Chris Edwards posted this on his blog:
In what sounds like another tall tale told by a Texan, the Lone Star State has embarked on an audacious project to build superhighways so big, so complex, that they will make ordinary interstates look like cowpaths.
The Trans-Texas Corridor project, as envisioned by Republican Gov. Rick Perry in 2002, would be a 4,000-mile transportation network costing an awesome $175 billion over 50 years, financed mostly if not entirely with private money. The builders would then charge motorists tolls.
But these would not be mere highways. Proving anew that everything's big in Texas, they would be megahighways - corridors up to a quarter-mile across, consisting of as many as six lanes for cars and four for trucks, plus railroad tracks, oil and gas pipelines, water and other utility lines, even broadband transmission cables.
Jason Koulouras commented:
That is an incredibly wild concept - the hurdles are huge for such a project - route selection, land buyouts, environmental hearings, river crossings, interstate crossings, branch/collector roads and highways topography etc.....
As for new towns, there are plenty of brownfield sites already around the US and Canada. I think we need to focus our energy on improving what we have and not letting the existing infrastructure go to waste
With the US bringing in so much from China, is this even the most relevant route.
Yes, the Panama Canal is an issue - it is too small, not maintained properly and too slow - it is still the most likely spot for any expansion or change if simply due to geography
Also, being from Canada, I am not sure conceptually where this route would run once it crosses the border
Finally, the environmental cost of building such a monster project - the fuel for the construction machines, the materials for construction, the ongoing maintenance costs etc....I can see if it is for pure infrastructure such as pipeline, electrical, rail and maybe trucks.
I am sure the toll rates would have to be quite high to justify a private sector desired ROI
Thanks for the post
Article comments
1 - Porkus Maxumus
The Trans Texas Corridor is one of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's pet projects. It is a massive toll road that will swallow up over a half million acres of rural land via eminent domain. That land will become government property used not only for transportation but as State owned rental property in direct competition with local business. Governor Perry's aide, Dan Shelley, worked for Cintra, the Spanish firm that won the $7.2B bid for the road project. Unfortunately, few voters know much about it. For more info, you can check the following links:
http://www.corridorwatch.org/ttc/index.htm
http://blog.deltos.com/SJR/archives/000358.html
http://www.firericwilliamson.com/
2 - Porkus Maximus Tex
Call it "privatization" or "piratization." Whatever it is, few Texas voters knew about the Trans-Texas Corridor until recently. Few even believed such an audacious land grab was possible. Unfortunately, it is--thanks to some stealthy legislation enacted several years ago, which allowed the officials of the Texas Transportation Commission to push the project through in record time--before any one could figure out what hit them.
I have just started a blog devoted exclusively to the Trans Texas Corridor, if anyone is interested: www.transtexascorridor.blogspot.com
3 - concermed citizen
Craddick's new congressional district has already begun to skim off most of the oil, water, cattle, pecans, and so forth from the finest section of Texas. Now, along comes the proposed Trans Texas Corridor! After the foreign contractors from Spain, of all places!, acquires all of this right of way by condemnation proceedings, they will begin to drill for oil, water, gas, mine sand and gravel, dirt, rocks, haul away wood, and anything of value. I can assuredly assure you that : THEY WILL SUCK OUT FROM UNDER THE POOR TEXAS FARMERS AND RANCHERS All AlONG THE CORRIDORS, ALL THE OIL,WATER,GAS,SAND AND GRAVEL, ROCK, WOOD, DIRT, AND I MOST ASSUREDLY ASSURE YOU THAT THEY WILL PICK UP AND HAUL AWAY EVERY DAMN ARROWHEAD THAT THEY FIND!
4 - Dave Nalle
Didn't realize someone has beat me to the punch on this one. Have been working on an article about it for the past week.
The Trans Texas Corridor is a disaster waiting to happn. It's a huge land and tax grab which will funnel money out of the pockets of Texas citizens and into the pockets of Rick Perry's cronies. It's an outrage of enormous magnitude.
Check out http://www.transtexastyrrany.com
Dave
5 - Eric Berlin
Whatever happened to the idea of building monorails and high-speed trains in this country?
6 - SFC Ski
In the case of Texas, it is not high speed people movingthat is the issue, it is freight from Mexico that needs to move north, the I-35 is not handling that flow, and it goes right through San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas, creating even more traffic problems. NOt only that but many trucks use inferior secondary roads to cut the distance beween I-10, 1-20 and points north, creating again lots of traffic problems. I love the wide open spaces, but I hate driving in West Texas, it is like the road system of the 1950's in many places, narrow 2 lane. Hell, I lived in a town of 90,000 that was 95 miles off the interstate in either direction
There is also the plain fact that outside of the NE corridor, and Chicago, most Americans are just not oriented towards anything other than cars. Whether it is true or not, the idea that is most convenient and least expensive to get in your car and drive overshadows every other argument. Remember that it is an avarage of 3 hours between major cities in Texas, people will want to be able to come and go as they please because of the time they lose on the road. Maybe an opther year or tow of high gas prices will change people's minds, but it is a big piece of our culture. Look at California or Colorado for that matter, they have a lot of road miles to mainitain, and the same traffic hassles.
7 - JR
If it's for freight, then they should DEFINITELY be building rail lines. Get that shit off the roads.
8 - jware
HOUSE JOURNAL SEVENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, REGULAR SESSION
EIGHTY-FOURTH DAY -- SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2003
HB 3588, A bill to be entitled An Act relating to the construction, acquisition, financing, maintenance, management, operation, ownership, and control of transportation facilities and the progress, improvement, policing, and safety of transportation in the state; imposing criminal penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
ARTICLE 1. TRANS-TEXAS CORRIDOR
On the part of the senate --
Steve Ogden Bryan Brazos
Gonzalo Barrientos Austin Travis
Robert F. Deuell Greenville Hunt
On the part of the house --
Mike Krusee Austin Williamson
Larry Phillips Sherman Grayson
Dianne White Delisi Temple Bell
Fred Hill Richardson Dallas
Timoteo Garza Eagle Pass Maverick
The motion prevailed by (Record 938): 146 Yeas, 0 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.
Yeas --
Ray Allen Grand Prairie Dallas
Roberto Alonzo Dallas Dallas
Kevin Bailey Houston Harris
Todd Baxter Austin Travis
Leo Berman Tyler Smith
Dwayne Bohac Houston Harris
Dennis Bonnen Angleton Brazoria
Dan Branch Dallas Dallas
Betty Brown Terrell Kaufman
Fred Brown College Station Brazos
Lon Burnam Fort Worth Tarrant
William "Bill" Callegari Katy Harris
Scott Campbell San Angelo Tom Green
Gabi Canales Alice Jim Wells
Jaime Capelo Corpus Christi Nueces
Carter Casteel New Braunfels Comal
Norma Chavez El Paso El Paso
Warren Chisum Pampa Gray
Wayne Christian Center Shelby
Garnet Coleman Houston Harris
Byron Cook Corsicana Navarro
Robert "Robby" Cook Eagle Lake Colorado
Frank Corte, Jr. San Antonio Bexar
Joe Crabb Atascocita Harris
Myra Crownover Denton Denton
John Davis Houston Harris
Yvonne Davis Dallas Dallas
Glenda Dawson Pearland Brazoria
Dianne White Delisi Temple Bell
Mary Denny Aubrey Denton
Joseph "Joe" Deshotel Beaumont Jefferson
Joe Driver Garland Dallas
Dawnna Dukes Pflugerville Travis
Jim Dunnam Waco McLennan
Al Edwards Houston Harris
Craig Eiland Galveston Galveston
Rob Eissler The Woodlands Montgomery
Gary Elkins Houston Harris
Dan Ellis Livingston Polk
Juan Escobar Kingsville Kleberg
David Farabee Wichita Falls Wichita
Jessica Farrar Houston Harris
Ismael "Kino" Flores Mission Hidalgo
Dan Flynn Van Van Zandt
Pete Gallego Alpine Brewster
Dan Gattis Georgetown Williamson
Charlie Geren Fort Worth Tarrant
Helen Giddings DeSoto Dallas
Toby Goodman Arlington Tarrant
Tony Goolsby Dallas Dallas
Bob Griggs North Richland Hills Tarrant
Kent Grusendorf Arlington Tarrant
Ryan Guillen Rio Grande City Starr
Roberto Gutierrez McAllen Hidalgo
Patrick "Pat" Haggerty El Paso El Paso
Mike "Tuffy" Hamilton Mauriceville Orange
Peggy Hamric Houston Harris
Richard "Rick" Hardcastle Vernon Wilbarger
Linda Harper-Brown Irving Dallas
Will Hartnett Dallas Dallas
Talmadge Heflin Houston Harris
Glenn Hegar, Jr. Katy Harris
Harvey Hilderbran Kerrville Kerr
Fred Hill Richardson Dallas
Scott Hochberg Houston Harris
Terri Hodge Dallas Dallas
Mark Homer Paris Lamar
Ruben Hope, Jr. Conroe Montgomery
Chuck Hopson Jacksonville Cherokee
Charlie Howard Sugar Land Fort Bend
Bryan Hughes Mineola Wood
Bob Hunter Abilene Taylor
Suzanna Gratia Hupp Lampasas Lampasas
Carl Isett Lubbock Lubbock
Delwin Jones Lubbock Lubbock
Elizabeth Ames Jones San Antonio Bexar
Jesse Jones Dallas Dallas
Terry Keel Austin Travis
Jim Keffer Eastland Eastland
Bill Keffer Dallas Dallas
Phil King Weatherford Parker
Lois Kolkhorst Brenham Washington
Mike Krusee Austin Williamson
Edmund Kuempel Seguin Guadalupe
James E. "Pete" Laney Hale Center Hale
Jodie Laubenberg Parker Collin
Glenn Lewis Fort Worth Tarrant
Vilma Luna Corpus Christi Nueces
John Mabry, Jr. Waco McLennan
Jerry Madden Richardson Collin
Kenny Marchant Coppell Dallas
Trey Martinez Fischer San Antonio Bexar
Brian McCall Plano Collin
Ruth Jones McClendon San Antonio Bexar
Jim McReynolds Lufkin Angelina
Jose Menendez San Antonio Bexar
Ken Mercer San Antonio Bexar
Tommy Merritt Longview Gregg
Sid Miller Stephenville Erath
Joe Moreno Houston Harris
Paul Moreno El Paso El Paso
Geanie Morrison Victoria Victoria
Anna Mowery Fort Worth Tarrant
Elliott Naishtat Austin Travis
Joe Nixon Houston Harris
Rick Noriega Houston Harris
Rene Oliveira Brownsville Cameron
Dora Olivo Richmond Fort Bend
Ken Paxton, Jr. McKinney Collin
Aaron Pena Edinburg Hidalgo
Larry Phillips Sherman Grayson
Joseph "Joe" Pickett El Paso El Paso
Jim Pitts Waxahachie Ellis
Robert Puente San Antonio Bexar
Chente Quintanilla Tornillo El Paso
Richard Raymond Laredo Webb
Elvira Reyna Mesquite Dallas
Debbie Riddle Tomball Harris
Allan Ritter Nederland Jefferson
Eddie Rodriguez Austin Travis
Patrick Rose Dripping Springs Hays
Gene Seaman Corpus Christi Nueces
Todd Smith Euless Tarrant
Wayne Smith Baytown Harris
John Smithee Amarillo Randall
Jim Solis San Benito Cameron
Burt Solomons Carrollton Denton
Jack Stick Austin Travis
David Swinford Dumas Moore
Robert Talton Pasadena Harris
Larry Taylor Friendswood Galveston
Barry Telford DeKalb Bowie
Senfronia Thompson Houston Harris
Vicki Truitt Keller Tarrant
Sylvester Turner Houston Harris
Carlos Uresti San Antonio Bexar
Corbin Van Arsdale Cypress Harris
Michael "Mike" Villarreal San Antonio Bexar
G. E. "Buddy" West Odessa Ector
Ron Wilson Houston Harris
Miguel "Mike" Wise Weslaco Hidalgo
Arlene Wohlgemuth Burleson Johnson
Steven Wolens Dallas Dallas
Martha Wong Houston Harris
Beverly Woolley Houston Harris
William "Bill" Zedler Burleson Tarrant
Present, not voting --
Tom Craddick, Speaker of the House Midland Midland(C).
Absent, Excused --
Timoteo Garza Eagle Pass Maverick*
Absent --
Joaquin Castro San Antonio Bexar**
Harold Dutton Houston Harris**
*[NOTE: Garza left during the reading but voted YEA on 3588 on May 10, 2003]
**STATEMENTS OF VOTE
When Record No. 938 was taken, I was in the house but away from my desk. I would have voted yes. --
Joaquin Castro San Antonio Bexar
When Record No. 938 was taken, my vote failed to register. I would have voted yes. --
Harold Dutton Houston Harris
====================================
SENATE JOURNAL SEVENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE -- REGULAR SESSION
EIGHTY-FOURTH DAY -- SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 2003 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 65 WHEREAS, The conference committee report for HB 3588 contains technical errors that should be corrected.
On motion of Senator Ogden, the Conference Committee Report was adopted by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0
Yeas --
Ken Armbrister Victoria Victoria
Kip Averitt McGregor McLennan
Gonzalo Barrientos Austin Travis
Teel Bivins Amarillo Potter
Kim Brimer Fort Worth Tarrant
John Carona Dallas Dallas
Robert F. Deuell Greenville Hunt
Robert Duncan Lubbock Lubbock
Rodney Ellis Houston Harris
Craig Estes Wichita Falls Wichita
Troy Fraser Horseshoe Bay Burnet
Mario Gallegos Houston Harris
Chris Harris Arlington Tarrant
Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa Mission Hidalgo
Mike Jackson La Porte Harris
Kyle Janek Houston Harris
Jon Lindsay Houston Harris
Eddie Lucio Brownsville Cameron
Frank Madla San Antonio Bexar
Jane Nelson Lewisville Denton
Steve Ogden Bryan Brazos
Bill Ratliff Mount Pleasant Titus
Florence Shapiro Plano Collin
Eliot Shapleigh El Paso El Paso
Todd Staples Palestine Anderson
Leticia Van de Putte San Antonio Bexar
Jeff Wentworth San Antonio Bexar
Royce West Dallas Dallas
John Whitmire Houston Harris
Tommy Williams The Woodlands Montgomery
Judith Zaffirini Laredo Webb
Add up the UNANIMOUS supporters of the TTC: 180-0!
Here is a two-sided flyer in Microsoft Works that you can download and print out to distribute in your area. Post the link all over the net! Get the word out!
9 - jware
The complete history of HB 3588 The House and Senate enrolled text dated June 2, 2003:
10 - jware
The full May 10, 2003 House reading/vote as stated in enrolled text [search for 2963 - 2nd hit]: The full June 1, 2003 House reading/vote as stated in enrolled text [search for 6264]:
11 - jware
The full May 28, 2003 Senate reading/vote as stated in enrolled text [search for 3044]: The full June 1, 2003 Senate reading/vote as stated in enrolled text [search for 5015]: {NOTE: the Senate use dates as the HTML address so if you need another date just change it to that day but the House uses day of their session so you might have to try several days before you hit the right one you need.}
12 - jware
The above votes only use last name, to get their full name, district office, county, 2003 service, etc, go here: [78th R.S. (2003)] To view CURRENT House members and their respective districts, please visit:
13 - jware
To view CURRENT Senate members and their respective districts, please visit: To view CURRENT House/Senate races and opponents [VOTE NOV. 7], please visit:
14 - bhoover
First, I'm against almost any of the "good" ideas proposed by government. However, there are some not so well thought on things on here. One is the land taken from farmers is really not theirs anyway, as you and I pay for their welfare so that they only have to work a few weeks out of the year and bitch cause they can't make a living before they get into their new 4X4 diesel and drive home to their 4 bed brick home, $80000 tractor(s!!!), and their wife's new Suburban. Most of us would be lucky to be that broke. As for putting it all on rail, well, that's stupid. This would drive the cost of EVERYTHING sky high, since nothing in this country gets to market without being put on a truck, even if it moved by rail. Rail is hugely costly, that's why the RR were really hurting until fuel prices made them somewhat competitive again. Plus, almost all RR's are unionized, and once that happens a competitive industry is DEAD here, or you and I foot the bill. Witness the education of our children, would you work as hard as you do if you knew you could not lose your job, short of killing someone? Once again we need to look at the basics, not the legalese and idealogical veiwpoints. The thing to do is make Mexican trucks meet our standards. In fact we need to make a lot of our trucks meet our standards. But, to finish my point, we need to make their products meet our standards and get the unions out of this country so we can be the ones shipping out again instead of buying everything from outside the U.S. Which we could ship by rail due to the bulk, since it is the quantity purchased that determines whether it goes on a rail or a truck. There's a tiny, small solution to the problem.