GOOD THING WE DIDN'T HOLD OUR BREATH

On the last day of May the Texas Attorney General’s office ruled that TxDOT must release hundreds of pages of the Comprehensive Development Agreement (CDA) kept secret in their deal with Cintra Zachry to develop Trans Texas Corridor TTC-35. Immediately CorridorWatch.org predicted that TxDOT and Cintra Zachry would not be responsive to the Attorney General's ruling and provide that public information in response to an open records request made by the Houston Chronicle. We said we expected stonewalling and a protracted legal battle despite TxDOT's initial statement that they would not contest the Attorney General's ruling. 

Today the Houston Chronicle reported that on June 24, 2005, Cintra Zachry and TxDOT filed a lawsuit in Austin against the Attorney General in a legal effort to block the release of approximately 200 pages of development and financing plans contained in their CDA and still being withheld from public disclosure.

Unfortunately this behavior is very predictable. The entire Trans Texas Corridor project has developed and grown well out of public view, and certainly without public participation. TxDOT often touts the hundreds of public meetings they've hosted to discuss the TTC. CorridorWatch.org points out that every single one of those TxDOT  meetings have been required by state or federal law. And, none of those meetings were held before the TTC Plan was officially adopted by the Transportation Commission. In fact, the vast majority of those meetings were held after TxDOT issued the RFPQ for TTC-35 in July of 2003.

There's a stark difference between seeking public input on a project under consideration and working to sell the public on a project already in place. But even that pales when they go a giant step further and spend taxpayer money to keep the public from knowing the most important details of a 50-year contract that will affect most of us for the rest of our lives.