Ever wonder just how bad TXDOT wants to toll our roads?

Well, for days now TXDOT and NTTA (North Texas Tollway Authority) have argued over a contract to build a road in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Just search google news to find some of the details. While the saga itself may not be worth worrying about, I read an article about it today that highlighted just how BADLY TXDOT wants to toll our roads instead of building them with tax dollars as free roads.

Check out the couple paragraphs in this article...quoted below.

Bill Hale, Dallas district engineer for TxDOT, said through a spokesman last night that he was convinced something would be worked out either overnight Wednesday or soon thereafter.

"I can tell you one thing for certain, it's not going to be a tax road" – even if the April 16 deadline has to be extended, he said.

See full article here.
Wow, he's sure it won't be a free road. Heaven forbid we actually build a free road. We must, I mean MUST, find a way to milk more dollars out of average Joe commuter.

No Money...BULL...Ask Cintra how to get it from the Feds

One major concern I have with the corridor is non-compete clauses in the development contracts. Essentially, if the state is asking a private entity to put up money to build a road the state can't compete with the private entity for 'business.' In this case business is travelers...you and me driving on the roads. Non-compete clauses severely limit the ability of the state to improve or build new roads that would be in competition with the privately run toll road.

It is a major concern on the I-35 TTC project because the only free alternative is the existing I-35. TXDOT has said all along that planned I-35 improvements are not limited by TTC-35 and that they would continue. I've always believed that this was said so that TXDOT could dismiss fears that toll roads would soon be the only option available because it was nothing more than an EMPTY PROMISE. Well, sure enough, today here is the proof of how empty that promise was.

TXDOT is now saying that the funding may not be available to continue I-35 expansion and TTC-35 will be the solution to relieving congestion that was supposed to be relieved with I-35 improvements. See the article here.

Here is my comment to TXDOT. Let me help you with a little math. The I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Dallas is where all your problems are. You say, per the article referenced above, that you will need in excess of $1 billion to develop the road and $150 million for right of way costs. According to you that is money that you won't have and can't get from the federal government. Wow, those are big numbers and might scare some folks. Well, being the problem solver that I am I wonder where you might find those funds. Perhaps you could take a page from the Cintra-Zachry playbook and ask the federal government. Yes, that's right the federal government...you know...the people that you say are broke. Well, according to Cintra's conceptual financial plan for TTC-35 for the segments between and around Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin they are expecting to procure $1.772 billion dollars in financing from the federal government. By your own estimate, this would be sufficient funding to improve I-35 as planned and possibly go a little further. If a private concern can get the money...WHY THE HECK CAN'T YOU?!?!?!?!?!

SOUND REALLY FISHY TO ME. Instead of TXDOT perhaps we should call you TXDOSOS. That stands for Texas Department of Snake Oil Salesman.

Click for details and verification of the 1.772 billion I quoted...

My 1.772 billion dollar number came from browsing through the conceptual financial plan put forth by Cintra for TTC-35. You know, the one that they tried to keep secret even though the courts told them it was public information.
That document is found here.

Well, the first thing to note about this document is that on page 2 of the pdf one of the bullets on the left side of the page indicating what the proposer intends to accomplish is "require NO public funds". Note the footnote attached though.

The footnote references the following text.
"2 - Public funds are understood to include state and federal highway funds. State infrastructure bank, TIFIA credit instruments or local sources are not included in the public funds assumption per Q&A response dated August 3,
2003. Of these sources, the CFP anticipates TIFIA funding only."


The devil's in the details right? How is a federal loan not considered public money. The federal government has no money without us...that's yours and my tax dollars being put at risk so a private entity can build, operate, and PROFIT off of a road.

Now, back to totaling up the 1.772 billion dollars.

The document outlines details of each specific near-term segment that they plan to build for TTC-35. These detailed segments start on page 12 of the document.

In the heading for each segment there are dollars and dates. The box titled "SOURCES AND USED DURING INITIAL CONSTRUCTION" shows where the money is coming from. TIFIA is the federal loan program that Cintra plans to utilize. You can find more about this program here. If you go through the six near term segment headers on pages 12-17 you can find all the individual numbers, per facility. If you go to page 18 you can see an aggregate summary indicating 1.772 billion in TIFIA credit coming to 21.4% of the total project funding.

Hope this helps in clarifying the numbers.

click to collapse...

Comments, Comments, and more Comments

It's old news by now but the public comment period has been extended for the I-69 corridor. Take advantage of this opportunity to offer any comments you might have. If you've commented before but forgot something, offer that up now.

Submit comments for I-69 here.

Now, on to the next request. There is no way for anyone to say that there isn't overwhelming public displeasure with TTC projects. It's opponents are vocal and persistent. One of the problems we continue to face is reaching a larger audience. To a resident of Houston/Austin/Dallas/Fort Worth/San Antonio/El Paso more roads must equal reduced traffic and this is a common major misconception. It's not the only one either. I've experienced this time and time again through direct discussions with folks and on comment boards at the local online newspaper. There are a lot of misconceptions about the corridor from folks who only hear the high level TXDOT sales pitch.

It is our job to take this fight beyond our local communities and bring the real issues into the sunlight for all to see. The way we do this is through comments. The difference here is that the comments are directed at TXDOT but at fellow citizens. Most online news sources offer comments on their articles. It's these very comment sections that offer the greatest opportunity to educate people about the real issues with these corridor plans.

My suggestion is this. Go to Google News and set up an alert to email you when articles match your search criteria. When you get an email from Google with the articles, usually two to three per day in the case of the corridor, go to the articles and offer comments for others to see and read. It is an excellent way of educating people and affecting opinions. If someone opposed to and educated about the corridor manages to post on these discussion boards we may be able to attract more people to our cause and further increase the public outcry. We will also help greatly in dispelling the myths and incorrect assumptions people have about these projects.

Comments people...we need comments.

No public money my ()*&()!&@)(&!

A couple of lines that TXDOT, Rick Perry, and those that push the TTC use over and over again are the following. These are not direct quotes but are darn close to it.

"We don't have the money to build the needed roads and if you think the federal governement is going to have the money you are wrong there to."

"There will be no tax dollars going into the building of this road."


Well, we all know this is a lie and the financial plans laid out by Cintra for TTC-35 clearly indicate that a significant portion of the funds to build TTC 35 will come in the form of federal highway loans. Well, here is more proof.

Here's a quick excerpt from an article I found. The article is dated March 13, 2008.

"Officials with the Spanish toll road operator Cintra have announced that the company has secured $430 million in loans from the U.S. government to build and operate two segments of a toll road in central Texas."

See the story below for more details.

Cintra announces securing of federal loans to build road

The next time you hear RICK PERRY, TXDOT, or ANYONE, say that no tax dollars will go into building a road that we will then be forced to pay to drive on, you can and I encourage you to call BS.

This just burns me up to no end. Crooks and Liars...all of 'em.

Perry questions motives of corridor opponent

During my drive home yesterday I was listening to Michael Berry on the radio and low and behold, King Ricardo, I won with 39%, Perry was on. He talked about a couple of subjects but he did make some comments about the Corridor. Now, I won't get into all the details of his comments but there is one part that interests me the most. Here is the actual text of what he said. Apologize for the lack of paragraph and punctuation.

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"There are some that don’t want a build a road anywhere in the State of Texas. I mean, there have always been those who stood up and said, I'm sorry, I don't want you to build a road through our neighborhood for whatever reason. But the fact is, if we're gonna have progress in this state, if we're gonna handle these 1500 people that call Texas home every day, that's what our population grows every day, you gotta build roads, you gotta do it thoughtfully. When you have only three choices, raise the gas tax about a dollar, that's how much it would cost to raise the funds to build the needed infrastructure we have in the state, and c'mon, nobody's gonna vote to raise the gas tax, we can't get people to to raise the gas tax a nickel much less a dollar. Uh, wait for Washington DC to send us the money to build our roads. Well everybody that thinks that's gonna happen, stand up and hold your hand up…that's correct, Washington is not gonna save our fat out of the fire here. So the third option is to build roads private public partnerships allow for consortiums in a public bidding process to build the roads and let them recoup those with tolls. Always having the option of a non-toll road available for somebody that says…I ain't paying a toll. Those options will always be there. So, those that are against the Trans Texas Corridor. I'll be real honest with you, I think they are motivated by something other than reality, or they're motivated by some political reason, or they're just again'ers and they don't want to see progress happen in the state. "
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Note the lines highlighted in red. Well, excuse me governor, but my motivation is to have resources meant to relieve traffic congestion go towards relieving traffic congestion where its a problem...here in Houston. Not in Sealy.

The folks that are complaining about the corridor from rural Texas are truly concerned about the impact this will have on not only those directly in its path but those in the vicinity whose quality of life will be dramatically impacted by what can only be called a superhighway.

The Texas House and Senate both voted almost unanimously multiple times for multiple bills in opposition to your plan and were it not for the lateness of the session and you're threat from the throne of a veto we might have stopped this thing once in for all.

Almost every county government that is aware of the road or has residents in its path has voiced opposition to the plan or passed resolutions in opposition.

I'm not sure who you were referring to when you spoke about opponents and their motives but I can assure you, Rick, these people are not the types who will search out any cause. They have real concerns and it is very clear by your ARROGANT attitude, exhibited on not just this but many other issues, that you are unconcerned with them and their issues, or the real needs of any other average Texan for that matter.

People are opposed to this plan mostly because it has advanced this far despite overwhelming public outcry against it. It was conceived by a select few individuals for the benefit of a select few individuals and the people of Texas are fed up with your self serving, heavy handed style of governance. It was not done thoughtfully, as you suggest with your comments, and has been rammed down our throats from the get go. The next legislative session will see fireworks regarding the corridor...I can guarantee you that.

Hearing Observation....Built based on Need?

One of the themes I heard at the public hearings was the concept of building the road based on the needs for certain segments. As much as I heard that concept/phrase thrown around I'd have to assume that it is the default answer to someone who is likely going to lose their land to the road. "Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. X, your family farm is safe until we determine a need exists....who knows how long that could be..." Message to TXDOT...When you're talking to a landowner who has owned his property for generations 50 years from now is no better answer then tomorrow when he's asking how long it will be before you take his land.

click for more on build based on need...

The phrase 'built based on need' really bothers me. I realize the official definition of need would be something along the lines of serving the transportation needs of the area. However, I suspect that if you get a private developer involved with billions of dollars at stake you could probably safely assume that need would be stretched to include need to turn a profit and not just public transportation needs.

The first person I visited with was explaining the maps to an older couple who are in the Preferred Corridor Alternative, the orange swath on the map. He explained that the orange was merely a study area and that there were no definite plans to build a road there yet...it was just a narrowed down study area. Well, we've heard that line before. This couple was in the path of one of the corridor connectors that is envisioned to connect the corridor to the Houston port from the Southwest. The TXDOT rep explained that road segments would be built based on need. In all likelihood, the connector into Houston and the ports would not be needed immediately. This stuck me as odd. A stated purpose of the corridor is the efficient movement of GOODS. Don't goods come from the ports? So wouldn't we then assume that a connection into a port would be a must if you were to make any part of the road profitable/useful? Was this guy being dishonest or just not thinking? Could be either with TXDOT.

The older couple then stepped back and it was my turn. I was determined to push the "built based on need" concept. My question...."Since you just said that segments of the corridor would be built based on need and the entire preferred corridor alternative lies outside of existing roadways would we assume that if segment X is built, let's just say the loop around Houston, but the adjacent segments were not that you'd need a connection to existing interstates?" The answer came back as a yes. I then asked where the study considered those potential connections. There were no orange paths from the preferred alternative routes to the existing roadways. He explained that those connections, if they went through new areas would be studied and then presented to the public. So, one would assume that the overall project would slow down to allow the appropriate amount of time for study and public involvement of these new areas. Well, the response from TXDOT was that it would probably not slow down the project and, while they'd be studied, the timeline would be compressed to fit the overall project schedule.

I'd argue that there is no need for the entire plan, as its proposed today. How bout that for built based on need.

click to collapse...

Public Hearings...General Experience

I attended the TTC-69 public hearing in Rosenberg. The public hearing process went as expected. Not a single person spoke in favor of the project. Everyone brought up valid points why the project was a bad idea. Did it help? Well, I'd like to think so but other things I heard at the meeting lead me to believe maybe not.

I showed up early so I'd have some time at the open house to visit with TXDOT and discuss the project. My general observation is that either the TXDOT folks don't know about their own project or they play dumb. Not sure which it is yet.

My general experience after speaking to TXDOT was one of receiving varying answers to the same question from different TXDOT people. I started talking about the "toll" aspect of the road with one rep who was adamantly against assuming this was going to be a toll road. After agreeing to disagree, he referred me to another rep standing next to him who then told me that, while officially it was still being considered as a free road, he was 99.99% sure that it would be tolled.

I'll post other observations in subsequent postings...stay tuned.

Katy and Rosenberg Public Meetings

If you haven't heard the State has a plan to relieve traffic congestion in Houston. They want to build an entirely new road and they're building it up as a way to relieve traffic congestion. Now, I know the response of Houston residents. More roads must equal better commutes. Well what they aren't telling you is that the road doesn't come any closer to Houston than East Bernard in the southwest, Sealy in the west, and Huntsville in the north. Can any of you tell how a road out there is going to relieve traffic congestion in Houston. That makes absolutely no sense. Well, I can tell you that it won't relieve it and it may make it worse by diverting resources away from projects that might have a chance to improve Houston commutes. Did you know that the road will be a toll road? Did you know that the road will be operated by a private company, possibly foreign, as a way to make money instead of simply providing a public service, FOR 50 YEARS? Do you like the idea of paying not only for the right to drive on the road but to enrich a corporation in the process?

Governor Perry and his cronies at TXDOT would like you to believe that they are trying to help you when they are simply trying to put more money in the pockets of campaign contributors and big corporations looking to ship more jobs overseas and drive cheap goods over the futures of Texans, Texas, and the entire United States.

Go to www.corridorwatch.org and read up. Get involved.

There is a public hearing in Katy tomorrow afternoon and one in Rosenberng today.

The schedule and address are here.
Katy: http://www.corridorwatch.org/ttc_2007/CW00690120.htm#Katy
Rosenberg: http://www.corridorwatch.org/ttc_2007/CW00690120.htm#Rosenberg

Let them know what you think about this. So far the only people expressing much concern over the road are those whose land lay in its eventual path. I say that we all need to be concerned because the more you learn about this project the more it stinks. Educate yourself about the reality, and yes, it is more and more a reality every day despite what TXDOT might say. The public hearing is not only a place to speak, you will also have an hour and a half from 5 - 6:30 to visit with TXDOT officials and representatives to ask questions about the project. Go simply to learn about the project and hear what others have to say.

You don't have to be a landowner to be concerned about this project. Please get involved.

Not just a rural issue

One thing that continues to bother me about the Trans Texas Corridor and the opposition to it is that we, those opposed, continually get branded as farmers and ranchers who are merely worried about the loss of land to eminent domain.

It is not just rural issue. Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio residents should see this as a waste of resources. As a Houstonian it concerns me because one of the causes of traffic congestion is urban sprawl. A superhighway outside of Houston will only cause more sprawl and more congestion? Some Houstonians see this raod as a way to ease evacuations. This is probably a reaction from Rita headaches last year. What they don't realize is that this road, and the distance it is away from Houston, will not ease evacuations. To just have gotten to where the road planned would have taken 12 hours during the Rita evacuation, North or West.

I could go on and on but it is obvious that more folks need to know about this project and undestand the real impact it will or will not have on them.

The TTC IS About NAFTA

Don't let TXDOT fool you. They TTC is about NAFTA. Its about exploiting a cheap labor force in Mexico, a ravenous consumer society in the United States, and something from Canada...but not sure what yet. Its all driven by companies wanting to make MONEY.

Read the website for yourself. The organization below is very up front about how they are advocating US policy based on input not only from the US but from Mexico and Canada as well.

NASCO - Tri-National Advocacy for Efficient, Secure, and Environmentall Conscious Trade and Transportation.

The page linked above specifically mentions I-35. They make claims about needed upgrades along I-35 and its state of obscelescence but then claim that there are no plans for a new NAFTA Superhighway. Then what is TTC-35 folks? Just another group working behind the scenes to undermine US Sovreignty.

Town Hall Meetings..OR...Something else???

Having attended a town hall meeting I can't help but wonder what the actual reason for these meetings is?

Here is the stated goal for the town hall meetings.

These town hall meetings, unlike the formal project public hearings that many Texans have attended, will allow attendees to discuss the corridor and its impact to Texas with TxDOT officials. It also will allow attendees to get their questions answered about the corridor and statewide transportation policy. In short, these town hall meetings are a conversation that will lead to solutions to Texas’ current and future transportation challenges. "

Could it possibly mean this? "These town hall meetings, unlike the formal project public hearings that many Texans have attended, will allow attendees to discuss the corridor and its impact to Texas with TxDOT officials WHERE COMMENTS ARE NOT ON THE OFFICIAL RECORD."

I'm staring to believe that these town hall meetings are a way to get people to attend, voice their opinion, and then skip the formal and ON THE RECORD public hearings. This allows TXDOT to say they listened but avoid the hassle of having to document the fact that nobody likes/wants the plan.

What do you think???

My TTC Townhall Experience

Not much time to type right now so I'll make it short. A couple of things that jumped out at me during the meeting in Rosenberg were the following.

I was there for almost three hours and I didn't hear one single person say they supported the current TTC plan.

That leads me to my next observation. The TXDOT commissioner at the meeting said that he was surprised by the amount of displeasure and disgust with the plan. He stated that he hadn't gotten that feeling from the previous town halls. I almost fell out of my chair when he said that.
The entire room burst out in overwhelming sounds of disapproval and disgust. I went onto the KHOU 11 website here in Houston for the news footage of the Hempstead meeting and the same TXDOT Commissioner said the same thing at that meeting with the same crowd reaction. Amazing and revealing at the same time. Read through the public comments included in the environmental impact statement for TTC-69 and it is painfully obvious that most people want nothing to do with this road or this plan.

The first two lead me into my final point. This one really hit home. I'm not sure who else picked up on it but the TXDOT commissioner said time and time again that they were 'federally mandated' to ask for public input as part of the environmental review process. He made it painfully clear that he was fulfilling a federal mandate...nothing more. He has to do it...he doesn't want to. I don't think there is any way to sum it up better.

TXDOT IS FEDERALLY MANDATED TO SOLICIT PUBLIC INPUT BUT NOT MANDATED TO LISTEN TO IT.

...and they have shown no ability to listen as of yet!

Town Halls and Public Hearings for I-69 Corridor

TXDOT will be having town hall meetings and public hearings about the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the I-69 corridor. The schedule can be found HERE.

If you get a chance, read through the EIS. It can be found HERE. If possible, come to the meeting with specific questions and concerns. The more specific your concern is the more likely it can be addressed and not just shrugged off as a general comment. Ask direct questions if you expect direct answers. If possible, cite particular statements or parts of the Environmental Impact Statement.

If you are unable to read through the EIS attend the meeting anyway and listen to the concerns of others. If you have general concerns voice those as well. Let them hear you.

Yes, you need to attend. No, you will not get answers if you go to the meeting. What do I mean? Well, if past meetings are any indicator, TXDOT will do everything in its power to ignore your opinion. From booking meeting rooms that don't hold enough people so they can 'legitimately' turn people away, to publicly ridiculing people who stand up and voice opposition to the plan. Don't let them get away with it. They work for you and should be expected to listen to and answer your concerns.

Please attend! Forget about moratoriums and everything that happened last summer. Make sure your opinion is heard and recorded.