CAPITOLGains
GOVERNOR RICK PERRY Texas’ Transportation Future is Bright
BY FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR RICK PERRY Guest Writer
There’s no one road to the future. Indeed, the path to Texas’ continued economic excellence runs along every highway, across every bridge, and down every tollway that crisscrosses our state, hard-wiring Texas into the heart of the country’s commerce for years and decades to come.
If you’ve spent time behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer, you understand the importance of our transportation system more than most people. You understand that Texas’ continued pros- perity, growth and job creation are all made possible by our ability to effectively transport goods from place to place, to connect our international ports with factories, and vice-versa.
The important steps we’ve taken to cultivate a jobs-friendly cli- mate – keeping taxes low, courts fair, regulations reasonable and our schools accountable – would fall short of our needs if Texas weren’t able to meet our obligations to improve, build and maintain roads.
Over the past decade, we’ve taken major steps to improve the flow of traffic, both to sustain our economic success and also to enhance the safety and quality of life of Texans who depend on the road to make their livings every day.
One step we took early on was improving the Texas Transportation Commission by expanding it from three to five members, enabling more people to focus their full attention on improving transportation in our state.
Subsequently, we’ve streamlined the environmental impact study process, expanded the use of public-private partnerships and given more say to local authorities to determine the best ways to meet each community’s needs.
As a result, from 2001 to 2012, we added 6,660 lane miles to the state highway system, more than any other state.
Among some of the highlights:
• The I-69 Corridor is connecting communities from South to East Texas, and all points in between. Where possible,
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construction is expanding existing highways from two lanes to four. Already, much of I-69 is at Interstate standards, with more miles still coming online.
• We are expanding the heart of the I-35 corridor from four to six lanes, running from Williamson County to Hillsboro.
• In North Texas, I-35E is being dramatically improved through a $4.8 billion rebuild of the entire 28-mile corridor, which will include toll lanes featuring dynamic pricing that varies based upon time of day.
• SH-130 provides a much-needed alternative to traveling through downtown Austin, running from north of Georgetown to I-10, east of Seguin.
• The Grand Parkway in Houston, at more than 180 miles, will circle the Greater Houston region across seven pictur- esque counties.
That’s not to mention additional projects across the state.
We’ve also put an inventive new funding mechanism in place, thanks to a positive vote this November, which will free up roughly a billion dollars more a year to help build and maintain roads across our state.
We’ve taken these steps because we’ve known all along that Texas will have to deal with our transportation needs if we want to keep our winning streak going. The quality of our transportation systems, as well as our power and water sup- plies, play decisive roles when employers consider expanding or relocating here.
I’ve always known Texas is the best state in the nation to live, work, raise a family and build a business.
Thanks to the steps we’ve taken to keep Texas moving, and the steps we’re primed to take in the years ahead, the Lone Star State will remain that way for decades to come.
A MESSAGE FROM FORMER TEXAS
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