Trans-Texas Corridor would be a big deal

By JULIET BRISKIN | Staff writer

Oct. 7, 2004 - The largest, most extensive engineering project ever proposed for Texas continues to move steadily through a series of planning and development stages that began in 2002. The proposed Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) is a transportation network comprised of passenger vehicle lanes, truck lanes, high-speed railway tracks for passengers, freight and commuter trains, and dedicated utility zones.

Most recently, the plan has entered the environmental study phase for its proposed Oklahoma-Mexico element (TTC-35) which extends approximately 800 miles from the Texas/Oklahoma border, just north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, to the Texas/Mexico border.

In an effort to educate the public about TTC-35 and the environmental study, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has announced a series of public meetings that will be held throughout the entire 800-mile proposed corridor.

"The structure of the meetings is more of an open-house format that will allow for more interaction with project staff and TxDOT representatives," explained Gabriela Garcia, a TxDOT spokesperson. "This type of meeting will also give us a better opportunity to engage the public in dialogue and answer any questions that we can."

According to Garcia, TxDOT will present corridor location alternatives for each segment of the TTC-35 route and invite the public to register their comments on the proposal and its alternatives.

"Because of the open-house format, the public will have the opportunity to make comments at their convenience between 5 and 8 p.m.," said Garcia. "We need to hear from the public on what they think, or what their concerns are regarding the TTC-35 and the proposed alternatives. The purpose of these meetings is to get their input and engage the public in discussions about this issue."

Garcia continued by detailing the various methods by which the public can register their comment. "Each meeting will have a court reporter available to take comments down for the record or they can write down their comments and drop it into a comment box that will be at each meeting," she said. "If they want to take some time to digest the information, they are welcome to e-mail us or mail in their comments; but we must have them by Dec. 3."

TxDOT will also provide written materials at each meeting that visitors can take with them to review at a later date. Garcia emphasized that all the information is also available on their website at www.transtx.com.

"We don't have all the answers to all the questions yet," she explained. "But through these meetings and our analysis of all the issues we will be able to eventually address all the concerns surrounding this issue."

The public meetings in each town will be from 5 to 8 p.m. In Central Texas, the meetings' date and location are:

Oct. 19 - civic center, 309 W. River, Meridian;

Oct. 20 - high school, 3701 W. Highway 22, Corsicana;

Oct. 21 - community college performing arts center south, 112 Lamar Dr., Hillsboro;

Oct. 25 - East Communities YMCA, 5315 Ed Bluestein, Austin;

Oct. 26 - municipal complex's San Gabriel Conference Room, 300 Industry Ave., Georgetown;

Oct. 27 - public library's McClane Room, 100 W. Adams, Temple;

Oct. 28 - high school cafetorium, #1 Lion Country Dr., Lockhart;

Nov. 3 - Brazos Center conference room, 3232 Briarcreset Dr., Bryan;

Nov. 4 - Pridgeon Community Center, 351 Cooks Ln., Franklin;

Nov. 8 - Patterson Civic Center, 609 Mill St., Rockdale;

Nov. 9 - high school cafeteria, 285 Highway 95, Smithville;

Nov. 15 - high school cafeteria, 1501 Harlin Dr., Cleburne;

Nov. 16 - civic center, 2000 Civic Center Ln., Waxahachie;

Nov. 17 - Enge-Washington Intermediate School, 701 S. Ellis St., Grosebeck;

Nov. 18 - Bellmead Civic Center, 3900 Parrish St., Waco.

A complete listing of public meetings in the state is online at www.dot.state.tx.us/ttc/publicmtglocs.pdf.