Car Sticker Rules Starting Sunday Could Confuse Drivers
A new single-sticker system for inspecting and registering millions of Texas vehicles begins on Sunday, and some lawmakers are warning that the change will confuse Texas drivers. Full Story
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![Inspection stickers will begin disappearing from Texas vehicles when the state rolls out a new single-sticker program for inspection and registration on March 1, 2015.]()
Credit: Ryan McCrimmon for The Texas Tribune -
Lawmaker's Bill a Silver Bullet to Stop Train
A bill filed by state Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, Wednesday would require the governing body of every city and county along the route to approve a planned high-speed rail project. There's very little chance that would happen. Full Story
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![The JR Central N700 Series, a Japanese Shinkansen bullet train.]()
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Nichols' Car Sales Tax Plan Moves to Senate Floor
The Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday voted 8-1 in favor of a proposal to dedicate some of the sales tax collected on automobile sales to improving roads — but not before several lawmakers expressed reservations. Full Story
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![State Sen. Robert Nichols.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
UT/TT Poll: Voters Vexed With Property Taxes
Property taxes clearly have the attention of Texas voters, and not in a positive way, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. And they are not particularly happy with business taxes, either. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Abbott, Senate Leaders Tout Road Funding Plans
The day before Texas lawmakers begin considering a major transportation bill, state leaders made a concerted push for the measure as part of a larger effort to boost much-needed highway funding. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott delivering his State of the State speech on Feb. 17, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Legislation Would Let Tesla Sell in Texas
A group of state lawmakers have filed legislation that would allow Tesla to sell its luxury electric cars at as many as 12 stores in Texas, renewing the California-based company’s challenge to a state law protecting franchised auto dealers. Full Story
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![Tesla vehicle on display outside the Texas Capitol on Jan. 15, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Bullet Train Firm Reveals Preferred Dallas-Houston Route
The firm hoping to build a privately financed high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston announced its preferred route Tuesday. Texas Central Railway hopes to be transporting Texans between the two cities by 2021. Full Story
![The JR Central N700 Series, a Japanese Shinkansen bullet train.]()
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Abbott Taps Two for Transportation Commission
Former state Rep. Tryon Lewis and San Antonio banker J. Bruce Bugg Jr. will replace Chairman Ted Houghton and Commissioner Fred Underwood on the Texas Transportation Commission. Full Story
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![Greg Abbott is shown visiting the Senate chamber on Jan. 13, 2015.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Erroneous Toll Bills Fuel Criticism at Hearing
Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation and Xerox surprised senators Wednesday by reporting that 30,000 drivers with valid TxTag accounts were erroneously mailed bills for using the state’s toll roads. Full Story
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Credit: Bill Jacobus -
Patrick, Nichols: Put Car Sales Tax Toward Roads
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Transportation Chairman Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, unveiled a plan Wednesday to boost transportation funding by dedicating some of the sales tax already collected on car sales to road work. Full Story
![State Sen. Robert Nichols.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Families Urge Support for Texting-While-Driving Ban
More than 30 families who have lost someone to distracted driving gathered Tuesday at the state Capitol to rally support for legislation that would ban texting while driving in Texas. Full Story
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Credit: Tim Caynes -
In State Contracting, Failure is an Option
Texas's tendency to privatize state services has led to contracting scandals erupting regularly. But a history of cost overruns or bad performance hardly bars a company from winning future jobs. Full Story
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TxDOT: Toll Billing Problems Being Addressed
Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation and Xerox, the company handling the state's tolling operations, said Thursday that fixes to customer service and billing issues were in the works. Full Story
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![Interstate 45 Gulf Freeway's HOV and Toll lanes exit into Metro's Eastowood Transit Center in Houston Friday, October 19, 2012.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Tesla Motors, Car Dealers Clash Over Franchise Law
Monopolies are bad for consumers, both sides fighting over whether Tesla Motors should be allowed to sell its cars directly to Texans agreed Wednesday. But monopoly is in the eye of the beholder. Full Story
![Tesla vehicle on display outside the Texas Capitol on Jan. 15, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Video: A Conversation With Dan Patrick
Full video of my 1/27 conversation with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who talked about the change in Senate rules, vouchers, tax relief, transportation funding, open carry and more. Full Story
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Texas Bikers Know How to Be Heard at Capitol
More than a thousand Texas bikers descended on the Capitol on Monday to present lawmakers with their legislative agenda for this session. Not surprisingly, they want looser traffic laws for motorcyclists. Full Story
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![Bikers from all over Texas came to the Capitol to lobby their representatives for their causes, Jan. 26, 2015.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Bill Targets Toll Road's Power to Take Land
Only one private company in the state has the power to condemn and take land for a toll road. Following public backlash over its proposed road near Dallas, state Rep. Cindy Burkett, R-Sunnyvale, wants to take that power away. Full Story
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![Traffic on I-30 on the eastern side of Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall on June 6. A proposed private tollway to relieve traffic in the area appears to be dead.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill -
TxDOT Spends Millions in Tuition Reimbursements
The Texas Department of Transportation has spent about $10.6 million in education costs since 2002, nearly half what state agencies have spent in total on tuition reimbursements and other educational programs. Check out our breakdown. Full Story
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Musk: Texas a "Leading Candidate" to Host Hyperloop Test Track
Entrepreneur Elon Musk said Thursday that Texas is in the driver's seat for a test track for a transportation system known as the Hyperloop. He also said that a SpaceX facility wouldn't have been built in Texas without economic incentives. Full Story
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![Elon Musk, the CEO and of SpaceX and Tesla Motors, spoke at the Texas Transportation Forum in Austin on Jan. 15, 2015.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Video: A Conversation With Elon Musk
Here's video of Tribune CEO and Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith's Thursday interview of SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the 10th annual Texas Transportation Forum. Full Story
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