through Fort Bend County are likely being considered to handle traffic to and from the Port of Freeport.
Many decisions lie ahead, said Hebert, so he said he encourages Fort Bend County residents to comment on the project.
“TxDOT seems to have relaxed their drive to do a 1,000-foot-wide corridor project, and they're amendable to putting in a size the local communities find more friendly,” he said.
The hearing will take place over two portions on Thursday, Jan. 24. From 5-6:30 p.m., members of the public are invited to view a series of panels about the project and to speak directly with TxDOT engineers and employees. Starting at 6:30 p.m., TxDOT will conduct a more traditional “public hearing,” where individuals will be allowed to offer commentary on the project.
The hearing will take place at the Rosenberg Civic and Convention Center, located at 3825 Highway 36 south of town. The following day, a similar hearing is scheduled for the same hours in East Bernard, at Riverside Hall, 14643 Buhls Road.
Trans-Texas Corridor PING!
Hegar has my vote.
TTC - the “Two Texases Corridor” idiodicy, bisecting Texas into two states. It is hard enough to get across a normal freeway, and crossings are expensive not easy to get implemented, but how could we afford all the trillions of dollars for crossings of this monstrosity?
How many bridges cross the Mississippi River, and how much do they cost? I can see the TTC now, where you must drive 80 miles to get across it, up 40 and back 40.
And considering how expensive they will be to build, they will probably have to be toll bridges to cross this super expensive, United States destroying fiasco.
IMPEACH PERRY !!!
Dumb Idea ! DUMB ! DUMBER!! DUMBEST !!!
STOP TTC !
BTTT
Hmmm? Listening to the voters..........novel idea.
“IMPEACH PERRY” I have heard that is not an option.
If you can find in Texas law where we can, count me in.
Impeach Perry !!!! - Quote:
www.odessa.edu/dept/govt/dille/brian/courses/2306C/UNIT6A.doc
Texas Government 2306—Unit 6 lecture notes
Although the Texas governor, like most state governors, can be impeached, Jim Ferguson (in 1917) is the only Texas governor to suffer that fate. The reasons were more political than having to do with any real misuse of power or illegal behavior.
...
impeachment: the process used to remove the governor; the state house of representatives, by majority of those present, adopts articles of impeachment and the state senate, by a two thirds majority of those present, can convict and remove the governor from office.
The normal MO for TXDOT is to get the CC involved, let them blow smoke about all the “Econmic Development” the plan would bring and let the Chambers carry the ball and block resistance. That is what they did on SH 190 in Dallas County back in the early 90’s.
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