BIKE: Giant transpo political circus tonight

[Roger Baker]

[WOW! Its a media circus; its an extravaganza!

Show up at the LBJ auditorium near the UT campus for the CAMPO meeting 
tonight and you can sign up and speak to add your two cents worth of 
input to a planning process that proposes to build billions in toll 
roads to serve special interests connected to real estate and road 
contracting while shortchanging bikes and transit (see item 5 below, or 
you can sign to speak on item #8 and 9 like most folks will do). Speak 
up for the compact city and bicycle-friendly goals of Envision Central 
Texas, which are being virtually ignored by the toll road crowd.  Plus 
you get to see a true grassroots political rebellion that has got Rick 
Perry in big trouble statewide. Texas transpo politics is as crooked as 
a barrel of snakes, the shows don't get any better than this, and the 
admission is free! Also read Ben Wear's column in the Statesman today 
for background.
-- Roger]




Today, Monday at  6 pm, CAMPO will meet at 6 pm at the LBJ auditorium 
(note this is not at the nearby JC Thompson center this time) to decide 
whether to schedule a future public hearing on toll road recinding 
options. We want to say -- HELL YES!!!

Anyone can speak, although it could be 8 pm or later until we get to 
speak. The fact that it is being scheduled in the huge auditorium MAY 
indicate that the business community is expected to show up in force 
too, and if so they will be united in supporting the toll roads and get 
a lot of press coverage. Their trick in the past has been to sign up to 
speak early in large numbers.

Here are the main controversial items:

(A) Whether to take the existing three roads out of the controversial 
toll road plan, approved in July. This is agenda item #8, put on the 
agenda by Brewster McCracken.

(B) Agenda item #9, put on the agenda by Daryl Slusher and Eddie 
Rodriguiz, would more or less start over in justifying all the toll 
roads.

Since the toll roads are aquifer-hostile and sprawl-conductive by their 
nature, it would be more consistent with the existing SOSA position to 
sign up to speak in support of Slusher's agenda item #9.

People for Efficient Transportation and the closely-affiliated City 
council recall people will be out in force (collecting donations for 
toll house cookies to raise money, petition, etc.), but I think SOS and 
all progressive sprawl opponents should be there too joining forces as 
a united front against all the toll roads for all the many sound 
financial and environmental reasons there are to oppose them.

There are other things of interest on the agenda that you may want to 
speak on too, like item #5, the CAMPO long term 2030 plan, which is 
hugely in debt, and on which the CAMPO planners have not been able to 
balance the budget, even in theory.  One reason CAMPO has not been able 
to close the huge debt gap on this 2030 plan, as required by federal 
law, is that it assumes that we will handle future traffic by status 
quo patterns of borrowing money to build toll roads to serve future 
sprawl -- rather than by the much more inherently efficient compact 
city growth supported by Envision Central Texas.  Quite naturally this 
last transpo planning option is opposed by the real estate and road 
construction interests.

[Incidentally, the map on the front page of the Sept. CAMPO newsletter 
now shows SH 45 SE extending to the west of IH 35 in the first phase of 
construction as a toll road! This new toll road is shown to link up to 
the west to meet MoPac and thus make a full southern loop over the Ed 
Aquifer recharge zone.]

-- Roger

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http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/agenda/2004/campo_t_091304.htm

8. Consider setting a Public Hearing for amendments to the CAMPO 2025 
Transportation Plan and the FY 2004 - FY 2008 Transportation 
Improvement Program regarding the tolling designation of roads funded 
for construction with tax dollars. (Council Member Brewster McCracken)

Action
  On July 12, the Transportation Policy Board adopted amendments to the 
CAMPO 2025 Transportation Plan and the FY 2004 - FY 2008 Transportation 
Improvement Program. This item will allow setting of a public hearing 
to amend the Plan and TIP regarding the tolling designation of roads 
funded for construction with tax dollars.
  Presenter: Council Member Brewster McCracken

9. Consider setting a Public Hearing to rescind the motions adopted at 
the July 12, 2004 Transportation Policy Board meeting regarding the 
Toll Road amendments to the CAMPO 2025 Transportation Plan and the FY 
2004 - FY 2008 Transportation Improvement Program (July 12 agenda item 
# 2). (Council Member Daryl Slusher, State Representative Eddie 
Rodriguez)

Action
  On July 12, the Transportation Policy Board adopted amendments to the 
CAMPO 2025 Transportation Plan and the FY 2004 - FY 2008 Transportation 
Improvement Program. This item will allow setting of a public hearing 
to rescind the Plan, the TIP and the eight Resolutions regarding the 
tolling designation of roads funded for construction with tax dollars.
  Presenter: Council Member Daryl Slusher and State Representative Eddie 
Rodriguez
On Sep 11, 2004, at 10:07 PM, Roger Baker wrote:
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