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.
TXDOT announced it is forming citizens advisory committees in an effort to “give more Texans a seat at the table in developing statewide transportation corridors.” Not surprisingly, the first up are include the two of the most controversial : IH-35, which includes the Trans-Texas Corridor 35, and I-69, which includes I-69/TransTexas Corridor.
Interested in joining the advisory committee? Download the application from the TXDOT website and submit by February 8.
The Austin Business Journal reports that the CTRMA has issued requests for proposals (RFP) for financing of the toll roads recently approved in the CAMPO TIP (SH 45 SW from Loop 1 S to FM 1626, US 290E from US 183 to SH 130, US 183 from Springdale to Patton, SH 71 E from Riverside Dr. to US 183, and the “Y” at Oak Hill). Proposals are expected to be in by April, at which time the CTRMA will also have a better idea of how TXDOT cutbacks will impact the projects. Also still on the CAMPO / CTRMA discussion table is the possibility of the RMA taking over some design projects that could be adversely impacted by TXDOT’s budget woes.
CTRMA looks for funding support for toll projects
In other CTRMA news, US 183A traffic statistics through October 2007 are available on the CTRMA website. Average weekday transactions for July - October ranged from 56,668 to 58,561, well above the projected average of less than 25,000.
TXDOT has created two new positions within new Executive Director Amadeo Saenz’s administration and filled them with familiar faces:
More info:
San Antonio Express - Local Toll Architect Gets Promotion
San Antonio Express - Local TXDOT official promoted to new job in Austin
