On the latest Agenda Texas, from KUT News and the Tribune: Thwarted attempts at boosting the Texas Department of Transportation’s budget could get another shot in the special session.
Transportation
Reporting on roads, transit, infrastructure, and policy shaping travel and mobility across the state, from The Texas Tribune.
TxDOT May Sweeten Pot to Draw Private Funds to Projects
Citing a lack of public funding, the Texas Transportation Commission voted Thursday to agree to consider changing its rules to allow it to share financial risk with the private sector on some toll projects.
To Finance State Roads, Legislature Backed More Tolls, Debt Over Cash
While lawmakers came up short on funding for road construction and maintenance this session, several other bills made it to Gov. Rick Perry’s desk that are expected to help Texas communities develop road projects.
Senators Hope to Revive Plan to Fund Roads
A plan to fund Texas highway construction by diverting half of the money that currently feeds the state’s Rainy Day Fund could find new life in a special session.
The 83rd Lege’s Regular Session: What Happened and What Didn’t
Lawmakers raced to get several bills passed before the 83rd Legislature’s regular session ended. And with Monday’s announcement of a special session, their work isn’t done. Here’s a look at the deals reached and the measures that fell short in the regular session.
House Rejected Late Senate Proposal for Roads Money
In the final days of the session, Senate budget leaders came up with an ambitious proposal to find more money for road construction and maintenance. House leaders made it clear they weren’t interested.
Newsreel: Final Days for Legislature
This week in the Texas Weekly Newsreel: Only a few days remain in the 83rd legislative session, and everything is up in the air — including whether lawmakers will come back for more when the session ends on Monday.
TribLive: Branch and TMF on Transportation
At Thursday’s TribLive conversation, state Reps. Dan Branch, R-Dallas, and Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, talked about why the Legislature has made so little progress on transportation funding — and what happens now.
Infrastructure Constraints Loom as Texas Grows
Texas’ drought and water-supply problems have captured headlines. But with the state’s rapid population growth projected to continue, other infrastructure problems also loom, including clogged roads and a strained power grid.
Hope Remains for Partial Victory on Road Cash
With less than two weeks before the end of the 83rd legislative session, efforts to find more funding for the Texas Department of Transportation are sputtering.


