Let TxDOT Build Roads
- President Obama's intention with passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was to get the money to the states quickly to fund "shovel ready" projects and save and create jobs
- TxDOT has been working for four months with local municipalities and transportation organizations to identify "shovel ready" projects
- Texas has $315 billion in transportation funding needs through the year 2030 (or $14.3 billion per year) - this ARRA funding will obviously not be enough to meet our need this year
- Once the final amount of funding TxDOT expected to receive from the federal government was decided, TxDOT had to work quickly with district engineers statewide to whittle down the number of projects that could expect to receive funds
- Whether right or wrong, the monies diverted last year away from road maintenance have set us back in repair and upkeep of our roads. The $500 million TxDOT obligated for maintenance is a much-needed funding infusion for Texas' aging infrastructure.
The bottom line is that President Obama intends to create jobs - and the Legislature can't expect to keep Texans working while tying TxDOT's hands behind their back. Let's let TxDOT build roads and create jobs.
Below is TSRT's news release regarding the Legislature's dilly-dallying.
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March 3, 2009
Transportation Advocacy Group Calls for Road Building and Job Creation to Begin
States Begin Spending Stimulus Dollars While Some in Texas Call for Needless Delays
Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation (TSRT) today praised and defended TxDOT’s plan to move forward with the construction of long-delayed transportation projects that will immediately protect and create vital jobs. At the same time, the group called for an end to partisan bickering over the spending of stimulus dollars and noted today that while President Obama stated “we are seeing shovels hit the ground” he could have continued: “except in Texas.”
TSRT noted that calls for delays in project approvals necessarily means more jobs lost in the immediate future – a direct contradiction of the goals stated for the stimulus dollars by President Obama. From AP this morning:
“Transportation projects that were once on hold are now starting up again as part of the largest new investment in America’s infrastructure since President Eisenhower built the interstate highway system,” Obama said while speaking at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“The Transportation Commission, TxDOT staff and community leaders throughout the state have done outstanding work setting out to ensure stimulus funds are allocated and authorized within the timeframes specified by the federal government,” said Bill Noble, a spokesman for the organization. “Some are now apparently trying to slow down TxDOT’s approval of key ‘shovel ready’ projects and are wrangling over the funds that have already been allocated to maintenance.”
TxDOT’s process over the past four months to determine how the funds are spent has invited unprecedented participation from cities, counties, local MPOs, RMAs, toll authorities and public testimony as well as considered the many stipulations governing the use of the funds.
“It has been a fair and thorough process that does not need to be delayed,” said Noble.
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