TSRT Blog

Public-Private Partnerships Leadership Workshop

Emily — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:28:00 GMT

Successful PPPs combine open, transparent governance with effective financial tools to properly allocate risks and rewards between the government and private sectors. Become a part of the conversation that will explore “The Governance and Financial Tools of Public-Private Partnerships.”

The Center for Finance Strategy Innovation at The University of Texas at Dallas in collaboration with Greg Hirsch of ETB Systems Inc. presents this interactive workshop on Thursday, March 25 from 8:00 to 11:45 a.m. at the University of Texas at Dallas campus in Richardson, TX.

The event will be a gathering of some of the top minds and leaders in the use of PPP's and will explore best practices, financial tools, next steps and new techniques to develop the next generation PPP projects. The goal is to engage in an educated,respectful, and interactive conversation. In this interactive workshop, you will be engaged in conversation with experts who have deep experience developing,structuring, financing and managing projects.

Panelists and key attendees at this time include:

- Congressman Pete Sessions (pending his voting schedule)

- Paul N. Wageman (Chair, NTTA)

- David Leininger (CFO, DART)

- Wes Jurey (President, Arlington Chamber of Commerce

- Steven Polunsky (Committee Director, Texas Senate Transportation and Homeland Security)

- Bob Brown, P.E. (Deputy District Engineer,Dallas District and TxDOT PPP project leader)

- Sasha Page (Vice President, Infrastructure Management Group)

- Col. USMC (ret) Dennis Beal (Director Industry Alliances Office of Tech Commercialization, Texas A&M)

- Dr. Michael Savoie (Former Mayor of Northlake, TX / Director,Center for Information Technology Management, UT Dallas School of Management)

Click Here to register. For more information, contact Debbie Davis at 972-883-5941.

TSRT Business Leaders' Roundtable in Plano

Emily — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:55:00 GMT

On Wednesday, March 10, TSRT hosted its third roundtable meeting of business leaders and TxDOT officials. The event included many of the area's top business leaders as well as TxDOT Executive Director Amadeo Saenz and Texas Transportation Commissioner William Meadows. The gathering is one of many that TSRT is organizing across the state to educate business leaders on the pressing transportation infrastructure challenges we face and alternatives for meeting these challenges. Attendees participated in an active dialogue with TxDOT on the transportation issues facing the Plano area and the state.

TSRT would like to thank CROSSMARK for hosting the event and providing lunch for the guests.

Later in the day, TxDOT held a Town Hall Meeting at the City of Plano Council Chambers in partnership with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). Representatives from TxDOT, the NCTCOG, and other local and regional transportation partners, answered questions and provides information on projects and funding, including a brief perspective on regional infrastructure requirements for the future.

The next TxDOT Town Hall Meeting will be in Lubbock on Wednesday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lubbock-City Council Chambers on 1625 13th Street. Click here for more information on upcoming Town Hall Meetings.

Texas Tribune: A Conversation with Deirdre Delisi

Emily — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:54:00 GMT

The Texas Tribune is hosting "A Conversation with Deirdre Delisi, Chair of the Texas Transportation Commission" on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 from 7:30 - 9 a.m. at The Austin Club (110 E. Ninth St., Austin, TX 78701).

Deirdre Delisi is the chair of the Texas Transportation Commission, which oversees the statewide activities of the Texas Department of Transportation. She was appointed by Governor Rick Perry on April 30, 2008.

Delisi has more than twelve years of experience in government policy. She served as chief of staff and deputy chief of staff to Governor Perry, and served as his special assistant when he was lieutenant governor.

A former policy advisor to the presidential campaigns of Lamar Alexander and George W. Bush, Delisi served at the Texas Department of Commerce and as legislative aide for Texas Senator Bill Ratliff.

Delisi earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Duke University and master's degree in international policy studies from Stanford University.

Click Here for more information and to RSVP. RSVP deadline is Tuesday, Apr 20, 2010 at 12 p.m. (a reservation is required). Contact rsvp@texastribune.org or 512-716-8626 with any questions or for more information.

Austin Chamber State of Transportation Event

Emily — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:02:00 GMT

The Austin Chamber of Commerce is hosting a State of Transportation luncheon on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas.

Senator Kirk Watson will introduce Senator John Carona, Chair of the Texas Senate’s Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, to address the Chamber to call for action and share what business leaders can do to ensure reliable mobility options for decades to come.

Click Here to register and for more information.

TSRT February Newsletter

Emily — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 19:41:00 GMT

TSRT Newsletter

February 2010 -Volume 4, Issue 1

Video Showcases State's Leadership in Creative Transportation Financing

Public-private partnerships are working for Texans

On January 8, TSRT released a video demonstrating how public-private partnerships and other innovations are working to meet the transportation funding needs in Texas, particularly in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The video was released in conjunction with the TxDOT Transportation Forum. To learn more about the video, read the press release below or click here to view the video.

The video titled "Road-Building Innovations: The Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas Experience" 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; and Russell Laughlin, Senior V.P., Hillwood Development.

RECENT TRANSPORTATION EVENTS:

House-Senate Transportation Committees Joint Public Hearing

The Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security and the House Transportation Committee on Transportation convened in a joint hearing on Monday, February 1, 2010.

Panels of transportation experts, local elected officials and business leaders expressed a dire concern for the availability of transportation funding to address the congestion problems throughout the state. Participants of the hearing agreed that the Legislature needs to take action to identify solutions to the state's transportation funding challenges during the upcoming legislative session.

Panel members discussed possible funding mechanisms for the Legislature to consider in the next session including: ending diversions,increasing and indexing the gas tax, increasing vehicle registration fees, enacting a local option tax or vehicle sales tax, and reauthorizing the use of public-private partnerships.

Texas Transportation Commission Chairwoman Deirdre Delisi told the committee that the state needs long-term stability to fund future transportation projects. Delisi pointed out that the state is facing serious financial challenges in regard to transportation through declining revenues and declining purchasing power of gas tax funds, unreliability of federal aid, increasing efficiency of vehicles and increasing costs of construction.

Other concerns expressed by panel participants included the need to eliminate diversions and to allow the state to once again use public-private partnerships to build new infrastructure. Experts and officials told the committee that the state needs to use every tool in the toolbox and allow as many funding options as possible to get needed projects underway.

Senator John Carona observed that privately financed toll roads are more expensive to build and maintain than publicly financed roads,but Delisi argued that the private sector has greater capacity to secure financing for these projects. She said the state does not currently have the budget or borrowing capacity to finance important transportation projects, so it must turn to the private sector to provide the necessary financial support.

The 2030 committee reported its transportation needs summary to the committee, saying that the state needs to invest at least $315 billion through 2030 to maintain roadways, combat urban traffic congestion, and increase mobility and safety.

Click Here to view a video of the hearing.

To receive email alerts for upcoming committee hearing notices, Click Here.

TexasTransportation Forum

TxDOT held its fifth annual Texas Transportation Forum January 6-8, 2010 in Austin. The Forum included two days of intense discussion on the state's transportation needs, challenges and solutions.

The event was hosted by TxDOT, Texas Good Roads/Transportation Association, the Associated General Contractors of Texas, and the Texas Transportation Institute. Panels of noted transportation and policy experts as well as elected and appointed officials addressed the future of transportation, passenger rail plans, transportation performance tracking, federal transportation priorities and state transportation funding.

If you attended the event and have not yet completed an evaluation, please submit your feedback via the online evaluation survey online evaluation survey.

Speaker presentations and podcasts are also available.

Business Leader's Transportation Roundtable in El Paso

TSRT hosted its second roundtable meeting of business leaders and TxDOT officials on December 1, 2009. The event included more than 50 of the El Paso area's top business leaders as well as TxDOT Executive Director Amadeo Saenz, Texas Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton and House Transportation Committee Chairman Joe Pickett. Attendees participated in an active dialogue with TxDOT on the transportation issues facing the El Paso area and the state.

TSRT would like to thank the Texas Motor TransportationAssociation (TMTA) for underwriting the event and providing lunch for the guests. Another thanks to the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce for graciously hosting the event at their offices.

TSRT is organizing business leaders' roundtables across the state to educate business leaders on the pressing transportation infrastructure challenges we face and alternatives for meeting these challenges.

Later in the day, TxDOT held a Town Hall Meeting at the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Representatives from TxDOT, the El Paso MPO, and other local and regional transportation partners, answered questions and provided information about projects, infrastructure needs and funding.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS:

TexasTransportation Commission Upcoming Meetings:

Unless otherwise stated, meetings will be held in the Ric Williamson Hearing Room of the Dewitt C. Greer Building at 125 E. 11th Street, Austin, Texas and will begin at 9 a.m.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Thursday, April 29, 2010 (note that this meeting will be in Beaumont)

Click Here for the complete 2010 commission meeting schedule.

Upcoming TxDOT Town Hall Meetings:

The North Central Texas Council of Governments and Texas Department of Transportation invites you to attend a town hall meeting to present your views and possible solutions for the Plano, Collin County area.

The meeting will be held at the City of Plano- Council Chambers (1520 Avenue K, Plano, TX) on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.

Other upcoming TxDOT town hall meetings include:

Lubbock- March 31, 2010

San Angelo- April 14, 2010

Seguin- May 5, 2010

Tyler- June 10, 2010

Click Here for more information on upcoming town hall meetings.

Business Leaders' Transportation Roundtable in Plano:

TSRT is organizing our next Business Leaders' Transportation Roundtable in Plano on Wednesday, March 10, 2010. TxDOT Executive Director Amadeo Saenz and Texas Transportation Commissioner William Meadows will be addressing the transportation issues and infrastructure needs facing the Plano region. The roundtable is an opportunity for the business leaders and senior officials of area companies to communicate with TxDOT officials and have an impact on the future planning of transportation in the area.

Special thanks to CROSSMARK for hosting the event and providing lunch for attendees. For more information on the event, contact Sandy Trumble at 512-782-2402 or STrumble@BetterTexasRoads.org.

TRANSPORTATION NEWS:

Southwest Parkway and Texas 161 Move Closer to Final Approval

The Texas Transportation Commission approved an order on Jan. 28 to support the North Texas Tollway Authority in its efforts to construct State Highway 161 in Dallas County and Southwest Parkway in Tarrant and Johnson counties.

The commission agreed to back NTTA with a line of credit that would be available if help is needed to make payments on the bonds that will be issued to pay for the new projects. The order was necessary to move the issue forward because NTTA would not be able to afford to build the roads without help from the state.

Revenues from the projects are expected to sufficiently pay off the debt, but the backing from the state's highway system would provide a protection for lenders and reduce NTTA's financing costs. The line of credit from the state will likely give NTTA a much higher credit rating on the bond market, raising about $400 million more for the project through bond sales than otherwise possible.

The commission will vote Feb. 25 on a final agreement to extend the line of credit for these two projects.

Construction on the DFW Connector is Underway

State and local officials celebrated the official ground breaking of the $1.02 billion DFW Connector on February 17. The corridor, which runs along state highways 121 and 114 north of the DFW Airport, will relieve congestion in the area for North Texas drivers. The eight-mile initial phase of the project should be completed by 2014 and is expected to double roadway capacity. A comprehensive development agreement with TxDOT allows NorthGate to design and construct the Connector project simultaneously to likely shorten the total construction time. The project will improve mobility through expanded free lanes, continuous frontage roads and toll managed lanes.

For more information on the DFW Connector Project, Click Here.

NTE Mobility Partners Secured Financing for North Tarrant Express Project

NTE Mobility Partners announced on December 17, 2009 that it achieved financial close for the construction and operation of segments of the North Tarrant Express (NTE) ahead of schedule. The 13-mile project involves a series of improvements primarily alongInterstate 820 and portions of State Highway 121/183.

The NTE project will improve existing lanes, reconstruct interchanges and create managed toll lanes, offering drivers the choice to bypass congestion on general purpose lanes. Construction on the project is expected to begin in late 2010 with proposed completion in 2015.

This project illustrates the advantages of public-private partnerships, which allow governments to significantly leverage limited tax dollars - in this case, the partnership allows the state to create $2 billion in roadway benefits, nearly four times the state's actual investment. Other benefits include new job creation, greater roadway choices for drivers and better traffic flow relieving carbon footprint.

"The combination of public and private financing for critical transportation infrastructure allows projects like NTE to be constructed decades earlier than they would have otherwise," said Joe Aiello, senior investment director for Meridiam Infrastructure, in a NTEMP/Cintra US press release. "While other transportation and critical infrastructure projects in the U.S.remain in the planning stages, NTE is moving ahead with plans to provide long-overdue traffic relief in a region that continues to experience tremendous growth."

Deloitte Reports onInfrastructure Funding and PPPs

Deloitte Reports onInfrastructure Funding and Public-Private Partnerships

However, the proposed level of direct government funding will meet only a small fraction of infrastructure needs around the world. According to the release, the reports entitled"Partnering for value: Structuring effective public-private partnerships for infrastructure" and "The changing landscape for infrastructure funding and finance" look at the economic trends - the global recession and tightened credit markets that have drastically altered the landscape for infrastructure funding and finance - and the impact they have on infrastructure funding, particularly with regard to the prospects for public-private partnerships (PPPs). The reports analyze these issues and make some concrete recommendations for effective, efficient models to meet the nation's infrastructure needs.

The former report states that, "...to effectively capitalize on this rare window of opportunity, governments need to look beyond the short-term influx of stimulus dollars and articulate a much broader vision for enhancing infrastructure as measured not just by jobs but by enhanced productive capacity for the future."

The latter report concludes that, "...there should be an ongoing role for the private sector in the development of infrastructure and the public services delivered through it. The credit crisis may have temporarily changed the economics of public-private partnerships as financial transactions, but it has only served to highlight the need for new approaches to solving the world's infrastructure problem."

"We need to have an open mind about this. We need to think outside of the box," said US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

For more information on the reports, read the Reason Foundation's policy blog, New Deloitte Reports on Infrastructure Partnerships.

Statement by AASHTO on Senate Action on Highway and Transit Extension

Emily — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:02:00 GMT

Statement by John Horsley, Executive Director of AASHTO, On Senate Action on Highway and Transit Extension:

Less than a week remains before the expiration of our federal highway and transit programs on February 28. Unless Congress acts to extend the programs, billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs are in jeopardy.

Today's vote in the Senate is the first step to considering an extension which would ensure that states can maintain their transportation programs and prepare for the oncoming construction season.

Both the House bill, Jobs for Main Street, which was passed in December, and the pending Senate jobs bill would:

Extend federal funding for highways and transit programs while the Congress works on a multi-year authorization;
Provide $19.5 billion for the Highway Trust Fund to ensure that funding is adequate to continue the programs; and
Repair the baseline for the highway program to at least maintain last year's funding levels. Currently states are receiving $1 billion per month less in federal highway obligation authority because of a rescission that took place in September. If funding levels are not restored to pre-rescission levels in the budget, the highway program will plunge by $13 billion at a time when good construction jobs are desperately needed.

We urge the Senate to act swiftly on the extension, and to work with the House to advance a bill for the President's signature before February 28.

Deloitte Reports on Infrastructure Funding and Public-Private Partnerships

Emily — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:34:00 GMT

Deloitte has released two reports on infrastructure funding and the use of public-private partnerships to deliver needed projects. The press release from Deloitte states that "after decades of neglect, infrastructure has finally made it to the top of the political agenda."

However, the proposed level of direct government funding will meet only a small fraction of infrastructure needs around the world. According to the release, the reports entitled "Partnering for value: Structuring effective public-private partnerships for infrastructure" and "The changing landscape for infrastructure funding and finance" look at the economic trends - the global recession and tightened credit markets that have drastically altered the landscape for infrastructure funding and finance - and the impact they have on infrastructure funding, particularly with regard to the prospects for public-private partnerships (PPPs). The reports analyze these issues and make some concrete recommendations for effective, efficient models to meet the nation's infrastructure needs.

The former report states that, "...to effectively capitalize on this rare window of opportunity, governments need to look beyond the short-term influx of stimulus dollars and articulate a much broader vision for enhancing infrastructure as measured not just by jobs but by enhanced productive capacity for the future."

The latter report concludes that, "...there should be an ongoing role for the private sector in the development of infrastructure and the public services delivered through it. The credit crisis may have temporarily changed the economics of public-private partnerships as financial transactions, but it has only served to highlight the need for new approaches to solving the world's infrastructure problem."

"We need to have an open mind about this. We need to think outside of the box,” said US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

For more information on the reports, read the Reason Foundation's policy blog, New Deloitte Reports on Infrastructure Partnerships.

Recent Poll Shows Texas Voters Would Cut Highway Funds First

Emily — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:55:00 GMT

A recent poll shows that it is not just lawmakers who need to be convinced of the transportation funding problem facing our state. Texas citizens do as well.

According to the poll, forty-one percent of Texas voters would choose to cut highway funding to make up for the projected state budget shortfall of $16 billion.

About one in five surveyed in the poll said they would raise taxes or fees to reduce the deficit. Fewer participants said they would cut spending on education or health care for the poor.

“It's not so much an indicator that people are willing to tolerate the traffic as much as it is recognition about the cost of fixing it,” said Dale Craymer, president of the Texas Taxpayer and Research Association, a nonpartisan research group. Craymer says in times of budget constraints, projects that are concrete, take years to complete and cost a lot of money will be the first to go.

When given five debated options on where to get money for roads, voters ranked toll roads the highest with 21 percent. Seventeen percent chose the option to borrow money using state bonds and 16 percent said they would support an increase in the state gas tax. Other options included taking money from other programs or allowing local-option gas taxes in metro areas.

The dismal economy and lack of jobs were a prevalent worry for many of those interviewed, especially considering the alarming state deficit. Most voters said they believed offering incentives for businesses to move to Texas was the best way to create jobs.

The Feb. 2-10 telephone poll of 1,508 registered voters was conducted by Blum and Weprin Associates Inc. for the Austin-American Statesman, the Dallas Morning News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News.

More Efficient Cars Means Less Gas Tax Revenue

Emily — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:02:00 GMT

Legislators and transportation planners are faced with a problem that will only get worse: revenues from the gas tax are decreasing as cars are getting better gas mileage. This means that the state and federal government are getting less money to fix highways and fund infrastructure needs.

"One way to address the problem would be to allow the gas tax to gradually go up as vehicle fuel efficiency improves so that it continues to bring in the same amount of revenue," the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Other options include a vehicle-miles traveled tax, increasing vehicle registration fees, enacting a local option tax or vehicle sales tax, and reauthorizing the use of public-private partnerships.

The dire need for additional transportation funding to address Texas' serious congestion problems and infrastructure needs was echoed throughout the House & Senate joint transportation hearing on Feb. 1. Business leaders and transportation officials expressed their concerns to the Legislature, urging lawmakers to bring all possible options to the table so that the state can have the money it needs to build and maintain necessary projects.

Public education and involvement is vital in solving the funding crisis. "We have to get more grassroots involvement from the people stuck on Interstate 635, Loop 820, you name it," North Richland Hills Mayor Oscar Trevino said.

To read more on this issue, see the FWST article, "Cars with better mileage will dry up gas tax revenue, planners fear"

House-Senate Joint Transportation Hearing: Texas Needs All Tools on the Table

Emily — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:47:00 GMT

Panels of transportation experts, local elected officials and business leaders expressed a dire need for additional transportation funding to address the congestion problems throughout the state at Monday's joint hearing of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security and the House Committee on Transportation. Participants of the hearing agreed on the vital need for the Legislature to identify solutions to the state's transportation funding challenges during the upcoming legislative session.

Panel members discussed possible funding mechanisms for the Legislature to consider in the next session including ending diversions from the gas tax, increasing and indexing the gas tax, increasing vehicle registration fees, enacting a local option tax or vehicle sales tax, and reauthorizing the use of public-private partnerships.

Texas Transportation Commission chairwoman Deirdre Delisi told the Legislature that the state needs long-term stability to fund future transportation projects. Delisi pointed out that the state is facing serious financial challenges in regard to transportation through declining revenues and declining purchasing power of gas tax funds, unreliability of federal aid, increasing efficiency of vehicles and increasing costs of construction. She continued that the state needs every tool in the toolbox available to get projects underway.

Senate committee chair John Carona observed that privately financed toll roads are more expensive to build and maintain than publicly financed roads, but Delisi argued that the private sector has greater capacity to secure financing for these projects. She said the state does not currently have the budget or borrowing capacity to finance important transportation projects, so it must turn to the private sector to provide the financial support necessary for needed projects.

Delisi sited SH 130 as an example of a project that would otherwise not have been built without the use of a public-private partnership. For more on how public-private partnerships have made projects happen throughout Texas, watch the TSRT video entitled “Road-Building Innovations: The Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas Experience” . The video features transportation projects that are underway after years of planning and hopeful thinking, and testimonials from officials directly involved in the projects demonstrating how they can serve as a model for the rest of the state and the nation to build and maintain transportation infrastructure.

"You're going to need every tool you have," Michael Morris, Director of Transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, told the Legislature. "You are in so much trouble, you don't have the right to pick and choose which funding tools to use," he continued.

Bill Hammond of the Texas Association of Business urged the Legislature to gradually eliminate diversions and to allow the state to once again use public-private partnerships to build new infrastructure.

Peggy Venable of Americans for Prosperity also highlighted the need to end diversions as a funding mechanism. "We recognize that significant transportation dollars are siphoned off for other purposes," she said. "If legislators and local government officials agree that transportation is a priority, we should end those diversions – all of the diversions – before we consider any additional taxing authority."

Considering its current financial situation, the state will run out of money for new transportation projects by 2012 without a new funding method. This would mean no new roads or projects would be built, and the state would only be able to maintain current infrastructure. The 2030 committee reported its transportation needs summary to the Legislature, saying that the state needs to invest at least $315 billion through 2030 to maintain roadways, combat urban traffic congestion, and increase mobility and safety.

Click Here to view a video of the hearing.

To read more about the hearing, read the articles below:
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram: North Texans revive push for local-option transportation funding bill
    San Antonio Express-News: Legislators debate road funding
    El Paso Times: State could look at fuel tax hike

Southwest Parkway and Texas 161 Move Closer to Final Approval

Emily — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:03:00 GMT

The Texas Transportation Commission approved an order at a Jan. 28 meeting to support the North Texas Tollway Authority in its efforts to construct State Highway 161 in Dallas County and Southwest Parkway in Tarrant and Johnson counties.

Texas Transportation Commissioner William Meadows reminded the commission and the state of the dire need for these two projects. “If we don’t provide this transportation infrastructure, we as a state will fail...” he said.

Meadows stated he remains optimistic and believes that those involved in the projects are extremely focused on getting them delivered. “It really is an encouraging, hopeful and very productive environment that these people have created,” he said.

Commission Chair Deirdre Delisi expressed the need for as many funding options as possible to allow TxDOT to deliver infrastructure projects across the state.

“There is only so much capacity we have for these projects…this elevates the need to make sure all the tools that have been given to us over the years remain with us, and the ones suspended or taken away are returned so that we can be more creative, more innovative…” Delisi said following the funding discussion of SH 161 and Southwest Parkway.

The commission will vote Feb. 25 on a final agreement to extend the line of credit for these two projects.

For more information, click to read the articles below:
Dallas Morning News: NTTA moves closer to funding for State Highway 161, Southwest Parkway
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Southwest Parkway and Texas 161 toll road projects clear big hurdle

Construction on the DFW Connector to begin in February

Emily — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:17:00 GMT

NorthGate Constructors is scheduled to begin construction on the $1.02 billion DFW Connector in mid-February. The corridor runs along state highways 121 and 114 north of the DFW Airport. The eight-mile initial phase of the project should be completed by 2014 and is expected to double roadway capacity. A comprehensive development agreement with TxDOT allows NorthGate to design and construct the Connector project simultaneously to likely shorten the total construction time. The project will improve mobility through expanded free lanes, continuous frontage roads and toll managed lanes. The DFW Connector is publicly funded with $667 million from the public gas tax and $250 million from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds.

CLICK HERE to read the Fort Worth Business Press article, "DFW Connector construction set to begin next month."

For more information on the DFW Connector Project, CLICK HERE.

Mileage tax and other funding solutions examined as options

Emily — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:20:00 GMT

Last month, the Texas Transportation Commission selected a committee to review a mileage tax system as an alternative infrastructure funding source. Though there are mixed opinions surrounding the issue, law makers and transportation leaders believe something needs to be done about our state's transportation funding issues.

A fuel tax is the main funding method currently used for road improvements, but revenue has declined due to more fuel efficient vehicles. All the while, construction costs continue to rise and the need for additional and improved infrastructure is increasing.

"Obviously the current system we're using now is probably insufficient given changes that are occurring," State Senator Robert Duncan said.

Duncan suggests toll roads could also be a solution in congested areas of the state. "...While they're unpopular when you propose them, once they're completed, people are really, I think, satisfied with the ease in congestion and the option that they provide," he said.

CLICK HERE to read the full article, "State leaders examine mileage tax option."

House & Senate Transportation Committees to Hold Joint Public Hearing

Emily — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:46:00 GMT

The Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security will convene in a joint hearing with the House Transportation Committee on Transportation on Monday, February 1, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. in the Capitol Extension Auditorium (E1.004).

The purpose of the hearing is to receive quarterly updates and to open a dialogue on the status of transportation infrastructure, the sufficiency of current funding, and the merits of alternative approaches to funding. The hearing will include panels on Transportation Impacts, Transportation Needs and Outlook, Debt Financing, and other invited testimony.

Oral or written public testimony is welcome at the hearing. Oral remarks should be limited to three minutes. For written testimony, submit 15 copies with your name on each copy to the Committee staff at the hearing. To receive email alerts for upcoming committee hearing notices, CLICK HERE.

NEWS RELEASE: Video Showcases State’s Leadership in Creative Transportation Financing

Emily — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:58:00 GMT

TSRT released a video today demonstrating how public-private partnerships and other innovations are working to meet the transportation funding needs in Texas. CLICK HERE to view the video.

Video Showcases State's Leadership in Creative Transportation Financing

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 “Public-private partnerships have made these vital, gridlock-busting projects a reality.”

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 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, 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, Council Member

- Hon. Betty Ann Matthies, Mayor, Sequin

- Steve Taylor, North Dallas Chamber of Commerce

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

"Bumpy Road Ahead for Transportation"

Emily — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:16:00 GMT

The Waco Tribune recently interviewed TxDOT deputy executive director Steven Simmons. The Q&A reflects Simmons' thoughtful insight about the misconceptions of toll roads, problems with the gas tax, alternative funding sources, political involvement in transportation issues, and the lessons learned from the former Trans-Texas Corridor project.

CLICK HERE to read the full article.

NTE Mobility Partners Secures Financing for North Tarrant Express Project

Emily — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:31:00 GMT

NTE Mobility Partners announced Thursday that it achieved financial close for the construction and operation of segments of the North Tarrant Express (NTE) ahead of schedule. The 13-mile project involves a serious of improvements primarily along Interstate 820 and portions of State Highway 121/183. Construction on the project is expected to begin in late 2010 with proposed completion in 2015.

The NTE project will improve highway efficiency by improving existing lanes and reconstructing interchanges as well as creating managed toll lanes, offering drivers the choice to bypass congestion on general purpose lanes.

The $2 billion investment by NTE Mobility Partners will be financed through a combination of public and private funds including $427 million in private equity, $400 million in unwrapped private activity bonds, $573 million from TxDOT funds, and a $650 million TIFIA loan from the U.S. government. The NTE project is the “first U.S. pension fund to invest directly in the construction and maintenance of a major infrastructure project,” according to Richard Tettamant, Administrator for the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System.

The NTE Mobility Partners team, the firm in charge of the project, is led by Cintra US and also includes Meridiam Infrastructure, the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System, and W.W. Webber, LLC.

“The combination of public and private financing for critical transportation infrastructure allows projects like NTE to be constructed decades earlier than they would have otherwise,” said Joe Aiello, senior investment director for Meridiam Infrastructure, in a NTEMP/Cintra US press release. “While other transportation and critical infrastructure projects in the U.S. remain in the planning stages, NTE is moving ahead with plans to provide long-overdue traffic relief in a region that continues to experience tremendous growth.”

This project illustrates the advantages of public-private partnerships, which allow governments to significantly leverage limited tax dollars to the greatest benefit of the local citizens – in this case, the partnership allows the state to create $2 billion in roadway benefits, nearly four times the state's actual investment. Other benefits include new job creation, greater roadway choices for drivers and better traffic flow relieving carbon footprint.

The 52-year concession agreement with the state of Texas allows the state to retain ownership of the roadway. Cintra will maintain the road for the duration of the contract in return for the right to collect the toll revenues. At the end of the term, TxDOT will assume responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the roadway.

For more information on the NTE project, click the links below:

Dallas Morning News: “Tarrant toll road project gets a major boost”
Fort Worth Business Press: “North Tarrant Express project moving forward”

Steps being taken to begin I-35 expansion from Dallas to Denton by 2012

Emily — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:43:00 GMT

Plans to begin construction that will widen I-35 from Dallas to Denton are being made after almost a decade of discussion about the project. Major steps like planning environmental hearings, setting timetables for buying property and public hearings, and approval of a design for the project are being taken to begin construction in 2012. Officials say this project is critical to relieving gridlock in the area since about 350,000 cars are expected to use the highway by 2025. This $4.3 billion construction project will cover 28 miles and will be separated into three sections. While some of the plans to pay for the project have been made, more plans will be determined over time. The 12-mile stretch in Lewisville will cost $2.25 billion and will be paid partially through the use of State Highway 121 toll revenue and bond money that has been set aside for the project. Possibilities for the remaining $1 billion cost for this section include pass-through financing and a comprehensive development agreement.

To read the full article in Dallas Morning News CLICK HERE.

Business Leader's Transportation Roundtable in El Paso

Emily — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:06:00 GMT

On Tuesday, December 1, TSRT hosted another roundtable meeting of business leaders and TxDOT officials including Executive Director Amadeo Saenz and Texas Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton. Tuesday’s roundtable included more than 50 of the El Paso area’s top business leaders. The gathering is one of many that TSRT is organizing across the state to educate business leaders on the pressing transportation infrastructure challenges we face and alternatives for meeting these challenges. El Pasoans and TxDOT had an active dialogue on transportation issues in the El Paso area and statewide. House Transportation Committee Chairman Joe Pickett (D-El Paso) also attended and gave great insight into lawmaker’s views on the transportation challenge.

Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton, a native of El Paso, is the first resident of the area to serve on the Commission. He complimented those involved in transportation issues for their ability to work together with the MPO, RMA and TxDOT. As a result of the cooperation within the community, El Paso has seen many important project plans that have begun and that will come to completion years sooner than otherwise possible. Commissioner Houghton envisions El Paso as a major regional center for transportation and encouraged the group to continue with the collaboration that has been so successful.

Amadeo Saenz addressed the need for a functional, well-connected and maintained transportation system, so that Texas can maintain its economic strength and remain a significant competitor in the global market. Saenz remarked that the economic stimulus was a helpful “shot in the arm” that focused on creating jobs, but it did not - and was not intended to - tackle the long-term funding issues facing Texas. TxDOT believes heavily in the benefit of long-range planning, but in reality the strategy is significantly hindered by federal funding through short-term extensions rather than a long-term funding commitment by Congress. Saenz further commented on the decreasing gas tax revenue, the need for the state to identify and prioritize Capital Projects, and to identify funding for those specific improvements.

Several questions and comments followed our speakers relating to the growing funding needs, toll roads, and a few area specific projects.

The Texas Motor Transportation Association (TMTA) underwrote the event and provided lunch for the 50 guests. The Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce graciously hosted the roundtable at their offices.

Following the Business Leaders Roundtable, TxDOT held a Town Hall Meeting at the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Representatives from TxDOT, the El Paso MPO, and other local and regional transportation partners, answered questions and provided information about projects, infrastructure needs and funding. For more information about the Town Hall Meeting, CLICK HERE.

El Paso Town Hall Meeting

Emily — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:09:00 GMT

TxDOT is partnering with the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization to host a town hall meeting in El Paso on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. at the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce. Representatives from TxDOT and the El Paso Metropolitan Planning Organization will be on hand to address questions and to discuss regional issues and local transportation projects with residents. For more information or to participate via live broadcast, CLICK HERE.