Public-private partnerships are working for Texans

AUSTIN, TX, January 8, 2010  - On the day devoted to discussing the state’s dire funding needs at the 5^th Annual Texas Transportation Forum, Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation (TSRT) released an educational video on how public-private partnerships and other innovations are working to meet Texas’ transportation needs.

The video titled “Road-Building Innovations: The Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas Experience” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qdLTL804lA) features transportation projects in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that are underway after years of planning and hopeful thinking.  Testimonials from officials directly involved in bringing the projects to fruition demonstrate how these projects can serve as a model for the rest of the state and the nation to build and maintain transportation infrastructure.

“No other metropolitan area in the nation is having more success getting major projects off the ground than Dallas-Fort Worth,” said Bill Noble, executive director of TSRT.  “Public-private partnerships have made these vital, gridlock-busting projects a reality.”

Projects highlighted in the video include the North Tarrant Express (NTE), the LBJ Express and the DFW Connector in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and the State Highway 130 project south of Austin to Seguin. 

Because traditional transportation funding methods are not meeting our state’s current or future transportation needs, the video features the use of public-private partnerships as a successful infrastructure funding option.  Public-private partnerships allow local and state leaders to leverage tax dollars on projects that foster job creation, add new capacity, and minimize congestion by giving road users additional transportation choices.

Unfortunately, at a time when these projects are moving forward and demonstrating Texas’ national leadership in this area, the Texas Legislature did not reauthorize the use of the public-private partnership tool for future projects during the last Regular and Special Legislative Sessions. 

“We must urge our lawmakers to restore this vital funding tool.  There is growing consensus among transportation leaders and everyday Texans that public-private partnerships must be part of the solutions available,” said Noble.

The Dallas-Fort Worth projects are a coordinated effort by the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the Regional Transportation Council, local and state elected officials, and the Texas Department of Transportation in collaboration with the private sector. 

The video features officials and experts involved in solving Texas’ transportation challenges including:

-         Bill Hammond, President, Texas Association of Business

-         Hon. Oscar Trevino, Jr., P.E., Mayor, North Richland Hills

-         Hon. Linda Koop, Dallas City Council Member

-         Hon. B. Glen Whitley, Tarrant County Judge
Michael Morris, P.E., Transportation Director, NCTCOG

-         Hon. Jungus Jordan, Fort Worth City Council Member

-         Dr. C. Michael Walton, Professor of Transportation Engineering, UT Austin

-         Robert Poole, Transportation Policy Director, Reason Foundation

-         Hon. Ron Natinsky, Dallas City Council Member

-         Hon. Betty Ann Matthies, Mayor, Sequin

-         Steve Taylor, North Dallas Chamber of Commerce

-         Russell Laughlin, Senior V.P., Hillwood Development