Governor Perry has named Texas Transportation Commissioner Hope Andrade as interim Chair to succeed Ric Williamson, who died December 30. Andrade has been a member of the Commission since 2003 when she was appointed by Perry after the Commission was expanded from three to five members.
Perry names Andrade interim transportation chairman - Houston Chronicle
Interim chair named at transportation commission - Austin Business Journal
Volume 2, Issue 1 of the All Systems Go newsletter has been released. Fred Gilliams’ monthly update reports on the progress of CapMetro’s commuter rail line.
The TXDOT Austin District’s courtesy patrol - the H.E.R.O. (Highway Emergency Response Operator) program - is another victim of the agency’s budget problems. The program loses funding February 1.
The patrol program, in operation for eight years, helped keep traffic congestion down by helping stalled and disabled vehicles. The service helped over 3,000 vehicles statewide in 2007.
TXDOT’s courtesy patrol to be eliminated - KXAN
Courtesy patrol likely on the chopping block - Austin American-Statesman
The second wave of proposed toll roads (sections of US 183, SH 71, US 290 in both East and SW Austin, and the SH 45 SW) were pulled from current TIP consideration until summer at the earliest. There are still too many skeptics on the Board about public acceptability of tolls to allow vote in February as planned and new CAMPO member Sen. Watson has been lobbying for the delay since late last year. Study of funding for all major projects including these toll roads was kicked to a Task Force to be led by Senator Watson.
The CAMPO Board is still scheduled to vote on other transportation projects - including
proposals for non-tolled roads, public transit projects and bike and pedestrian paths - at their February meeting.