Comment:
Half-truths, fear will not yield traffic solutions

04/27/2007

Hope Andrade

Terri Hall's comment "Toll road deals merit scrutiny" (Monday) cheapens an important public dialogue about how the state will deal with rapidly growing traffic congestion. Once again, Hall tries to reduce the discussion to misinformation and scare tactics. She offers little in the way of realistic solutions to the problems of more people, in more cars, driving more miles on an already congested highway system in Texas.

The challenge gets bigger every day. There are 1,000 more people in Texas today than yesterday. Tomorrow, there will be 1,000 more. Every three years, Texas adds the equivalent of the city of San Antonio to its population.

As a member of the Texas Transportation Commission, it is not appropriate for me to "take sides" on proposed state legislation. The commission and the Texas Department of Transportation take direction from the Legislature. We will use every resource and tool that legislators provide us to improve mobility and safety.

Unfortunately, Hall misses the mark on several items she tries to pass off as facts.

First, Hall's assertion that private toll road builders like Cintra-Zachry will invoke "noncompete agreements" to prohibit the improvement or expansion of nontolled roads is false. The notion that the state will sit on its hands and allow gas-tax-supported roads to crumble is directly refuted by plans for decades of improvements to roads, including Interstate 35. Cintra-Zachry has no legal standing to stop plans for upcoming work on nontolled roads or future rail projects, and it will not be compensated for any loss of revenue those long-planned improvements cause for it.

In fact, the $25 million upfront payment from Cintra-Zachry to the Texas Department of Transportation for the right to develop Texas 130 north of Seguin will be used to pay for accelerated improvements to our area's nontolled highways.

Hall insinuates toll rates on new Austin area toll roads are 44 cents a mile and higher, when, in fact, the average toll is about 15 cents per mile.

Hall makes another false statement when she says a private toll operator is "guaranteed 12 percent profit." Despite investing billions of private dollars to reduce congestion and improve safety, no toll road investor is guaranteed a profit. They have an opportunity to earn a profit, but only by providing a high quality product that motorists choose to use and are willing to pay for.

Hall also complains that Cintra-Zachry has captured a contract to build 600 miles of highway alongside Interstate 35. No such contract exists. No company has been selected to build any portion of Trans Texas Corridor 35. TTC-35 is still in the planning process. As a vital part of that process, the Texas Department of Transportation held more than 100 meetings across the state to receive public comment on whether, where and how the road should be constructed. If it is built, TTC 35 will be the most publicly scrutinized road project in American history.

Hall regularly misrepresents a report by the Texas Transportation Institute by claiming indexing the gas tax to inflation "is all that's needed to meet our future transportation needs without tolls." The report doesn't say that. In fact, Dennis Christiansen, TTI's director, testified before the Legislature in February that "toll roads are a part, an integral part, to any mobility plan we will have."

Hall's comment is filled with other mistruths that, frankly, don't deserve to be repeated.

Transportation issues are among the most important to meeting our state's aspirations for a vibrant economy and a healthy environment. Trotting out half-truths and scare tactics does not serve any honorable ends. Striving to meet our state's goals will require vision and political courage. Above all, it will require an honest discussion of the facts. Texans deserve nothing less.

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Hope Andrade of San Antonio is a member of the Texas Transportation Commission.