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The Commission met to hear agenda items, this report focuses on the presentation of HB 20, the presentation of the Texas Freight Mobility Plan, and the removal of toll designation from US 281.
 
Opening Comments

  • Bruce Bugg mentions Abbot’s call to address road congestion
  • Jeff Mosley highlights importance of road safety
  • Jeff Austin highlights effectiveness of Texas roads and the importance of preparing for Prop 7
  • Tyron Lewis describes the division of labor amongst the commissioners and highlights gridlocks and congestion issues

 
Item 3a. HB 20 Presentation

  • TxDOT report on HB 20 was presented to the House Select Committee on Transportation Planning, key points:
    • Legislature’s appreciation of the work
    • Whether funding categories and allocation formulas meet the state’s current need
    • How funding from Prop 1 and Prop 7 should be figured into the UTP
    • Necessity of performance measures and reporting for funding allocation
  • Next step is a comprehensive review of TxDOT’s HB 20 implementation process
    • Incorporate work of Care Strategy Team and evaluate of TxDOT’s basic function
    • Continue to collaborate with planning organizations and committees
    • Establish a HB 20 Customer Stakeholder Committee to address consumer concerns
  • Planning Organization Stakeholder Committee meets Oct. 7, Customer Stakeholder Committee meets Nov., House Transportation committees TBD
  • Victor Vandergriff comments on his involvement in the process, efforts of different planning teams and committees are coming together to have a comprehensive study of Transportation

 
Item 3b. Texas Freight Mobility Plan Presentation
Caroline Mays

  • First transportation plan developed to focus on needs of freight industry, outlines goals and objective to address freight mobility problems
  • Also serves as an investment guide, plan is data and stakeholder driven
  • Have collaborated with freight advisory committees across the state and gathered public comment and stakeholder comment
  • Freight demand is increasing due to population growth, NAFTA use, industry growth, and increasing oil and gas exports
  • Roughly half of the statewide economic output relies on freight
  • Challenges include congestion, system operations, safety, connectivity, institutional coordination, border congestion, public awareness, and funding
  • Recommendations and Goals:
    • Invest in corridors with the greatest gains, link key freight nodes, maintain freight network in anticipation of freight needs
    • Review standards for the Freight Highway Network, Identify and implement strategies to improve and reduce rate of crashes, fatalities, and injuries
    • Develop technology and strategies to maintain infrastructure, align transportation investments with state economic goals
    • Traffic Management Center focused on freight needs
    • Traffic incident management program for freight incidents
  • 1,225 projects exist, total cost $44.8 billion currently
  • Freight plan expected to be out for public comment, and develop plan with committee
  • Bugg stresses need to work with current congestion projects
  • Austin discusses need of funding to address many of these issues, hopes to work to secure
  • Austin emphasizes the “multi-modal” needs of Texas
  • Mosley comments on the age of Texas’ freight system, hopeful for economic opportunities as network improves, wonders about other states
    • Many states are looking towards Texas, some, such as Florida, have excellent networks that Texas could learn from
  • Mosley asks if TxDOT should be responsible for implementing all of the freight plan projects
    • Plan includes many different types of projects, will be a collective effort
  • Mosley comments on the fact that freight transport will only increase and currently used corridors are already heavily in use
    • One of the key findings of the Mobility Plan was the lack of alternate routes, improvements to alternate routes would be very beneficial, also look to strategic investment opportunities
    • I 69 is an important corridor that must be properly invested in

 
Judge Ed Emmett

  • This mobility plan as formed will go out to the public, Freight Advisory Committee actively discussed and considered many concerns in formulating the plan
  • If freight doesn’t move then the economy will stall
  • Programs will never be fully funded, thus it is important for TxDOT to know where funding should go
  • Plan was built in response to MAP-21, considers federal dollars and matching funds possibilities
  • Hopefully plan will make the Transportation Commissions job easier
  • Top priority is safety, such as bridge maintenance and improvement
  • Austin and Emmett discuss the importance coordination between shipping and overland transportation, and importance of broad investment across
  • Mosley comments on the expanding congestion problems moving forward, perhaps I would be good to discuss with federal authorities on strategies for accommodating freight roadways, interesting to look at road material

 
Al Alonzi, Federal Highway Administration

  • Happy to see Texas present the first freight transportation plan in the state
  • Important to coordinate freight movement between states and internationally
  • Takes good steps to comply with MAP-21
  • Austin appreciates the involvement of federal personnel in freight plan process, asks for Alonzi’s opinion on how the process is working
    • Federal personnel are coming into Texas soon to conduct an audit on transportation, process is off to a good start

 
John LaRue, Port of Corpus Christi

  • Member of the freight advisory committee, plan is very important to Texas ports
  • Austin commends input of ports and importance of this input

 
Bruce Mann, Port of Houston

  • Appreciates the multi-modal approach of the plan and believes plan will help coordinate freight improvement efforts across the state

 
Glen Jones, Texas Farm Bureau

  • Texas Farm Bureau represents diverse interests in Texas
  • Produce production and delivery involves many different transportation methods and affects economic interests all over Texas

 
Item 10.  Removal of Toll Designation from US 281
Katie Niece, Director of Strategic Projects

  • Proposal authorizes removal of toll designation from US 281 as well as removing highway from tolling authority

 
Commissioner Kevin Wolf, Precinct 3 Bexar County

  • Thanks the diverse organizations that came together to work on this deal

 
Terri Hall, Texas TURF

  • Thanks commission for efforts in removing toll
  • HOV plan is shrinking highway capacity for all vehicles, converting existing unrestricted lane into HOV lane is unprecedented
  • Even with overpass additions, congestion will increase with conversion of lane into HOV lane
  • Additional lane has been promised for nearly 20 years
  • Conversion of lanes into HOV lanes has been tried in California and has failed
  • Exclusive lane conversion in Austin (bike and bus) has only increased congestion

 
Don Dickson, himself

  • Thanks the commission and interested parties
  • Highlights HOV lanes generally leading to congestion problems and questions fairness of the plan
  • Supports Governor Abbott’s focus on congestion relief

 
Katie Niece, Director of Strategic Projects
Mark Williams, Interim Deputy Executive Director

  • Austin asks how this stacks up with the top priorities of the MPO
    • MPO specifically asked TxDOT to continue immediately with making US 281 a non-toll projects, considered one of the highest priorities
  • Austin warns against planning based on funding which may not become available without passage of Prop 7
  • Vandergriff comments that other communities will likely come forward with requests, commission should be consistent in approach
  • Bugg moves to approve toll project removal, highlights importance of the project
  • Austin comments that MPO recommended making this proposal dependent upon passage of Prop 7
  • Motion carried