The future of transportation in Texas

October 11, 2006

by Stewart James, Inside Collin County Business

Texas has seen unprecedented growth since the 1980s and in Collin County alone, the expected population will exceed 2 million by the year 2060.

The current population of Collin County has yet to breach one million and sits at a little over 700,000. With the population not even at one half of its capacity the roads are extremely congested.

Listening to your car radio, its not uncommon to hear about an accident on U.S. 75. Or, you may sit at a red light waiting for two light rotations before you barely make it through the light, only to encounter another red light.

“When you have more traffic the odds are greater that you will have more accidents,” said Reuben Delgado, director of engineering for Collin County.

In order to accommodate the rapid increase in population, state and local leaders have made the necessary plans to increase the transportation infrastructure.

The state government is working hard to gain support in the building of the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC). Locally, Collin County officials are working on the continued expansion of U.S. 380 and the Outer Loop that might eventually blend into the TTC.

The TTC is the controversial 400 mile-long super highway that will separate automobiles from trucks on almost the entire length of the transportation system from Mexico to Oklahoma and will offer high-speed freight and passenger rail connection for the corridor’s major metropolitan centers. The TTC will also be capable of accommodating utilities that efficiently move water, electricity, information and other commodities.

“The TTC will not address the peak traffic conditions. We, local residents are the peak problem. The rest of the way is pretty open flow,” said county judge Ron Harris. “Economically, North Texas and Collin County need the goods delivered by train and trucks for retail and office supplies, plus building materials.”

The superhighway threatens 4,000 square miles of privately owned land, a chunk of land two times the size of Rhode Island. In a survey conducted on movingtexasforward.com, 64 percent of Texans believed that the acquisition of property is the most pressing issue in the development of the TTC. On the other hand, it will alleviate congestion on major roadways.

The first section of the TTC, from Austin to Hillsboro, could break ground as soon as 2011, and be open by 2013 and is priced at $8.8 billion, according to recent plans released by the Texas Department of Transportation.

The TTC has been subject to considerable debate amongst gubernatorial candidates Rick Perry, Chris Bell, Kinky Friedman and Carole Strayhorn. The issue under fire is not the concept of the TTC but the way operations and planning have been conducted and of those who have been awarded contracts.

“Theoretically, we have not signed construction contracts on TTC-35,” said Gabriela Garcia, a spokes person for TxDOT. “We cannot sign anything until we get environmental clearance.”

In times of elections, dirt is dug up and thrown, regardless of where it lands. What has to be examined is what the TTC will do for the state of Texas and Collin County as a whole and not how it will benefit the outcome of the race for governor but for who it counts most: the people.

In 2001, state comptroller Strayhorn officially recommended that Texas “build more toll roads” across the state. In 2003, Perry acted on the recommendation passing House Bill 3588 that, “Amends the Transportation Code to create the Trans-Texas Corridor, a statewide network of transportation facilities that includes toll and non-toll state highways, turnpikes, freight or passenger railroads, public facilities and any structure that facilitates a mode of transportation.”

Strayhorn, who emphasized how tolls could facilitate road projects and bring economic benefits, spoke at 14 hearings and promised to wipe out Perry’s Trans-Texas Corridor, contradicting her initial recommendation made in 2001.

“Texas once had and can again have a freeway system that is the envy of the nation,” Strayhorn said.

In June 2002, The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) published Cross of America, the Plan for the Trans-Texas Corridor, which highlighted the goals of the TTC: reduce congestion, enhance safety, expand economic opportunity, improve air quality and increase the value of transportation assets. On March 11, 2005 TxDOT and Cintras Zachry LP signed the first Comprehensive Development Agreement (CDA) to jointly develop the TTC. Bringing in the foreign developer, Cintras was a controversial decision to fill the significant funding gap of $86 billion to adequately address the states’ future transportation needs.

Cintras is a Spanish based company that will invest $6 billion in construction and pay the state $1.2 billion in concession to operate the toll road for the next 50 years so that the investment will pay off. Zachary is a San Antonio company that will be responsible for the construction.

In an opinion editorial written by Chris Bell, the democratic candidate for governor, he criticized decisions made by Perry concerning the TTC.

“A former state legislator named Dan Shelley helped a European transportation company [Cintras] get meetings with the Texas Department of Transportation to ‘discuss’ Rick Perry’s toll road plan. Rick Perry hired Dan Shelly to run his legislative affairs and three months later, the state gave Shelley’s European pals a $7.2 billion contract to run the project. It’s yet another example of why I have become so fond of saying that it looks like Rick Perry is taking ethics lesson from Tom Delay,” Bell stated.

TxDot is currently reviewing comments and input gathered at 54 public hearings this summer along the I-35 corridor. The comments will be addressed in a report to the FHWA, which is expected to determine next summer if studies for the TTC will continue to a second phase. It is anticipated that it could be four years before a final alignment for TTC could be approved by FHWA.

The Outer Loop

The Outer Loop alignment study began in June 2002 with the intention of connecting the Dallas North Toll road (DNT) and U.S. 75 referred to as “Corridor A.” In December of 2002 the Collin County commissioners Court approved the population study to determine a preferred corridor and route location for the Outer Loop between U.S. 75 and Rockwall County.

The HNTB corporation of Plano was contracted to prepare the study and identify a locally preferred alignment and preserve right of way for its future development.

The Outer Loop will be accomplished in three phases. Phase one will extend from the DNT to U.S. 75 and will be located between Celina and Prosper turning northward. Phase two from Melissa to Anna will connect U.S. 75 to S.H. 12. Phase Three from S.H. 121 will circle north of Blue Ridge to the Rockwall County line.

Eventually, the Outer Loop is something that could be fused into the Trans- Texas Corridor but there are no definite plans as of yet.

“We had a public meeting on September 19 to talk about alignment in our corridors on the Outer Loop and people in our county confused it with the TTC. We reminded them that this was not the TTC and that we have been planning the Outer Loop for at least six years,” said Reuben Delgado, director of engineering for Collin County. “The TTC’s basis is a lot different than our basis. The Outer Loop is a local road that is compatible with the regional road shown in the council of government plans. Ours [the Outer Loop] is for the growth of our county and the TTC moves mass amount of traffic over long distances. So, the two are an inherently different concept.”

U.S. 380

U.S. 380 is one of the only projects that has visible progress being made. Collin County contributed $1 million to TxDOT to expand U.S. 380 from Lake Lavon all the way to the Denton county line.

The widening of U.S. 380 from Lake Lavon to the to the Denton County Line is under way.

“The game plan is to try to go to construction or let the contract in the fall of 2007. said Kelly Selman spokes person for TxDOT. “We’re in the process of right know of buying the right of way.”

The 8 mile project will be done at one time instead of phases.

With the completion of U.S. 380, opportunity has opened up creating alternate routes of travel. An increase in mobility and access has made it possible to look north of 380.

“U.S. 380 has increased interest in the area along with a lot of other things,” said Bruce Smith, COO of Land Plan. “It is the absorption of affluent developed land in Frisco that has caused developers to look northward into Prosper. The other major thing is that so much has been developed in Frisco and other parts of Collin County. The interest has got to go north of U.S. 380 to be able to sustain residential development.”

“There are quite a few pretty good size investors looking at property,” said Bob Shinn of Country Northeast Re/Max. “I sold quite a bit of property on the edge of Hunt County. I think that it is all due to 380 fixin’ to be widened. U.S. 380 is a focus point for the people now. This is the biggest year I’ve ever had.”