Area residents air concerns about corridor plans

By Holly Green
Staff Reporter

January 24, 2008 12:28 am

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The Walker Education Center couldn’t hold the large number of people who came to voice their opinion on the I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor on Wednesday night.
The majority of the more than 400 residents from Walker, Grimes, Brazos and surrounding counties demonstrated opposition to the project.
The meeting was planned to give residents in the 10-county Bryan District the chance to discuss any highway problems or current and future projects but the meeting focused on the proposed TTC project.
Concerned, passionate and frequently heated conversation took place during the town hall meeting where representatives from the Texas Department of Transportation attempted to answer questions and distribute information on the project.
According to the Keep Texas Moving Web site, the project, expected to span from far South Texas to Northeast Texas, is a “plan to solve the transportation problems Texans are facing, such as increased congestion, reduced maintenance and the lack of new capacity.”
Due to the limited capacity, many attendees remained outside the meeting room, talking with other representatives and waiting for seats to open up inside.
TxDOT representatives included moderator and district engineer Bryan Wood, Texas Transportation Commissioner Ted Houghton, deputy executive director Steve Simmons, director of Texas Turnpike Authority Phil Russell and director of transportation and planning of the Bryan district Bob Appleton.
The meeting was one of eleven statewide along the corridor.
Wood referred to question cards, filled out before the meeting began, and called on residents to present their questions that touched on topics such as the devastation of land, taxes, economic development and access points.
Houghton said he hoped the meeting would begin building a more trusting relationship between TxDOT and the people of Texas.
“We are committed to answering all of your questions,” Houghton said. “We have done a poor job — or no job — in the past with communicating with the people and now we’re taking the arrows for it. This is us trying to catch up, trying to swim upstream.”
TxDOT public information officer Bob Cowell of Bryan said I-69/TTC project is not a new subject.
“None of this is new,” Cowell said. “The idea for I-69 was first talked about in 1991. The only reason it hasn’t been built is because Texas hasn’t had the money until now.”
Walker County Precinct 1 Commissioner B.J. Gaines attended the meeting in hopes of speaking on behalf of his constituents and getting the answers he wanted in writing.
“I have not found enthusiasm for this project in my precinct or in Walker County,” Gaines said. “I want to know why we’re going to build the road, why we aren’t using rail and how we’re going to support this structure?
“As a commissioner, it’s hard to be against a road like this, but it’s my constituents who run me.”
Residents who asked representatives about specific access points off the proposed interstate and areas of land that would be sacrificed during its construction were frustrated with the answers they received.
“We are still in the study process,” Simmons said. “The public hearing process gives the people the right to make those decisions. All we’re doing is looking at a study for the growing needs of the state of Texas. You all drive the alignment and decisions for this roadway.”
The meeting, according to TxDOT representatives, was an informal way to have open dialogue about the issue.
Simmons said the formal process doesn’t allow a question and answer-type setting and TxDOT learned from prior projects that better communication was needed.
“The federal process allows a planning stage — is there a need for the project?” Simmons said. “Then we conduct informal public meetings where we can look at a broad study and have that interaction with the people. But it’s not on the record.
“Then we have a formal environmental study process where we can only listen to your comments, not answer or respond to your questions. We can accept statements through comment cards, public statements, privately recorded statements but there is no give and take.”
From these meetings, Cowell said a narrower study will be accessed, showing residents a more defined line for the project.
“We’re in what we call tier one (or stage one),” Cowell said. “We usually go through three of these processes before a final plan is made.”
Simmons said one tier usually takes about a year to complete.
TxDOT will begin a total of 46 public hearings for the formal environmental study beginning in February.
The Walker County meeting will take place at the Walker County fairgrounds on Feb. 4.
Houghton said there are two major reasons that the I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor is needed.
“From the year 2000 to 2010, it is projected that three and a half to four million people will have moved to Texas — great population growth,” Houghton said. “Texas is also the center of trade transportation. We have the trade tsunami coming up right through Texas.
“We are our own worst enemy. We do things well in Texas, especially business and others want to come live here. We have to do something. We have got to start addressing this issue of congestion that is effecting our quality of life.”
Resident Tommy Middleton asked TxDOT representatives for a yes or no answer.
“Can this road be stopped?” Middleton said.
Simmons said the answer is in the hands of the people of Texas.
“Yes,” Simmons said. “Continue to participate in these public meetings and continue to tell us what you want or don’t want.”
A second meeting will be held in order to accommodate the questions and comments of residents unable to attend the discussion.
Cowell said the meeting would be made known to the public as soon as the time and date were determined.
For more information on the I-69/Trans-Texas Corridor, see www.keeptexasmoving.com.

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