Transportation Commission OKs $1.2 billion in projects
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TxDOT Assistant Executive Director John Barton said a map of economically distressed counties in Texas was received last week and using that information, TxDOT staff reviewed the projects previously selected. They then identified 10 more projects from that list to add to its recommendations. Barton said now 62 percent of the projects lie within economically distressed counties in the state, with a $315 million value.
"We don't want to back up on any commitments that have been made," said Barton, noting that the projects previously identified as recipients of the federal funding are now recommended for funding from TxDOT's FY 2010 maintenance funds.
TxDOT officials said they received close to 1,000 comments on their proposed list and that each district engineer in the areas of concern reviewed and commented on them, meeting with local leaders, contacting legislators, other elected officials and area Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). He said the comments addressed everything from concerns about the money being used for toll or toll-related projects, that there was too much new construction included, that more should be spent for transit and rail projects and if the maximum number of jobs would be created from the projects recommended.
Barton said that based on some of those comments, the staff changed its recommendations to include six mobility projects and because of leveraging opportunities from local partners who pooled their money with the federal dollars, the total construction value would be $2.6 billion instead of the original estimate of $2.3 billion. An additional $300 million in construction value resulted from the partnerships.
Addressing the work situation in the construction industry, Tom Johnson with Associated General Contractors of America said 5,000 workers were laid off in the construction industry last December and another 5,000 in January of this year. He said action by the commission Thursday would mean letting of contracts by April, and more workers would then be hired back.
"The commission does not have much work on the books right now," said Johnson, noting that lettings have dropped to under $3 billion. He said $3.4 billion in contracts would bring construction to where it was two years ago and bring back jobs for construction employees.
Last week, numerous members of the legislature complained about not having any input into the project choices for transportation funding. Rep. Doc Anderson asked the Commission Thursday to "slow things down." He said it is important that both "the people and the legislature are in the loop."
Hank Gilbert, A representative of Texas TURF (Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom) accused the Commission of "creating fundamental fraud" by taking money and deciding to toll 70 percent of the projects. He called it a "misuse of funds" and "violating the trust of the people." He added that the decisions were "just another means to create an outside revenue source for the agency, outside the state budget."
The projects approved by the Commission include more than $783 million in toll or toll-related projects.
The selection process for projects to recommend for funding started last year, said TxDOT officials, and recommendations were made from billions of dollars worth of projects that the ARRA required be "shovel ready" - meaning they could begin quickly, thus spurring employment. The projects also were given priority if they were in economically distressed areas and if they maximized job creation and economic benefit.
TxDOT officials say the agency can let contracts in April totaling $750 million of the federal funding. By May of next year, another $1.7 billion in stimulus-funded contracts are likely to be let. Combined with other investments, that would generate $3.1 billion in maintenance and mobility projects in the state. That amount of spending would generate some 90,000 jobs, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
