County Officials to Serve on Trans-Texas Corridor Advisory Committee

Bell County Commissioner Tim Brown, Polk County Judge John Thompson, and Tarrant County Commissioner Glen Whitley have been appointed to the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) citizen’s advisory committee.
The Texas Transportation Commission selected the 23-member committee from a pool of 251 applicants.
The TTC is a proposed multi-use, statewide network of transportation routes in Texas that will incorporate existing and new highways, railways and utility zones. Specific routes for the TTC have not been determined. As envisioned, each route will include separate lanes for passenger vehicles and large trucks, freight railways, high-speed commuter railways, and infrastructure for utilities.
TxDOT already has formalized an agreement with Cintra-Zachry – an international group of engineering, construction and financial firms – to develop TTC-35, the first element of the TTC from Oklahoma to Mexico.
Commission Chair Ric Williamson said he would like the advisory committee to meet regularly to review the department’s options, pending decisions, or thought processes as each option is made available to the Texas Transportation Commission.
“They can make their comments individually or by a majority vote,” Williamson said. “We will have a cross-section of citizens to watch what we’re doing.”
Polk County Judge John Thompson said he is eager to serve on the committee “to be a part of the effort that this committee is undertaking – seeking solutions to the transportation problems facing a rapidly growing population in Texas.”
Thompson described his role on the committee as “a voice representing rural Texas, making certain that we receive a fair share of the transportation dollars spent and that we reap some of the benefits of a world class transportation system.”
The judge said he welcomes feedback from fellow officials and will take their concerns to the advisory meetings.
“We all know that transportation in Texas needs our serious attention, and I am excited about working toward the solution,” Thompson added.
Bell County Commissioner Tim Brown said the TTC concept has brought into “sharp focus” the difficult challenge Texas faces with respect to its transportation infrastructure.
On one hand, the TTC “offers some real promise,” Brown said. “It provides an alternative to the traditional, severely constricted methods we currently have for funding transportation projects, and as such, it deserves open-minded consideration.”
Toll-based financing can be used to infuse the system with desperately needed capital without increasing the burden on the average taxpayer, Brown continued.
However, the TTC concept also presents its share of concerns, including intense vocal opposition, perhaps due to the enormity of the project, Brown said. Additional problems include the impact to existing infrastructure and overall economic viability.
“The concept offers enough promise to merit a fair and open-minded consideration,” Brown said. “I’m hoping the advisory committee process will be a vehicle to vet these and other issues.”