TxDOT schedules second town hall meeting in Huntsville

January 25, 2008

By Jay Ermis, Managing Editor, The Huntsville Item

Residents from Walker and surrounding counties will have another opportunity to air their views on current and proposed state highway projects.

The Texas Department of Transportation has scheduled a second Huntsville town hall meeting for Wednesday, Jan. 30, at the Walker County Fairgrounds, located at 3925 Highway 30 West.

The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

Bob Colwell, public information officer at TxDOT’s Bryan District office, said Thursday “the unprecedented public interest” of Wednesday night’s town hall meeting at the Walker Education Center triggered the need for a second meeting.

“As before, the public will have an opportunity to pose questions to a panel of TxDOT staff, including top-level administration officials, on any transportation issues, including the Trans-Texas Corridor,” Colwell said. “Due to the large crowd at the first hearing, TxDOT wants to make sure all residents get a chance to ask questions and receive answers.”

The town hall meeting is one of 11 TxDOT is holding statewide to hear concerns about highway projects and the state’s transportation system.

More than 400 people crowded the Walker center Wednesday night with the proposed I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor project the primary reason most people traveled from the 10 counties within the Bryan District.

As TxDOT officials launched the meeting, at least 250 people standing in the atrium learned that the room had been filled to capacity and would not be able to participate.

Several people in the atrium were outraged that they would not be able to address their concerns to the officials inside, but they were able to outline their issues to TxDOT representatives in the atrium and receive answers.

Colwell said TxDOT had 25 representatives attending the meeting after 800 people showed up at a town hall meeting in Hempstead on Tuesday night.

The state agency also provided maps for residents and landowners to trace the route of the proposed corridor.

In addition, opponents of the I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor were distributing anti-TTC stickers at the entrance of the Walker center and members of Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom were distributing literature regarding the corridor and concerns with tolls roads in the state.

Colwell said the Jan. 30 meeting should not to be confused with the TTC I-69 public hearing that will be held at the county fairgrounds Feb. 4.

“The format for that hearing will be to gather public comments solely on the draft environmental impact statement.” Colwell said. “This hearing will begin with an open house at 5 p.m. followed by the hearing at 6:30 p.m.”

Colwell TxDOT officials will not be able to respond to comments at the Feb. 4 hearing.