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Follow TURFCitizens demand fix to 281 NOW
San Antonio, TX, October 24, 2008 – Concerned citizens with the San Antonio Toll Party and Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas (AGUA) joined District 122 Candidate for State Representative Frances Carnot in a joint press conference to demand the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) work with the citizens to fix the gridlock on US 281 (north of Loop 1604) now. TxDOT and the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority are misleading the public into believing NO fix to 281 can move forward for 3-5 years, which is patently false.
The environmental clearance got pulled for the US 281 toll project ONLY. There are provisions in the law that would allow the original gas tax funded 281 overpass and expansion plan (www.281OverpassesNOW.com) to move forward in just over 30 days.
Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF) and Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas (AGUA), whose lawsuit is still active in federal court despite TxDOT’s announcement to pull the clearance for US 281, have asked for a meeting to discuss an immediate solution with Transportation Commission Chairwoman Deirdre Delisi and she’s refused.
“Our desire is to work with TxDOT to alleviate the congestion on US 281 as quickly as possible, but they refuse. Instead, they continue to hammer weary commuters with their stubborn ‘toll roads or no roads’ club,” states an outraged Terri Hall, Founder the San Antonio Toll Party and Texas TURF.org.
“Even with the toll road off the table for the foreseeable future, TxDOT continues to behave like a rogue agency who puts profits over the public good. Politicians for the district, State Representative Frank Corte and Senator Jeff Wentworth, continue to sit idly by and let this crisis fester rather than demonstrate effective leadership and exercise legislative oversight over this out of control agency by getting the overpass plan built NOW,” Hall notes.
“Perhaps the citizens cries for help are being repeatedly ignored because Corte doesn’t even live in District 122? Does he even care what his constituents and the businesses in this corridor are needlessly suffering at the hands of a rogue agency over whom he has oversight?” asks Hall.
The citizens and businesses in the 281 corridor deserve better, and they plan to step-up their efforts with a 5 point plan to get the overpass plan built immediately. Step one: take their anger to the ballot box!
“From day one the citizens have insisted that the least invasive, most affordable solution be built on 281 immediately, and that’s clearly the original gas tax funded overpass plan. It’s one-tenth the price ($170 million versus the $1.3 billion toll project), half the size (10 lanes versus 20 lanes), and would take less than half the time to build (18 months versus 3.8 years). It’s inexcusable abusive government and sheer greed to hold commuters hostage a single day longer,” Hall insists.