[Texgreen] Oil junkies run wild in Texas

[Roger Baker]

"The inability of our traditional policymaking bodies to deal with =20
this deepening crisis has been wearing down public confidence in our =20
government," Jones said. "We must invest today to avoid paralysis =20
tomorrow."

[Translation: With any luck maybe Wall Street will be stupid enough =20
to keep lending bond money. And that together with more gas taxes =20
will help us build roads for continued exponential expansion of a =20
mostly car-centric future. This despite global warming and the =20
soaring price of imported oil, to which even Bush admits we are =20
addicted. -- Roger]

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MYSA092106.03B.lookahead.2d7eadb.html>

National panel on transportation hears Texas ideas

Web Posted: 09/21/2006 12:48 AM CDT

Patrick Driscoll
Express-News Staff Writer

DALLAS =97 There's a good reason why a national commission studying =20
future transportation funding is holding its first hearing in Texas.

After all, Texas officials already have started writing the playbook =20
by trying to toll every new highway lane possible and by inviting =20
private companies to join in.

And the state's No. 1 toll salesman, Transportation Commission =20
Chairman Ric Williamson, made a strong impression on commission =20
members when he spoke Wednesday to kick off a two-day hearing at the =20
Hyatt Regency Dallas.

"Close your eyes and imagine what you can to see," Williamson told =20
the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study =20
Commission. "And that's your vision."

Texas set a goal of eliminating most congestion and uses a market =20
approach to squeeze the most out of available money, he said. =20
Officials are looking at proposals such as the Trans Texas Corridor, =20
a 4,000-mile network crisscrossing the state with toll lanes, =20
railways and utility lines.

"The public will love you if you just reduce congestion," Williamson =20
assured.

The 12-member commission, created by last year's federal =20
transportation law, is tasked with figuring out what the nation =20
should do about transportation funding through 2050.

This week's hearing, the first of four scheduled, is being held in =20
Texas because transportation officials here have unplugged from =20
national efforts and come up with their own innovations, commission =20
members said.

"I'm going to get your card, you're going to hate me before this =20
commission is over, because you've got some good ideas," Tom Skancke =20
of the Skancke Co. told Williamson.

Other ideas the commission has heard go beyond just tolling.

Cambridge Systematics officials who spoke at Wednesday's hearing said =20=

federal, state and local governments will need to come up with at =20
least $157 billion more a year to maintain and improve roads and =20
transit, nearly double what they spend now.

They recommended indexing the gas tax to inflation, tolling more =20
highways and involving the private sector more. Long-term solutions =20
could include charging drivers for each mile driven and, to reduce =20
traffic, charging higher fees on congested roads.

But no decisions have been made yet, panel members said.

"We need to know a lot more," said Frank McArdle of the General =20
Contractors Association of New York. "Somebody has to pay that =20
revenue. We have to understand the impacts.

"At the end of the day, we have to hear from the people who use the =20
system."

Other speakers Wednesday included Patrick Jones of the International =20
Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association and William Millar of the =20
American Public Transportation Association.

"The inability of our traditional policymaking bodies to deal with =20
this deepening crisis has been wearing down public confidence in our =20
government," Jones said. "We must invest today to avoid paralysis =20
tomorrow."

Speaking today will be Tim Lomax of the Texas Transportation =20
Institute, co-author of the nation's premier annual congestion study, =20=

and toll and transit officials in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and =20
Austin.


pdriscoll@express-news.net=