The cost of fixing Texas traffic is mindboggling

AUSTIN -- Texans will need to spend a mind-boggling $14.2 billion a year through 2030 to keep up with the state's growing traffic needs and fix miles of aging highways and bridges, according to a report released Wednesday.

That amount would be more than double the $6 billion a year the Texas Department of Transportation is appropriated.

The report by the transportation department's 2030 Committee, a panel of experts that spent six months researching the needs of highways, bridges, rail lines and ports, is sure to draw fire during the next legislative session that begins in January. Lawmakers have said they want to tear down and rebuild the administration of the oft-criticized transportation department -- and one of the common accusations is that the department's leaders manipulate statistics to get what they need from the Legislature.

But this time, the report was conducted by "an esteemed panel of experts," Texas Transportation Commission chairwoman Deirdre Delisi said. When asked Wednesday morning if she was worried that lawmakers simply wouldn't believe the numbingly high numbers in the report, Delisi said:

"To quote Popeye, 'They are what they are.' ... The needs are real," she said. Delisi was appointed chairwoman in April and within a month assembled the outside panel of business leaders to provide an objective assessment of the state's needs.

Details of the report are being presented today to the transportation commission during a workshop in Austin. The main presenter is Michael Walton, a civil engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

Also serving on the panel is Roger Nober, executive vice president at Fort Worth-based BNSF.

Researchers from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Austin Center for Transportation Research assisted in the six months of work.

The panel surveyed the needs of each urban and metro area in the state, using resources such as the recently updated Mobility 2030 plan in Dallas-Fort Worth, and concluded that $313 billion would need to be spent from 2009-2030 to prevent congestion from getting worse. That amount would include:

• $89 billion to repair and maintain existing roads.
• $36 billion to repair and replace structurally deficient bridges.
• $171 billion to build and expand roads, mostly in metro areas, to prevent growth-related congestion from getting worse.
• $17 billion to improve safety on rural roads, and connect rural producers to markets.

Although some recent studies suggest that people are driving less, especially in an era of higher gas prices, the panel accepted data from metropolitan planners, including the North Central Texas Council of Governments, that projects the number of vehicle miles traveled in Texas will continue to increase dramatically through 2030.

"Texas will grow by seven to 17 million people during that time," Walton said Wednesday.

The report will be posted online later this afternoon at on TxDot's home page.

Check back to Honkin' Mad! for more on this topic later today.

2030 Committee Members

Ken Allen, San Antonio H-E-B	David M. Laney, Dallas Law Office of David M. Laney, PC
Ruben Bonilla, Corpus Christi Port of Corpus Christi Commission	David Marcus, El Paso Marcus, Fairall, Bristol + Co.,LLP
Jon Cannon, Dallas FedEx Kinko's	Drayton McLane, Jr., Temple McLane Group
Drew Crutcher, Odessa Landgraf, Crutcher & Associates, Inc.	Roger Nober, Fort Worth Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation
Judge Ed Emmett, Houston Harris County Commissioners Court	Gary Thomas, Dallas Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Tom Johnson, Austin Associated General Contractors of Texas	C. Michael Walton, Austin The University of Texas at Austin

Comments

[Garl B. Latham]

Why do groups such as this even MENTION "the needs of...rail lines," when their ENTIRE budget proposal deals with HIGHWAYS and the presumed "dramatic" increase in future motor vehicle traffic?!

Oh, THAT's right: to distract us from their REAL intent! [Among other things, it's called "window dressing."]

The best Deirdre Delisi can manage is a weak misquotation of a cartoon character and a continued insistence that her cohorts are "an esteemed panel of experts," therefore able to both predict and prepare for our collective transportation future.

Yes, I suppose the total "cost of fixing" [sic] things is pretty hard to swallow...but far MORE "mindboggling" is how absolutely BLIND our "leaders" continue to be!

As I've so often said, my disgust knows no bounds!

I'll leave you all with a simple prediction: if we DO spend 313 BILLION dollars (_sounds_ like a lot of money, doesn't it?) over the next 22 years in the way these "esteemed experts" have suggested, worsening congestion will NOT be prevented, air quality will NOT be improved, general mobility will NOT be increased, and we'll have that much LESS time and money left to spend upon passenger and freight transportation alternatives before achieving essential gridlock.

You know, when that day comes, we'll have no one but ourselves to blame - for allowing people such as this to act with impunity.

Since it is not possible for Deirdre Delisi to be objective regarding transportation issues, it is not possible for her to assemble a group of "leaders" to "provide an objective assessment of [Texas' transportation] needs." Period.

It isn't often that I feel a desire to use foul language in order to sweeten my prose; therefore, I think I'll stop right now!

Merry Christmas.

Garl, in Dallas

[Garl B. Latham]

After reading the committee's executive summary report, I sent along this comment:

"I have no questions at this time for your 'esteemed panel of experts.' I simply wish to quote one portion of the recently released executive summary of your draft report:

"'...intercity passenger rail MIGHT [emphasis mine] complement [Texas'] long-term mobility strategy. A comprehensive assessment of intercity passenger rail is needed to determine its value to Texas.'

"The goal is not to determine the overall level of investment, mind you, nor the specific technologies to be used, the individual routes and services to be offered, or the several stations to be established.

"No...according to your tidy little group, a (shall we say) 'STUDY' will be required to determine IF WE NEED PASSENGER TRAINS AT ALL!!

"With people like you working overtime to ensure our dependence upon automobiles remains unchecked for yet another generation (or two), I have absolutely NO HOPE for the world my children will inherit."

We'll see if anyone responds.

Should we place a wager on it?!

Hmmm...

Garl

[Garl B. Latham]

You know...

It isn't as though I relish my opportunities to pick apart such diatribe, although it seems so easy to do. In fact, it is often depressing.

Still, we all do what we can. Besides, SOMEONE needs to call these "experts" on their idiocy. If I don't, and no one else with adequate knowledge chooses to do so, then we give them free rein - and that's no solution, since it has been "experts" like this who have successfully brought us our existing "transportation" (read: "highway") network.

Perhaps I should hesitate before questioning such a "nationally renown research team of transportation experts." To be honest, I probably would keep my mouth shut, no matter how I might feel, if we were discussing any topic _besides_ transportation! But, as with the old joke, these folks "have stopped preachin' and started meddlin'!"

The ultimate insult, almost too much to bear, is TXDOT's assertion that, "for many years, Texas led the [U.S.] in transportation infrastructure development." Our "Highway Department" [sic] is, of course, speaking of "HIGHWAY development" and precious little else.

Interestingly, the "renown experts" almost immediately follow that statement with this comment: "the impact of this farsightedness is dramatic."

Yes; yes, it is.

It is dramatic how we have no reasonable alternative to travel by private automobile throughout the vast majority of our beloved state.

It is dramatic how we collectively wring our hands over things like urban congestion and air quality, then decide to dig our hole even deeper!

It is dramatic how we continue to live out the definition of "insanity": doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result! [Isn't it funny how being insane seemingly qualifies one to be considered an "expert"?!]

It is dramatic how the only "justification" for spending the entire projected 2030 budget on road projects, as specifically stated in the executive summary*, is the fact that there are several roadway plans already on the drawing board, yet nothing regarding transport options. In other words, due to Tex-DOT's REFUSAL to plan and deal straightforwardly - dare I say PROACTIVELY - with rail-based alternatives, we're stuck with MORE OF THE SAME!! [*The acatual statement was: "The timeframe of this report did not permit an in-depth analysis of other transportation modes...".]

It is dramatic how anyone, especially an "expert," can actually believe* that an unaltered mid-twentieth century technology is representative of the future! [*At least, that is our presumption. We can only _imagine_ what actually goes on behind closed doors and who might directly or indirectly benefit, financially or otherwise, from our autocentric status quo.]

It is dramatic how our the lives of our children - and _their_ children - have become so meaningless to us who are ultimately responsible for their welfare!

It is dramatic how we speak out of one side of our mouths regarding a universal willingness to embrace technological change, yet have become so firmly entrenched within the cabins of our precious little cars that we fear (yes, FEAR) even the _discussion_ of change!

I'm sorry; I must needs pause here. I'm becoming quite ill.

Garl

[Garl B. Latham]

Well, since I'm already feeling sick...

"Tex-DOT" claims they have no alternative but to take an auto-centric approach to [ahem] "planning," since they've wasted the past generation in their continual refusal to even ACKNOWLEDGE alternatives to the "pave-and-drive" mentality of the past half-century, plus.

Therefore, since I hesitate to call "experts" LIARS, I'll accept that statement as the truth! The ONLY reason no railroad options are currently on the table is because the "experts" have no idea what they might be!

[Sounds pretty fantastic, doesn't it?!]

So, in order to get things started, I'd like to post a few ideas of my own.

We'll begin with intercity passenger train service, since the N.C.T.C.O.G. has already developed a plan (yes, that's right - a real, live PLAN!) for regional service.

Amongst the immediate priorities:

1. The so-called "South Central High Speed Rail Corridor," as already defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation [sic]. This involves routes from "Dallas/Fort Worth" (wherever THAT is!) to Austin and San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and Texarkana and Little Rock.

2. Potential branches off the South Central lines, including service to Shreveport, Louisiana via Longview.

3. Intercity service to Houston and Galveston, via College Station.

4. Passenger operations between Texas and Colorado, potentially involving an "auto train" concept service. A logical north central Texas terminal for the handling of motor vehicles would be Saginaw. Passenger routes to connect that location with our regional system for those who are not driving (such as by way of trains running north from downtown Fort Worth) need to be established.

5. Other routes as advocated by independent groups, like the Texas Association of Railroad Passengers. They include a restoration of service due west to Abilene, Sweetwater and points beyond, passenger trains to Lubbock and Amarillo, trains through Decatur and Wichita Falls, and an oft-promised Amtrak line due east into the deep South, serving Birmingham, Atlanta and Savannah.

Is the actual implementation of these routes solely under Texas' purview? Perhaps not; but, SOMEONE will eventually draw up plans for the way long distance trains will tie in with Texas' various urban lines! If we fail to take the initiative, other entities may be making these decisions FOR us...altering our landscape for generations to come.

More to follow.

GBL

[Garl B. Latham]

Since the N.C.T.C.O.G. has worked so long to develop a logical proposal for regional passenger train service, I feel TXDOT's local efforts should be centred on ways to tie the COG's plans into future intercity operations.

One way this can be accopmlished is through the active development of "gateways" - i.e., junction points where convenient connections between all services will be possible.

Locations which fit the bill for potential secondary gateways include:

1. Carrollton - the intersection of DART's Green Line to Dallas, DCTA's "A Train" to Denton, the Cotton Belt corridor to Fort Worth, and the former Frisco Railway alignment between Irving and Denison.

2. Garland - the junction point where DART's Blue Line meets today's Kansas City Southern and Dallas, Garland and Northeastern main lines, offering logical routes between (for example) Dallas, Greenville, Sulphur Springs, Mount Pleasant and and Texarkana.

3. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport - where DART's Orange Line can interface with both the Cotton Belt and Trinity Railway Express services.

4. Waxahachie - the location where regional service to both Fort Worth and Dallas can seamlessly dovetail with through intercity express trains along corridors to Waco/Austin/San Antonio and College Station/Houston/Galveston.

5. Saginaw - where three existing main lines (the former Santa Fe and Burlington [Fort Worth and Denver] routes of today's BNSF, and the Union Pacific's former Rock Island line) intersect, and where (as already mentioned) an auto-train terminal should be constructed.

There are others; but, you get the idea.

The vital importance of both Fort Worth and Dallas as primary gateways hopefully go without saying...although Fort Worth's Intermodal Transportation Center and Dallas' Union Terminal will require tremendous capital investment to prepare for the future.

Since the Texas & Pacific building should have been identified as Fort Worth's primary intercity passenger train depot all along, it's possible that any major improvements should be concentrated, at least initially, upon the T&P location.

More to follow...but, perhaps, not until I finish preparing for Christmas with my girls - and the predictable aftermath!

GBL