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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 9165 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 9165 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council December 8, 2009 Page 1 of 1 SUBJECT: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Allocation of „7, Proposition 12 Funding The City Council has requested an update on the State's allocation of Proposition 12 transportation funding. At their regular meeting on Thursday, November 19, 2009, the Texas Transportation Commission acted unanimously to approve approximately$2 billion in highway projects aimed at increasing safety, rehabilitating pavement, expanding highway corridors of statewide significance, and reducing traffic congestion in communities across the state. The projects will be funded by Proposition 12 bond proceeds, which were authorized by the Texas Legislature earlier this year. This funding source has been widely regarded as the last opportunity in the near future to fund shortfalls in highway projects across the state. Specifically, the North Texas region expected that the $344 million interchange at 1-351824, which is not included in the first phase of the North Tarrant Express project, would be a strong competitor for funding. However, this project was not selected as the Texas Department of Transportation(TxDOT) was faced with allocating $2 billion in funding against project requests in a total amount of almost $9 billion. The Transportation Commission did direct staff to prepare a report to the Commission for their January meeting with details on how to advance the I-351824 project and several other key projects. City staff will report back to the City Council as TxDOT develops alternative funding strategies for the 1-35/824 interchange. There have also been substantial savings at TxDOT due to reduced bid prices, which may make available funding for much-needed projects. These cost savings, combined with possible delays in the selected projects, could provide some funding for the I-351824 project. The attached TxDOT press release on the Proposition 12 program includes details on the program's creation, the project selection process, and a detailed listing of the approved projects. The link for the press release is http:/Avww.txdot aovr news/O61-2449 htm Staff continues to monitor the regional, state and federal transportation funding cycles and will keep the City Council informed of funding opportunities. If you have any questions about this matter, please contact Bryan Beck, P,E., with the Progra m Management Office. { Dale A. Fis l#r, P.E. City Manager L Contact: Media 1 �a Relations Texas Transportation Commission Advances 74 Phone: 512)463-8588 New Projects, Valued at Approximately $2 Billion November 19, 2009 AUSTIN-At their regular meeting Thursday, the Texas Transportation Commission acted unanimously to approve roughly$2 billion in highway projects aimed at increasing safety, rehabilitating pavement, expanding highway corridors of statewide significance and reducing traffic congestion in communities across the state. The projects will be funded by Proposition 12 band proceeds, which were authorized by the Texas Legislature earlier this year. Texas voters initially approved the Proposition 12 bond referendum in 2007, directing the Legislature to authorize up to$5 billion in general obligation bands—bonds paid back using general revenue, rather than fuel tax revenues-to be spent for transportation projects. When the Legislature acted to authorize issuance of Proposition 12 bonds, they provided some direction for how the proceeds must be spent. Specifically, Senate Bill 1 allows$2 billion in Proposition 12 band proceeds be spent on non-toll highway projects, with$1 billion expended by September 2011. To select projects, Texas Department of Transportation(TXDOT)staff utilized a process similar to the collaborative approach used to select American Recovery and Reinvestment Act(ARRA) projects. TXDOT districts and Metropolitan Planning Organizations(MPOs)were asked to develop a list of all needed projects that fit the bond program's requirements and criteria to evaluate them. "We worked with our partners around the state to establish a prioritization process that would help s meet transportation needs statewide as agreed upon by this group of experts," said Deirdre Delisi, Texas Transportation Commission chair. In all, Texas MPOs and TXDOT districts identified over 850 potential projects with a construction value exceeding$8.9 billion. Using the criteria recommended by TxDOT's partners, the Department divided projects among three areas and used the following criteria to determine which would be recommended for funding: * Corridors of statewide significance, which were recommended based on traffic density and crash rates: • Rehabilitation and safety projects, which were recommended based on pavement improvement index and safety improvement index; and • Mobility projects, which were recommended ended ba -d on the amount of delay reduced and their correlation to the "Top 100 Most Congested Segments of Roadway." =ncl! ded in the approved list are six ojiercts, valued at an estimated $1 billion, to expand Interstate 35 from a four-fo a six 4ane highvmy in much €€Central Texas, Nearly °fig percent of the states population lives along the 1-35 corridor, and this action brings the Commission closer to fulfilling their promise to "finish' 1-35 by expanding it to six lanes between San Antonio and Hillsboro. "Expanding this welktraveled corridor vAll enhance reoaad%way safety and provide for efficient movement of goods as traffic confinues to gr ow in this area, said Deis. r Other significant projects approved by the Transportation Commission for Proposition 12 bond funding :y$ include: * The reconstruction of Houston's$178 million Interstate 6101U.S. 290 Interchange, which ranks 13th on the list of the 100 Most Congested Roadway Segments in Texas, * $100 million to expand Interstate 45 in Houston, which ranks as the 25th most congested roadway segment in the state; • A four-mile, $80 million expansion of Loop 375 in El Paso, doubling capacity of a route which serves as an alternative to Interstate 10 and supplementing access to the U.S. Army's Fort Bliss; and, • San Antonio's Wurzbach Parkway, which will receive$130 million to complete the 4.8 mile reconstruction and expand the facility from a four-to a six-lane divided roadway. Improving Wurzbach will improve traffic flow on some of the most congested roadways in San Antonio including 1-35, Loop 1604, 1-410 and U.S. 281. This funding does not address some four-lane sections of 1- 5 through Temple and Waco, as, like many other important projects across the state, some 1-35 expansion projects will not meet the bonds' expenditure timeframe. Three important projects were not selected for Proposition 12 funding: the expansion of 1-35E in Dallas and Denton Counties, improvements to the interchange at 1-35W and 1-820 in Tarrant County, and improvements to U.S. 77 in South Texas as part of the development of 1-69. The Commission instructed TxDOT staff to develop specific plans for the delivery of these projects with a report due in January 2010. More information, including a complete list of projects selected for Proposition 12 funding, can be found on TxDOT's website, v.txdot.gov. For more information contact TxDOT Government and Public Affairs Division at(512)463-8588.