TPC sets all new TIP funds for roads

Keeps 12.8 million “alternate”

Jay Blazek Crossley, Mar 28, 11.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council Transportation Policy Council (TPC) decided to allocate all unobligated 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) funds to roads, resisting calls from thousands of people across the region to use some of the $79.8 million for “alternative mode” projects - bicycle, pedestrian, transit, and livability.

The officers of the TPC had earlier called for what became known as Option 2: eliminating or delaying $12.8 million in previously obligated alternative mode funds, but at the meeting last Friday the TPC decided to honor those previous commitments.

A large public protest resulted with many civic organizations, citizens, and elected officials contacting the TPC requesting they not do this, so the TPC decided to delay the decision for a month to listen to their constituents and hold a workshop, which ended up being a discussion amongst H-GAC staff and TPC members immediately before the TPC meeting on Friday.

At the workshop, H-GAC staff explained 4 options for allocating the funds, including the previous executive committee proposal and one that would have added a little more than $7 million to “alternative modes.”

Many organizations and citizens called for Option 5, proposed by Houston Tomorrow (pdf), which would have left the 12.8 million in alternative modes and allocated the remaining $79.8 million according to the principle of “no more than 55% for roads,” citing the expenditure levels outlined in the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan, a federally required long term plan meant to guide the TPC in its transportation spending. By the time of the March meeting, 2,571 people had signed the Houston Tomorrow petition in favor of alternative modes spending.

The Citizens Transportation Coalition had proposed an Option 6, which would have allocated all of the funds to alternative modes. No elected official supported or mentioned either of these options,

During discussion, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said “People are moving to the suburbs. If you look at where the growth is occurring - and there’s been a lot written about ‘Gee, it shouldn’t be that way’ but it is that way - and these people are not in this room today…And so the vote here today, we have to understand all those people who are not in this room and we have to take care of their needs also.”

[Note: Only 38% of Harris County residents live in the unincorporated areas Judge Emmett was talking about. And the Houston Tomorrow petition for preserving 45% of the funds for alternative modes showed over 500 signatures came from people who live in the unincorporated areas.]

A minor point of contention at the TPC meeting led to a reversal of another proposal from the February meeting, that the percentages used for this round of allocating these two federal funds - Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) and Surface Transportation Projects - Major Metro (STP-MM) - would be set as a guiding principle on an ongoing basis. After much discussion of the implications, the consensus seemed to be that this current allocation should not be deemed an ongoing standard for future allocations.

News Coverage
KUHF - TPC Maintains Funding for Bike/Ped, But Give Rest to Roads/Freight Rails
Houston Chronicle - Transportation council commits remaining funds to roads, rail
Houston Chronicle - Trails could use another show of support
Culture Map - Houston area transit compromise leaves room for bike, pedestrian and bus/rail improvements
Streetsblog - Houston Advocates Rally to Save Bike-Ped Funds From Motorhead Bureaucrats

Guidry News has posted photos and audio from the meeting.