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Commissioner New: Opening Remarks at Advisory Committee Meeting
In his opening remarks at the initial meeting of the Advisory Committee for the HB 1079 Ports-to-Plains Feasibility Study, Transportation Commissioner Alvin New provided these encouraging comments. This information is from the Meeting Summary (pages 5-6) provided by TxDOT.
“Think about the future. According to the state demographer, by 2045/2050, Lubbock County is projected to be 500,000 people, the Amarillo area (Potter County and Randall County) is projected at over 500,000, Midland County is projected at 590,000, Ector County is projected at 495,000, Andrews County is projected at 270, 000 and Tom Green County is projected at 225,000. Many others will be increasing. We need to think about the future in terms of West Texas growth. Approximately 1.3 million people are projected to be living in West Texas by 2050. If this type of population existed in other states, an interstate would be required. Laredo is in the top three ports in the U.S, along with Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York, along with other major ports like Miami, Houston and Seattle.; with tariffs in place, it is number one."
"Laredo provides connectivity to Corpus Christi and Houston. There is $109 billion in trade with Mexico and include storage tanks, automobiles, and equipment. The United States sends agricultural products and energy products into Mexico. Laredo is a huge port, and there is only one major interstate (I-35). It consists of one bridge with seven lanes turning into two lanes. Cotton and oil/gas are huge factors in Texas. Commissioner New also stated that economic development requires roadways.”
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Texas Transportation Commission Workshop
On Wednesday, December 11, 2019, the Texas Transportation Commission held a workshop that covered rural and statewide connectivity, safety program funding, Permian Basin energy sector funding, Texas Transportation Plan 2050, and a potential update to the 2020 Unified Transportation Program. The Commission also provided an opportunity for public comment. Leaders from across the Texas Ports-to-Plains corridor provided comments to the Commission on the importance of the proposed future interstate designation. The Ports-to-Plains participants included:
- Mayor Dan Pope, City of Lubbock
- Mayor Wendell Dunlap, City of Plainview
- Judge Curtis Parrish, Lubbock County
- John Osborne, Chairman, Ports-to-Plains Alliance, Lubbock
- Cheri Huddleston, Hance Scarborough LLP, Austin
- Judge Stephen Floyd, Tom Green County
- Mayor Brenda Gunter, City of San Angelo
- Tecio Garcia, City of Laredo Economic Development Director
- Mayor Roberto De Los Santos, Cuidad Acuña
During the workshop, the Commission heard and responded to a presentation on rural and statewide connectivity. This presentation focused on four key Corridors including the U.S. 87/83 Corridor. This corridor is Ports-to-Plains from San Angelo north to the Texas/New Mexico state line.
Transportation Commissioner Alvin New provided some important comments on rural and statewide connectivity.
"This is the backbone, the interstates. The main thing I want you to see, in the state of Texas and frankly in the nation to a large degree, we worked very hard to get from coast to coast, east to west with the interstate system. Here we are in Texas with 29 million people and only one way to go north. I am bringing it to your attention. I-69 is going to do a good job in helping us as we put it together from Laredo over to Houston and up to Texarkana and on up to Indiana and Michigan. That will allow us two possible ways to go north. If you look at I-27 out on the west of this then we have an opportunity to look at that too."
"The reason that corridor (US 87/83) steps out is that it is such low-hanging fruit. That is a 513-mile corridor ... very much the same distance as I-35 through Texas. We lack 39 miles out of all that being four-lane divided highway. In the 2020 UTP we funded 20 miles of that up in the Panhandle. When that is completed, we will have Dallas-Fort Worth connected to Denver via US 287 and US 287 via four-lane divided."
"Think about Laredo. It is the largest inland port in Texas. It is also the largest inland port in the United States. It has been ranking in the top three ports in the country including Long Beach, New York and ports like that. This is a very busy port with only one true way to market currently. I do not see us throttling that back that way. I do not think that makes sense. As you look forward and try to be futuristic in your thoughts, would you say that having the busiest port having only one way to get products to market makes sense. And putting all that through San Antonio obviously contributes to congestion there."
Comments to Commission
"I met yesterday with our COG, our Council of Governments, and many of our mayors and county judges. A couple of our counties are the only ones on this corridor, the Ports-to-Plains Corridor, but many of our county judges and mayors are outside of this and they are in absolute, full support of this project. The reasoning is they know this connectivity benefits all of us in West Texas. It is not just those of us along this corridor but it is all of us in West Texas that benefit from this project. I would like to encourage you that as we go about this study make sure that this is part of the front burner of what you are doing here. Connectivity is vitally important. As you have already heard fuel, fiber and food all come out of West Texas. We've got to find a way to make sure we have adequate transportation to move food and fiber and fuel out of West Texas into the southern area, Laredo and north." - Judge Curtis Parrish, Lubbock County
"You have plenty of data. I am going to give you some color to that data. If you can imagine that trunk system with US 281 completed and look at the eastern side and then the western side. In the last four month or so I have had multiple opportunities to travel the majority of that portion from the upper panhandle all the way to El Paso and down into the Big Bend area. It is amazing when you bring to life the amount of activity that is going on out there. Having to do with agriculture, whether is the the production or the processing. Fueling, whether fossil or renewable. The manufacturing ... it is incredible. That concentration east of US 281 is going to need what we are producing west of US 281." – Judge Stephen Floyd, Tom Green County
"This is about rural Texas ... we are truly rural, Alvin (Commissioner New) made a good point talking about the 600 miles between Dallas-Forth Worth and Albuquerque and there not being an interstate. Tonight when I pull on my jeans and hop in an Uber, maybe a truck, and I go to one of your steakhouses tonight, I am going to thank the good people of West Texas, as you should any time you do. We just don't want you to forget about that. The food and fuel and fiber that we produce is not just for Texas, it is for our country and the world ... Your own words, The state must focus, when you are talking about 1-35, not only improving existing facilities, but developing future freight corridors. We are never going to justify this road based on the number of Teslas or Suburbans driving on it. It is about economic development. It is a generational kind of decision. It is not tomorrow. It is for our kids. It is for 2050." – Mayor Dan Pope, City of Lubbock
"Our federal government has invested deeply with infrastructure in providing loops around the town and other highways to connect to Acuña. Acuña is a manufacturing town. We want to connect to Texas thanks to this opportunity. Our effort is to be more connected to Texas so our manufacturing products can come to the United States.” -- Mayor Roberto De Los Santos, Cuidad Acuña
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Data Highlights from HB 1079 Segment Committee Meetings
During the first round of the HB 1079 Segment Committee meetings, each committee heard a summary of demographic data. Below are some highlights.
Population Growth 1990-2017
Complete Corridor
- Population (1990): 983,870
- Population (2017): 1,395,130
- Population Growth: 411,206
- Grew by 42%
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Segment No. 1 - New Mexico and Oklahoma borders to Hale/Lubbock County line
- Population (1990): 356,344
- Population (2017): 419,186
- Population Growth: 62,842
- Grew by 18%
Segment No. 2 – Hale/Lubbock County line to Sutton/Edwards County line
- Population (1990): 740,999
- Population (2017): 954,316
- Population Growth: 213,317
- Grew by 29%
Segment No. 3 – Sutton/Edwards County line to I-35/Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo
- Population (1990): 264,912
- Population (2017): 437,909
- Population Growth: 172,997
- Grew by 65%
Employment Growth 1990-2017
Complete Corridor
- Employment (1990): 385,809
- Employment (2017): 651,938
- Employment Growth: 288,329
- Grew by 78%
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Segment No. 1 - New Mexico and Oklahoma borders to Hale/Lubbock County line
- Employment (1990): 167,608
- Employment (2017): 201,916
- Employment Growth: 34,308
- Grew by 20%
Segment No. 2 – Hale/Lubbock County line to Sutton/Edwards County line
- Employment (1990): 348,804
- Employment (2017): 461,143
- Employment Growth: 112,339
- Grew by 31%
Segment No. 3 – Sutton/Edwards County line to I-35/Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo
- Employment (1990): 102,285
- Employment (2017): 181,628
- Employment Growth: 79,343
- Grew by 78%
Median Household Incomes 1990-2017
Complete Corridor
- Median Household Income (1990): $21,517
- Median Household Income (2017): $50,491
- Median Household Income Growth: $28,974
- Grew by: 135%
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Segment No. 1 - New Mexico and Oklahoma borders to Hale/Lubbock County line
- Median Household Income (1990): $23,176
- Median Household Income (2017): $51,601
- Median Household Income Growth: $28,425
- Grew by: 123%
Segment No. 2 – Hale/Lubbock County line to Sutton/Edwards County line
- Median Household Income (1990): $22,135
- Median Household Income (2017): $53,921
- Median Household Income Growth: $31,787
- Grew by: 144%
Segment No. 3 – Sutton/Edwards County line to I-35/Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo
- Median Household Income (1990): $15,159
- Median Household Income (2017): $38,770
- Median Household Income Growth: $23,611
- Grew by: 256%
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