1. You have a few more days to sign the petition to put the Plano ordinance on a public ballot. Go to planoequalrights/ to read the issue and find the phone number to call to get engaged. The Collin County GOP Chairman added a statement regarding the ordinance at collincountygop.org/blog/collingop-chairman-notes/support-religious-liberty-in-plano/ 2. Although freedom always comes before transportation, we do need to continue our discussion on transportation funding. Today I will simply lay out the options and plow the ground for future details. Thomas Sowell reminds us, We cannot opt out of economic issues and decisions. Our only options are to be informed, uninformed, or misinformed. Transportation is the bloodstream of society. Just as our bloodstream carries life to every organ, so the transportation network carries commerce and community to every area of life. Every function; education, work, recreation, worship, and healthcare all need a robust transportation network. Information can be carried electronically, but people and goods cannot. Transportation is truly an investment in society. A vast majority of the major highway projects that you see today are funded with Regional Toll Revenues, which will be exhausted in the next few years. I have called for a Transportation Contract with Texas, modeled after the 1994 Contract with America, to end the era of Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDA) that charge 75 cents per mile during peak periods. See my post at KeithSelf on October 25. The state should once again fund transportation with a significant percentage of the state budget. In addition, your Commissioners Court voted unanimously to oppose the approval of any new CDAs by the legislature this session. If the legislature can find transportation funds to once again adequately fund transportation, all will be well and the transportation network to support our growing population can be built. However, if the legislature cannot find adequate funds, we have choices. Life does not give us what we want; it only presents us with options. Although major highway construction and maintenance is not a core county function, county participation in highway funding is the defining discussion for 2015. I see several options: 1. Continue to partner with cities to build thoroughfares and rely on new thoroughfares to carry our burgeoning traffic, along with whatever funds the state provides to maintain our highways. 2. Accept increased county taxes to add capacity and to maintain current highways. 3. Accept tolls to add capacity and to maintain current highways. If adequate federal and state funds are not made available this session, the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) will immediately try to toll the HOV lane on US75 after the legislative session. With a heavy caveat, IF, and only if the legislature gives the RTC authority to toll US75, the RTC will continue the planning to rebuild US75 including toll lanes. These toll lanes would give the RTC a permanent revenue stream (taxing authority). TXDot is currently planning the toll lanes for US75. The most recent draft proposal for US75 has six toll lanes in a trench, much like 635/LBJ. The estimated cost is approximately 2.3 Billion dollars with estimated net revenue of only 1.75 Billion dollars. That leaves a one half billion dollars funding shortfall. This only accounts for one highway, US75. The county has started a strategic plan to identify other highways that we will need as we grow to 2+ million people. Not funding, just planning lines on the map. Sincerely, Keith
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 20:06:02 +0000