Texas Senate Transpo Chair worries about next Lege

Wants to tackle big projects

Jon Boyd, Sep 27, 10.

Transportation Chair Tommy Williams sees hard times ahead
This upcoming Legislative session will be one of the hardest ever, according to State Senator Tommy Williams (District 4), the new Chair of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, who shared his insights with the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Transportation Policy Council (TPC) regarding state funding issues last Friday.

Possible state legislative action would depend on the budget shortfall, which Senator Williams estimated somewhere in the range of $18-21 billion. This number does not account for $6 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds that won’t be available during the next biennium and a $10 billion draw from the rainy day fund, he added.

His two greatest concerns are the fiscal impact of federal actions, such as air quality permits and expectations of increased congestion scaring away employers. Texas does not have the financial structure to pay for new transportation infrastructure right now, he said. He noted that his generation inherited a highway system that was robust and paid for. Now we don’t have a way to construct new highways without borrowing, he lamented, and he even questioned whether the state is keeping up with maintenance. There is critical and urgent new capacity, he believes, but no new revenue sources to pay for it.

The last Legislature came up short addressing transportation finances, and “we punted on Sunset,” he said, referring to the Legislature’s failure to pass a comprehensive Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Sunset bill in 2009, even after popular protests against the agency. There is a big push to remake the agency, he claimed, but with two bills currently making the rounds, the Legislature would need to work hard to avoid the messy ending of the 2009 session of the session. A repeat of Sunset Review, however, is also an opportunity to work with TxDOT’s 1200 employees to improve the agency’s standing, he said: more project management, and less design and engineering would be a better path.

Senator Williams thinks the Legislature needs to encourage regional solutions and decision making. He had earlier lauded TPC and H-GAC for their input on SB 792, which granted Harris County Toll Road Authority the right of first refusal to develop the Grand Parkway, as well as broader tools to facilitate local control of toll roads. While the Senator finds flaws with the bill, he agrees with its goals of greater local control over transportation projects. Texas needs to come to grips with urban and suburban needs, he said. “If DFW catches a cold, the whole state catches pneumonia,” he joked.

Five of the top ten congested freeways are in the Houston region, he said referring to TxDOT’s list of the 100 most congested segments. Transportation agencies need to tackle the difficult congestion issues instead of taking on what is easy to achieve, he admonished. He said that Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst also wants to see these big, tough projects get done. Their strategy is to spend where congestion is the worst.

The House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees must agree on legislation to end diversions from Transportation Fund 6, he said.

Transportation shake up in Texas Legislature

2035 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)
H-GAC Transportation Director Alan Clark asked permission from the TPC to receive public comments on the Draft 2035 RTP. He also relayed the staff finding that the draft RTP is consistent with the Air Quality Implementation Plan.

Clark Martinson, executive director of the Energy Corridor Management District, had opened the meeting with public comments representing the District. He called for public comments on RTP 2035 and asked that the TPC continue to support transit and bicycle/pedestrian improvements. Making a difference, he said, requires providing transportation alternatives.

The RTP needed to be revised based on a $23.3 billion shortfall from the state, Pat Waskowiak told the TPC. The financial forecast is significantly lower than the one in 2007. Changing the RTP requires a new air quality conformity determination, that’s now completed.

Federal and state shares of funding are dwindling; an increasing share of local revenues are supporting the plan. .

Consequences of reduced infrastructure spending from the original plan to the draft plan will be growth of the number of vehicles that will be traveling at slower speeds, especially increasing volume of vehicles traveling at speeds below 10mph.

The TPC voted unanimously to open the draft 2035 to public comment.

Plan documents and a place to post your comments
Huge hits coming to 2035 RTP
TPC votes to start 2035 RTP comment period
TPC struggles with RTP

East Port Subregional Plan
The East Port Subregional Plan coordinates thirteen cities, two counties, and the Economic Alliance for the Houston Port Region, as well as unofficial partner, the Port of Houston, according to Jeff Taebel, H-GAC Director of Community and Environment Planning.

This area includes the SH 146 and SH 225 travel sheds and also freight rail and maritime shipping.

The plan addresses Livable Centers, or looking for more opportunities for mixed-use and pedestrian travel. There are poor local connections to the trunk system, and this is a strategic problem to address.

The consultants developed an online best practices toolbox that shows local funding, design standards, and case studies within the region.

Fort Bend County will be next on the list for scoping, then the City of Pearland.

East Port Subregional Plan powerpoint presentation
East Port Subregional Plan web site