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October 29, 2009

Hank Gilbert takes the lead on Transportation

FINALLY, a transportation plan Democrats and Republicans can agree on. Hank Gilbert released his transportation policy proposals today at a press conference in Ft. Worth. The full proposal is here and the press release is here.

Some of the details include

  • An elected Transportation committee made up of 14 regional commissioners and one chair elected statewide

  • Better integration between TXDOT and local authorities

  • No tolls on existing roads. No tolls in long range plan. Only locally proposed tolling with voter approval will be allowed

  • An absolute end to all public private partnerships

  • Enhanced auditing of contracts and the agency as a whole

    • And finally, FUNDING

  • Increase the gas tax in 2011 by 8 cents and then index to the Highway Cost Index with reevaluations annually and a four percent cap in the application of the HCI, should it be more than 4% in a given year. Overage would roll and any extra money would be used to pay down existing debt to free us from those obligations

    • It's the funding piece that I love because it automatically means restoring pay as you go to infrastructure construction in Texas, no new debt, no need for toll roads and privatization, no ridiculous gimmicks and pulling the politics out of transportation funding. All this with the average family in Texas only paying an extra $5-6 per month. I paid that much the last time I was on the 45/130 tollways in Austin. In a day.

    This is the kind of leadership Texas has been waiting for! Good job, Hank! And if you have a chance, go throw the man a few bucks to make him our next Governor!

    For more coverage, check out EOW.

    Posted by mcblogger at October 29, 2009 03:10 PM

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