I don’t understand this.
To demonstrate local support for the mega-project, the Texas Department of Transportation is asking the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Transportation Policy Council, the committee that doles out state and federal money controlled by local officials, to commit $100 million to the central 3-mile portion of the freeway rebuild, from Interstate 10 to Loop 610. State officials would cover the remainder of the $1.22 billion cost, or around 91 percent of the total.
If approved this month by the transportation council, the money would not move from HGAC to TxDOT until construction begins, estimated around early 2024. The more immediate effect would be showing support for the increasingly controversial project, and would be reflected in upcoming plans. Further, it would be $100 million that local officials could not direct elsewhere in a region rife with road improvement needs.
Committing the money would have no effect on projects already planned and funded, officials said.
During a June 28 discussion about the project and about whether to commit the money, members of the transportation council were divided. Despite years of community meetings and redesigns of the project, some on the council thought the I-45 plans lack solutions for some of the problems critics identified.
“My concern is we are forced to stick our neck out and put a down payment on a house we have not seen,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.
[…]
Pass up the commitment, transportation officials said, and the state could send its money elsewhere.
“If this would not go forward,” Quincy Allen, district director for TxDOT in Houston said of the state funding offer, “I don’t know when we would have the money to go forward.”
The transportation council is scheduled to meet July 26 and is poised to decide on the money then, though officials could choose to delay. The state’s long-range plan, to be unveiled during a public meeting in Austin that will be streamed online, is set for approval in August. State officials could amend it if Houston-area leaders balk at committing the region’s share.
I have questions.
1. Is this normal? Has TxDOT ever asked any other regional transportation agency to kick in local funds like this? “Local” is a bit misleading – I think what TxDOT is asking is for HGAC to commit $100 million of future grants, which come from state and federal sources, to this part of the I-45 project. My question stands, though – is this something TxDOT has ever done before? If yes, then what were the circumstances and how did it go? If no, why now?
2. What is this money for? I recognize that the I-45 project plans have not been finalized, so a high-level answer is the best we can do. My point here is about whether this money is for the actual highway construction or some ancillary things? I’m not even sure what that would mean, so any clarification would be helpful.
3. What exactly happens if HGAC says “nah, we’re good”? Clearly we can’t answer this without knowing the answer to #2, but at a high level, does this mean there would be some piece of this project that wouldn’t get done, or does it actually threaten the project as a whole? I have a hard time believing that, which brings me back to the question of why TxDOT is making this request. I can’t help but think the answer here is that the project will happen regardless, but there would be some petty repercussions down the line if we locals don’t play ball.
I’m sure there are more questions, but I think that’s a good start. My firm position on this is No until we get some answers.
To me it reads like, “show us y’all are willing to have some skin in the game and this is really important to you, before we send a bunch of Americans’ tax money down there. In other words, is there a significant amount of OTHER stuff you’re willing to forego in order to get this done?
That seems pretty reasonable to me. Kuff, you questions are good ones. I too would like to know if this is standard procedure for heavyweight projects like this, or if this is a one-off request.
This seems extortion-y to me. How long have the entities involved known about this? Have they been working on this in secret or what? let us know if you find out more.
yes TxDot actually does this quite often. It can play a leadership or subordinate role. think of every HCTRA interchange being TXDOTs property or the uptown direct bus lanes needing money from Uptown. but this situation seems to say to me that if HGAC isn’t willing to support then clearly the Houston area does not want this project which is only seeking to become the larger consensus especially with construction to start so far in the future.