Jan 19
CAMPO’s final public hearing before the February 12 vote on the TIP and CAMPO 2030 Plan amendments is this Monday, January 22.
Two ways to register your opinion:
- Attend the January 22 CAMPO public hearing (map). [The meeting is being held at the University of Texas J. J. Pickle Research Campus in The Commons Building - please note that this meeting is not at the usual CAMPO Board meeting location.]
- Submit comments to CAMPO:
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Fax a letter addressed to the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board to: (512) 974-6385
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Mail a letter addressed to the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board to: P. O. Box 1088
Austin, Texas 78767
Jan 17
This evening’s CAMPO Board meeting has been CANCELLED.
The meeting been rescheduled for Monday, January 22nd at 6:00 PM at the same location (please note this is NOT the usual meeting location):
The Commons Building University of Texas - J.J. Pickle Research Campus, 10100 Burnet Road, Bldg. #137, Austin, Texas
Jan 04
In the wake of the Chamber’s Task Force report press conference, CAMPO Executive Director Michael Aulick emphasized the importance of getting accurate information to the CAMPO Transportation Policy board so they can make solid policy decisions in an interview with the Austin Chronicle.
For example, with regard to the toll-road plan, Aulick syas the CAMPO board needs to understand the enormity of the funding shortfall as well as what tolling means in terms of what other transportation infrastructure could be built with the revenue.
Accurate information has been hindered by misinterpretation and misunderstandings. Recently much has been made of November 2006 study by the Governor’s Business Council on the competitiveness of Texas’ metropolitan areas that included road issues. Toll road opponents latched onto reports that claimed the study indicated that an indexed gasoline tax could pay for additional roads. That is not true.
“What most newspaper reports missed, though, was that the gas tax was intended to close the gap between toll roads and overall need, Aulick said.” In fact, the gas tax could only cover a fraction of the projected needs of eight Texas urban areas.
The fallout due to the backlash over inaccurate reports concerning the study carried over to the CAMPO Board members who subsequently began question the need for the Phase II toll roads. To reduce future incidents, Aulick recommends, in accordance with the Chamber’s Task Force report, is a stronger and more involved Technical Committee which the Board can rely on for guidance.
Austin Chronicle article: Chamber Recommends CAMPO Reorganization
Dec 23
Senator-elect Kirk Watson, shortly to take a seat on the CAMPO Boards (and expected to be elected Chair) sent an e-mail to CAMPO Board members Wednesday recommending the board delay a decision on the area’s second wave of toll roads for at least six months. The toll road vote - which was expected to fund improvements The plans for Phase 2 include tolling the “Y” in Oak Hill at Highway 71 and 290, SH-45 south, Highway 71 from Interstate 35 to the airport, Highway 183 in East Austin and part of 290 towards Manor - was planned for February.
Watson recently served as Chair of the Greater Austin Chamber, which is issuing a report calling for significant changes to CAMPO’s structure. The Chamber report recommends reducing the board from 23 to 18 members, including slashing the number of state legislators from ten to three.
New CAMPO member wants to hold off on toll plans - News 8 Austin
Watson seeks delay on toll road vote - Austin American-Statesman
Dec 21
Backed by a report by Cambridge Systematics, which performed the original Peer Review study in 2001, the Chamber recommends CAMPO’s Board cut its members from 23 to 18. This reduction would come from the elimination of seven state legislators from the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board and increasing elected officials from local governments. The suggested change would make the CAMPO Board’s composition more in line with the rest of the state’s MPOs.
Other recommendations:
- Establish an attendance policy requiring a new representative to be named if a Board members misses more than half of the meetings and proxies should be a similarly-functioning representatives, not staff members.
- Hold regular public meetings at regional locations to get citizen input
- Strengthen Technical Committee
The Task Force report is available at CAMPO GOVERNANCE TASK FORCE.
Austin Business Journal article