Texas House votes to finally repeal the Trans Texas Corridor
Our problem with that amendment is that it was originally structured as a pay-off to Spain-based Cintra for its Trans Texas Corridor contract for SH 130 segments 5 & 6 where it pays TxDOT the maximum payment if it raises speed limits up to 85 MPH on its tollway (to incentivize more drivers to use their high speed toll road, hence Cintra gets higher toll revenues for which its willing to pay TxDOT for the enrichment to its coffers). See Ex 7 of the contract here. TxDOT would also receive a greater share of the toll revenues if it raises the speed limit to 85 MPH on Cintra's tollway. So just when you thought speed limits were about "public safety," private toll road interests come in and hijack the citizens' bill to REPEAL the Trans Texas Corridor to get the last laugh! The amendment, however, was apparently changed to only affect projects built AFTER the law takes effect in June.
Our hats off to Rep. Lois Kolkhorst who has worked with the people of Texas tirelessly since 2005 to KILL this beast that would have left a scar over Texas for generations.
House moves to kill the dead Trans Texas Corridor
Posted on 04/06/2011 by Gary Scharrer
The controversial Texas Trans Corridor has been dead for a few years, but it still lives on in the state statutes.
Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham
All references, however, will be removed under legislation tentatively approved Wednesday by the Texas House. HB 1201 would repeal the chapter providing its statutory authority.
The Texas Trans Corridor remains a controversial legacy of Gov. Rick Perry. Widespread opposition by landowners and others upset about foreign ownership of state highways doomed the massive project that was authorized in 2003. Perry pushed the plan, which included a large network of tolled highways, dedicated lanes for trucks, railways, and rights of way for utilities.
HB 1201 – approved without discussion – would allow the Texas Transportation Commission to establish speed limits up to 85 miles per hour on a part of the state highway system that was designed to accommodate travel at that speed, following engineering studies.
Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, a fierce opponent of the Trans Texas Corridor, authored HB 1201.
“As our state grows in population, we are facing a pressing need for a more modern, more efficient network of roads and highways to move people and goods. We do not, however, need the Trans-Texas Corridor, and I thank Speaker (Joe) Straus and my colleagues in the Texas House for working with me to repeal the Trans-Texas Corridor from state law,” Kolkhorst said.
She has been fighting the Trans-Texas Corridor since 2005.
Read the rest of the story here.