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TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES




CINDY BURKETT
DISTRICT 113



- COMMITTEES
INVESTMENTS & FINANCIAL SERVICES LOCAL & CONSENT CALENDARS TRANSPORTATION SELECT COMMITTEE ON FEDERALISM & FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
SUNSET ADVISORY COMMISSION SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHILD PROTECTION


October 17, 2014


The Honorable Ted Houghton
Chairman
Texas Transportation Commission
125 East 11
th
Street
Austin, TX 78701

RE: Immediate Rescission of CSJ 0918-00-251 and CSJ 0901-22-109 New Location Toll Road
Blacklands Corridor from the 2015 Unified Transportation Plan

Dear Chairman Houghton:

Thank you for your continued service as the Chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission. Under
your leadership, the States transportation system has been greatly improved, and the Department has
taken great strides to improve its standing.

I have heard from a number of constituents that CSJ 0918-00-251 and CSJ 0901-22-109, the Collin
County and Hunt County New Location Toll Road Blacklands Corridor, has recently been added by
the Commission to in the 2015 Unified Transportation Plan. I am taken aback by the Transportation
Commissions action of approving this UTP, on August 28, 2014, with the Blacklands toll road project
contained therein given the overwhelming public opposition to this project. The final NCTCOG public
hearing in Rockwall, Texas, on September 22, 2014 the rescheduled hearing after the previous one was
closed down by the fire marshall - had over 1,200 individuals present plus hundreds more watching
online. The vast majority of those present voiced strong opposition to the toll road. Also, six cities along
the proposed path(s) have passed resolutions in opposition to the project.

The Commission, however, apparently had included already the Blacklands toll road into the 2015 UTP,
before even receiving a recommendation from the MPO (whose recommendation has been deferred to
November and perhaps even longer). Within the North Texas region, there has been a great deal of
discussion regarding the inclusion of the Blacklands toll road within the Metropolitan Transportation
Plan; however, the Commission has already acted without taking into account public involvement.



I am not in favor of the MPO including the Blacklands toll road in its MTP (see attached letter), and I am
not in favor of the Blacklands toll road being included in the UTP. This project affects my district, and
my constituents have questions, concerns, and a need for transparency in this process. The Commission
and the Department have not contributed to the discussion in a positive manner.

The Commissions premature inclusion of this project into the UTP warrants further discussion and an
explanation as to:
1) How and why the project was included into the UTP
2) How many public comments were received by TxDOT regarding the Blackland toll road? How
did the Department communicate with the public that this project was slated for inclusion in the
UTP? Why was the Blacklands toll road placed in the UTP and voted on by the Commission
without a single mention of it (by Commission or staff) at the meeting?
3) What is the basis for the FY 2019 letting date of the Blacklands toll road? What is the
relationship between TxDOT and the private developer for the Blacklands toll road? What
agreements have been made?
4) What is the meaning of Category 3 Local funds and how TxDOT accounts for those funds in
the Departments planning documents?
5) What state funds are being allocated to this project? Apparently TxDOT is spending time,
money, and human resources are being allocated to this project what is the tab so far?

The UTP has been the source of much scrutiny since this summer when the Commission approved an
amendment to the 2014 UTP that included hundreds of millions of dollars in funds to transit projects.
That 2014 UTP amendment was handled in a way very similar to this situation without transparency
and public involvement.

In addition to the above questions, I respectfully request that the two items in the UTP mentioned
above be rescinded and removed from the UTP at the next meeting of the Texas Transportation
Commission (October 30, 2014). I also request that TxDOT hold a formal public hearing along the
Blacklands toll road route to receive public input on this project. Since the Department is willing to
include this project in its ten year funding plan, the Department needs to hear from the public its
thoughts, concerns, and input on the Blacklands toll road.

Sincerely,


Cindy Burkett
State Representative
House District 113



CC via email: The Honorable Larry Phillips, Chairman, House Committee on Transportation
The Honorable Mando Martinez, Vice-Chairman, House Committee on Transportation
The Honorable Joe Pickett, Member, House Committee on Transportation


The Honorable Ruth Jones McClendon, Member, House Committee on Transportation
The Honorable Debbie Riddle, Member, House Committee on Transportation
The Honorable Linda Harper Brown, Member, House Committee on Transportation
The Honorable George Lavender, Member, House Committee on Transportation
The Honorable Bobby Guerra, Member, House Committee on Transportation
The Honorable Allen Fletcher, Member, House Committee on Transportation
Lt. General Joe Weber, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation
Michael Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments