Transportation

Community Impact Papers have a fantastic headline, Rainy Day Road Relief, even if revenue types would question the veracity of the headline. Back in the summer of 2013, Texas Legislature passed SJR 1 to add $1 billion in transportation funding which diverts a portion of the oil and gas revenues before the revenues reach the Rainy Day Fund.  [Community Impact] [SJR 1]

Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Addkisson supports indexing the gas tax. He points to the Governor’s  Business Council which said that a 10 cent per gallon increase could make up the $60-90 Billion deficit in Texas transportation funding. He goes on to say that local governments are contributing millions in upfront funding to cover TXDOT transportation projects. [My SA]

Texas recevied $48.6 billion in federal funds for fiscal year 2013. Texas complied with federal rules when it spent the $2.6 billion in funds from the federal highway planning cluster programs audited.  [SAO]  

Every expo has its day. The days October 12-15 this year are the days for the APTA transportation expo. [APTA]

In the summer of 2013 the Texas Legislature was busy with three back to back special sessions. The final special session brought us SJR 1 and HB 1 which begins the process of solving Texas transportation funding structure. Legislative voyeurs are concerned about diversions in transportation funding. Transportation funding has been used to fund everything from education to law enforcement. [SJR 1 (2013)] [HB 1(2013)]

Local governments are paying attention to the robust public input on a North Texas private toll road project by the Texas Turnpike Corporation. To translate lawyer speak- robust public input means angry voters. This week the town of Wylie called a special council meeting  & voted to OPPOSE a private toll road, which gives the private corporation eminent domain authority. Texans don’t like private toll roads. Texans dislike private companies using eminent domain & building private toll roads more.[NBC DFW]

From Waco’s ABC 25 News: ” Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization Director Chris Evilia says, “I can tell you that our financial forecasts are pretty bleak.”  

When it comes to transportation funding, the Waco MPO isn’t alone.  That’s why lawmakers are putting Proposition 1 on the November ballot.

If it passes, a significant amount of money will be diverted from Texas’ Rainy Day Fund — into the Highway Transportation Fund every year.  ”  [ABC 25 Waco]

New transportation options are coming to our streets. Good for the laisse faire market. As the District Attorneys in LA and San Francisco recently warned by letter, liability for injuries is an issue that should be addressed.  This liability issue directly relates to how should a state or city regulate these new methods of transportation? Do these new transportation methods fit within the liability rules for an existing transportation provider? Maybe, maybe not. Tort issues will arise.  [CNET]

Way back in the summer of 2013, the Legislature passed legislation to support adding $1 Billion, a fraction of oil and gas tax revenues,  to the State Highway Fund. Usually a 2013 constititional amdendment is put to the vote in 2013. But, not in this case of this quirky bill, it set the election date as 2014. [KUT] [2013’s transportation bills: SJR 1 and HB 1]

A tiny blind spider colony is causing major headaches in San Antonio. Three years after finding the blind spider, the project has been re-routed, and the price tag trippled. The spider gets to keep its habitat, the citizens get their needed roadways. [My SA]

Preserving farmland is high on the minds of West Texans. The Brazos River Bottom Alliance says Texas leads the nation in disappearing farm land. Texas without farm land is like Texas without cowboys, a seeming impossibility. [Odessa American]
 

Creative business enterprises Uber, Lyft and Sidecar, which all provide ride-share services, received a friendly letter from the District Attorneys of San Francisco and Los Angeles. Friendly in this case is defined as- hey companies, we think you’re breaking several laws,and we might sue you. The district attorneys raised issues such as whether proper background checks on drivers are being conducted; the threat to public safety for riders; ride share calculations violate state law; and failure to get proper state licenses. Expect California to regulate ride sharing more heavily both locally and statewide. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Private companies exercising eminent domain is eerily familiar to the TransTexas Corridor. TransTexas Corridor brought an emergence of grassroots groups opposed to a private, foreign company being granted the power of eminent domain. The Legislature ended the TransTexas Corridor years ago. But, private tollroad companies still exist, including The Texas Turnpike Corporation. It has proposed a new Northeast Gateway Toll Project. Vocal opposition to this project caused the first public meeting to be shut down by a fire marshall when capacity was quickly exceeded at the venue. The second public meeting turned heated with unanimous opposition. Such is the case when the words private company and eminent domain appear in the same sentence. [WFAA Dallas]

Imagine if Texas Legislators had to authorize eminent domain for a project to move forward? California hasn’t gone that far to make the Legislature approve eminent domain, but the California Public Works Board is voting to condemn a feed store, a vacant lot, and other Fresno properties to build the San Francisco-Los Angeles high speed rail line. [Fresno Bee]

The North Central Texas Council of Government did the right thing by hosting a public meeting on a planned toll road linking Bush Turnpike with Greenville. Unexpectedly the meeting drew a crowd. A really big crowd. A crowd too big for the school cafeteria. People were there to voice opinions about eminent domain. The big crowd caused a quick end to the meeting. There is nothing that pleases people who are upset more than being denied a forum to voice their opinions. Tempers are sure to flare.   [Dallas Morning News]

An interesting nugget from the article: “Blair Fitzsimons, the executive director of the Texas Agricultural Land Trust, said 

there are few options for private landowners in Texas who are fighting against eminent domain.” She goes on to discuss potential eminent domain protection from certain conservation easements.

High Speed Rail is progressing in California. Billion Dollar construction contracts have been awarded. But, there’s a hitch. Eminent Domain and right of way negotiations aren’t moving. Hard to build when land disputes exist. [Fresno Bee]

This is one to watch. In Texas, the FBI is investigating right of way purchases in North Texas, which some say was land speculating because of the potential use of eminent domain while constructing I-35E. [Denton Record]