By Faith Chatham - DFWRCC - Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008
Hugh Coleman (R) who is challenging Cynthia White (R) for Denton County Commissioner Pct 1 in the Republican Primary. In the General Election either White or Coleman will face Democratic candidate Phyllis Wolper, who is unopposed in the Democratic Primary.
Cynthia White, with Wendy Davis, led the NCTCOG RTC in developing a 2030 plan for the region calling for 675 additional miles of tolled roads or additional tolled HOV lanes in the DFW region by the year 2030. At the RTC's vote for awarding the contract for SH121 to either Cintra or NTTA, Cynthia Whilte and Wendy Davis both gave very long, pleading speeches, with tears in their eyes almost to the point of sobbing, begging members to vote for Cintra "because if we do not accept the Cintra bid, no investors will ever come to the Dallas Fort Worth area ever again."
Ms. White is a member of the Board of Directors of NASCO CORRIDOR GROUP which lobbied to get legislation passed to enable construction of the Trans Texas Corridor.
I asked Hugh Coleman specifically about his position on toll roads. He said: "I absolutely opposes tolling existing roads -- like SH121. We, the taxpayers, have already paid for it and should not be taxed again."
"Toll roads should be only as a last resort." He favors the old model --- where roads were constructed as toll roads only when other resources were not available for construction cost -- similar to the I-30 (Dallas Fort Worth Turnpike). The old model is frequently described as 'building the best road you can for the least money, maintaining it as efficiently as you can, keeping the tolls as low as possible and retiring the debt as fast as you can. When enough users had paid tolls to retire the debt, the road becomes non-tolled public road.'
Hugh Coleman does not favor tolling a road to raise revenue to use on other projects. Ms. White, a member of NASCO CORRIDOR GROUP, and former President of the NCTCOG Regional Transportation Commission, favors tolling existing highways, utilizing private partners who profit from investing their capital in the public infrastructure projects, and utilizing revenue from one project to create a revenue stream to fund other transportation projects. Under Ms. White's leadership the RTC has approved a toll rate structure which charges users higher tolls than are necessary to maintain the roads and retire the debts.
In the Republican Primary, DFW Regional Concerned Citizens urges Denton County Republican Voters to support Hugh Coleman.
See Denton Record-Chronicle Article.
Showing posts with label Denton County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Denton County. Show all posts
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Friday, October 19, 2007
Highway 121 money split - Denton, Collin get most of $3 billion; some in Collin upset
By THEODORE KIM - The Dallas Morning News - Friday, October 12, 2007
ARLINGTON – After years of arm-twisting over the sale of the State Highway 121 toll road, the payoff is finally here.
And while nobody got exactly what they wanted, forgive Denton County for smiling a little more than its neighbor to the east.
On Thursday, the Regional Transportation Council approved the division of the roughly $3 billion payout from the sale of the toll road to surrounding counties.
The decision came despite the grumbling of leaders in Collin County, who said the divisions will shortchange their county out of millions.
At stake is billions of dollars that will be generated almost immediately under the state's deal to sell tolling rights on Highway 121.
Earlier this year, the North Texas Tollway Authority agreed to pay the state $2.5 billion up front and $833 million in additional revenue for the right to collect tolls on the road for the next 50 years.
The council, a 40-member panel of local officials that sets transportation policy, was tasked with dividing that payout among area counties.
Under the plan, the majority of the money was set aside for Denton County, which will receive $1.56 billion, and Collin County, which will get $1.18 billion. The proposal was based in large part on estimates of how many vehicles will use the highway in each county in the future.
Those amounts fall far short of the roughly $9 billion in total requests the counties had initially made to the council for road projects.
Moreover, the counties will actually receive somewhat less because, in part, the earmarks include the cost of finishing Highway 121, slated for completion by decade's end.
Because of that, some officials said they felt the agreement unfairly penalizes Collin County. Denton's segment of the road, funded largely by gasoline-tax revenue, is mostly complete. Collin's half is being built now and will be funded by its portion of the toll-road deal.
Of Collin's payout, about half – $600 million – will help the NTTA finish the project. By comparison, Denton will contribute about $41 million to the project from its payout.
"Why are the construction costs of [Highway] 121 being added to the county's share?" asked Plano City Council member Loretta Ellerbe, the only transportation council member who voted against the plan. "It makes no sense."Thursday's action is the latest development in the closely watched sale of Highway 121, which runs about 30 miles between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and U.S. Highway 75 near McKinney.
The project has come to symbolize the new and controversial way that communities nationwide are paying for roads and highways.
With gasoline-tax revenue unable to cover growing transportation needs, political leaders here and elsewhere have pioneered the practice of selling long-term tolling rights on roads in exchange for large upfront cash payments.
While others echoed Ms. Ellerbe's dissent, the transportation council said they generally supported the plan.
Member Cynthia White, a Denton County commissioner, encouraged her colleagues to set aside regional biases in favor of curtailing growing traffic across the area.
"All these [road] projects are interdependent," she said.
Another member, Collin County Commissioner Joe Jaynes, said he voted for the plan because in the end it will mean hundreds of millions for new roads.
"Nobody was completely satisfied," Mr. Jaynes said. "I think that's a sign of a good compromise."
Read more in the Dallas Morning News
ARLINGTON – After years of arm-twisting over the sale of the State Highway 121 toll road, the payoff is finally here.
And while nobody got exactly what they wanted, forgive Denton County for smiling a little more than its neighbor to the east.
On Thursday, the Regional Transportation Council approved the division of the roughly $3 billion payout from the sale of the toll road to surrounding counties.
The decision came despite the grumbling of leaders in Collin County, who said the divisions will shortchange their county out of millions.
At stake is billions of dollars that will be generated almost immediately under the state's deal to sell tolling rights on Highway 121.
Earlier this year, the North Texas Tollway Authority agreed to pay the state $2.5 billion up front and $833 million in additional revenue for the right to collect tolls on the road for the next 50 years.
The council, a 40-member panel of local officials that sets transportation policy, was tasked with dividing that payout among area counties.
Under the plan, the majority of the money was set aside for Denton County, which will receive $1.56 billion, and Collin County, which will get $1.18 billion. The proposal was based in large part on estimates of how many vehicles will use the highway in each county in the future.
Those amounts fall far short of the roughly $9 billion in total requests the counties had initially made to the council for road projects.
Moreover, the counties will actually receive somewhat less because, in part, the earmarks include the cost of finishing Highway 121, slated for completion by decade's end.
Because of that, some officials said they felt the agreement unfairly penalizes Collin County. Denton's segment of the road, funded largely by gasoline-tax revenue, is mostly complete. Collin's half is being built now and will be funded by its portion of the toll-road deal.
Of Collin's payout, about half – $600 million – will help the NTTA finish the project. By comparison, Denton will contribute about $41 million to the project from its payout.
"Why are the construction costs of [Highway] 121 being added to the county's share?" asked Plano City Council member Loretta Ellerbe, the only transportation council member who voted against the plan. "It makes no sense."Thursday's action is the latest development in the closely watched sale of Highway 121, which runs about 30 miles between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and U.S. Highway 75 near McKinney.
The project has come to symbolize the new and controversial way that communities nationwide are paying for roads and highways.
With gasoline-tax revenue unable to cover growing transportation needs, political leaders here and elsewhere have pioneered the practice of selling long-term tolling rights on roads in exchange for large upfront cash payments.
While others echoed Ms. Ellerbe's dissent, the transportation council said they generally supported the plan.
Member Cynthia White, a Denton County commissioner, encouraged her colleagues to set aside regional biases in favor of curtailing growing traffic across the area.
"All these [road] projects are interdependent," she said.
Another member, Collin County Commissioner Joe Jaynes, said he voted for the plan because in the end it will mean hundreds of millions for new roads.
"Nobody was completely satisfied," Mr. Jaynes said. "I think that's a sign of a good compromise."
Read more in the Dallas Morning News
Friday, September 28, 2007
HV Parents Group refutes TxDOTs conclusions
By Faith Chatham - DFWRCC - September 30, 2007
Citizens in Highland Village (Denton County) have consistently opposed the current route selected for section 4 of FM2499. FM2499 is to connect with I-35 near SH121.
Orginally it was to be a two-lane oil top road. Now it is planned as a 4 lane road with plans to expand it to 6 lanes. Much of it will be elevated 11 feet above playgrounds and residents. Over 1000 children in Highland Village will live within 1500 feet of this road. It is anticipated to have traffic counts exceeding 45M cars daily which is the threshold which scientific studies find results in irreserviable lung function in children. Schools, playgrounds, recreation areas, and day cares are located within 1500 feet of this proposed route.
It will cut through residential neighborhood, federal wetlands, recreation areas. The current route is the only one which cuts across three tributaries of Lake Lewisville. Lake Lewisville is the drinking water source for Dallas and Denton counties. The secion of the lake where these bridges will be constructed is the part of the lake which already registers excessively high MTBE. MTBE is a fuel additive which cannot be filtered out of water with currently available technology. Because of Federal Legislation sponored by Joe Barton, manufacturers of MTBE are protected from envionmental liability.
The current route selected is the most costly route. The budget for this project was recently doubled! The most environmentally dangerous route requires doubling the budget because of the necessity of constructing costly bridges over Lake Lewisville's fragile ecosystem.
John Mullens, a resident of Highland Village who has joined with his neighbors (Highland Village Parents Group) in opposing this route responded to TxDOT's attorney.
Citizens in Highland Village (Denton County) have consistently opposed the current route selected for section 4 of FM2499. FM2499 is to connect with I-35 near SH121.
Orginally it was to be a two-lane oil top road. Now it is planned as a 4 lane road with plans to expand it to 6 lanes. Much of it will be elevated 11 feet above playgrounds and residents. Over 1000 children in Highland Village will live within 1500 feet of this road. It is anticipated to have traffic counts exceeding 45M cars daily which is the threshold which scientific studies find results in irreserviable lung function in children. Schools, playgrounds, recreation areas, and day cares are located within 1500 feet of this proposed route.
It will cut through residential neighborhood, federal wetlands, recreation areas. The current route is the only one which cuts across three tributaries of Lake Lewisville. Lake Lewisville is the drinking water source for Dallas and Denton counties. The secion of the lake where these bridges will be constructed is the part of the lake which already registers excessively high MTBE. MTBE is a fuel additive which cannot be filtered out of water with currently available technology. Because of Federal Legislation sponored by Joe Barton, manufacturers of MTBE are protected from envionmental liability.
The current route selected is the most costly route. The budget for this project was recently doubled! The most environmentally dangerous route requires doubling the budget because of the necessity of constructing costly bridges over Lake Lewisville's fragile ecosystem.
John Mullens, a resident of Highland Village who has joined with his neighbors (Highland Village Parents Group) in opposing this route responded to TxDOT's attorney.
Ms. Noble (Texas Dept. of Transportation),
Thank you for your response on September 21 (attached) to the concerns of the Highland Village Parent Group. Although your response was not timely, we do appreciate receiving it. As you probably expect, we do not agree with the conclusions of your letter and have commented below.
First, however, we would like to comment on the story in today's front page of the Dallas Morning News describing the financial woes suffered by TXDOT.
TXDOT can save $47 million by permanently canceling the section 4 portion of FM 2499 (probably more as costs continue to escalate). The majority of citizens in Highland Village do not want this highway, and are very vocal about it. At the public hearings there were 3015 written opposing comments submitted, and 1186 opposing signatures on petitions (all voters ).
Only a few politicians want this highway and only God knows why as we have provided them with the USC/Lancet Study (as well as supporting studies/reports), so they are fully aware of the significant lung damage our children will suffer.
We ask TXDOT to direct these scarce funds to more worthy projects where the citizens actually need and desire the transportation improvements, as opposed to wasting the money to satisfy a few. At the very minimum, a full Environmental Impact Study (EIS) should be performed to insure the safety of our children. Most people with knowledge of the circumstances know that a full EIS will result in the project being terminated or re-routed.
Following are our comments about your response (attached PDF file) to our recent e-mails:
1) You state "The Lancet Study is one of several recent studies that come to the conclusion that there are potential health effects from living within close proximity of a roadway. However, the results of the Lancet Study are specific to the study conditions."
We believe you are over-complicating this issue. There are highways in the USC/Lancet Study in California with traffic similar to FM 2499. The vehicles are the same, and emissions actually are significantly reduced in California per their emissions laws. So, you have similar highways with similar vehicles, obviously you would have similar results: average 10%, irreversible, lung damage for children who grow up within 1500 feet of a major road. The study conditions all wash out, we are not that different in Texas than California (these are two of the largest states in the U.S.), and actually we should even increase the 10% lung damage expected in Texas to account for the more dangerous emissions levels (CA has the strictest emissions laws in the country).
2) You state that "The Clean Air Act requires EPA to 'establish air quality criteria for pollutants that accurately reflects the latest scientific knowledge useful in indicating the kind and extent of all identifiable effects on public health or welfare…'". The latest scientific knowledge is the USC/Lancet Study, as well as numerous other studies that validate the common sense that a highway 25 feet next to a house is harmful to children.
Why can't TXDOT be a leader in environmental protection instead of following the EPA who is obviously not able to protect our kids? We ask you to use your own judgment in this matter.
3) You say that "TXDOT takes human health very seriously". We do not believe this when you will not even suggest a full EIS to protect our children from the conclusive results from the USC/Lancet and numerous other studies. To the taxpayers it appears that TXDOT does not take human health seriously at all.
3) You describe the complicated process that TXDOT goes through in conjunction with the EPA to determine effects on human health, but admit these processes are not effective. We taxpayers are not concerned with the reasons why you cannot protect our children, we are only interested in results. We are also not interested in EPA guidelines. If EPA guidelines allow inflicting lung damage on children, then those guidelines must be fixed and not followed. The "I am only following orders" rationale is not acceptable.
4) You discuss a loophole that allows TXDOT to ignore the published policy in your environmental manual that typically requires an EIS in cases of highways of four or more lanes in a new location. We find it completely unacceptable that you would not apply your "normal" standards to a case as serious as this where children's health is at risk.
5) The City of Flower Mound website clearly describes the intention to convert section 4 to six lanes. It states that "Sufficient right-of-way would be acquired to allow for its eventual expansion to an ultimate six-lane divided urban arterial." Here is the link http://www.flower-mound.com/2499_information/index.php
6) We would like the name of the consulting firm that you have hired so we may verify their independence.
In summary, we hope that this consulting firm and the FHWA will reach the correct conclusion that their most important role is to protect our children, and therefore recommend that a full and thorough EIS be prepared prior to any construction taking place. We still are hopeful that TXDOT will step up and take a leadership role in protecting our children.
Regards,
John Mullen
Highland Village Parent Group
Friday, September 21, 2007
North Texas Tollway Authority Board Authorizes Project Development Contracts on Three New Regional Roads
By Sam Lopez - NTTA - Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007
Plano, TX – At a regularly scheduled board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 19, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) Board of Directors unanimously authorized project development services for State Highway (SH) 170 from SH 114 to IH 35W in Denton and Tarrant counties; SH 360 from Green Oaks Boulevard to United States (U.S.) 287 in Ellis, Johnson and Tarrant counties and the Dallas North Tollway (DNT) Phases 4 and 5 in Collin and Grayson counties.
The services for these projects were authorized to further the environmental clearance process for each corridor and fast track project development. Each contract will encompass preliminary concept development and analysis, schematic design, environmental documentation and public involvement support.
“Although the SH 170 and SH 360 projects are subject to the market valuation process outlined in SB 792, in the interest of keeping these critical regional projects moving forward, the NTTA board has authorized contracts in excess of $6,000,000 to bring each project closer to completion as we seek to solve our regional mobility challenges,” said NTTA Board Chairman Paul N. Wageman.
“This action demonstrates NTTA’s desire to fast track projects. We will continue to work with our regional partners to support the final delivery of these projects to the citizens of north Texas,” said Jorge C. Figueredo, NTTA Executive Director. “We recognize that a significant amount of work and study have already gone into each of these projects from our regional partners most notably the Texas Department of Transportation’s Fort Worth District.”
At their Sept. 19th meeting, NTTA board members emphasized NTTA’s strong commitment to working with its regional partners to deliver SH 170, SH 360 and DNT Phases 4 and 5. “We have been challenged to help ‘get them across the goal line’ and this reflects our commitment to do just that,” continued Wageman.
This initial section of SH 170 will be a new limited-access roadway in southern Denton and northern Tarrant counties. This 6.3-mile segment of the road will start at SH 114 and terminate at IH 35W; previously built frontage roads along the road will accommodate a toll road within the median. When completely built, SH 170 will extend from IH 35W to SH 199 in Parker County.
SH 360, a new limited access roadway in southeast Tarrant, northwest Ellis and northeast Johnson counties, is a 9.7-mile facility extending from Green Oaks Boulevard to U.S. 287. Northbound and southbound frontage roads along the alignment are open to traffic from Green Oaks Boulevard to the Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR) crossing. A single frontage road on the west side of the alignment is operating with two-way traffic from the SPRR crossing to U.S. 287. The final phase of SH 360 will be from U.S. 287 to U.S. 67.
DNT Phases 4 and 5 will extend the DNT to meet the anticipated growth in northwest Collin, northeast Denton and southwest Grayson counties. DNT Phase 4, a six mile facility, will extend from U.S. 380 to Farm to Market (FM) 428. Collin County has already begun development of the future northbound service road that will open to traffic in 2008. DNT Phase 5 will further extend the DNT 11.6-miles from FM 428 to FM 121 into Grayson County.
Plano, TX – At a regularly scheduled board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 19, the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) Board of Directors unanimously authorized project development services for State Highway (SH) 170 from SH 114 to IH 35W in Denton and Tarrant counties; SH 360 from Green Oaks Boulevard to United States (U.S.) 287 in Ellis, Johnson and Tarrant counties and the Dallas North Tollway (DNT) Phases 4 and 5 in Collin and Grayson counties.
The services for these projects were authorized to further the environmental clearance process for each corridor and fast track project development. Each contract will encompass preliminary concept development and analysis, schematic design, environmental documentation and public involvement support.
“Although the SH 170 and SH 360 projects are subject to the market valuation process outlined in SB 792, in the interest of keeping these critical regional projects moving forward, the NTTA board has authorized contracts in excess of $6,000,000 to bring each project closer to completion as we seek to solve our regional mobility challenges,” said NTTA Board Chairman Paul N. Wageman.
“This action demonstrates NTTA’s desire to fast track projects. We will continue to work with our regional partners to support the final delivery of these projects to the citizens of north Texas,” said Jorge C. Figueredo, NTTA Executive Director. “We recognize that a significant amount of work and study have already gone into each of these projects from our regional partners most notably the Texas Department of Transportation’s Fort Worth District.”
At their Sept. 19th meeting, NTTA board members emphasized NTTA’s strong commitment to working with its regional partners to deliver SH 170, SH 360 and DNT Phases 4 and 5. “We have been challenged to help ‘get them across the goal line’ and this reflects our commitment to do just that,” continued Wageman.
This initial section of SH 170 will be a new limited-access roadway in southern Denton and northern Tarrant counties. This 6.3-mile segment of the road will start at SH 114 and terminate at IH 35W; previously built frontage roads along the road will accommodate a toll road within the median. When completely built, SH 170 will extend from IH 35W to SH 199 in Parker County.
SH 360, a new limited access roadway in southeast Tarrant, northwest Ellis and northeast Johnson counties, is a 9.7-mile facility extending from Green Oaks Boulevard to U.S. 287. Northbound and southbound frontage roads along the alignment are open to traffic from Green Oaks Boulevard to the Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR) crossing. A single frontage road on the west side of the alignment is operating with two-way traffic from the SPRR crossing to U.S. 287. The final phase of SH 360 will be from U.S. 287 to U.S. 67.
DNT Phases 4 and 5 will extend the DNT to meet the anticipated growth in northwest Collin, northeast Denton and southwest Grayson counties. DNT Phase 4, a six mile facility, will extend from U.S. 380 to Farm to Market (FM) 428. Collin County has already begun development of the future northbound service road that will open to traffic in 2008. DNT Phase 5 will further extend the DNT 11.6-miles from FM 428 to FM 121 into Grayson County.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Denton commissioner Cynthia White fined for late financial filings
County official missed 3 deadlines but neither raised nor spent funds
By MONTY MILLER JR. - Denton Record-Chronicle - Wed., August 1, 2007
DENTON – County Commissioner Cynthia White was fined $600 for missing three deadlines to file required campaign finance documents, after a Denton County resident filed a complaint against her last month.
The Texas Ethics Commission assessed the fine last week.
"I have been very busy the last year and a half," Ms. White said. "I'll try not to let it happen again."
Dianne Edmondson, Denton County Republican Party chairwoman, said elected officials make mistakes like everyone else, but Ms. White should be more careful in the future.
"I think it must happen fairly often, although it shouldn't happen," she said.
Oak Point resident John Rademacher filed a complaint against Ms. White in late May.
Mr. Rademacher could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Ms. White, a Republican who is up for re-election next year, filed the missing documents with the Denton County Elections Administration in late May. The documents covered the period between Jan. 15, 2006, and Jan. 15, 2007, and showed that Ms. White had not accepted any contributions or spent any campaign money during that time.
"I didn't have any activity during that period, but I understand that I should have filed them," she said.
Texas law states that elected officials must file campaign finance reports twice a year, whether they raise money or not.
Ms. White said she paid the fine last week.
Tim Sorrels of the Texas Ethics Commission said he could not comment on the case.
Ms. White, of Aubrey, was first elected to the Commissioners Court in 2000.
She said she is running for re-election in 2008 and is raising funds for the campaign.
Read more in the Dallas Morning News
By MONTY MILLER JR. - Denton Record-Chronicle - Wed., August 1, 2007
DENTON – County Commissioner Cynthia White was fined $600 for missing three deadlines to file required campaign finance documents, after a Denton County resident filed a complaint against her last month.
The Texas Ethics Commission assessed the fine last week.
"I have been very busy the last year and a half," Ms. White said. "I'll try not to let it happen again."
Dianne Edmondson, Denton County Republican Party chairwoman, said elected officials make mistakes like everyone else, but Ms. White should be more careful in the future.
"I think it must happen fairly often, although it shouldn't happen," she said.
Oak Point resident John Rademacher filed a complaint against Ms. White in late May.
Mr. Rademacher could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Ms. White, a Republican who is up for re-election next year, filed the missing documents with the Denton County Elections Administration in late May. The documents covered the period between Jan. 15, 2006, and Jan. 15, 2007, and showed that Ms. White had not accepted any contributions or spent any campaign money during that time.
"I didn't have any activity during that period, but I understand that I should have filed them," she said.
Texas law states that elected officials must file campaign finance reports twice a year, whether they raise money or not.
Ms. White said she paid the fine last week.
Tim Sorrels of the Texas Ethics Commission said he could not comment on the case.
Ms. White, of Aubrey, was first elected to the Commissioners Court in 2000.
She said she is running for re-election in 2008 and is raising funds for the campaign.
Read more in the Dallas Morning News
Monday, July 23, 2007
NTTA on road to more tolls - North Texas Tollway Authority set to expand vision, role with new projects
By MICHAEL A. LINDENBERGER - The Dallas Morning News - Sunday, July 22, 2007
The North Texas Tollway Authority's second decade promises to be nothing like its first.
Today, at age 10, NTTA is promising to expand its focus beyond Dallas and Collin counties to mesh with state and local plans that will radically increase the number of toll roads in North Texas.
As a result, the authority is poised to exert more influence than ever before over the way North Texas drivers get from one place to another.
In addition to building the 26-mile State Highway 121 toll road, NTTA has been asked to build or operate at least five other toll roads, and will partner in several other "priced" projects such as pay-to-use HOV lanes.
Critics: Change needed
Critics caution, however, that as NTTA plays a bigger role in solving transportation problems, it will need to do a better job of paying attention to the whole region.
"I have nothing against them, except for their history," said Denton City Council member Pete Kamp, who said NTTA has long ignored Denton and Tarrant counties. "They are telling us that they are now going to be, and I trust them to be, good to their word. But in the past they've simply been in Dallas and Collin counties."
Bill Hale, the engineer in charge of the Dallas district of the Texas Department of Transportation, said North Texas' transportation solutions have long depended on pooling resources from the state, the region's elected officials and the toll authority. "It's a three-legged stool, and everyone has a role to play," he said.
If that's true, NTTA's leg is about to get a lot stronger, as Mr. Hale conceded in an interview last week.
And that means it will be under more scrutiny, said Mike Nowels, a former Regional Transportation Council member from Lewisville. Answerable only to an independent board of directors, the authority has had too little oversight, he said.
"Does the Dallas North Tollway from [Interstate] 635 south into Dallas, is it really up to standards? Is it anywhere close?" Mr. Nowels asked. "Why hasn't the tollway authority invested in fixing it? It's gridlock every morning and gridlock every evening – and it's been that way for 20 years."
Optimism
NTTA officials and Mr. Morris said negotiations over Highway 121 are well ahead of schedule. An agreement is expected to be ready before the Texas Transportation Commission meets in Sugar Land on Thursday – a month before the deadline.
If the deadline is not met, the contract will go to Cintra, the Spanish firm that won preliminary approval in February to build the road.
Many of the Regional Transportation Council members who voted to let Cintra keep the contract said they now think NTTA will do a good job.
Mesquite City Council member John Heiman Jr. said many of the "no" votes were cast in opposition to the way NTTA was allowed to make a late bid after Cintra had been named the preliminary winner.
"I didn't vote against the NTTA; I was simply opposed to the process. It was awful," Mr. Heiman said.
Most RTC members have put the differences over Highway 121 behind them and are focused on building the region's badly needed roads, he said.
"There is so much need – and I am not talking about wants, I am talking basic needs of transportation – we're going to need a big head of steam to get it all done," Mr. Heiman said.
Mr. Morris said NTTA must be given the support it needs to live up to its commitments on Highway 121 and other roads it has promised to help build.
"We want them to succeed," Mr. Morris said. "We're going to do everything we can to assist them."
NTTA chairman Paul Wageman said board members have benefited from criticism.
That path ahead, he said, includes an increased focus on communities in Tarrant and Denton counties who have long felt ignored by NTTA.
Higher tolls ahead
Still, what has changed most of all is not NTTA, but the way local officials and transportation planners have so enthusiastically embraced tolling as a road-building strategy.
That would have been hard to imagine in June 1997, when the Legislature voted to create NTTA.
Former Dallas County Judge Lee Jackson helped lead the charge to persuade lawmakers to dissolve the Texas Turnpike Authority and replace it with NTTA.
At the time, the authority's only job was to maintain the Dallas North Tollway and collect millions of dollars in tolls. In time, it used those funds and others to build the President George Bush Turnpike, and has since embarked on a handful of other, smaller projects.
But Mr. Jackson, chancellor of the University of North Texas system since 2002, said the philosophy about the role of toll roads in the highway system a decade ago barely resembles what has emerged since the Highway 121 debate began.
These days, the idea is to set the toll rates high enough to create a rich revenue stream that can be used as collateral for massive upfront loans from banks or bondholders.
In the Highway 121 case, for example, NTTA has promised to pay the state $3.3 billion in cash to help finance a stream of other North Texas projects. The money will come from the sale of bonds secured by future toll revenue that exceeds what is needed to build and operate Highway 121 in Denton and Collin counties.
"Obviously money talks," Mr. Jackson said. Still, he said the new approach is necessary because of the paucity of funds from more traditional sources such as state and federal gas taxes.
Mr. Morris agreed.
"We're in such a financial crisis when it comes to transportation that the gas taxes are basically paying for the maintenance of the roads we already have," Mr. Morris said. "Ten years from now the only improvements we will be able to make will be the ones that are paid for by toll roads."
Fairness of toll rate
Some local leaders say they can stomach the increasing number of toll roads. But they say it's wrong to abandon the old policy of keeping toll rates as low as possible.
Frisco City Manager George Purefoy is among them. It's bad enough, he said, that Frisco's two main avenues to the rest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area – Highway 121 and Dallas North Tollway – both will be tolled.
But what's worse, he said, is that Frisco drivers will be paying artificially high rates just so NTTA can borrow the billions it has promised to pay upfront. He says the higher toll rates amount to an extra tax on drivers unlikely to use the roads on which the extra money is spent.
The Frisco City Council is considering filing suit to try to block the toll road, Mayor Mike Simpson said, but no decision has been made.
Last week, Mr. Morris said that legal threat could make it more difficult for NTTA to close the Highway 121 deal within the deadline.
In the meantime, drivers may need to get used to paying higher tolls – a price transportation officials such as Mr. Morris said is needed if residents want to ease the congestion that continues to clog North Texas roads.
Read more
The North Texas Tollway Authority's second decade promises to be nothing like its first.
Today, at age 10, NTTA is promising to expand its focus beyond Dallas and Collin counties to mesh with state and local plans that will radically increase the number of toll roads in North Texas.
As a result, the authority is poised to exert more influence than ever before over the way North Texas drivers get from one place to another.
"I call it the maturing of the NTTA," said Michael Morris, transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. "Ten years ago, the NTTA's attitude may have been, 'We'll do a few projects, but we're not interested in managed lanes, or electronic toll roads. We basically build these big fat cash lanes.' " But that's changing fast, Mr. Morris said.
In addition to building the 26-mile State Highway 121 toll road, NTTA has been asked to build or operate at least five other toll roads, and will partner in several other "priced" projects such as pay-to-use HOV lanes.
Critics: Change needed
Critics caution, however, that as NTTA plays a bigger role in solving transportation problems, it will need to do a better job of paying attention to the whole region.
"I have nothing against them, except for their history," said Denton City Council member Pete Kamp, who said NTTA has long ignored Denton and Tarrant counties. "They are telling us that they are now going to be, and I trust them to be, good to their word. But in the past they've simply been in Dallas and Collin counties."
Bill Hale, the engineer in charge of the Dallas district of the Texas Department of Transportation, said North Texas' transportation solutions have long depended on pooling resources from the state, the region's elected officials and the toll authority. "It's a three-legged stool, and everyone has a role to play," he said.
If that's true, NTTA's leg is about to get a lot stronger, as Mr. Hale conceded in an interview last week.
And that means it will be under more scrutiny, said Mike Nowels, a former Regional Transportation Council member from Lewisville. Answerable only to an independent board of directors, the authority has had too little oversight, he said.
"Does the Dallas North Tollway from [Interstate] 635 south into Dallas, is it really up to standards? Is it anywhere close?" Mr. Nowels asked. "Why hasn't the tollway authority invested in fixing it? It's gridlock every morning and gridlock every evening – and it's been that way for 20 years."
Optimism
NTTA officials and Mr. Morris said negotiations over Highway 121 are well ahead of schedule. An agreement is expected to be ready before the Texas Transportation Commission meets in Sugar Land on Thursday – a month before the deadline.
If the deadline is not met, the contract will go to Cintra, the Spanish firm that won preliminary approval in February to build the road.
Many of the Regional Transportation Council members who voted to let Cintra keep the contract said they now think NTTA will do a good job.
Mesquite City Council member John Heiman Jr. said many of the "no" votes were cast in opposition to the way NTTA was allowed to make a late bid after Cintra had been named the preliminary winner.
"I didn't vote against the NTTA; I was simply opposed to the process. It was awful," Mr. Heiman said.
Most RTC members have put the differences over Highway 121 behind them and are focused on building the region's badly needed roads, he said.
"There is so much need – and I am not talking about wants, I am talking basic needs of transportation – we're going to need a big head of steam to get it all done," Mr. Heiman said.
Mr. Morris said NTTA must be given the support it needs to live up to its commitments on Highway 121 and other roads it has promised to help build.
"We want them to succeed," Mr. Morris said. "We're going to do everything we can to assist them."
NTTA chairman Paul Wageman said board members have benefited from criticism.
"I think it has been very instructive, and we're changing," Mr. Wageman said. "We're having to grow and adapt to a changing environment. Perhaps we were a little slow to adapt to that as a board, but the board is now fully focused on our road ahead."
That path ahead, he said, includes an increased focus on communities in Tarrant and Denton counties who have long felt ignored by NTTA.
Higher tolls ahead
Still, what has changed most of all is not NTTA, but the way local officials and transportation planners have so enthusiastically embraced tolling as a road-building strategy.
That would have been hard to imagine in June 1997, when the Legislature voted to create NTTA.
Former Dallas County Judge Lee Jackson helped lead the charge to persuade lawmakers to dissolve the Texas Turnpike Authority and replace it with NTTA.
At the time, the authority's only job was to maintain the Dallas North Tollway and collect millions of dollars in tolls. In time, it used those funds and others to build the President George Bush Turnpike, and has since embarked on a handful of other, smaller projects.
But Mr. Jackson, chancellor of the University of North Texas system since 2002, said the philosophy about the role of toll roads in the highway system a decade ago barely resembles what has emerged since the Highway 121 debate began.
"When the NTTA was formed, the idea was that every toll road would be built and operated to the lowest possible cost to the drivers," Mr. Jackson said. "The idea was to set the smallest possible toll rates."
These days, the idea is to set the toll rates high enough to create a rich revenue stream that can be used as collateral for massive upfront loans from banks or bondholders.
In the Highway 121 case, for example, NTTA has promised to pay the state $3.3 billion in cash to help finance a stream of other North Texas projects. The money will come from the sale of bonds secured by future toll revenue that exceeds what is needed to build and operate Highway 121 in Denton and Collin counties.
"Obviously money talks," Mr. Jackson said. Still, he said the new approach is necessary because of the paucity of funds from more traditional sources such as state and federal gas taxes.
Mr. Morris agreed.
"We're in such a financial crisis when it comes to transportation that the gas taxes are basically paying for the maintenance of the roads we already have," Mr. Morris said. "Ten years from now the only improvements we will be able to make will be the ones that are paid for by toll roads."
Fairness of toll rate
Some local leaders say they can stomach the increasing number of toll roads. But they say it's wrong to abandon the old policy of keeping toll rates as low as possible.
Frisco City Manager George Purefoy is among them. It's bad enough, he said, that Frisco's two main avenues to the rest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area – Highway 121 and Dallas North Tollway – both will be tolled.
But what's worse, he said, is that Frisco drivers will be paying artificially high rates just so NTTA can borrow the billions it has promised to pay upfront. He says the higher toll rates amount to an extra tax on drivers unlikely to use the roads on which the extra money is spent.
"Everyone wants to keep focusing on how much money the region is getting from this project, and no one seems to care how much more drivers are going to have to pay," he said. "Our drivers are going to have to pay a toll, an extra tax and then the gas tax, too."
The Frisco City Council is considering filing suit to try to block the toll road, Mayor Mike Simpson said, but no decision has been made.
Last week, Mr. Morris said that legal threat could make it more difficult for NTTA to close the Highway 121 deal within the deadline.
In the meantime, drivers may need to get used to paying higher tolls – a price transportation officials such as Mr. Morris said is needed if residents want to ease the congestion that continues to clog North Texas roads.
Read more
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Thursday, June 28th Texas Transportation Commission Meeting
By Faith Chatham - June 28, 2007
The Texas Transportation Commission will convene at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, June 28 in the Dewitt C. Greer Building, 125 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas.
WATCH THE COMMISSION MEETING ON THE INTERNET.
Agenda
(Requires Quick Time Player to view video.
Download Quicktime (free) player)|
Agenda
FACTS:
Texas Transportation Commission
The Texas Transportation Commission is a five-member board appointed by the Governor to oversee TxDOT. The Commission:
- plans and makes policies for the location, construction and maintenance of state highways,
- oversees the design, construction, maintenance and operation of the state highway system,
- develops a statewide transportation plan that contains all modes of transportation, including highways and turnpikes, aviation, mass transportation, railroads, high-speed railroads and water traffic,
- awards contracts for the improvement of the state highway system,
encourages, fosters and assists in the development of public and mass transportation in the state, and
- adopts rules for the operation of the department.
[Source: TxDOT website]
The Texas Transportation Commission will convene at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, June 28 in the Dewitt C. Greer Building, 125 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas.
WATCH THE COMMISSION MEETING ON THE INTERNET.
Agenda
(Requires Quick Time Player to view video.
Download Quicktime (free) player)|
Agenda Item 6. Toll Projects
a. Collin and Denton Counties – Consider the recommendation of the Regional
Transportation Council concerning the financing, construction, and operation of
the SH 121 project from Business SH 121 to US 75 in Denton and Collin
counties (MO)
Agenda
Item 10: d. Right of Way Dispositions and Donations
(1) Denton County – FM 3040 at Valley Parkway in Lewisville –
Consider the exchange of right of way (2 MOs) MO1
MO2
FACTS:
Texas Transportation Commission
The Texas Transportation Commission is a five-member board appointed by the Governor to oversee TxDOT. The Commission:
- plans and makes policies for the location, construction and maintenance of state highways,
- oversees the design, construction, maintenance and operation of the state highway system,
- develops a statewide transportation plan that contains all modes of transportation, including highways and turnpikes, aviation, mass transportation, railroads, high-speed railroads and water traffic,
- awards contracts for the improvement of the state highway system,
encourages, fosters and assists in the development of public and mass transportation in the state, and
- adopts rules for the operation of the department.
[Source: TxDOT website]
Retired UNT professor pleads guilty to embezzling
By Donna Fielder and Matthew Zabel - Denton Record-Chronicle Staff Writers - Tuesday, June 26, 2007
SHERMAN — A retired University of North Texas professor pleaded guilty Monday to federal public corruption charges, after prosecutors said he funneled more than $463,000 in cash and services from the university to his private business.
Dr. James Jarrett Glass, director of the UNT Survey Research Center from 1993 to 2006, could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 as well as restitution to the university.
Glass, 63, declined to comment.
See Denton Record-Chronicle report
Glass was released on his own recognizance until a sentencing hearing takes place. No date has been set for that.
Denton lawyer Jerry Cobb is Glass’s attorney.
According to court documents, from 1993 to Feb. 2, 2006, Glass used the university’s computer and telephone systems to profit his own company. He arranged his own business interests on the systems, according to the documents.
Glass retired from UNT in December during the investigation.
UNT paid him $99,374 from September 2005 to August 2006, Leliaert said. He was put on paid leave on Oct. 26, 2006, as result of the investigation.
UNT Detective Sgt. West Gilbreath said the investigation was long and complicated. When investigators realized Glass was doing business both in Texas and in California, they asked for help from the FBI, because it became a multi-jurisdictional case.
“We’re hoping to get restitution,” Gilbreath said. “This is nearly half a million dollars we’re talking about.”
This is the fourth court case of embezzlement by staff or professors at UNT in the past two years. UNT police have worked hard to bring all four to justice, Gilbreath said, and they will continue to investigate any evidence of fraud on campus.
“This is another case that shows that embezzlement is just not going to be tolerated,” he said.
Patti Dale was sentenced to four years in March 2005 in state court for theft by a public servant. She recruited 14 people she placed on the payroll of the School of Library and Information Sciences who never worked there. Those involved gave most of the money they received to her, and she took more than $155,000 in the scheme.
Paul Schlieve was sentenced to 160 months in federal prison in July 2005. He put his boyfriend on a student work grant payroll and collected paychecks for him, even while the boyfriend was in jail. The man neither worked at nor attended UNT.
Andrea Szaboky was placed on 10 years probation in state court for felony theft in July 2006. She reimbursed herself nearly $30,000 for trips she didn’t take, bought expensive gifts on the university purchase card and paid herself for work she didn’t do.
Glass’ case mostly centered on his use of UNT employees to do work for his private companies, and his use of his position at UNT to obtain contracts for those companies.
The Survey Research Center, an arm of the UNT College of Public Affairs and Community Service, conducts surveys via telephone, mail, Internet and focus groups for state and local governments, nonprofit agencies and private businesses.
The center’s staff consists of both professional researchers and student employees.
Leliaert said that during the 2005-06 fiscal year, that center fulfilled 28 research contracts worth $821,000.
A faculty member first reported Glass to the university auditor in 2004, Leliaert said.
UNT’s internal auditor began an investigation, but put it on hold when Glass suffered a personal tragedy, Leliaert said.
That auditor, Tim Edwards, retired in 2005, and he could not be reached for comment.
Edwards’ replacement, Don Holdegraver, found the incomplete audit in April 2006 and resumed the investigation.
He found evidence that a crime had been committed, Leliaert said, and referred the case to the UNT Police Department, which also notified the FBI.
In his report, dated June 14, Holdegraver wrote that Glass founded Public Management Associates, a private company with no employees, an address of a local mailbox rental business and the same office telephone as the Survey Research Center.
Glass also acted as a principal in another company, Benavides and Associates, which was established in 2003.
Both businesses did work that was similar to the university center, and his clients were the same.
Holdegraver’s report lists several contracts between one of Glass’s companies and an outside client. In those contracts, Glass used the UNT research center to do the work.
For example, Public Management Associates charged the city of Lewisville $17,000 for a needs assessment in 2002.
In that agreement, Glass said he would contract with the UNT Survey Research Center and use its computer-assisted telephone system to do the work, auditors reported, but Glass never paid UNT for the work.
The FBI found 25 other contracts like that one, dating back to 1993, in which Glass used the UNT Survey Research Center to win a contract and then either paid back none or only part of the cost to UNT, according to court documents.
SHERMAN — A retired University of North Texas professor pleaded guilty Monday to federal public corruption charges, after prosecutors said he funneled more than $463,000 in cash and services from the university to his private business.
Dr. James Jarrett Glass, director of the UNT Survey Research Center from 1993 to 2006, could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 as well as restitution to the university.
“He used our facilities; he used our supplies, our equipment, our professional staff and our student employees to conduct research for his business,”said Deborah Leliaert, a university spokeswoman.
Glass, 63, declined to comment.
See Denton Record-Chronicle report
Glass was released on his own recognizance until a sentencing hearing takes place. No date has been set for that.
Denton lawyer Jerry Cobb is Glass’s attorney.
According to court documents, from 1993 to Feb. 2, 2006, Glass used the university’s computer and telephone systems to profit his own company. He arranged his own business interests on the systems, according to the documents.
Glass retired from UNT in December during the investigation.
UNT paid him $99,374 from September 2005 to August 2006, Leliaert said. He was put on paid leave on Oct. 26, 2006, as result of the investigation.
UNT Detective Sgt. West Gilbreath said the investigation was long and complicated. When investigators realized Glass was doing business both in Texas and in California, they asked for help from the FBI, because it became a multi-jurisdictional case.
“We’re hoping to get restitution,” Gilbreath said. “This is nearly half a million dollars we’re talking about.”
This is the fourth court case of embezzlement by staff or professors at UNT in the past two years. UNT police have worked hard to bring all four to justice, Gilbreath said, and they will continue to investigate any evidence of fraud on campus.
“This is another case that shows that embezzlement is just not going to be tolerated,” he said.
Patti Dale was sentenced to four years in March 2005 in state court for theft by a public servant. She recruited 14 people she placed on the payroll of the School of Library and Information Sciences who never worked there. Those involved gave most of the money they received to her, and she took more than $155,000 in the scheme.
Paul Schlieve was sentenced to 160 months in federal prison in July 2005. He put his boyfriend on a student work grant payroll and collected paychecks for him, even while the boyfriend was in jail. The man neither worked at nor attended UNT.
Andrea Szaboky was placed on 10 years probation in state court for felony theft in July 2006. She reimbursed herself nearly $30,000 for trips she didn’t take, bought expensive gifts on the university purchase card and paid herself for work she didn’t do.
Glass’ case mostly centered on his use of UNT employees to do work for his private companies, and his use of his position at UNT to obtain contracts for those companies.
The Survey Research Center, an arm of the UNT College of Public Affairs and Community Service, conducts surveys via telephone, mail, Internet and focus groups for state and local governments, nonprofit agencies and private businesses.
The center’s staff consists of both professional researchers and student employees.
Leliaert said that during the 2005-06 fiscal year, that center fulfilled 28 research contracts worth $821,000.
A faculty member first reported Glass to the university auditor in 2004, Leliaert said.
UNT’s internal auditor began an investigation, but put it on hold when Glass suffered a personal tragedy, Leliaert said.
That auditor, Tim Edwards, retired in 2005, and he could not be reached for comment.
Edwards’ replacement, Don Holdegraver, found the incomplete audit in April 2006 and resumed the investigation.
He found evidence that a crime had been committed, Leliaert said, and referred the case to the UNT Police Department, which also notified the FBI.
In his report, dated June 14, Holdegraver wrote that Glass founded Public Management Associates, a private company with no employees, an address of a local mailbox rental business and the same office telephone as the Survey Research Center.
Glass also acted as a principal in another company, Benavides and Associates, which was established in 2003.
Both businesses did work that was similar to the university center, and his clients were the same.
Holdegraver’s report lists several contracts between one of Glass’s companies and an outside client. In those contracts, Glass used the UNT research center to do the work.
For example, Public Management Associates charged the city of Lewisville $17,000 for a needs assessment in 2002.
In that agreement, Glass said he would contract with the UNT Survey Research Center and use its computer-assisted telephone system to do the work, auditors reported, but Glass never paid UNT for the work.
The FBI found 25 other contracts like that one, dating back to 1993, in which Glass used the UNT Survey Research Center to win a contract and then either paid back none or only part of the cost to UNT, according to court documents.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
FHWA grants environmental clearance for projects in the Dallas area
TxDOT - May 8, 2006
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently announced its finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for several projects in the Dallas area. Based on federal regulations, a FONSI is granted when a potential project will not have any significant impact on the human environment.
Receiving approval from the FHWA allows the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to proceed with projects on I-35E in Denton County, SH 121 and US 75 in Collin County and FM 982 in Collin County.
Located between FM 2181 and US 380, I-35E will widen from four mainlanes and a two-lane frontage road to eight mainlanes and three-lane frontage roads in each direction. The 11-mile project allows for a future reversible managed HOV lane in the median. The cost of the project is more than $357 million.
Located in McKinney, Allen and Fairview, the SH 121 project includes reconstructing an interchange at SH 121 and US 75. The location of the proposed interchange is SH 121 from Hardin Boulevard to SH 5 and US 75 from Ridgeview Road and Eldorado Parkway. The cost of the proposed project is approximately $102 million.
Proposed construction for FM 982 is located between US 380 and FM 546. The 5.4-mile project includes adding shoulders to the existing two-lane highway. The cost of the project is an estimated $15 million.
NEWS RELEASE
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently announced its finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for several projects in the Dallas area. Based on federal regulations, a FONSI is granted when a potential project will not have any significant impact on the human environment.
Receiving approval from the FHWA allows the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to proceed with projects on I-35E in Denton County, SH 121 and US 75 in Collin County and FM 982 in Collin County.
Located between FM 2181 and US 380, I-35E will widen from four mainlanes and a two-lane frontage road to eight mainlanes and three-lane frontage roads in each direction. The 11-mile project allows for a future reversible managed HOV lane in the median. The cost of the project is more than $357 million.
Located in McKinney, Allen and Fairview, the SH 121 project includes reconstructing an interchange at SH 121 and US 75. The location of the proposed interchange is SH 121 from Hardin Boulevard to SH 5 and US 75 from Ridgeview Road and Eldorado Parkway. The cost of the proposed project is approximately $102 million.
Proposed construction for FM 982 is located between US 380 and FM 546. The 5.4-mile project includes adding shoulders to the existing two-lane highway. The cost of the project is an estimated $15 million.
NEWS RELEASE
SH 121 Opens to Motorists in Denton County
Tolled road first of its kind in Texas
Tx DOT - July 3, 2006
The wait is over for Dallas-Fort Worth motorists traveling through Denton County on SH 121. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will officially open the SH 121 Corridor as a toll road on Thursday, July 6, and Friday, July 7, in Lewisville and Coppell. Tolls will be waived as a trial offer to the public until Sept. 1, 2006.
SH 121 is the first toll road in Texas to open under Governor Rick Perry’s HB 3588 legislation, which authorizes the financing of roadways with toll revenue.
“We are very excited to open this project,” said Claud Elsom, P.E., area engineer of the Denton County Area Office. “Our traveling public has been anxious to use this road, and we are glad to have opened the roadway ahead of schedule.”
NEWS RELEASE
Sections that will open to motorists include SH 121 from north of Denton Creek to east of I-35E and SH 121 from west of Hebron Pkwy (FM 544) to east of FM 2281 (Old Denton Road). The six-mile toll road was built for more than $117 million. Contractors who worked on the projects include Balfour Beatty Construction, Inc., and Mario Sincola and Sons, Excavation.
During the trial run of the opening, crews will continue to finish miscellaneous work on SH 121. Minor work will include pavement markings, placing additional signage and installing toll equipment on the roadway. Promotional billboards also will be placed adjacent to the new toll road.
Motorists traveling on SH 121 after the trial period will be charged electronically on their respective TxTag® stickers, the North Texas Tollway Authority’s TollTag or the Harris County Toll Road Authority’s EZ TAG. Drivers without an electronic toll tag can still use SH 121, however the toll rate is a little more and there is a $1 statement fee.
TxTag® stickers can be purchased online or by calling 1-888-GoTxTag (888) 468-9824.
Striping work on SH 121 will need to be done in order to open the roadway Elsom said. However, if there is inclement weather, he said striping work will not take place. In this event, the opening of SH 121 will be rescheduled.
Tx DOT - July 3, 2006
The wait is over for Dallas-Fort Worth motorists traveling through Denton County on SH 121. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will officially open the SH 121 Corridor as a toll road on Thursday, July 6, and Friday, July 7, in Lewisville and Coppell. Tolls will be waived as a trial offer to the public until Sept. 1, 2006.
SH 121 is the first toll road in Texas to open under Governor Rick Perry’s HB 3588 legislation, which authorizes the financing of roadways with toll revenue.
“We are very excited to open this project,” said Claud Elsom, P.E., area engineer of the Denton County Area Office. “Our traveling public has been anxious to use this road, and we are glad to have opened the roadway ahead of schedule.”
NEWS RELEASE
Sections that will open to motorists include SH 121 from north of Denton Creek to east of I-35E and SH 121 from west of Hebron Pkwy (FM 544) to east of FM 2281 (Old Denton Road). The six-mile toll road was built for more than $117 million. Contractors who worked on the projects include Balfour Beatty Construction, Inc., and Mario Sincola and Sons, Excavation.
During the trial run of the opening, crews will continue to finish miscellaneous work on SH 121. Minor work will include pavement markings, placing additional signage and installing toll equipment on the roadway. Promotional billboards also will be placed adjacent to the new toll road.
Motorists traveling on SH 121 after the trial period will be charged electronically on their respective TxTag® stickers, the North Texas Tollway Authority’s TollTag or the Harris County Toll Road Authority’s EZ TAG. Drivers without an electronic toll tag can still use SH 121, however the toll rate is a little more and there is a $1 statement fee.
TxTag® stickers can be purchased online or by calling 1-888-GoTxTag (888) 468-9824.
Striping work on SH 121 will need to be done in order to open the roadway Elsom said. However, if there is inclement weather, he said striping work will not take place. In this event, the opening of SH 121 will be rescheduled.
Feds Approve Three Projects in Denton and Collin Counties
FMTxDOT - June 12, 2007
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently announced its finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for roadway projects on FM 407, FM 2934 and FM 2478 (Custer Road) in Denton and Collin Counties.
Based on federal regulations, a FONSI is granted when a potential project will not have any significant impact on the human or natural environment.
Receiving approval from the FHWA allows the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to proceed with projects on FM 407 in Denton County from west of Briarhill Boulevard to the intersection of FM 407 and FM 1830; FM 2934 in Denton County from FM 423 to the Dallas Parkway; and FM 2478 in Collin County from Stonebridge Drive to US 380.
Plans for FM 407 include converting the existing two-lane, undivided, rural roadway into a four-lane, divided, urban roadway with curb and gutter. Left-turn lanes would be placed at various intersections along the project. The six-mile project is an estimated $36.7 million and could begin later this summer.
Work on FM 2934 will consist of widening the existing roadway to a six-lane urban thoroughfare with curb and gutter, and an enclosed storm drain system. Turn lanes would also be added at selected intersections. The 2.7 mile project is more than $18 million. Construction is also tentatively scheduled for later this summer.
Finally, the Custer Road project will include reconstructing the existing roadway as a four-lane curb and gutter, divided roadway. Other proposed work includes raising the median for future expansion to a six-lane divided facility. The 3.4 mile project costs an estimated $18.8 million. The start date for this project is subject to available funding
NEWS RELEASE
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently announced its finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for roadway projects on FM 407, FM 2934 and FM 2478 (Custer Road) in Denton and Collin Counties.
Based on federal regulations, a FONSI is granted when a potential project will not have any significant impact on the human or natural environment.
Receiving approval from the FHWA allows the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to proceed with projects on FM 407 in Denton County from west of Briarhill Boulevard to the intersection of FM 407 and FM 1830; FM 2934 in Denton County from FM 423 to the Dallas Parkway; and FM 2478 in Collin County from Stonebridge Drive to US 380.
Plans for FM 407 include converting the existing two-lane, undivided, rural roadway into a four-lane, divided, urban roadway with curb and gutter. Left-turn lanes would be placed at various intersections along the project. The six-mile project is an estimated $36.7 million and could begin later this summer.
Work on FM 2934 will consist of widening the existing roadway to a six-lane urban thoroughfare with curb and gutter, and an enclosed storm drain system. Turn lanes would also be added at selected intersections. The 2.7 mile project is more than $18 million. Construction is also tentatively scheduled for later this summer.
Finally, the Custer Road project will include reconstructing the existing roadway as a four-lane curb and gutter, divided roadway. Other proposed work includes raising the median for future expansion to a six-lane divided facility. The 3.4 mile project costs an estimated $18.8 million. The start date for this project is subject to available funding
NEWS RELEASE
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
NTTA proposes having 121 built by 2012
By Danny Gallagher, Staff Writer - Plano Star - Sunday, June 03, 2007
The proposal for the North Texas Tollway Authority submitted Friday to the Regional Transportation Council said it can have State Highway 121 built in five years.Read more
The 1,000-plus-page proposal, released by the NTTA on Friday, proposes splitting the construction of the roadway into four segments and completing the entire project by 2012 if the state awards the NTTA the construction project.
Construction would take place between Denton Creek and Hillcrest Road, Hillcrest Road and Watter’s Road, Watter’s Road and east of the U.S. 75 intersection and the Dallas North Tollway and the SH 121 interchange. The total design phase for the project would take place between July 1, 2007, and Feb. 20, 2008, and the total construction phase would take place between Nov. 9, 2007, and March 20, 2012, according to the proposal.
The NTTA would also continue to maintain and inspect the road for the next 50 years. They would conduct annual inspections every September until 2057, and handle maintenance procedures on the roadway such as joint sealing, “moderate” pavement repair, overlay, sign refurbishing, pavement markings, and landscaping and irrigation management, according to the proposal.
Financing for the project remained the same as earlier estimates stated in presentations given to the RTC and at NTTA board meetings. NTTA said financing the project as part of the Dallas North Tollway system would include an upfront payment of $2.5 billion at the financial close and $833 million in guaranteed payments for a total of $3.3 billion.
The NTTA also said it would be able to provide a lower overall cost, and greater flexibility to respond to “shifting needs, priorities and requirements that should arise over the next 50 years,” according to the proposal. They also included several offers such as a board resolution that adopts the Texas Department of Transportation/RTC toll policy as the maximum rate for SH 121, an agreement to fund an escrow with $75 million upon acceptance of the proposal, and a commitment from a “AAA-rated” financial institution to provide $3.5 billion to ensure a financial close.
It also reiterated earlier claims that it would be able to keep the funds in local pockets.
“Every penny of cash flow generated from the SH 121 project for the next 50 years will remain in North Texas to fund regional mobility needs,” the report said
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ISSUES
SH 121 - Funding:
The $200 million, 17 mile, SH 121 project is in the process of being funded. The funding for this project represents a collaborative effort by the affected cities (Grapevine, Coppell, Lewisville, Carrollton and The Colony) and Denton County to provide monies to support this project. The local funding provides monies to leverage additional State and Federal funding (through coordination with the North Texas Council of Governments and TxDOT) to bring this project to reality much sooner than originally planned. The funding mechanism also makes use of the State Infrastructure Bank which was created by federal legislation in the early 1990's for use in helping local agencies advance critical projects and implement them sooner than expected. Through these innovative financing techniques, the combined efforts of Denton County, the affected Cities, TxDOT and use of the State Infrastructure Bank have moved this project ahead of schedule by at least 10 years.Source
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Spanish company picked for SH 121 toll contract
By Brandi Hart and Penny Rathbun, The Frisco Star
Friday, March 2, 2007 4:28 PM
Friday, March 2, 2007 4:28 PM
Gov. Rick Perry announced Tuesday that Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, the Spanish company that is half of the partnership the state contract for the Trans-Texas Corridor, won the bid to build, operate, and maintain State Highway 121 toll lanes in Collin and Denton counties.Read more
Perry joined officials from Collin and Denton counties on Tuesday to announce the award. On Wednesday, Texas Department of Transportation recommended that the Texas Transportation Commission grant conditional award of the CDA to Cintra - who partnered with Zachary Construction Company of San Antonio for the Trans-Texas Corridor contract - based upon the TxDOT staff review and scoring of the proposals.
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