Latest News :: Texas TURF

Revolving door: LaHood subsidizes company then goes to work for it

Link to article here.

The revolving door keeps spinning...

Obama appointee subsidizes electric bus company, then goes to work for it
By Timothy Carney
Washington Examiner
February 26, 2014

Washington's green revolving door keeps on spinning.

President Obama’s Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has left the administration and joined the board of an electric bus company he subsidized and praised while in office.

Proterra Inc. makes buses that require no gasoline or diesel – they run on electricity and fuel cells.

You can see why electric buses would appeal to cities that want to clean the air and reduce fuel usage: City buses run a predictable number of miles a day, averting worries about dead batteries. Also, a fleet of buses creates economies of scale that can make recharging infrastructure economical.

Property rights trump in Keystone Pipeline in Nebraska

Link to article here.

Individual property rights trump Keystone XL in Nebraska
By Timothy Carney
February 21, 2014
Washington Examiner

Should a Canadian corporation be allowed to take land rights from a small Nebraska rancher? Should conservatives side with Big Government and Canadians over private landowners?

A court in Nebraska has put the brakes on the Keystone XL pipeline in a case that started with land rights. The plaintiffs were landowners in Keystone's path who didn't want to sell, and so became victims of eminent domain to benefit Keystone.

Alamo license plate money doesn't go to roads

Yet another diversion of money raised from our vehicles to non-road purposes. This revenue should be going to shore-up the enormous funding shortfall for roads, not get dumped into general revenue to get pilfered for non-road purposes!

Remember the Alamo while you drive
By Kolten Parker
February 5, 2014
Express-News

SAN ANTONIO — Attention, Alamo City faithful.

For the first time, a San Antonio-themed Texas license plate is available from the Department of Motor Vehicles that reads “ALAMO TX”. The vanity plate is a part of an auction held by MyPlates, which is under contract with the DMV, which includes 20 American city-themed license plates such as Chicago, Dallas and New York.

The bidding started at $1,000 Tuesday and runs through March 3. The winner of each plate will choose from 30 different plate designs and have the rights to the vanity plate for 10 years.

Read the rest of the story here.

Vandergriff opposes TxDOT turnback of state roads to cities

Link to article here.

Also see my article on how the City of San Antonio caved and took over state roads with next to nothing gained in return.

Transportation Commissioner Victor Vandergriff questions TxDOT proposal to send some state road upkeep to cities
By Tom Benning
Dallas Morning News
August 21, 2013

Texas Transportation Commissioner Victor Vandergriff said Wednesday that he has reservations about a transportation department proposal to transfer maintenance of nearly 1,900 miles of state highways to Dallas and other urban areas.

Vandergriff, an Arlington businessman, said he knows the Texas Department of Transportation must find ways to shore up its depleted coffers. And he said some roads would likely be better served under cities’ controls.

But Vandergriff expressed concern that many of the cities and counties being considered just don’t have the budget flexibility to absorb those roads’ maintenance costs: an estimated $165 million a year statewide.

“We’re going to have a pretty robust discussion about whether this is a wise move,” he said after a ribbon-cutting for the DFW Connector project in Grapevine. “For me personally, I question it.”
Vandergriff and the four other transportation commissioners are slated to explore the plan Aug. 29 at a meeting in Austin. No action will be taken, and TxDOT has invited city and county leaders to share their thoughts on the idea.

TxDOT notified cities and counties – in and around large, urban areas – of the cost-cutting “turnback” program in a letter last week.

In TxDOT’s Dallas district – which includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Rockwall, Kaufman and Navarro counties – the agency has identified 70 road segments that could be sent back to cities.
That nearly 265 miles of road includes 37 miles of Northwest Highway in Dallas, 11 miles of Cross Timbers Road in Flower Mound and six miles of Irving Boulevard in Irving.

Phil Wilson, TxDOT’s executive director, reiterated Wednesday that his agency is dealing with the realities of a budget that needs another $3 billion a year. And that’s even after the Legislature this year found TxDOT an extra $1.2 billion annually, pending voter approval.

Wilson, also at the DFW Connector ribbon cutting, said TxDOT started looking at roads that have evolved beyond their initial purpose. Many are state farm-to-market roads or other arterial roads that have grown into city streets that serve local traffic.

“These roads are not really about what TxDOT’s historic mission has been about: connectivity from city-to-city,” he said.

Wilson, who stressed that the conversation was just beginning, said cities could benefit in some ways from the increased local control. He said cities would have the final say over things like driveway access, speed limits and maintenance schedules.

But the Texas Municipal League has panned the plan, as has Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price. And Vandergriff’s position could signal broader opposition, especially since he said he’s already heard grumbling from a few other cities.

“It’s been generally negative,” he said.

SH 130 sheds traffic, bailouts ahead?

Link to article with hyperlinks here.

SH 130 toll traffic plunges, are taxpayer bailouts ahead?
By Terri Hall
Examiner.com
February 4, 2014

The facts don’t lie, even if the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) does. Recently released traffic data for the privately-operated southern leg of SH 130 shows traffic dipping anywhere from 10%-15% year over year or even from month to month. Moody’s downgraded the bonds held by Spain-based Cintra to junk bond status as the SH 130 Concession Company depleted its cash reserves to make bond payments last year, predicting default as soon as June if a significant uptick in traffic doesn’t arrive -- and fast.

Speaking of fast, the tollway boasts the fastest speed limit in the country - 85 MPH - and yet even that isn’t enticing enough traffic to cover the company’s debt service payments. Amazingly, TxDOT still tries to maintain that SH 130 is relieving congestion on its main competing freeway, I-35 through Austin, though one wonders how. So few cars take the road, any relief on I-35 would be negligible at best.

City of SA caves, takes over state roads

Link to article with hyperlinks here.

TX Transportation Commission even opposes the turnback program. Read it here.

City caves, agrees to take over state roads
By Terri Hall
Examiner.com
February 3, 2014

It’s unbelievable what politicians consider a good deal. The San Antonio City Council formally approved an inter-local agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to takeover maintenance on 21.8 miles on segments of nine state highways within the city: Broadway, Culebra, Eckert, Fredericksburg Road, Lone Star Pass, San Pedro, UTSA Blvd., and Hausman. In exchange, the city gets more space inside TxDOT’s Transguide building, property to complete its convention center expansion, $250,000 to fix roads at Lackland, a $150,000 Wurzbach Pkwy traffic study, and re-configuring Broadway into a ‘complete street’ with bike lanes and pedestrian walkways.

Those are seriously the priorities of the San Antonio City Council, not expanding north side freeways that are among the most congested corridors in the state. So the city takes on $2.5 million a year obligation in new road maintenance costs for state highways, for which there’s no money for in the existing budget, and what do we get in return? Basically, a one-time, short-term measly $350,000 and bike lanes and sidewalks on Broadway. San Antonio, we have a problem!
Let’s not forget TxDOT initially asked the city to takeover 129 miles of state highways to which the city correctly said ‘No.’

Burka: Gas tax diversions make mountain out of molehill

Link to blog here.

When Republican Joe Straus gets some heat for his ineffective leadership on transportation, who does he turn to? The liberal press and Capitol insiders that are so jaded to the political process they don’t see a problem with politicians raiding road funds for non-road purposes. Hope this makes your blood boil…

Read my article on Straus where I educate voters on the anti-toll choice in this House race - Matt Beebe.

Another Attack on Joe Straus
by Paul Burka
Texas Monthly blog
February 10, 2014

Joe Straus's enemies are out in force once again, trying to make a mountain out of a molehill -- namely, the issue of diverting gasoline tax revenue to other uses. Let me state unequivocally that diversions are a phony issue. They are not an affront to transparency.

The only diversion in the state budget that matters is the use of gasoline taxes to pay for the cost of operating the Texas Department of Public Safety, which amounts to a billion dollars every biennium, more or less. Yes, this is a diversion, but a necessary one. If budget writers did not employ the diversion, they would not have the funding to be able to fully fund DPS, and highway safety would suffer. The most recent attack on Straus is not very persuasive.

Shuster: Lawmakers need 'educating' on transportation funding

Link to article here.

This is politican-speak for soliciting the special interests to lobby elected officials to raise taxes and increase spending. No doubt we need to boost transportation funding since the gas tax hasn't been raised in 20 years and not even adjusted for inflation, but when past highway bills contained over 6,000 earmarks for congressional pet projects, and when anywhere from one-third to nearly half of past gas taxes went to transit instead of roads, Congress needs to prioritize existing taxes and properly fund highways or completely devolve the federal program to the states.

Shuster: Lawmakers need 'educating' on transportation funding
By Keith Laing
The Hill
January 24, 2014

The chairman of the House Transportation Committee said Friday that lawmakers in both parties needed to be “educated” on what needs to be included in a new road and transit funding bill.   Speaking at the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s annual conference, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said he needed the help of municipal leaders to convince lawmakers to make compromises that will be necessary to approve a new surface transportation bill.

  “We need your help also in educating members of Congress,” Shuster said. “Because there are some members out there, and on both sides of the aisle there's education needed. On my side of the aisle, there's a reluctance to think … the federal government has a role or we shouldn't be spending money, or we shouldn't be spending more money. On the other side of the aisle, we've got, there's a reluctance to streamline things. To make sure we can get these projects … out there in the field and get them done quicker. Time is money.”

Eighty percent of Bosnia's privatizations failed

Bosnia's failed privatizations key cause of unrest
By AIDA CERKEZ
Associated Press
February 12, 2014

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — In the worst unrest since Bosnia's terrible civil war two decades ago, buildings have been set ablaze and the presidency has been put under siege. But the trouble this time is economic — not ethnic.

When Bosnia abandoned communism about two decades ago, officials devised a plan to privatize state-owned companies in a way they hoped would avoid mass layoffs for state workers. It was supposed to be a smooth transition after the 1992-1995 war that left 100,000 dead and devastated the country's infrastructure.
But it has been a disaster for people like Munevera Drugovac, a 58-year-old widow, who works for a company that was bought by a businessman in 2004. She hasn't been paid in 19 months.

"Back then, I didn't have electricity and heating because of the war," she said. "Now, I don't have it because of unpaid bills."

More than 80 percent of privatizations have failed. Many well-connected tycoons have swept into these companies, stripping them of their assets, declaring bankruptcy and leaving thousands without jobs or with minimal pay.  

Read more here.

Straus wants tolls, higher taxes, Beebe to keep freeways free

Link to article here.

Straus wants tolls, higher taxes, Beebe to keep freeways free
By Terri Hall
Examiner.com
February 7, 2014

Speaker Joe Straus (R - Dist 121) is a master at kicking the can down the road. After three sessions as Speaker of the Texas House, Straus has failed to properly fund the state highway system. At the commencement of the 83rd regular session last year, he promised to end diversions of the gas tax and to make funding infrastructure - both roads and water - a priority. Neither happened.

Instead, Straus punted the funding of infrastructure to the voters with two constitutional amendment elections. After three expensive special sessions, the Texas legislature finally agreed upon a transportation funding bill that will go to the voters for approval in November. During the second special session, Express-News Austin Bureau Chief Peggy Fikac tweeted that Straus was telling senators he wants a transportation crisis in 2015 to increase pressure for taxes. So crisis creation and crisis management describe Straus’ leadership style.

The Constitutional amendment that passed would divert half of the oil and gas severance tax that funds the state’s emergency fund, or Rainy Day Fund, to roads, giving the highway department a potential boost of $1 billion annually. Lawmakers readily acknowledge it’s a stop gap measure since the agency needs $4 billion more per year.

But didn’t Chan’s company design the SH 130 tollway?

Some question how Elisa Chan could possibly be considered anti-toll when her engineering firm did part of the SH 130 tollway.

First of all, I met with Chan at her company. I’m fully aware of her engineering firm. The segment of SH 130 her firm was involved with was the northern portion that TxDOT operates, not the concession public private partnership that’s operated by Cintra. That portion of the tollway was built before our group even existed or understood the difference between a design build project and the traditional design-bid-build model or before the concession model was utilized, which is design-build-finance-operate-maintain, or DBFOM, as it later was on the southern segments.

Elisa Chan was not necessisarily anti-toll when we sat down to vet her, other than opposing tolls on existing roads like every candidate will tell you. She knows it’s a big problem in the district and that the people don’t want tolls, and she wanted to understand the deeper problems involved. Once she understood the nuances between traditional turnpikes and the new toll road models with all the trap doors, taxpayer subsidies, loan guarantees, and sweetheart provisions now being utilized across the state, nuances Donna Campbell does not understand, she immediately said no taxpayer money should be going into these deals.

She took copious notes - something Campbell never did in spending hours with her trying to get her to understand the differences between all these things, all the different agencies, how everything is funded, and how it needed to be fixed. Chan's questions were very sharp and demonstrated a level of understanding that’s rare in a public official.

Chan immediately saw the anti-taxpayer and fiscally reckless aspects of these deals and is calling for public protections and proper reforms to be put in place. So she’s not for toll roads the way they’re being done in our state under the current leadership. She’s signed onto our legislative agenda and understands what good public policy looks like as it pertains to transportation.

She’s very smart and understands the level of sophistication involved in these deals. Chan is very technical and her background and her depth of knowledge in the industry may just prove to be a big asset. Most of these Transportation Committee members don’t have a clue what’s involved in these complex contracts. They don’t read the bills they pass, or have the first clue how to protect the public interest, Campbell included.

Campbell also signed onto our legislative goals, but betrayed us. We already know how Campbell will vote on transportation. We’ll also watchdog Chan, and if she doesn’t keep her promises she'll get a poor rating, too. We didn’t choose the candidates in this race. It’s our job to vet them. Of the three, Chan is clearly the sharpest on transportation.

Read more: Campbell’s betrayal on tolls leaves Chan opening to snag senate seat

Wolff: I like tolls, if you won’t carpool or get on a bus, then you oughta pay

Link to article here.

Wolff: I like tolls, if you won’t carpool or get on a bus, then you oughta pay
By Terri Hall
Examiner.com
February 6, 2014

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff wants you to pay up to 50 cents a mile in new toll taxes to drive San Antonio freeways. Tolls will cost the average family $2,000-$4,000 a year in new taxes on driving and Wolff has his fingerprints all over the deals that brought it to San Antonio.

First, Wolff lobbied for a new $10 hike in your vehicle registration fees from the Texas legislature last year - the only local fee hike that didn’t require a public vote first. This money goes directly to the county-run toll authority. Then, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) decided to offload part of the state highway system to local governments.

Rather than tell TxDOT to take a hike, Wolff brokered a back room deal with Transportation Commission Chairman Ted Houghton to takeover some state roads from TxDOT and utilize half of the new fee hike to add toll lanes to I-10 in a financing package that includes tolls on US 281, and in return, TxDOT dropped $70 million in discretionary funds to extend the non-toll expansion on Loop 1604 West. However, all of Loop 1604 is targeted for tolls, too.

Campbell’s betrayal on tolls leaves Chan opening to snag senate seat

Link to article here.

Campbell’s betrayal on tolls leaves Chan opening to snag senate seat
By Terri Hall
Examiner.com
February 1, 2014

How the mighty fall could be the theme of the Texas Senate District 25 race where incumbent Donna Campbell faces a tough fight to hang onto her senate seat. Campbell drew two primary opponents in her re-election bid, one a Chamber of Commerce establishment pick, former County Commissioner Mike Novak, who’s running on giving more money to public schools and raising the gas tax in addition to supporting toll roads (all loser issues in District 25). He’s taken huge sums of money from San Antonio’s major toll road player, Zachry. The other opponent is former City Councilwoman Elisa Chan.

Chan jettisoned to rock star status in conservative circles when she opposed the city’s non-discrimination ordinance that many felt went too far and amounted to making adherence to scripture a crime. Though Chan resigned her seat after the controversy, she’s a perfect fit for District 25 Republican voters. She has both social and fiscal conservative bona fides and is - as anyone who’s met or worked with her will tell you - super sharp.

TxDOT back to its 'toll roads or no roads' agenda

Link to article here.

TxDOT sticks to toll roads or no roads agenda
By Terri Hall
January 7, 2014
Examiner.com

If you tell a lie long enough, it’s eventually accepted as truth. That’s what attendees of the Texas Transportation Forum hosted by the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) were expected to buy into at today’s gathering pertaining to the myths of tolling. TxDOT has been criticized by the public over the last decade for promoting its doctrine of toll roads or no roads. After several attempts at re-making the agency and trying to convince a skeptical public that it’s changed, the leopard hasn’t changed his spots and it’s back to its old toll roads mantra at this year’s forum. On the heels of announcing an $825 million toll plan for San Antonio, TxDOT continues to hold road funds hostage to tolling.

SA officials unveil 'congestion' plan, not 'mobility' plan

Link to article here.

SA leaders unveil ‘mobility,’ er, ‘congestion’ plan
By Terri Hall
Examiner.com
January 6, 2014

Today, Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Ted Houghton announced an $825 million ‘5-year Mobility Plan’ for San Antonio’s congested north side freeways that includes toll lanes on US 281 and Interstate 10 and free expansion on Loop 1604 West (for now).

Houghton was joined by Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, Mayor Julian Castro, and officials from Via Metropolitan Transit and the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (RMA) who stood united in their plans to add toll lanes to much of the north side -- even converting two-four existing free main lanes on US 281 into a toll lanes. This comes on the heels of public meetings to add toll lanes to Interstate 35.

More bike paths? Congressman proposes doubling gas tax to pay for bike trails

Link to article here.

More bike paths? Congressman floats near doubling of federal gas tax
By Terri Hall
Examiner.com
December 5, 2013

Tired of your road taxes disappearing? So is Neil Cavuto, with the Fox Business Network who hosts his own daily show where, yesterday, he unleashed his frustration on U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) over the congressman’s proposal to hike the federal gas tax by 15 cents. The current federal gas tax is 18.4 per gallon, which has remained unchanged since 1993.
Cavuto asked what many Americans want to know -- where are our road taxes going? Where is the toll money going? Our roads and bridges are crumbling or in perpetual states of construction or reconstruction yet we’re still stuck in traffic. Now congress wants us to pay more and Cavuto asks a legitimate question. Why should we?

Land deals along NTTA tollways draw investigation

Link to article here.

State land deals for North Texas highway construction under scrutiny
By Reese Dunklin
Dallas Morning News
December 19, 2013

Questions are arising again about whether the state overpaid for land to widen a traffic-clogged highway in North Texas.

My colleague Kevin Krause reported Sunday that two businessmen bought right of way along Interstate 35E in Dallas and Denton County. They then sold it to the state within months for a profit. For one tract, the Texas Department of Transportation paid four times the original purchase price.

The businessmen, Kevin Bollman and Wade Blackburn, told Kevin they simply analyzed construction plans to learn where and when to buy. They also hired one of the agency’s former right-of-way officials.

That official, Travis Henderson, said he helps the businessmen only on deals outside the area he once worked. The transportation department, for its part, isn’t talking. It also isn’t releasing documents about the purchases.

One elected official has expressed doubts about the deals. “Transactions like this sure don’t look right to me,” Denton County Commissioner Hugh Coleman said.

That case reminds me of my 2001 reporting on the state’s purchase of State Highway 121 right of way in Denton County.

You may recall the name of the seller. The Maharishi Global Development Fund was affiliated with the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a meditation guru to The Beatles. In 2000, the fund came to The Colony and said it wanted to build the world’s tallest skyscraper.

That plan fizzled. As the fund planned its next move, the state came looking for right of way to widen SH121.

The fund hired the county’s transportation consultant and North Texas Tollway Authority board appointee to help negotiate.

The state offered about $11 million. The price per acre was about two times higher than what the fund paid the year before. But the fund wanted nearly $20 million more.

The sides couldn’t agree. A legal dispute ensued. A special panel eventually ordered the state to double its payout. That ended up being five times what the fund had spent originally.

Road maintenance privatized in TX

Link to story here.

Small highway maintenance jobs to go private, save money says TxDOT
KLBJ Newsroom
12/27/2013

The state is preparing to start 2014 with a new way of taking care of road maintenance. It's starting right here in Austin.

The $11-million contract was made possible with a state commission action earlier this year.

"It's an effort to operate more efficiently and save money. We're entering more performance-based contracts with private companies to do routine maintenance on our highways," TxDOT's Helena Wright says.

The state is promoting the idea as a 96-million dollar savings to taxpayers over a five-year period. It will be expanded to include I-35, 45 and 10.

Grand Pkwy Segment E opens in Houston

Link to article here.

This road for Exxon Mobil is a wasteful greenfield project, propped up with taxpayers money and not even o the state's priority list. Yet it is to receive over $400 million in taxpayer subsidies plus an un-Constitutional loan guarantee courtesy of Texas taxpayers. Send a message and boycott it anyway!

Grand Parkway Segment E northwest of Houston opens this weekend - 15 miles more on TX99
December 21, 2013
By Peter Samuel
Toll Road News

The northwest fringe of the Houston area gets new connectivity with the opening Saturday (Dec 21) of Segment E of the Grand Parkway, TX99. 2x2 lanes of toll expressway will open as barrels and barriers are removed.  Last weekend TxDOT sponsored a Party on the Parkway with 1km and 5km runs, bands, barbecues and food.  Construction cost of the 15 miles was $320m. Prime contractor was Williams Bros.

Toll systems are by TransCore.   Ground was broken on the project Sept 13 2011.   South-to-North TX99-E goes from I-10 in Katy to US290 in Cypress. The Parkway has spectacular four level interchanges with major intersecting highways at the ends, although some of the ramps remain to be completed.

There are two gantry toll points on the mainline with $1.40 tolls and some ramp tolls 35c to 70c.   Segment D about 12 miles south from I-10 to US59S/I-69 is already open, and work is well under way on segments F-1, F-2 and G, a 38 mile stretch from the end of Segment E at US290 east to US59N/I-69. That’s due to open late 2015 under a design-build-operate,maintain contract for $1.1 billion.   Most of the pavement and bridge beams are concrete.  

Concessioning failed - state takes risk
  TxDOT efforts to concession the Grand Parkway have failed and the state is taking the traffic and revenue risk.  Some segments of the Parkway are designed to have untolled frontage roads straddling the tollway and hitting at-grade signalized intersections. In other places motorists that want to avoid tolls can use ramps to signalized intersections and toll gantries are on mainline overbridges of the intersections.

 Clockwise from 8 o’clock  On a clockface the scheduling started at 8 o’clock and proceeds clockwise.  Part of Segment D from I-10 to the Westpark Tollway used tax money for financing and is untolled, but there are tolls on the portion south of the Westpark to US59.  In the southeastern portion TX99 around Baytown and the port area will use an existing stretch of TX146, a freeway which is to remain untolled.

 There is preliminary work on some stretches of the H and I segments in the north east and east. The southern segments A, B, C will be the last built.  Work was started by a Fort Bend county toll authority but TxDOT has taken over - being better able to sell needed bonds. Some $2.9 billion have been sold so far.  TX99 when complete at 185 centerline miles will be a third belt route around the Houston area. It will intersect the many radial expressways going in to the center of the region. It's located at distances varying from 17 miles to 27 miles out from central Houston.

Lawmakers audit automakers over GPS privacy breaches

Link to article here.

Lawmakers Audit Automakers Over GPS Privacy Issue
GAO report investigates privacy protections for in-car navigation devices and apps.
January 16, 2014
The Newspaper.com

Ongoing revelations about the depth of domestic spying by the National Security Agency keeps individual privacy in the spotlight. In a report released last week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined whether automakers and the producers of in-car navigation devices have been adhering to recommended privacy practices. The congressional watchdog agency, for the most part, was satisfied with what it found, though it identified a few areas where improvement was needed.

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