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July 19, 2007
General Session
General Session: Lessons from the Front Lines
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General Session - Lessons from the Front Line
Posted By: txdot_paul at July 19, 2007 1:48:56 PM
The hall was full in anticipation of the first full-session of the conference. This was a chance for five of the major regional mobility authorities (RMA) and trade coalitions in Texas to update the conference on their progress on several projects.
TxDOT Commissioner Hope Andrade, panel moderator, hit on two main topics:
- Congestion and mobility issues go hand-in hand with connection and economic growth
- TxDOT is now empowering local leaders (RMAs, MPOs, city and county commissions) to solve local problems
Themes addressed by the panel included:
- Public accountability is crucial for the success of any future projects
- For projects to be successful in the future, not only is public accountability crucial, but RMAs need to work as one team to advance projects. Time is money, and there can be no more “my playground – your playground” mentality.
- Cooperation must extend to our Mexican partners.
- Seamless national and international transportation is needed.
- Economic viability is vital - more efficient freight movement and rural economic growth are also keys to planning a stronger transportation system.
- An efficient trade corridor in West Texas could help relieve congestion in major metropolitan areas by giving freight traffic an alternative route.
- Economic growth is all well and good, but cities have to better manage that growth by strengthening transportation assets.
All moderators agreed that the way to fund transportation projects in the future is by public-private partnerships. Local authorities should decide where and how to build new roads in their own communities, and whether that should include toll roads, pass-through financing, or other creative financing options.
This sparked questions from the audience, mostly on how the public can become better educated on the need for toll roads or to raise tolls. It is the role of RMAs to get that word out, according to the panel, and it needs to be done better in the future than it has been done in the past. Community leaders must also take the initiative and involve as many public entities as possible involved up-front.
The moderator panel included David Allex, chair, Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority; Mike Heiligenstein, executive director, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority; Michael Morris, executive director, North Central Texas Council of Government; Michael Reeves, president, Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor Coalition; and Dr. William E. Thornton, chair, Alamo Regional Mobility Authority.
What are your thoughts? What is the best way to enhance transportation infrastructure in Texas, and how should it be paid for?
