State of TX monitors movement of toll road workers

In this article today titled "State Claims Toll Tags Easy to Use, Hard to Abuse", a spokesman for the State of Texas (Gabi Garcia) says although they do not charge Toll Fees to contractors who maintain and operate Toll Roads, "the movement of those contractors is monitored to guard against abuse or fraud."

I just found that interesting.

State chooses NTTA for SH 121

The approval still leaves an opening for Cintra if deadlines are not met..

"The commission’s decision allows the NTTA 60 days to reach a project agreement with the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) and 45 days to close on that agreement. If the deadlines are missed, the contract would be awarded to Cintra, the private Spanish company that had been tentatively given the project in February"...........

Well it looks like the pressure TxDOT has been under this year has had some affect.

"Williamson said “baseless” accusations and “unattributed quotes” about the character of TxDOT staff have made him wary of encouraging the department to get re-involved in the process."

“Every time something doesn’t work, it is always TxDOT’s fault,” Williamson said. “I am having a hard time keeping district engineers…because they are getting beat up by public officials.”

It wasn't quit the outcome the NTTA wanted......

“They could have canceled the Cintra procurement and awarded the project outright to us,” Wageman said. “I think we have to be very focused on getting this thing done in the time frame allowed us. “

“By the end of the day today, or certainly by Monday, we will work up a schedule with the RTC so that we can drive this thing to a successful conclusion,” Wageman said.


Whole Article......

State may defy local leaders on 121 toll plan

Dallas Morning News Report:

Money, politics could push panel to override choice of NTTA

The Texas Transportation Commission has made a habit of honoring local leaders' decisions.

But when commissioners meet Thursday to consider North Texas leaders' plans for the politically charged State Highway 121 toll road, nobody expects a rubber stamp.

The Regional Transportation Council voted 27-10 last week to endorse the North Texas Tollway Authority for the multibillion-dollar project. If ratified by the commission, the local vote would torpedo an earlier deal the state reached with the Spanish company Cintra.

Commissioners have never overruled a decision by the regional council, but with so much money and politics at stake, Highway 121 could set a precedent.

Read More.....

Houston - As Westpark tolls rise, so do tempers

Drivers up in arms after officials double the fee at peak hours to ease congestion

Harris County Commissioners Court's decision Tuesday to fight congestion on the three-year-old Westpark Tollway by forcing some drivers off the road with higher rush-hour fees drew the ire of cash-strapped commuters.

And a dismissive response from Commissioner Steve Radack — "Let them go down Richmond Road" — made the new $2.50 tolls even less palatable for some.

Commuter Vic Stewart, in an e-mail, said of the Commissioners Court, "And 'Let them eat cake!' They'll certainly have time."

Commissioners Court voted unanimously to hike fees to $2.50 from 6-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m., hoping fewer drivers will use the tollway.

The court, also in a unanimous vote, raised fees by 25 cents on all county toll roads. The increases will go into effect in September.

With the toll roads already known among some area residents as "Lexus Lanes," the new prices left some drivers wondering whether the court has forgotten about working people.

More....

NTTA gets OK for 121 toll project

Today, The Dallas Morning News reports that the local Regional Transportation Council endorsed the North Texas Tollway Authority over Perry/TxDOT favored Cintra.

"The 27-10 vote Monday by the Regional Transportation Council sets the stage for a showdown in Austin at the Texas Transportation Commission, which is expected to make a final decision June 28. While the commission has previously said it will place great emphasis on the council’s vote, it is not bound to do so, TxDOT spokesman Randall Dillard said."

"Council members appear to have been convinced that endorsing a local entity, with a long history of building and operating toll roads in North Texas, was preferable to awarding the contract to a private company based in Spain that builds toll roads across the world, but which has limited experienced in Texas."

“What it really boils down to is whether the dollars that are made here stay here in Texas, or if they are going to fly off [as corporate profits] to Delaware, or wherever they go,” said Dallas City Council member Bill Blaydes."

Commission authorizes more than 80 toll road projects across Texas

This from articles in the Statesman and Texarckana Gazette today:

"State lawmakers recently passed a two-year moratorium on some private toll road contracts. The law still allows local and state planners to move on the new toll projects....

“The message we got was toll roads are OK, but we don’t want privately owned roads,” said Ric Williamson, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, which approved the projects."

Government left unchecked will only get bigger. The bigger and more powerful it becomes, the more self-serving it becomes.

Those in positions of power, rather elected or APPOINTED, begin to make decisions based on their own greed. Instead of serving the public, they contrive schemes to profit from public funds.

They change laws to benefit their own agenda, they create committees and agencies staffed with individuals who will do their bidding. They hide behind these committees to protect their true intentions from the mostly unknowing public. NEWS FLASH: The Governors office signs a "compromise bill" BEHIND THE SCENES: his committees continue with the mission as he intended.

Absent a dictatorship, government grows slowly while the sleeping masses allow it to be fed term after term.

There is no difference in party. All politicians are subject to the temptation of power and money. They must be rotated out of office frequently to keep them honest. Career politicians make a living off of manipulating law for personal gain.

It's time for a rotation.

S. Fla. a step closer to converting I-95's carpool lanes into 'Lexus' lanes

"We're very pleased," said Alice Bravo, who is overseeing the Florida Department of Transportation's $200 million plan to convert I-95's carpool lanes into express toll lanes between Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

If the region doesn't get federal funds, officials are still committed to the project. But the timeframe would be delayed, Bravo said.

Are all these DOT people related? They all talk the same.

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Thursday that the region is among nine semifinalists competing for $1.1 billion in federal funds to help cities fight gridlock.

It's a Federal Funding LOTO, eerr BRIBE!

South Florida is competing against New York, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. Up to five cities will split the money, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. The winners will be announced in August.

Read it all....

CAMPO's 2030 plan, ALL TOLLs

According to CAMPO's 2030 plan, only 4 sections of highway will not be tolled in Austin. This is an insane example of poor management of tax dollars. I think I will not have my family living in such a city before to long.

Map:
http://www.campotexas.org/pdfs/Map5-2.pdf

Plan:
http://www.campotexas.org/pdfs/AdoptedMobility2030Plan.pdf

Without a Tx-Tag you'll start playing on 183-A today

590 KLBJ-AM
Motorists without Tx-Tags will begin paying to drive most of the 183-A toll road this morning. If these drivers blow through the southern most electronic toll plaza of 183-A near Lakeline Mall, they will be charged a $5.00 fee on top of the 45-cent toll. Steve Pustelnyk, with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority says their intent is to eventually go to electronic tolling only.....

News8 Austin
"If you don't have the money, we'll be taking a picture of your license plate and we'll be sending you a notice in the mail just letting you know we are now charging and you need to pay the toll. Eventually that notice will turn into a $5 administrative fee, plus the toll that will be due,".....



Mapping out how to pay on 183-A
The pay structure is complicated. Click above to learn what to pay, where to pay and how to pay.

MoPac managed lanes: A question of safety

Special lanes in Dallas have sharply increased accidents, but engineers say MoPac plan would address flaws.

Commentary by Ben Wear:

New HW183/SH45 tollway flyover to open soon

Next week, the latest portion of the Central Texas Turnpike will open up to traffic.

The focal point is on the massive flyover interchange, near Lakeline Mall, that will connect Highway 183 to the new SH 45 tollway.

The opening of the interchange will complete a core section of the turnpike project. It links to SH 45, creating a new major east-west connector around North Austin.

Tolls will not be collected on the new intersection of SH 45 until later this summer. But getting through to the 183-A tollway will cost you. Tolls will be collected starting May 1.

more KVUE...

Public Private Partnerships - Pushed by Bush Administration

The Federal Highway Administration has an entire training program on it's wedsite designed to teach state governments how to implement "PPP" projects specifically designed to lease public highways to investment consortia desiring to run the roads as toll roads under long-term leases.

More about PPP than you ever wanted to know.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/PPP/index.htm

Senate unanimous: No private toll roads for at least two years

AUSTIN — The Texas Senate voted unanimously Thursday for a two-year moratorium on private company toll roads —

"You have House clarity. You have Senate clarity," Nichols said. "There's an obvious will by this body to take the time to study private-equity contracts before we lock up many (road) contracts of our transportation system that cannot be corrected until our children and grandchildren are past retirement."

A recent study showed private toll roads could net investors nearly $300 billion over the next 50 years for part of one project.

MORE.....

Moratorium Bill (HB1892) Passes Out of Senate Committee Unanimously

Corridorwatch.org issued this press release today:

HB1892 is on the way to a vote by the full Senate with a committee recommendation that it be passed.

Arnold Romberg represented CorridorWatch today giving testimony before the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee in support of a moratorium on Comprehensive Development Agreements.

The bill passed with seven amendments.

A series of amendments were offered and attached to protect and/or allow a number of regional and local projects to continue. However, none of the amendments to HB1892 made by the House or by the Senate keep it from putting TTC-35 and TTC-69 on hold for the next two years.

It was well into the evening before the bill was brought up again, given its last three of seven amendments, and put to a vote. All nine Senators on the committee were present and voted for their HB1892 substitution. And, they certified it for the local and uncontested calendar.

First a vote by the full Senate, then back to the House.

HB1892 should move quickly now. First stop will be a vote on the floor of the Senate where it is unlikely to see any additional amendment. Then back to the House where it will either be concurred with or sent to conference committee. Given the tremendous support shown so far we fully expect that the Senate substitution will be accepted by the House.

Then what? It gets sent to the Governor, that's what.

Before you know it HB1892 could be on the Governor's desk. Will he sign it? Not likely. No really, that's not very likely.

Will he veto it? Maybe. But if he does it looks like there will be enough time and support to overturn a veto. We're told that it has been more than 30 years since a Texas Governor had a veto overturned. Does Governor Perry want to add his name to that column in the record book?

Well done ya'll! It's goal and only inches to go.

This has been a tremendous effort and you all are to be congratulated on what you have accomplished so far. Yes, it is to soon to count our chickens, but we sure are sitting on a lot of nice looking eggs.

When we have that two-year moratorium as law we will certainly celebrate and name names. But until then we will keep our heads in the game, not lose sight of the finish line, and be vigilant for any threat to our pending success.

Congratulations Texas!

We are one more giant leap closer to stopping the Trans Texas Corridor.

Thank You!

David & Linda Stall

CorridorWatch.org

every scam requires a sucker

I love this commentary by Jay Bookman:

"Get your free money!" the sales pitch goes. "Billions and billions of dollars in free money! Just step right up and sign right here on the dotted line. ..."

And public officials, desperate for money to build badly needed roads and bridges, are indeed stepping right up. In Indiana, a private consortium recently handed the state a cool $3.8 billion in return for the right to collect tolls for 75 years on the state-owned Indiana Toll Road. In Chicago, city leaders have collected $1.83 billion in return for a 99-year lease on the Chicago Skyway toll road. In Texas, a private group has agreed to pay the state $2.1 billion just for the right to build a toll road that doesn't even exist yet. And by the end of the year, Georgia Transportation Commissioner Harold Linnenkohl expects a similar type of long-term lease deal will be floated for an unspecified project here in metro Atlanta.

It all sounds so sweet: State officials get billions of dollars without having to raise taxes; private companies get long-term leases on toll projects that are all but guaranteed to turn a nice profit for them, year after year; bankers, financial analysts, lawyers and consultants all get a healthy cut of the billions passing through their hands. Everybody's happy.

But of course, to make such an arrangement work, there's gotta be a sucker somewhere. Look in the mirror. You're it.

Read the whole thing here.

"Managed Lanes" (Toll Roads) Planned for Mopac Expressway

Quoting a bizjournel.com article,

"The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has approved the managed lanes project in its transportation improvement plan, and along with the Texas Department of Transportation, has found a way to build the extra lanes without taking any right-of-way from the Union Pacific line or any of the property that abuts MoPac.

The new plan calls for the lanes, one in each direction, to run from Town Lake to Parmer Lane. By narrowing existing lanes from 12 feet to 11 feet and making MoPac's shoulders narrower, TxDOT has found a way to add the lanes in already existing space. Kelly says that reduces the price tag by at least $10 million, because it eliminate the need to pay Union Pacific an acquisition fee and build a debris containment wall."

My Comments:
The tax payers own this right of way. Why in the world would they think it's OK to narrow existing lanes and the shoulders, add a lane and then charge a fee to use it?

Additionally, adding lanes while reducing lanes size and shoulders seems dangerous. Are they planning to lower the speed limit to 55 mph?

More Articles:

Statesman: Plan would change Mopac from 6 to 8 lanes

KVUE: Proposal unveiled to extend Mopac from six to eight lanes

KXAN: TxDOT Proposal Expands Mopac Without Widening Road

Carlos Guerra: Stopping toll roads not so simple when the Legislature is involved

www.mysanantonio.com

Indiana Governor withdraws Toll Road Proposals

Perry should be so wise...

Press Release

INDIANAPOLIS (March 24, 2007) -- Governor Daniels today contacted Indiana House and Senate leadership as well as members of the Senate Homeland Security, Transportation and Veterans Committee, the House Roads and Transportation Committee and legislators in the areas of the proposed Indiana Commerce Connector and Illiana Expressway to advise them that he is withdrawing his suggestion that action be taken on the Indiana Commerce Connector or the Illiana Expressway east of Interstate 65. The governor suggests moving forward on the Illiana concept west of Interstate 65.

The text of the governor’s letter, dated today and sent to Senator Thomas Wyss, author of SB1 and chairman of the Homeland Security, Transportation and Veterans Committee, and Representative Terri Austin, chairwoman of the Roads and Transportation Committee and copied to the aforementioned groups, is below. An imaged copy of the letter to Senator Wyss (the letter to Rep. Austin is identical) is also attached.

“Like you, I have been paying close attention to the vigorous public discussion around my proposal to explore new privately funded bypass roads in Northwest and Central Indiana. After legislative action to date, some forty public meetings, and lots of other open debate, it is clear to me that we are far from the degree of consensus that is necessary before embarking on major public works projects of high local impact.

Accordingly, I withdraw the suggestion that any action be taken on an Indiana Commerce Connector, or an Illiana Expressway east of I-65. Either of these ideas might benefit from further research, and I would welcome some form of that if your committees are so inclined. But the people of the affected areas have spoken clearly enough to persuade me that these ideas are, at best, premature.

By contrast, an Illiana bypass from I-65 west seems to be broadly supported and can, I hope, be given the chance to move forward.

I appreciate the citizenship of everyone who participated in these two debates. We must never be afraid to venture new ideas for fear of controversy; a state that does that will surely stagnate. But we must also never assume that every new idea is a good one, or imperative to act on immediately.

I hope that you will reshape the legislation along the above lines, but am happy to work with you on whatever approach you deem best for the interests of our state.”

Source: Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels' Office

Senate committee approves two nominees to the Texas Transportation Commission

2/22/07

Ned Holmes of Houston and Fred Underwood of Lubbock where approved by the Senate Nominations Committee after a grilling.

The Texas Transportation Commission has five members, all appointed by Governor Perry.

According to statesman.com, the two at "times looked like deer caught in headlights, as senators grilled them about their views on controversies that have been swirling for months around the agency's management and operations."



So what is the Texas Transportation Commission?
Here's what TxDOT says:

The Texas Transportation Commission consists of five commissioners appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the senate to govern the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The commissioners' six-year terms are staggered, so that an appointment is generally made every two years. The governor designates one commissioner to serve as the chair.

What are the commission’s responsibilities?

• planning and making policies for the location, construction and maintenance of state highways,
• overseeing the design, construction, maintenance and operation of the state highway system,
• developing a statewide transportation plan that contains all modes of transportation, including highways and turnpikes, aviation, mass transportation, railroads, high-speed railroads and water traffic,
• awarding contracts for the improvement of the state highway system,
• encouraging, fostering and assisting in the development of public and mass transportation in the state, and
• adopting rules for the operation of the department.

A complete list of Commission duties is available in the Texas Administrative Code.

Who determines which projects to present to the commission?

A majority of the state's transportation program is determined locally. Most projects involving local roads or improvements to existing highways are selected by TxDOT's districts and divisions.

Major projects that improve mobility or safety are selected by the commission as part of the Unified Transportation Program, a 10-year statewide plan for transportation project development. These high-cost projects must compete with similar jobs from all over the state to receive funding.

Each must follow three authorization stages: planning, development and construction. Due to complex planning and development requirements, the commission selects projects up to four years in advance based on anticipated funding.


For a complete FAQ list, visit http://www.txdot.state.tx.us/frequently_asked_questions/commission.htm

Bill to protect personal information of Toll Road users

2/12/07

In addition to HB719 and HB857 relating to toll roads, TX State Rep. Lebowitz has filed HB570 which will protect personal information that toll agencies gain from vehicle license plates of drivers who use toll roads.

The bill will restrict the use of information to only:
a) toll collection and toll enforcement
b) law enforcement purposes by request of a law enforcement agency

This bill also calls for the same controls if a toll entity enters into an agreement to share information with an entity in another state.

Full test of HB570 can be read on the TX Legislator webite.

All three House Bills are currently in review by the Transportation Committee.

Who chairs the Transportation Committee?
Mike Krusee, dubbed a "Double Taxer" by founders of TexasTollParty.com chairs the Transportation Committee. In 2001, he authored HB3588 which allowed creation of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) and gave it power to construct, maintain and operate toll roads including raising revenue and acquiring property without public vote. The "Double Taxer" term refers to putting tolls on existing roads or roads already planned to build with public tax money.
With the passing of HB3588, the CTRMA was formed in 2002 with Mike Heilgenstien as executive director. CTRMA has come under fire by the Texas Comptroller who points to evidence that its board members have personal holding and business interests that present a conflict of interests. In 2005 she called for the resignation of it's chairman and a board member.

It will be interesting to see how Mike Krusee's role as Transportation Committee Chair will impact HB719 and HB857.

~AustinMojo~