12.11.08

Possible stimulus money for infrastructure creates debate on spending priorities

Posted in Around The Nation, Around The State, Central Texas, Road Issues, Transportation, Uncategorized, Williamson County at 12:51 pm by wcnews

It’s been reported for a few weeks that it’s likely Texas, and all states, will receive money from the federal government for infrastructure if a massive stimulus package is passed by the new Congress and signed by President Barack Obama early next year.  Needless to say TxDOT and state legislators are already looking at where to spend the money.  And there seems to be some disagreement between TxDOT and Sen. KIrk Watson (D-Austin) on how to go about planning for and spending any money that may come Texas’ way on transportation projects.

Watson would like to prioritize the $6.2 billion list of road projects [.pdf] that TxDOT has come up with, Watson: Start planning for possible congressional money now.

If Congress favors Texas with a healthy chunk of transportation dollars early next year, it would be a good thing for state officials to have an intelligent way to select which projects get the money, Austin state Sen. Kirk Watson said Wednesday.

“What if we get only a billion? Then how do we prioritize?” Watson said of the economic stimulus package likely to be on President-elect Barack Obama’s desk shortly after he takes office in January. The package’s overall size, and how much goes to transportation, is still a matter of speculation.

Earlier this fall, Texas compiled a $6.2 billion list of possible projects that could be ready to go next year.

“There are transportation projects, road and rail, that will stimulate the economy in ways other than one person shoveling something into a pothole,” Watson said.

TxDOT on the other hand wants to sit on it until the new Congress has it’s say.

Chris Lippincott, spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation, said it would be “not productive” for the agency to spend time now settling on standards for ordering that list.

“Sen. Watson’s suggestions and guidance are valuable to us,” Lippincott said. “But the guidance that we will get that is both valuable and dispositive is from the Congress, and we don’t have it yet. As the (stimulus) bill begins to take shape, that will help TxDOT’s decision-making process.”

Lippincott doesn’t make clear what would be so “not productive” about planning ahead. It would seem that TxDOT with it’s recent troubles, not to mention currently being under Sunset Review, would be a little more receptive of legislators. It also isn’t clear what harm it would be to have a list of projects that TxDOT would want to do if they could only get $3 billion, for instance. And calling it “TxDOT’s decision-making process”, isn’t going to make anyone feel comfortable.

But the other question is exactly what kind of projects can TxDOT do will actually stimulate the economy. Again from TxDOT, via the HChron, Proposals depend on passage of stimulus plan:

TxDOT spokesman Chris Lippincott said the list is made up of projects that have been identified as necessary and only lack the money to move forward. It was compiled through TxDOT district offices, which work with local planning organizations.

“It is an answer to the question, ‘What could be let to contract in the first nine months of the year?’ ” Lippincott said.

He added, “To find projects that would provide the economy a shot in the arm, you’re typically going to see smaller projects” that can be done in a short period of time, such as maintenance, filling potholes, overlaying a surface and landscaping.

“The goal of an economic stimulus package is to put shovels in the dirt and put money in people’s pockets. So those are the projects you end up with,” he said.

Lippincott said TxDOT hasn’t calculated how many jobs would be created by its $6.2 billion list or what the greater economic impact would be.

It would seem like a mix of immediate “shovel in dirt” projects with some longer term projects to take their place once those are done would make the most sense. But not just road, rail too, as the Watson said above and state Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) mentions too:

Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, a Transportation and Homeland Security member, said, “It’s no secret that Texas has massive infrastructure needs. While federal money for roads is necessary, I also hope that a large amount of money will be used to relocate freight rail lines outside of Texas’ urban areas which would open up great opportunities for using rail for mass transit.”

And Gov. Perry’s office still doesn’t seem to understand the difference between a “bail out” and a stimulus package.

There’s not agreement on how far the government should go, however, or how much a transportation stimulus would help.

Some experts and officials, including Texas Gov. Rick Perry, are wary of such expenditures.

“The governor thinks it’s bad public policy that Washington needs to get out of the business of bailouts and never should have been in the business in the first place,” said Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle.

But turning back to the Austin area.  The recently approved project that married CAMPO and the CTRMA together to toll 290 East of Austin is on the list, (from the AAS article linked above).

The Austin list, for instance, includes widening of a dangerous stretch of Texas 71 west of Austin, the U.S. 290 East tollway and expansion of U.S. 183.

That project being on the list leads to several questions. How high is this project on Watson’s list? If 290E got federal money does that mean it would no longer a toll road?  That would be a jilting to the CTRMA.  Would that the put a stop to the impending marriage of CAMPO and the CTRMA? No matter this information should put the 290E project, and it’s high toll rates, on the back burner until TxDOT’s share, if any, of stimulus is decided.

It still seems like prioritizing the list, using those that will provide stimulus quickest as the first criteria, makes sense.

Watson said he wasn’t suggesting a drawn-out process. But the list as it exists now, he said, has not been subjected to any process at all.

“Right now I can’t see any prioritization to it, other than, quote, it’s ‘ready to go,’ ” Watson said.

I would encourage everyone to check out the road projects list [.pdf].  There are two pages for the Austin District, (pages 4 and 5), that includes:  Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Gillespie, Hays, Lee, Llano, Mason, Travis and Williamson counties.

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