July 9, 2004

— By Giselle Greenwood/Austin Business Journal

Anyone who drives through the Austin area during rush hour knows it can be frustrating. Simply put, Central Texas' population boom has lent itself to more traffic.

Love 'em or hate 'em, toll roads are in Central Texas' future. Three toll projects are already under way -- U.S. Highway 183-A, State Highway 45 and State Highway 130.

But since the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority announced its $2.2 billion toll plan, tongues in the region really have been wagging about transportation. On July 12, the board of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization approved the plan 16-7 during a crowded, contentious hearing at the University of Texas.

Pushing for the plan have been such business groups as the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Capital Area Transportation Coalition, the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin and the Real Estate Council of Austin.

Lining up against the plan have been some local politicians, as well as grassroots groups such as the Save Our Springs Alliance and People for Efficient Transportation.

Here's a glimpse at some of the key players involved in the region's hottest transportation issue.

CAMPO

Established in 1973, CAMPO is governed by a 23-member board of state, regional and local officials.

On July 12, that board will have the final say on the toll road plan. Although most board members support the plan, some are credited with making the push.

Travis County Commissioner Karen Sonleitner, Austin Mayor Will Wynn and state Reps. Eddie Rodriguez and Dawnna Dukes, both D-Austin, are said to have joined together to become the driving force behind toll roads.

Wynn pleasantly surprised a few people when he backed the plan.

"Mayor Will Wynn, without a doubt, has shown extraordinary leadership and courage," says state Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Taylor and chairman of the Texas House Transportation Committee. "Will has been very active in talking to community groups, to legislative delegations. We couldn't get this done without the leadership of Will Wynn."

Since the plan was introduced, controversy has swirled around adding toll components in certain parts of the city, such as the MoPac Expressway overpass at William Cannon Drive, southern portions of State Highway 45 and Capital of Texas Highway. Although Dukes has expressed mixed feelings about the plan, she has made it clear that those portions shouldn't be removed while still making East Austin residents pay tolls.

CTRMA

Mike Heiligenstein has been at the helm of the toll road plan since day one. Formerly a Williamson County commissioner, Heiligenstein was named executive director of the newly created Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority in 2003.

Through his political and personal connections, Heiligenstein has collected support from key people in the business community. Not only has Heiligenstein pounded the pavement talking to the business community, but he has reached out to community leaders, too.

"Mike Heiligenstein is doing a great job talking to the community. He's just very involved night and day," says Elizabeth Christian, vice chairwoman of regional transportation and development for the Austin Chamber of Commerce.

TxDOT

When Bob Daigh became district engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation in late 2003, the business community wasn't sure what to think of him. Daigh quickly gained their trust by authoring the toll road plan.

"His toll road proposal nets the biggest bang for the buck," says Bruce Byron, executive director of the Capital Area Transportation Coalition. "His proposal simultaneously matches our existing state funding with like amounts of state and toll bond money, effectively tripling our highway funding in the next 10 years using little local money."

Daigh has gained the respect of the business community by attending numerous meetings about the toll road plan.

"Bob Daigh has been the most active and proactive district engineer we've ever had. He's certainly been the most accessible," Krusee says.

Mike Krusee

Several observers cite Mike Krusee, the House Transportation Committee chairman, as the plan's philosopher. Behind the scenes, Krusee has emerged as a motivational powerhouse, rallying the business community and politicians to get on board with the toll plan.

"He commands so much respect in the business community and he walks in so many circles," Christian says. "Having his energy and vision really pushed us forward in getting things done."

Since the toll plan was formed, Krusee has met with Wynn; state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-Austin and chairman of the CAMPO board; and other influential city leaders to push the toll plan.

"This has been my number-one priority and will continue to be until July 13," he says.

Pete Winstead

Pete Winstead has a vendetta against Central Texas' transportation snags. The attorney, a partner in the Austin office of law firm Winstead Sechrest & Minick PC, first witnessed losing businesses to other cities as chamber president in 1997 -- particularly when Dell Inc. decided to locate its second manufacturing operation in Tennessee.

The move was a major blow to Winstead, who also had done consulting work with Dell. He is the personal attorney for Chairman and CEO Michael Dell.

Since then, Winstead created Citizens for Mobility, a privately financed advocacy group. Winstead has dedicated his free time to galvanizing the business community to act on the region's transportation woes.

"He's dogged in his efforts," Christian says.

The opposition

A few local leaders have made some big noise in opposition to the toll road plan.

Among them are Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty and state Reps. Terry Keel, and Todd Baxter, both R-Austin.

Daugherty has perhaps been the biggest anomaly within transportation circles. When Daugherty first ran for commissioner, he ran his entire campaign on the basis of creating a better system.

Some within the business community say he's gone full circle, straying from his original intention of improving mobility for Central Texas. As a result, many say he's burned bridges in the business community.

Jim Skaggs, who helped defeat the light-rail plan in 2000, says the business community isn't being fair to Daugherty.

"I think it's tragic that the community put him in that position," Skaggs says. "I feel Gerald's pain, in that he would love to have a good plan to vote for. But I think it's tearing him apart."

Skaggs says Daugherty and his constituents oppose the plan mainly because of how it would affect his southern Travis County district. As a representative of this district, Skaggs says Daugherty faces a dilemma because he thinks he should reflect his district's sentiment, but he still wants to see a transportation plan put in place.

"He knows we need toll roads and he wants this community to have better mobility," Skaggs says.

The plan also prompted creation of an organization opposing the toll road plan. People for Efficient Transportation was founded by Sal Costello, owner of marketing and advertising firm Costello and Co. and a resident of Southwest Austin's Circle C neighborhood. Costello has been relentless in sending email and marketing materials against the toll road proposal. The group even has placed full-page ads to spread the message.

"We feel this plan is jumping the gun a bit, and we feel it's important for people to learn about it," Costello says. "Once the tolls are there, they'll never go away."

On the environmental end of the spectrum, the Save Our Springs Alliance adamantly opposes the plan. The group claims the added roads would create more traffic, more sprawl and more pollution.

In a statement, SOS says: "Not only is the toll road proposal a potential pollution disaster for Barton Springs, toll roads in other states have failed to generate sufficient revenue to pay back the debt borrowed to build the roads, leaving the taxpayers to bail out the toll roads."