Lawmakers and rural residents worry unpaved roads will create safety hazards and reduce property values. But the Texas Department of Transportation says converting paved roads to gravel is the only safe plan it can afford.
Transportation
Reporting on roads, transit, infrastructure, and policy shaping travel and mobility across the state, from The Texas Tribune.
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Transportation
Health and Economics Spurring Texas Cities to Promote Bicycle Use
From expanding bike lanes and trails to launching bike-share programs, more Texas cities are investing resources to encourage bicycle use.
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Economy
Locals Chip In to Help Ease Trade at Texas Ports
Local governments are anticipating a new program aimed at reducing wait times at the nation’s ports. Under the plan, local governments will request extra staffing at border crossings and reimburse the federal government for the services.
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Transportation
Selling Next Year’s Road Prop Could be Tricky
Now that it’s through the Legislature, lawmakers and advocates have to sell a constitutional amendment that boosts funding for Texas highways without sapping interest for completing that funding a few months later.
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31 Days, 31 Ways (2013)
Hard Copy Not Required: Law to Let Drivers Show Insurance on Phones
Motorists in Texas will soon be allowed to use their cellphones to show proof of insurance during traffic stops. Proponents of the legislation say that the law will increase at the efficiency at those stops. This story is part of our 31 Days, 31 Ways series.
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State Government
Texas Weekly Newsreel: Sine Die, Wendy Davis, Election Law
In this week’s Newsreel: The Texas Legislature leaves Austin, we get a glimpse at Wendy Davis’ future politcal plans, and we are left with this question: Will Texas ever get out of the battle over its political maps?
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Economy
At Border Conference, Speakers Talk Trade, Infrastructure
During a conference on border-related issues Wednesday, U.S. and Mexican officials lauded the growing trade relationship between the two countries. But they added that out-of-touch lawmakers are hindering the economic relationship.
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State Government
Video: Transportation Funding Plan Now Up to Voters
Texas lawmakers have passed legislation that – pending voter approval – would mean an estimated $1.2 billion annual boost for TxDOT. But it’s not yet clear what details the agency will have ready to offer the public before next year’s election.
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Transportation
Lawmakers Pass Roads Cash Plan, Adjourn Third Special Session
After several hours of debate in the House and ongoing negotiations with the Senate, lawmakers on Monday night managed to pass a transportation funding measure and adjourn the third special session of the year.
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Transportation
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda
Texas legislators might eventually get the transportation funding bill the governor asked them for, but it’s not the stuff parades are made of: They’ve already blown two chances.
