Texas recently announced a historic commitment to automobile infrastructure.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is planning $85 billion in roadway construction projects, as laid out in the 2023 Unified Transportation Program (UTP).
“TxDOT's 2023 Unified Transportation Program is a critical step toward addressing the diverse needs of Texans in rural, urban, and metropolitan communities,” according to a statement by Texas Governor Greg Abbot announcing the $85 billion UTP.
TxDOT Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, Jr. is also quoted in the statement, making big promises about how the spending will relieve congestion in the state. “Additionally, we are making significant progress in addressing congestion in our busiest parts of the state through our Texas Clear Lanes initiative, which improves top chokepoints in our largest metro areas.”
The press release also claims that the $8.5 billion I average annual expenditures will yield $15.5 billion in annual benefits, as estimated by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. “These benefits are a result of increased labor income and business output, as well as the addition of 58,500 direct and indirect jobs,” according to the statement.
The TxDOT has a project tracker to monitor progress on 11,000 TxDOT projects.
Dug Begley broke the news about the forthcoming UTP spending plan for the Houston Chronicle in July. Since the governor’s announcement at the end oof August, multiple news outlets have picked up the story, including the Texan and the Center Square. No mention of greenhouse gas emissions nor air pollution are mentioned in any of the links shared here.
FULL STORY: Governor Abbott, TxDOT, announce record $85 billion 10-year transportation plan
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University of Cincinnati Online
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Journal of the American Planning Association