CAMPO public comment: Like a '183-A to nowhere' 
KLBJ radio
September 21, 2009

AUSTIN - Almost $280-million is being considered by the CAMPO group, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, in charge of checking, balancing and delegating highway and rail project funding in the Central Texas area, for twelve amendments to their Transportation Improvement Plan through 2011.

Nine of those projects are being proposed by Austin's main transit provider, Capital Metro, for improvements to their bus fleet and additions to the yet-to-be-launched Red Line, the commuter rail service between downtown Austin and Leander. Capital Metro is requesting $27-million to be used for three projects for commuter rail, $7.5-million for what it calls 'capital costs' on CAMPO's budget sheets, $8-million for operating costs for the years 2010 and 2011 respectively, and $7.5-million for preventative maintenance and bus equipment for 2010 and 2011. CAMPO says some money would come from the federal stimulus package, some from local tax and some from the Federal Transit Adminstration.

One requested amendment to CAMPO's plan would be for $2.2-million for a new set of ramps linking the SH-130 toll road in eastern Travis County to Cameron Road, which the Texas Department of Transportation says would come from 'district discretionary' funds, or, gas tax money. Travis County Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt had objections to that one. So did Morris Priest, a regular CAMPO meeting public participation speaker.

Continue Reading