...running down the comments.

OK, enough of the setup---let?’s start running down the comments.

THIS DECISION WAS RUSHED. I can understand how it appears that way, given most transportation decisions and highway construction projects in this area drag on for decades, were poorly planned and never come close to meeting current environmental regulations and best practices. I can only speak for myself. I felt well informed going into the July meeting, but perhaps that better reflects my grounding in transportation issues.

 I?’ve spent nearly 10 years on CAMPO and have missed only a couple of meetings in that entire time.
 I come to all CAMPO meetings well prepared.
 I?’ve gone through 3 county bond elections that resulted in the investment of hundreds of millions of local property tax dollars in the construction of new roads and state highway right-of-way procurement (and for the creation of regional parks, preserves and open space).
 I?’ve gone to Washington DC to lobby on the Hill on multiple occasions for our fair share of federal transit dollars (and for Dept. of Interior Section 6 grants for the acquisition of habitat and open space--$37 million received to date for the BCP).
 I was heavily involved in the creation of and initial seed funding for our local Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) and the selection of our board members. I do my best to attend as many of their monthly meetings as possible and I regularly visit with our Travis County representatives on the CTRMA.
 I go to Team Texas meetings around the state, the consortium of toll operators in Texas and I have toured toll facilities at the North Texas Toll Authority in Dallas---from their IT operations, to the money pit, to security and customer relations centers.

Bottom line?—I did my homework and had a lot less to do to ramp up and to understand the CTRMA plan. I also understood the deadlines imposed by the Texas Transportation Commissioners on their disposition of $161 million in mobility funds earmarked for the Austin district. I wasn?’t happy with the deadline, but it is what it is and we had to act in July or else risk the loss of that money. I felt that blowing off the money and/or the announced deadline was an unacceptable option.


(reposted from a mass emailing to people who wrote the commissioners court about opposing the Toll Road conversion plan - Russ Hodes)

Travis County Judge defends vote

Thank you for your input on the state toll plan. After considering the feasibility
of the state?’s proposal and the input I received from residents both for and against toll roads, I decided to vote for the plan. Here are the reasons for my decision:

1. All of the roads covered by the plan are state roads. Additionally, they have been part of a locally designated comprehensive list of roads that need expansion or improvement.

2. The funds required to design and construct these roads are state funds - - state generated, state controlled and state allocated. State funds will be supplemented by federal dollars, but the state controls the federal dollars too.

3. Travis County residents have listed traffic congestion as the number one issue in numerous public opinion polls during recent years. Moreover, Austin has been singled out as one of the most congested cities of its size in the nation.


(part of a letter from our County Judge, Sam Biscoe)

Blame it on the Governor

4. Top state leaders from the Governor?’s Office to the Texas Transportation Commission have mandated that toll roads be constructed statewide for Texas to relieve traffic congestion and improve the state transportation system. All regions have been put on notice that state funds will be spent to implement toll road systems, period. Regions that do not construct toll roads jeopardize future funding for state roads. I believe this threat is real because (a) it comes from the top state leaders who control state funding for transportation; (b) all regions have been given the same ultimatum; and (c) although the ?“toll roads or no roads?” threat is harsh, insufficient dollars are available to meet regional and statewide transportation needs.

5. We have been assured that comparable free alternative roads will be available for persons who do not wish to use newly constructed toll roads. Although it is impossible to determine the level of congestion on free roads in the future, because population growth and future development will generate greater vehicular traffic, free roads will remain available for residents who choose to use them. Local officials and residents must be given greater input into the manner in which specific projects are designed and constructed in order to ensure the availability of alternative free roads. I will do all I can to make it happen.

6. We must take steps to avoid the ?“2 billion dollar boondoggle?” that some predict. Adequate safeguards must be in place to protect funds used to build new roads. Several laws and numerous regulations come into play with the issuance of bonds including safeguards imposed by bond rating firms, institutional buyers, lawyers and the like. Before the first dollar is spent, adequate safeguards will be in place, and we will be able to share them with the public.

7. A few roads targeted for tolling are already under construction. We should evaluate the impact of tolling in our regional transportation system and, based on the facts, determine the future of toll roads in our region.

Finally, after considering toll roads for several months and brainstorming with county staff, I could not come up with a better strategy for immediately relieving traffic congestion.


( by the way, have you ever tried to send an email to the Governor of Texas ? One would think he doesn't know how to read email..... )

Brewster's excuses....

Thank you for contacting my office. I'd like to take a moment to share with you why I voted last night in favor of the toll road plan. Due to declining gas tax revenues, every state and every metropolitan area will soon face the reality that we in Austin had to confront: without toll roads, there is not enough money to fund road maintenance and construction of new capacity. Our choice last night was not whether to implement tolls-this is an inevitability. Rather, our choice was whether to implement a toll program now, when there is $161 million in seed money from the state to offset the construction costs, or wait and have to pay the entire cost of the system locally.


I voted for the toll road plan for two overriding reasons. First, by taking this inevitable step now, Austin was able to leverage tens of millions in state funds that would be unavailable if we failed to act now. This money will help ease the burden of taxpayers at the same time that we dramatically improve mobility in Central Texas.

Second, by acting (July 12th), Austin was for the first time able to achieve a measure of control over how the state constructs these roads in our community. In recent years, Austin has seen the construction of loud elevated highways and highways built through neighborhoods without noise walls or environmental and aesthetic concerns. Through the amendments we adopted this evening, we changed the old way of doing business and gave neighborhoods a role in designing the roads that affect their lives.


Specifically, I sponsored two amendments that give our community greater control over how roads are built in Austin.

( ** Brewster introduced two weak, possibly impossible to enforce ammendments. One was for Context Sensitive Design Standards (CSD), which is supposed to keep highs prettier - less intussive. The other was to delay 360 - although Karen Sonlieghtner claims that one, too. It was co-authored by both. So, ask yourself why 360 was so special to get exempted ?)