The latest Texas Department Of Transportation news from The Texas Tribune.
Ever since Nov. 8, 2000, someone has been killed in a Texas wreck each day. The state's transportation department is spending an additional $600 million on safety — and trying to end all roadway deaths by 2050. Full Story
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TxDOT began removing property and debris from under Austin's highways as the number of places Austin ordinances let homeless people camp dwindles. Full Story
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The governor's decision to force homeless people from under state overpasses drew the ire of city leaders and homelessness experts, who criticized Abbott's "fear-based approach." Full Story
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Historic black neighborhoods like Independence Heights and the Fifth Ward are in the crosshairs of Houston highway plans, decades after expressways separated communities from the rest of the city. Full Story
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As road congestion worsens in Texas cities, public transit authorities are racing to raise money for vast expansions of light rail and buses to transport the state's growing population. Full Story
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Supporters say the $8 billion plan for one of the state’s most notorious stretches of highway is necessary to fight congestion. But critics say new lanes won’t end traffic — and worry the plan undercuts Austin’s goal to reduce single-occupancy car trips. Full Story
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Bills aimed at making a dent in traffic deaths have gotten mixed results at the Texas Legislature this year. Full Story
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Lawmakers are pushing more measures than ever before that could delay the Dallas-Houston bullet train project — and there’s even a special subcommittee tackling the topic. Full Story
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As private developer Texas Central moves ahead with plans to build what could be the country's first high-speed rail line, a handful of state lawmakers hope to try next year to give the state more authority over the project. But they admit there may not be the legislative appetite. Full Story
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The complaints and lawsuits underscore the agency’s ongoing struggle to address gender and racial disparities — and their side effects — in a culture historically and predominantly composed of white men, especially at its highest echelons. Full Story
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After Tryon Lewis said on Thursday that he's leaving the five-person board that oversees the Texas Department of Transportation, a Dallas magazine reported Friday that Victor Vandergriff is also planning to leave the commission. Full Story
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The infestation of Norwegian rats in a state building where health regulators work is not only a big, embarrassing mess — it's a metaphor for a persistent problem in Texas government. Full Story
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A state lawmaker has asked the attorney general to weigh in on whether the state's transportation agency can use voter-approved funds to rebuild or expand highways that will also include toll lanes alongside them. Full Story
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Hurricane Harvey closed hundreds of roads around Houston and Southeast Texas. Texas transportation officials are only beginning to assess how prolonged flooding has damaged roads and bridges. Full Story
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Amid debate on a routine measure designed to keep the state's transportation agency in business, House lawmakers on Tuesday renewed their efforts to curb the growing number of toll lanes in the state. Full Story
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The House left an important bill in a dangerous spot, lost it, and might have created an advantage for their institutional rivals on the other end of the Texas Capitol. Full Story
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The Texas House’s chief budget writer filed legislation Friday that would pave the way for lawmakers to claw back billions of dollars that voters approved for state highways, freeing them up for other budget needs. Full Story
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State Rep. Charlie Geren filed a bill this week that aims to overcome the car industry opposition that crushed an autonomous vehicle bill two years ago. But he says there's lots of work left to do on it. Full Story
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As budget writers and lawmakers eye billions in voter-approved highway money for other matters, transportation officials are touting high-profile projects that will benefit from those funds. Full Story
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A private firm's proposed Houston-Dallas bullet train would connect two of America's biggest metropolitan areas. But the 240-mile line would require a lot of country land that many Texans don't want to give up. Full Story
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