The Commission met to consider their agenda. This report focuses only on discussion of proposition 1 funds, the unified transportation program, the TxDOT legislative appropriations request and toll operations.
Potential Distribution of Proposition 1 Funds
John Barton, Deputy Executive Director, TxDOT
- If passed on November 4th, Proposition 1 is estimated to bring $1.7 billion to TxDOT for the 2015 fiscal year
- TxDOT has developed a work group to analyze the potential funds; the work group includes Chairman Johnny Johnson, Judge Ed Emmit, Judge Woody Gossom, Judge Mike Bradford, Judge Keith Self, Judge Carlos Cascos, Judge Judy Hawley, Jungus Jordan, John Esparza, Michael Morris
Mark Williams, Director of Planning, TxDOT
- Funds should be used to maintain a safe system, address congestion, connect Texas communities, and to help make TxDOT the best in-class state agency
- The current proposal would allocate 60% of the funds for congestion/connectivity, 20% for maintenance, and 20% for energy impacts
Unified Transportation Program
Mark Williams, Director of Planning, TxDOT
- This minute order serves as the Commission’s identification and justification of variances from certain federal distribution formulas and authorizes the proposed distribution of the transportation fund through the 2015 UTP
- The updated 2015 UTP will be amended to include 610 bus lanes in Houston, the El Paso Streetcar Project, and a number of roadway reconstruction projects affecting major corridors
- The VIA Streetcar Project in San Antonio has proposed funding changes; the City of San Antonio has asked that funding from the Texas Mobility Fund, originally allocated for the Streetcar Project, be reallocated to other eligible projects
- The Commission would like to know why the funding for the UTP tapers off in the next ten years
- Because the current years of the UTP contain two things the following years do not—continuation of the allocation of one time bond program funds and a significant decrease in funding for MAP-21 after this year
- The Commission voted to approve the 2015 UTP
Promulgation of Administrative Rules Chapter 21
John Barton, Deputy Executive Director, TxDOT
- Deferred to the September Transportation Commission meeting at the request of Bob Kaufman
Legislative Appropriations Request
James Bass, CFO, TxDOT
- LAR for 2016 and 2017; overall baseline request totals $19.9 billion which is down from the current budget of $21.2 billion
- Included in the exceptional item listing in the LAR request are the potential benefits from Proposition 1 passage, identification of the $5 billion annual funding shortfall, funding for various rail projects, water projects, continuation of the truck discount program for the 130 toll road, funding for the veteran discount toll program, federal funding uncertainty, and state highway funds allocated to state agencies other than TxDOT
- Commissioner Vandergriff announced he will vote against passing the LAR because of the disabled veterans toll discount and the classification of the DMV as a “diversion”; he doesn’t like the fact that certain items cannot be line itemed out of the LAR
- Commissioner Austin disagrees with Commissioner Vandergriff on the disabled veterans toll and feels it’s entirely appropriate and beneficial; both the Governor and Speaker Strauss support the classification of the DMV as a “diversion”
- The Commission would like to know why the LAR is an up or down vote rather than a line item vote
- The up or down format is due to tradition and preference, not because of a binding rule
- The truck toll discount on toll road 130 resulted in a 45% use increase and less congestion on I-35; Commissioner Austin wants to know if the diverted truck transport is enough to decongest I-35
- It will certainly help alleviate I-35 congestion but it won’t relieve it completely
- The Commission voted to approve the LAR with a 4-1 vote (Commissioner Vandergriff with the negative vote)
Toll Operations
James Bass, CFO, TxDOT
- The Commission voted to pass the regional tolling services agreement with the North Texas Tollway Authority for managed lane projects
- The Commission voted to authorize the executive director of TxDOT to enter into an agreement with Harris County for development of the US 290 Project, a proposed managed lane facility on US 290 from I-610 to SH99