TxDOT gives up on toll financing for Trans Texas Corridor 69

In a further retreat before anti-road activists and a hostile legislature Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has abandoned Trans Texas Corridor 69, acknowledged there will be no significant toll financing, and abandoned consideration of any new routing. Only existing surface arterial roads will be upgraded.

TxDOT is increasingly dropping use of the prefix TTC (Trans Texas Corridor) and using the term I-69 for the road, though much of the road will never meet interstate standards.

A Tier One draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) published November 2007 recommended new routings of the 1050km (650 mile) roadway putting it on a new right-of-way west of US59 up along the Louisiana border, a new route swinging well north and west of Houston, a new route north of US59 Houston to Victoria and a new route between Corpus Christi and Laredo.

TxDOT is now trying to withdraw from those DEIS Recommended corridors or New Location Alternative.

Amadeo Saenz, executive director of TxDOT wrote June 9 to the FHWA asking for federal permission to drop consideration of all new routes in favor of improvements to existing US59, US77, US281 and TX44. He cited "overwhelming sentiment" in public comment in favor of upgrading existing surface arterials rather than building new highway as the reason for the change in course.

A TxDOT statement says: "After an extensive public involvement effort, TxDOT received a record 28,000 comments. An initial review of these comments has been completed. As a result, the new location corridors proposed and presented during the public hearings earlier this year are no longer under consideration."

Under TxDOT policy and state law tolls cannot be imposed on existing capacity even if upgraded. Only additional lanes can legally be tolled. There may be extensive third laning as part of the upgrades but it seems unlikely these would financially viable running right alongside free lanes that are of similar expressway standard.

No tolling left

We asked a TxDOT official whether there was any remaining potential for tolling in the corridor. He declined to answer.

Saenz is quoted in a TxDOT statement: "Simply put, wherever we can we will use existing highway 'footprint' along our existing right-of-way to build I-69. If additional travel lanes are added to existing highways, only the new lanes would have tolls. That means we will work to build the Texas portion of I-69 along existing state and federal highways."

It remains to be seen whether it is possible to upgrade existing surface arterials to interstate expressway standard since most of them go right through the middle of settlements and have no grade separation and little access control.

And without toll financing there will be little money for the upgrades anyway.

A study of upgrading I-35 rather than building parallel TTC35 showed the new route was far more economical. No such study has been done on I-69 Upgrade versus a TTC on new right of way, because the decision has been made to succumb to protesters, regardless.

TTCs to be formally buried in next 'leggie'

Meanwhile there are reports by anti-road activists that legislators are lining up to sponsor legislation in the next 'leggie' session to repeal the laws authorizing Trans Texas Corridors - a formal burial of the bloodied corpse.

Sal Costello, Austin area activist reports getting this email from a senior legislator Leo Berman:

"Mr Costello: A number of legislators are committed to killing the TTC next session. Sen Kevin Eltife and I have gone public with that commitment. Both of us will work hard toward that end.

Sincerely,
Leo Berman
State Rep. District 6"

Demonstification

Berman and Eltife are both conservative Republicans. Eltife said last year of TxDOT and its plans for Trans Texas Corridors: "I think we've created a monster at TxDOT."

Hauling up the white flag on TTC69 is another TxDOT attempt at demonstification - self-demonstrification.

COMMENT: for those who are depressed by this turn consider Einstein's observation about the American polity:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3603

REFERENCE: Letter to FHWA asking permission to abandon DEIS recommended routes:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/TxDOT-FHWA.pdf

TOLLROADSnews 2008-06-17