We, the undersigned, strongly encourage the 80th Legislature to pass both of the above referenced bills by taking the action necessary to allow a vote by all members of the legislature on the floor of their respective chambers. A 2/3 majority in both the House and the Senate cosponsors these bills.
We request that the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, and more specifically, Chairman John Carona, allow a committee vote on SB1267.
We request that the House Transportation Committee, and more specifically, Chairman Mike Krusee, allow a committee vote on HB2772.
House Bill HB2772 and Senate Bill SB1267 call for a 2-year moratorium on the execution of comprehensive development agreements. In addition, the legislation provides for the creation of a study committee tasked with the job of developing a complete and thorough understanding of the scope and impact of Comprehensive Development Agreements and the privatization of our transportation infrastructure.
Our reasons for support of these bills are numerous. In general, we feel that the current direction TXDOT Is taking to address the transportation needs of Texas is the wrong direction. The current plan was developed by a small number of people with little input or alternative consideration. Our support for the moratorium is based on the belief that, with careful study and consideration, we can come up with a better plan for Texas’ transportation needs. These bills provide us time to conduct careful study and due diligence before we get to a point of no return on our current course.
We believe that the privatization of a public asset, toll roads, is the wrong direction for the future of Texas transportation. Through privatization, these roadways become corporate profit centers and not a public service. As such, these roadways will no longer be a service provided to citizens but a corporate revenue stream to be maximized to allow for the greatest profit potential. Consumers, citizens of the State of Texas, will be forced to pay a toll rate that does not just represent what is needed to maintain or improve infrastructure but one that also includes a profit margin for the private toll operator. This additional component, the profit margin, will never make it back to the State of Texas to provide additional needed transportation services. The State of Texas should not relinquish a public asset, roadways, to a private party. Every dollar of revenue generated should be reinvested in the public asset, our transportation infrastructure, and not be used to create private profits. For this reason, we oppose the current plan and strongly support the passage of HB2772 and SB1267.
We believe that the Trans Texas Corridor Plan currently being executed is not in the best interest of Texas. We do have real transportation issues. We do need to address them in a more proactive way. We do NOT believe that the Trans Texas Corridor addresses these needs. The majority of the urgent and future transportation needs in Texas are focused on major urban areas. This is where population growth and density are greatest and this pattern will continue to hold true, per studies provided by TXDOT. The existing corridor plan does nothing to address these needs and specifically avoids areas where mobility solutions are needed the most. It will actually worsen these problems by diverting resources from urban areas to more profitable and easily developed areas. For this reason, we oppose the current plan and strongly support the passage of HB2772 and SB1267.
We believe that the citizens of Texas deserve a seat at the table when developing ways to meet our current future transportation needs. We believe that our elected representatives have heard us. This is clear in the overwhelming support HB2772 and SB1267 currently have in their respective houses. We strongly encourage those who now stand in opposition to or have control over HB2772 and SB1267, which are both supported by an unmistakable majority of the citizens of this State and their elected representatives, to allow their passage.
We pledge our full support to CorridorWatch.org in their efforts to advance this cause.
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