On December 12, 2006, Environmental Defense offered their comments on the Moving Into Prosperity Report. In a three-page memorandum they discussed numerous concerns with the Report and gave reasons why the Report should be subject to extensive peer-review before it is used for decision-making purposes.

The Report Fails to Evaluate Reasonable Strategies For Actively Managing Existing Roadways to Maximize Their Functional Capacity.

Reasonable, feasible, and prudent alternatives that perform better and cost less than the TTC are not evaluated in the Report. Experience shows that there is a tremendous opportunity to enhance mobility, competitiveness and improve quality of life by applying road pricing, traffic management, improved transit service, access management and other fix-it-first strategies.

The Report limits its review of congestion relief alternatives to simply adding more road capacity. It concludes that building in new corridors some distance away from existing major roadways is the most cost-effective alternative because the “right-of-way can be acquired at much lower costs, and it is more feasible to create other revenue opportunities.” This overly narrow focus on land acquisition costs precludes consideration of the significant environmental and socials costs of building on natural, undeveloped lands. Not to mention the reduced economic benefits of building away from existing centers of commerce and trade. For Texans to plan sensibly for their future, the full costs and benefits of the TTC project must be compared to strategies for actively managing existing roadways to maximize their functional capacity.