House Committee on Transportation December 2012
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Interim Report to the 83rd Texas Legislature House Committee on TRANSPORTATION December 2012 HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES INTERIM REPORT 2012 A REPORT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 83RD TEXAS LEGISLATURE LARRY PHILLIPS CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE CLERK COURTNEY REID SARA HAENES Committee On Transportation December 20, 2012 Larry Phillips P.O. Box 2910 Chairman Austin, Texas 78768-2910 The Honorable Joe Straus Speaker, Texas House of Representatives Members of the Texas House of Representatives Texas State Capitol, Rm. 2W.13 Austin, Texas 78701 Dear Mr. Speaker and Fellow Members: The Committee on Transportation of the Eighty-second Legislature hereby submits its interim report including recommendations and drafted legislation for consideration by the Eighty-third Legislature. Respectfully submitted, Larry Phillips, Chair Drew Darby, Vice Chair Yvonne Davis Joe Pickett Ruth Jones McClendon Dennis Bonnen Eddie Rodriguez Linda Harper-Brown Armando "Mando" Martinez Allen Fletcher George Lavender Drew Darby Vice-Chairman Members: Dennis Bonnen, Yvonne Davis, Allen Fletcher, Linda Harper-Brown, George Lavender, Armando 'Mando' Martinez, Ruth Jones McClendon, Joe Pickett, Eddie Rodriguez TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ 3 INTERIM STUDY CHARGES AND SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS ............................... 5 TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................ 6 Committee Action ....................................................................................................................... 7 Background ................................................................................................................................. 7 Roadways .................................................................................................................................... 8 Maintenance Strategies ........................................................................................................... 8 Rider 36 Study ........................................................................................................................ 9 Bridges ........................................................................................................................................ 9 Rail ............................................................................................................................................ 11 General Aviation ....................................................................................................................... 11 Waterways ................................................................................................................................. 12 Mobility..................................................................................................................................... 12 Long-Range Planning ............................................................................................................... 14 State Long-Range Plan ......................................................................................................... 14 Unified Transportation Program ........................................................................................... 15 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program ................................................................. 15 Texas Rural Transportation Plan .......................................................................................... 16 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 16 PANAMA CANAL EXPANSION ............................................................................................... 17 Committee Action ..................................................................................................................... 18 Background ............................................................................................................................... 19 Implications for Texas .............................................................................................................. 19 Imports and Exports .............................................................................................................. 20 Ports and Waterways............................................................................................................. 20 Rail and Trucking ................................................................................................................. 22 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 23 TRANSIT OPERATIONS ............................................................................................................ 24 Committee Action ..................................................................................................................... 25 Background ............................................................................................................................... 26 Para-transit Services.................................................................................................................. 26 Regional Cooperation Efforts ................................................................................................... 28 Passenger Rail Service .............................................................................................................. 29 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 29 3 TXDOT ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW ..................................................................................... 30 Committee Action ..................................................................................................................... 31 Background ............................................................................................................................... 32 Issues with Environmental Reviews ......................................................................................... 33 Actions of the 82nd Legislature & TxDOT Implementation of Reforms ................................. 33 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 35 TRANSPORTATION FUNDING ................................................................................................ 36 Committee Action ..................................................................................................................... 37 Funding Mechanisms ................................................................................................................ 38 Federal Highway Trust Fund ................................................................................................ 38 State Highway Fund .............................................................................................................. 38 Mobility Fund ....................................................................................................................... 40 Stimulus Funds ..................................................................................................................... 40 Public Private Partnerships and Comprehensive Development Agreements ....................... 40 Rider 42 ................................................................................................................................. 41 Federal Funding Reforms ......................................................................................................... 42 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) ................................................. 42 Transportation Funding Shortages and Future Funding Challenges ......................................... 43 Declining Motor Fuel Tax Revenue ..................................................................................... 45 Energy Sector Impact on Roadways ..................................................................................... 46 Diversions ............................................................................................................................. 46 Transportation Revenue ............................................................................................................ 47 Local-level and Targeted Sources ......................................................................................... 47 System-wide Sources ............................................................................................................ 49 Revenues Collected but not Dedicated to Transportation ..................................................... 51 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 52 LETTER TO THE CHAIR AND APPENDICES ........................................................................ 53 ENDNOTES ................................................................................................................................. 57 4 HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION INTERIM STUDY CHARGES AND SUBCOMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS The House Committee on Transportation was appointed by The Honorable Joe Straus, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives in February 2011. Larry Phillips