Monday Morning Report
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Internal
The Austin-San Antonio Corridor Council’s Transportation Task Force Committee will meet 1:30 pm today, Monday, March 31, 2008 at the San Marcos Activity Center located on 501 E. Hopkins. Representative Linda Harper-Brown, Chair, Budget and Oversight Subcommittee of the Transportation Committee; Member – Appropriation Committee and Member, Sunset Commission will be the guest speaker. Please RSVP to council@thecorridor.org or call 512-558-7360 for more information. Agenda details here.
Join us for lunch with Phil Russell, TxDOT Assistant Executive Director for Innovative Project Development, April 8, 12:00 pm at the Headliner’s Club of Austin, 221 W. 6th Street, #2100. Please RSVP to council@thecorridor.org by 4pm today, 3/31 so that your place is reserved.
Infrastructure
There's a boatload of new roadwork being done in logistics-and-distribution powerhouse Temple, the lion’s share construction on Loop 363 between IH 35 and Fifth Street and the city's outer loop project. Between those projects and an anticipated widening of I-35, the next 10 years could result in a changed city. We also hear a lot of talk about a massive new freight rail complex coming soon. Update from The Record here.
As part of his new administration's drive to modernize and reorganize TxDOT's management structure, executive director Amadeo Saenz is looking at a proposal to merge the Fort Worth and Dallas district offices to improve regional traffic planning. Currently, Fort Worth covers nine counties; Dallas' district has seven. The plan puts the most populated counties in a single district and moves the other counties into other districts. Some say the move would give the Metroplex greater influence in statewide transportation matters.
In response to efforts by many groups like the Corridor Council and the Capital Area & San Antonio Mobility Coalitions, TxDOT may change its plans to shift nearly all of its highway construction dollars to maintenance, reversing course on a policy announced last fall that threatened timing on 'pipeline projects' and brought criticism from lawmakers. Commissioners won't vote on the policy shift until next month, but the plan put forth by TxDOT staff (3/27) would set aside about $5 billion for adding new lanes and highways now and $12 billion on repairing existing roads and bridges. Previous plans had called for the agency to spend about $17 billion for maintenance and none on local mobility projects. More details.
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff - in response to new, tougher Federal air quality standards announced last month - said he will try to revive discussions on a light rail system for San Antonio. Voters soundly rejected the idea in 2000, when asked to approve a ¼ cent sales tax for a $1.5 billion system, but Wolff told the Express-News that the rising price of gasoline and other factors might now make it more palatable. "We're going to have to do more than just buses," he said. Details.
Economic Development
University of Texas System Chancellor Mark G. Yudof has been selected by a University of California Board of Regents search committee to become the next president of the University of California. As chancellor of UT, Yudof led one of the nation’s largest higher education systems as its chief administrative officer.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport’s passenger traffic increased 7% in February, compared with last year. Southwest Airlines and American Airlines led as the city’s two dominant carriers.
Jacobs Carter Burgess is being considered by the Austin City Council for planning, engineering design and construction administration for the Boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake. The boardwalk is expected to close an over mile-long gap in the existing hike-and-bike trail at Lady Bird Lake.
According to Census Bureau estimates, Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio were the four top 10 Texas cities in growth. 16% of Americans who moved to other states in July 2006 and July 2007 came to Texas.
"If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. “
- General George Patton
