Few Show For TxDOT Meeting On Future Of Transportation In El Paso
A long-range transportation plan is in the works, and the Texas Department of Transportation wants the public’s thoughts, but it seems not many Borderland residents are interested.
Within one hour of Wednesday’s meeting, only three people came to see the TxDOT presentation.
“A public transportation system other than Sun Metro,” is what one man, who didn’t attend the meeting but had plenty of suggestions, said he wanted to see.
A woman who didn’t go to the meeting said she wanted something done about “our public roads. I live on the westside and they’re just — because of the rain there are potholes everywhere.”
Transportation officials said they want the public’s feedback to outline the state’s future transportation needs.
The end result will be the Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan 2035.
“It’s been estimated in the ballpark of $370 billion that are going to be needed in the next 25 years approximately. And out of that the identified funds are in the ballpark of $54 billion. So again, so we can provide the solutions and at the same time be able to maintain the transportation infrastructure, there is a big gap,” explained Eduardo Calvo, TxDOT’s director of advanced transportation planning.
Officials said typical revenue sources include stimulus funds, motor fuel taxes and local funding. The agency is also looking at other options.
“We’ve been calling them innovative funding tools, and that’s where tolling comes in, that’s where other partnerships with other public and private entities, and we’re trying to take advantage of them all,” said Calvo.
“Getting stuck in traffic — It’s just — I can’t stand it and no body can stand it,” said Thomas Bohuslav.
He went to the meeting not only as a motorist, but as a consultant for contractors throughout the state.
He explained this is an issue people need to pay attention to.
“You’ve got to move forward and in a few projects in the state, they have shown, after no time, the economic development that has occurred around those projects has paid for those projects in no time and in just a few years — not long after they were opened. So the benefits of transportation here in El Paso are very important to the citizens and something they need to look at,” he said.
The next meeting will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday in Marfa, Texas.
A final report will be given to the Texas Transportation Commission and is expected to be ready for adoption by this fall.
For more information click here.
