pineda Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 From a recent communication from the Citizens Transportation Coalition:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you care about toll road accountability, please take notice! CTC has learned that:On Fri June 17, Harris County released the new 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) which identifies the next 5-7 priority toll road corridors. The document is available on paper at the county office downtown but is not available online. Tomorrow, Harris County commissioners are expected to approve the plan at the only scheduled public hearing -- Tues June 21 at 9:00 am. Commissioners are then expected to vote at the 10:00 am Commissioners' Court meeting to authorize $192,295 for traffic and feasibility studies for the new priority toll roads. This four-day process is remarkably fast and opaque with no public notice and no mention by the press. When and where was the public supposed to learn about the new toll road corridors or participate in the planning process?!?Check out information from the new plan about the 5-7 new "priority" toll roads for Harris County: http://www.ctchouston.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18CTC is working to make the press and the public aware of toll road plans that will affect neighborhoods as well as the lack of public accountability in toll road planning.You can help by doing two things: 1) TODAY, please call both your Harris County Commissioner and the Harris County Judge and let them know that the public deserves notice and a meaningful opportunity to review these plans and weigh in. This 4-day process is way too fast and precludes real public participation.Precinct 1 Commissioner El Franco Lee (713) 755-6111 Precinct 2 Commissioner Sylvia Garcia (713) 755-6220 Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack (713) 755-6306 Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Eversole (713) 755-6444 County Judge Robert Eckels (713) 755-40002) CTC needs neighborhood leaders to come to the hearing and Court meeting. If you are available to come downtown Tuesday morning from 9:00 - 11:00 am, please let Robin (713) 526-2283 or Polly (713) 524-4578 know ASAP.To sign up to speak Tuesday, please call (713) 755-5113 and tell them you want to comment on both the Capital Improvement Plan and agenda item 1.c.1.c. (on page 2). If they tell you to just show up, please insist that they take your name and topic. Thanks for your help, Robin Holzer Chair h (713) 526-2283 m (713) 301-5716 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxConcrete Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 I don't see anything new, except for that connector from Alvin to SH 288. That would be in Brazoria County, so I don't know what HCTRA's involvement would be.Overall, I think CTC should be happy that the list includes only well-known, already-planned projects that don't affect neighborhoods. Grand Parkway section F-2 is not even on the list. Shouldn't CTC be celebrating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 Good point.There really isn't much new in this news. And the downtown extention for the Hardy Toll Road has alread gone under right of way acquisition. Schematics are being drawn up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted June 20, 2005 Author Share Posted June 20, 2005 Max and kjb- You two seem to be very in tune with these developments, and that is great. I always appreciate hearing your opinions, because of your attention to this type of news. I think all the CTC is asking for is more accountability to the public, more public participation in decisions that will affect them personally, that perhaps they don't know about yet. I'm sure that because of all the apathy surrounding government and politics of all kinds and sorts, that HCTRA, TxDOT and others like them assume that they who know best will be doing what's in the best interest for the public good. But, I also think it's refreshing to see organizations like CTC shining a little more light on some of these things, trying to get the public more involved, so the general public can't say that they didn't know anything about it. Why the rush? Why not a little more time to let the public digest this news? That's all, and as always, I really do appreciate hearing your opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 HCTRA may look into building any toll road that affects Harris County traffic. Hence, the Alvin to Harris Co. road, which may actually come all the way to loop 610.However, the rest are all roads that were previously discussed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 Thanks for the compliments.I aggree that public notification would be very advantageous. At least following the TxDOT process which is really a federal guidline for public highway projects.The Alvin Corridor would be nice since it was orginally planned as a freeway years ago.A piece (very short) is already built by UofH.The way it ties into I-45, if you are going into downtown you wouldn't have to really merge onto I-45 anyway. The corridor will allow people in Friendswood and eastern Pearland quick access into downtown. I'm also assuming something will be done by the Belt and the Loop for people that have to head to the TMC and Uptown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxConcrete Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 The Alvin Corridor would be nice since it was orginally planned as a freeway years ago.A piece (very short) is already built by UofH.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I interpreted the decription of the Brazoria county toll road as being more or less the section of the Grand Parkway from Alvin to SH 288. It would be an east-west corridor that would feed traffic onto SH 288 (and its toll lanes). I agree that would seem more logical to build out SH 35 as a freeway or tollway from Alvin northward. That project is under study. My guess is that it was determined to be infeasible for whatever reason and the Grand Parkway/SH 288 forms an alternate route into town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 I'm wondering it that corridor is just plague by feasibility issues. It is definitely not an easy corridor to work with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 I interpreted the decription of the Brazoria county toll road as being more or less the section of the Grand Parkway from Alvin to SH 288. It would be an east-west corridor that would feed traffic onto SH 288 (and its toll lanes). I agree that would seem more logical to build out SH 35 as a freeway or tollway from Alvin northward. That project is under study. My guess is that it was determined to be infeasible for whatever reason and the Grand Parkway/SH 288 forms an alternate route into town.I think you're right. Here is what it said:. Brazoria County Toll Road. This project would connect the City of Alivin to SH 288 south of Pearland and continue on SH 288 to a point inside IH 610, and potentially to US 59. An investment grade study and agreements with Brazoria County and the Texas Department of Transportation will be needed.That means it would run west from Alvin to 288, although I can't figure out what they mean by continuing on 288 to a point inside 610. The last I read about the Alvin freeway (SH 35) was that it was canceled south of Beltway 8, but the segment from 45 to the South Belt would still eventually be built. At the time this was in the paper it said that population in that direction had just never grown in accordance with the forecasts made back when. Having been to Alvin, I believe it's true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 They may mean that the toll road will run up the extra wide median of 288 to 610, or farther, to 59. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted June 20, 2005 Share Posted June 20, 2005 Ah, I see. That makes sense, although I can't imagine there's enough traffic from Alvin to support the cost of a toll road, even if the entire population of Alvin were to flee en masse (and who could blame them?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Posted June 21, 2005 Share Posted June 21, 2005 The last I read about the Alvin freeway (SH 35) was that it was canceled south of Beltway 8, but the segment from 45 to the South Belt would still eventually be built. <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Is this the highway that's supposed to run parallel to Mykawa Road? I wondered what the status of that one was.I'm also curious about this new tollroad that is supposed to run along Highway 288... I've never heard about this. Perhaps they plan to build it inside of 288's wide median?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted July 16, 2005 Author Share Posted July 16, 2005 (from the Citizens Transportation Coalition):Harris County plans at least five priority toll road projects, yet our elected officials have not brought citizens into the process. CTC is seeking neighborhood volunteers to attend (and ideally, address) Harris County Commissioners' Court on Tues July 26 at 10:00 am, downtown. Background: As you know, Harris County identified the next five priority toll road corridors in their new Capital Improvement Plan (CIP):Beltway East mainlanes, Brazoria County toll road, Grand Parkway segment E, Hardy toll road extension into downtown, Hempstead Road managed lanes and two possible priorities: Fort Bend connector project (phase 2) from US 90A to IH 610 loop Fairmont Parkway/Red Bluff project from SH 146 to Beltway 8 East Source: http://www.eng.hctx.net/pid_files/cip_2005.pdf (pp.17-18) If you live in a neighborhood near one of these projects (i.e. Katy, Willowbend, Westbury, Cottage Grove, Oak Forest, etc.), your voice is needed.What we've already done: On June 21st, CTC board members asked commissioners to delay adoption of the CIP and commit to holding meetings in affected communities. Judge Eckels told us that they've held "countless" meetings on these projects and few people came. Art Storey told us it doesn't make sense to hold meetings for a project if you don't know when you're going to do it.We don't buy that. If you would like Harris County to host public meetings about one of these projects in your neighborhood, I hope you'll come tell them so.If you are ready to discuss this further, especially if you wish more background before speaking at Commissioners Court, join us for an Advocacy committee meeting: Tues July 19 at 7:30 pm. Please RSVP to Peter Tyler at (713) 256-9205 or p_tyler@swbell.net. Thanks for your help, Robin Holzer Chair m (713) 301-5716 CTC envisions transportation solutions that improve quality of life.www.ctchouston.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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