Public meeting planned for Trans Texas Corridor
 
(Note: There's sure not much 'advance notice' on these meetings: "Additional RGV hearings will take place at 6 p.m. on February 18, at Reber Memorial Annex, 190 N. Fourth St., in Raymondville, and 6 p.m. on February 19, at the City Auditorium, 415 W. McIntyre in Edinburg." This is a monster of a 'plan' that will not easily be denied by the people, because so much as already been 'invested' in it. Imagine ... a 'corridor' -- just what The Wildlands Project describes!)
 
February 18, 2004
 
By Laura B. Martinez
 
The Brownsville Herald
 
Brownsville, Texas
 
 
To submit a Letter to the Editor: tgarcia@link.freedom.com
 
Brownsville, Texas - Cameron County residents will have a chance to voice their opinion on the future of Texas’ transportation Tuesday at a public hearing on the Trans Texas Corridor.


The public hearing is one of several being held on the multi-billion plan.

“It’s a new type of transportation network, which includes roads, rails and utility zones,” said Amy Rodriguez, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation’s office in Pharr. “It’s basically to move people and goods faster and safer.”

The Trans Texas Corridor will also keep hazardous materials out of populated areas and help reduce air pollution.

Although construction on the corridor is years away, state officials want to hear from the public as the project moves forward, Rodriguez said. 

When completed, the corridor will be about 4,000 miles in length and up to 1,200 feet wide. There will be separate lanes for cars, trucks and rail lines.

There will also be an additional 200-foot utility zone, for water, electric, natural gas, petroleum, fiber optic and telecommunications.

Governor Rick Perry introduced the Trans Texas Corridor Plan in January 2002 with a proposed cost between $145 billion to $183 billion.

Perry said planning for future transportation is essential with population projections showing the state could increase from 21 million to 50 million over the next few decades.

TxDOT has set four priority corridor segments. They will run parallel with I-35, I-37, the proposed I-69 from Denison to the Rio Grande Valley, the proposed I-69 from Texarkana to Houston to Laredo, I-45 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Houston and I-10 from El Paso to Orange.

Rodriguez said although the segments have been named, they are tentative.

“The routes can change and that is what basically these meetings are for. … Those are conceptual ideas for the Trans Texas Corridor,” she said.

The corridor will be funded by toll equities, the Texas Regional Mobility Fund and public and private partnerships.

The hearing begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Brownsville Public Library, 2600 Central Blvd. A power point and video presentation will be presented at the hearing.

Additional RGV hearings will take place at 6 p.m. on February 18, at Reber Memorial Annex, 190 N. Fourth St., in Raymondville, and 6 p.m. on February 19, at the City Auditorium, 415 W. McIntyre in Edinburg. 

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/ts_more.php?id=57850_0_10_0_M