Thread: Federal transportation chief backs Perry's toll plan

April 3, 2007, 10:28PM
Federal transportation chief backs Perry's toll plan
A majority of lawmakers want a 2-year moratorium on similar projects


By CLAY ROBISON
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

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AUSTIN — With U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters offering her support, Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday lashed out against legislation that would impose a two-year moratorium on toll-road privatization.

Perry said the proposal, co-sponsored by strong majorities in the House and Senate and reflecting the public controversy over the Trans Texas Corridor, would cost Texas critical business expansion opportunities.

"Our message today is that building needed infrastructure is essential to creating jobs and attracting economic development investments in Texas. And you can't accomplish that with a two-year moratorium on needed road projects," he said.

Although the moratorium legislation is co-sponsored by 27 of the 31 senators and 111 of 150 House members, it faces an uncertain future because of strong pressure to continue building highways and waning mileage from the state gasoline tax, the traditional revenue source for highway construction.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee likely will approve the bill today but that further action will be delayed as lawmakers continue to seek a compromise.

Peters, on a stop in Austin, said other states need to adopt Perry's approach.

The governor chose a visit to a Samsung semiconductor plant in suburban Austin to make his highway pitch.

The plant is symbolic of Austin's growth and is near the route of the first Trans Texas Corridor project, a proposed series of toll roads running parallel to Interstate 35.

It has sparked considerable controversy, mainly over the state's decision to contract with a private consortium, headed by a Spanish company, Cintra, to develop a long-range plan for the corridor.

The consortium also will build and operate the first segment in Central Texas.

The state will share in profits from the toll roads. But a recent report by the state auditor's office was sharply critical of the Trans Texas Corridor, concluding that taxpayers may never know how much they could end up paying for it.

Perry said the state's 20-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax no longer generates enough revenue to pay for Texas' increasing need for new highways.

The tax, he said, does little more than pay for maintaining existing roads.

Perry also rejected proposals to let the gasoline tax gradually increase by indexing it to inflation or rising highway construction costs.

"I'm looking for doable solutions," he said, adding that it would require a huge increase in the gasoline tax to build enough highways if his public-private financing plan were to be derailed.

Austin Bureau reporter Polly Ross Hughes contributed to this report.

clay.robison@chron.com

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 86227.html

Perry Speaks Out Against Moratorium On Private Toll Road Projects

(April 3, 2007)—Gov. Rick Perry spoke out Tuesday against proposed legislation that would put a two-year moratorium on private toll road projects including the Trans-Texas Corridor and urged lawmakers to “ensure vital transportation projects continue as planned.”

Several bills are pending in Austin aimed at putting the brakes on the massive highway project.

State Representative Lois W. Kolkhorst of Brenham has filed a bill that would kill the project altogether and a second measure that calls for a two-year moratorium on allowing private entities from buying the rights to build and operate toll roads.

During a visit with US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters Tuesday to the Samsung Austin Semiconductor expansion site, Perry said the state's current transportation system, which involves public-private partnerships to build toll roads, must go on if Texas is to continue attracting big companies and jobs.

Perry says the state will always own the land beneath private toll roads and there will always be a free road alternative for motorists.

The governor says federal highway money is drying up.

Both he and Peters said it's important to find road funding methods beyond the gas tax.

“Let no one be confused: there are no such things as freeways,” Perry said.

“There are taxways and tollways, and for 50 years we have tried taxways that have been underfunded by Austin and Washington and that have left local communities choking on pollution and brimming with congestion," he said.

The toll road moratorium bills in the Texas House and Senate remain pending in committee.

Work on the Central Texas portion of the Trans Texas Corridor project could begin within four years, the Texas Department of Transportation said last fall as it released a plan identifying near- mid- and long-term phases of the privately developed toll road.

Click Here For The Complete Plan

The plan identifies portions of the corridor from north of Temple to near Hillsboro and from Georgetown to Temple as among the likely near-term phases of the project, on which work could begin by 2010 and could be completed by 2013.

The Temple-to-Hillsboro leg of the $184 billion corridor would cost an estimated $1.1 billion to design and build. The Georgetown-to-Temple leg would cost about $1 billion to design and build.

Designers ultimately envision a corridor with six separate passenger vehicle lanes and four commercial truck lanes; two high speed passenger rail lines, two freight rain lines and two commuter rail lines and a utility zone that will accommodate water, electric, natural gas, petroleum, fiber optic and telecommunications lines.

Click Here For Interactive Map Of Proposed Corridor Route

Click Here For Trans-Texas Corridor Web Site

Click Here For Background Information On The Trans-Texas Corridor

Click Here For An Opposing Point Of View From Corridor Watch

Click Here For Blackland Coalition Web Site

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State Capitol Links

Click Here For Texas House of Representatives Web Site

Click Here For Texas Senate Web Site

Click Here To Find Information About Specific Bills

Click Here For Texas House Speaker’s Web Site

Click Here For Texas Lt. Governor’s Web Site

Click Here For Texas Governor’s Web Site

Click Here For Legislative Budget Board Web Site

Central Texas State Senators

Sen. Kip Averitt, R-McGregor
(State Sen. District 22 includes: Bosque*, Coryell*, Ellis, Falls*, Hill*, Hood, Johnson, McLennan*, Navarro, Somervell Counties)
Click Here For Averitt Senate Web Site

Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay
(State Sen. District 24 includes: Bell*, Blanco, Brown, Burnet, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Gillespie, Hamilton*, Kerr, Kimble, Lampasas*, Llano, McCulloch*, Mason, Menard, Mills*, San Saba*, Taylor Counties)
Click Here For Fraser Senate Web Site

Sen. Steve Odgen, R-Bryan
(State Sen. District 5 includes: Brazos, Burleson, Freestone*, Grimes, Houston, Lee, Leon*, Limestone*, Madison, Milam*, Robertson, Trinity, Walker, Williamson Counties)
Click Here For Ogden Senate Web Site

Central Texas State Representatives

Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana
(State Rep. District 8 includes: Anderson, Freestone*, Limestone*, Navarro Counties)
Click Here For Cook House Web Site

State Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie
(State Rep. District 10 includes: Hill*, Ellis Counties)
Click Here For Pitts House Web Site

State Rep. Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown
(State Rep. District 20 includes: Milam*, Williamson-part, Counties)
Click Here For Gattis House Web Site

State Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville
(State Rep. District 53 includes: Callahan, Coleman, Concho, Crockett, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, McCulloch*, Mason, Menard, Real, Runnels, San Saba*, Schleicher, Sutton Counties)
Click Here For Hilderbran House Web Site

Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen
(State Rep. District 54 includes: Bell-part*, Burnet, Lampasas* Counties)
Click Here For Aycock House Web Site

Rep. Dianne White Delisi, R-Temple
(State Rep. District 55 includes: Bell-part County)
Click Here For Delisi House Web Site

Rep. Charles Anderson, R-Waco
(State Rep. District 56 includes: McLennan-part County)
Click Here For Anderson House Web Site

Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco
(State Rep. District 57 includes: Falls*, Leon*, McLennan-part*, Madison, Robertson Counties)
Click Here For Dunnam House Web Site

Rep. Rob Orr, R-Burleson
(State Rep. District 58 includes: Bosque*, Johnson Counties)
Click Here For Orr House Web Site

Rep. Sid Miller, R-Stephenville
(State Rep. District 59 includes: Comanche, Coryell*, Erath, Hamilton*, Mills*, Somervell Counties)
Click Here For Miller House Web Site

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THIS is dangerous!!

Peters, on a stop in Austin, said other states need to adopt Perry's approach.