WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW TO PARTICIPATE

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU PARTICIPATE IN
THE NEPA PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS.

Each TTC-35 meeting will begin with a period of open house visiting from 5:00pm to 6:30pm. At 6:30pm there will be a TxDOT presentation (including a video) that should conclude by 7:00pm. Thereafter you and fellow Texans will be given the microphone to make your comments. Elected officials can jump to the head of the line. Will your local and state elected officials be there? Any that share your opinion should be strongly encouraged to attend and speak.

These hearings specifically seek comment on:

• TTC impact to farmland and effects of Ag conversion (How will it adversely impact your farm or ranch? Talk to your Bureau or Co-op);

• TTC impact to community travel patterns (talk to your School District);

• TTC impact to community and the potential of social disruption (talk to your pastor);

• TTC impact to emergency services, delivery and access (talk to your EMS, VFD & PD);

• TTC impact to local retail & sales tax revenue (Talk to your Chamber, ask what happens if your community is cut-off from access);

• TTC impact to regional economy (talk to your EDC);

• TTC impact to property tax (loss of taxable property to the TTC and diminished valuations to property surrounding the TTC);

• TTC impact to disadvantaged populations (cost of tolls & fees; greater travel distances; loss of jobs from impact to local retail and service industries);

• TTC impact to air quality;

• TTC impact of noise;

• TTC impact to water quality;

• TTC impact to wildlife (talk to your Game Warden & Management District);

• TTC impact to threatened & endangered species;

• TTC impact to floodplains (including runoff impact of new and very large impervious surfaces);

• TTC impact to significant historical and cultural sites (talk to your county historical society);

• TTC impact to cemeteries, public and private as well as family burial grounds (marked and unmarked graves);

• TTC impact to archaeological sites;

• TTC impact to hazardous waste sites; and,

• TTC impact to visual quality.

Your input will define the issues examined in the next round of environmental analysis.

You do not need to read or understand the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to participate in this process, to share your comments, or express your opinions.

You DO NOT have to attend the meeting in your area or county. You CAN comment at ANY of the public hearing locations. You do not need to live, work, or own property in the path of TTC-35 to participate in these public hearings. Yes, you can drive from Houston, El Paso, or Lubbock and speak at these meetings.

Make good use of your time and direct your comments directly to TxDOT. This time really isn’t intended as an opportunity for you to address the audience. You should visit with other attendees a great length before and after your comments, but you shouldn’t try to convince other attendees of your position during your very short comment period.

You do not need to be an official, environmentalist, or expert of any kind to register your opinion on the official record. This is after all a Public hearing.

Try to have one or more specific comments (objections or not). You can review some of our concerns at the end of this message. Maybe you agree with some of them. Write down your own notes and give your comments and/or objections quickly, your time will be limited to THREE MINUTES. You do not need to give full and comprehensive reasons behind each of your concerns.

This is a legal public hearing proceeding. This is not an opportunity for you to ask questions of TxDOT. This time is provided specifically for you to make your comments for the record and TxDOT will not answer questions.

Be brief. Better to raise several important issues than dwell too long on one or two. If you do get cut off be sure to write the rest of your comments down and submit them for the record. Likewise, if you can't stay late enough to speak write your comments on the form provided and leave them.

This is a kind of voting process. Just because the person before you said what you had planed to say doesn't mean that you don't need to say it again. You do! If you don’t they’ll register that issue once, not twice.

They are counting and if you want to be counted you MUST say it for yourself. Avoid saying, "I agree with the last speaker." If you agreed with the last speaker say the same thing all over again (even it he or she is married to you!). Repeating concerns over and over is a good thing.

If you come to a hearing with a concern express it. Don’t let anyone at the meeting convince you that your concern is unwarranted or that you don’t need to raise the issue. Don’t take anyone’s word. Get your issue or concern on the official record.

NOTE: TxDOT Internet online comment forms will ask which route selection you support. If you don't support any route don’t leave it blank – check "I oppose" AND "No Action Alternative." (www.keeptexasmoving.com)

BECOME INFORMED – KEEP INFORMED.

Learn more about the TTC. Sadly there is plenty of misinformation on both sides of the issue. Seek out differing opinions and draw your own conclusions. Recognize that TxDOT officials and contractors are working hard to convince you and others of the merits of their project.

Already during the first week’s hearings we have heard TxDOT officials spinning their perspective on the TTC. For example they say that it will be built in phases and that you shouldn't be concerned at the size or number of elements. The fact is however that TxDOT will need to take all the land, for every element, to reserve the space. That means that even if only four-lanes of toll road are built they will be in a swath of land three times wider than our Interstate Highways (including feeder roads).

Watch out for 'weasel words,' such as "probably, likely, should, shouldn't, most, think, believe, usually, promise, intend, expect, anticipate, faith, confident, feel, trust, view, assume, opinion, predict, thought, maybe, could, and future." Cut to the bottom line, always ask, "Does the law permit or prohibit TxDOT (or the concessionaire) to do that?"

Be cautious about the answers you get to your questions. Even the best-intentioned TxDOT representative (or CorridorWatch.org member) can only tell you what they know or believe. In some instances the information they share may be incorrect. We have witnessed erroneous and/or misleading answers to TTC questions at every level of Texas government. Most are uninformed; few are intentionally disingenuous.

DON'T LET ANYONE GET AWAY WITH SAYING THIS IS A NIMBY (NOT IN MY BACKYARD) ISSUE!  IT'S NOT. IT'S BIGGER THAN THAT – IT'S A NOT IN MY STATE ISSUE. Remind them that this is not a transportation project, it's a revenue project. It’s an unbelievable land grabbing, monopoly building, autocratic scheme developed without public input and devoid of collaboration with regional or metropolitan transportation organizations.

THE TRANS-TEXAS CORRIDOR IS AN ALL AROUND BAD IDEA FOR TEXAS.

Here are just a few reasons why:

• The Plan is based on uncertain assumptions. The plan is predicated on Texas population growth, not traffic projections. There is no demonstrated public demand for corridors that circumvent the metropolitan traffic generators.

• It's designed to generate revenue first and provide transportation second. It is on the record as a revenue scheme for Texas transportation projects.

• It turns private land into State land - Excessive taking. More than one-half million acres will become government property used not only for transportation but also as State owned rental property in direct competition with private development. It takes land well in excess of what is required to accomplish the goal of providing transportation and utilities. The width cannot be justified.

• It doesn't solve the urban congestion & traffic problem. Traffic generators are located within the urban centers (jobs, housing, and marketplaces). A corridor that circles these generators cannot provide additional capacity for drive-time congestion. While some through traffic may be rerouted to provide relieve, the new feeder will provide additional destination traffic from an ever increasing distance. The effect more than overtakes any capacity gain.

• Adverse economic impact. It takes economic assets away from Texas communities by rerouting the flow of commercial trucks and limiting traveler access to local services, lodging and attractions.

• Private Interests v. Public Interests. Puts private state partners revenue generation ahead of legitimate public interests.

• Uninformed decision making. The opportunity for informed public comment and full NEPA participation is seriously restricted by the state keeping project design details already outlined and defined by the concessionaire secret.

• Loss of local property taxes. State owned TTC land will be removed from county and school district tax rolls. County and district taxpayers will shoulder the burden of making up the losses.

• Local jurisdictions, predominantly rural, will be burdened with the cost of providing infrastructure, governmental services and emergency services to a massive state owned project that may generate no local revenues while the state and their concessionaires reap the benefits of tolls, fees, and charges.

• It creates a 'soft' terrorism target. This is not the time to put so many critical infrastructure elements in one place. A single act could impact transportation, communications, and utilities. As proposed the corridors are in the least equipped and prepared communities to respond to an act of terrorism or accidental incident. The threat to life, property and the environment are tremendous.

• Dividing the State. Corridors will divide rural Texas making it more difficult to get from one place to another. The economic factors that impact the incentive to provide crossings will limit access across the corridor. Longer travel distances will result in loss of community cohesion, increase travel cost (fuel), increased vehicle generated pollution, and increased emergency response and transport times. Corridors will create barriers to the natural movement and migration of wildlife.

• Potential for tremendous liabilities created by secret Comprehensive Development Agreements. It is impossible to understand and explore the range of possible concerns and issues that such agreements may present when their content is secret.

• High cost of tolls. Toll are projected to equate to $3.85 per gallon of gasoline. At 15-cents per mile the increased cost to the traveling public is more than ten times that of the present gasoline tax. Tolls charged to commercial carriers will be passed through to end users and consumers.

• Air pollution. Increased highway speeds (80 MPH) mean greater fuel consumption and more air pollution. Increased non-corridor travel distances also mean greater fuel consumption and more air pollution.

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