The latest transportation news from The Texas Tribune.
Debate over the Texas Department of Transportation's controversial plan to convert some damaged asphalt roads to gravel has come up in a fight between the House and Senate to boost the agency's funding. Full Story
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The Automobile Club of Southern California is negotiating with the governor's office over a Texas Enterprise Fund grant. The company's CEO is a longtime contributor to Gov. Rick Perry. Full Story
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Texas voters said yes to a big-ticket proposition for water projects and no to some other spending items, leaving a question for policymakers with a to-do list full of expensive problems: Is the public willing to go along? Full Story
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As state and local leaders consider what to do about the most congested segment of road in Texas, Interstate 35 through central Austin, the possibility of swapping the interstate with a nearby toll road remains a possibility. Full Story
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Dallas officials continue to debate whether city code should change to accommodate Uber, a company that allows customers to order rides with a cellphone app, as existing transportation companies fight against it. Full Story
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At the Trib's Oct. 17 symposium on transportation at Southern Methodist University, Aman Batheja sat down with Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins; Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes; John Langmore, vice chairman of Austin's Capitol Metropolitan Transportation Authority board; and former U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, chief of public engagement for VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio. Full Story
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At our 10/23 Hot Seat conversation at the Texas Tech University, state Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, and state Reps. John Frullo, R-Lubbock, and Drew Springer, R-Muenster, talked about water, transportation, public education and other issues in play in the 83rd session. Full Story
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M. Smith on wasted private tutoring efforts, Satija on government protection for the lesser prairie chicken, Root finds a new nest of Democratic trial lawyers, Malewitz finds a border skirmish featuring mollusks, Hamilton with the latest on politics at the University of Texas, Batheja on the link between vehicle traffic and bond ratings, Aguilar finds some promise in a juvenile justice program in Eagle Pass and Aaronson covers the court fight over new abortion regulations: The best of our best for the week of Oct. 21-25, 2013. Full Story
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At the Trib's Oct. 17 symposium on transportation at Southern Methodist University, Aman Batheja sat down with Ted Houghton, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, and Phil Wilson, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation. Full Story
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At the Trib's Oct. 17 symposium on transportation at Southern Methodist University, I sat down with four members of the House Transportation Committee: Chairman Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, and state Reps. Cindy Burkett, R-Sunnyvale, Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, and Joe Pickett, D-El Paso. Full Story
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A year after opening, a privately operated toll road in Central Texas may be in danger of defaulting next year, increasing the scrutiny of a funding model long touted by transportation advocates and state leaders. Full Story
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Elected officials and business leaders in Presidio and its Mexican sister city, Ojinaga, are drafting their own safety plan, hoping the USDA will consider reopening a cattle inspection site in Mexico. Full Story
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Just weeks before a new rail bridge connecting Texas and Mexico is set to open, controversy surrounding an X-ray machine for the bridge has unfolded and could delay the opening. Full Story
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The state transportation department on Thursday morning released the names of the top 25 toll scofflaws in Texas. The violators owe thousands of dollars in unpaid tolls, with the largest bill totaling more than $230,000. Full Story
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Armed with new legislation, the Texas Department of Transportation is starting to put more pressure on the tens of thousands of drivers who use toll roads without paying. On Oct. 17, the names of habitual offenders will be made public. Full Story
State lawmakers are expected to give the Texas Department of Transportation an extra $250 million for work in counties affected by the drilling boom, but that likely won't stop some paved roads from being converted to gravel. Full Story
Details of an expensive, privately funded high-speed rail project connecting Dallas and Houston will come out next year, just in time for candidates for office to weigh in. Full Story
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A surprise decision by Megabus earlier this year to cancel its rural routes has left local officials scrambling. The company's move is the latest consolidation of the state’s makeshift intercity bus system. Full Story
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We're liveblogging this weekend from The Texas Tribune Festival's Transportation track, which features panel discussions on planning, high-speed rail, road funding and rural transportation. Full Story
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The cash-strapped Texas Department of Transportation is hoping to partner with a vendor to launch a new line of merchandise that takes advantage of the company's intellectual property — most notably, "Don't Mess With Texas." Full Story
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