ORDER N0.28590
TEXAS MOBILITY FUND STRATEGIC PLAN
Came to be heard this the 12~' day of April 2004, with a motion made by Commissioner
Nicholson, Seconded by Commissioner Baldwin, the Court unanimously approved by a
vote of 3-0-0, to authorize the County Judge to communicate by the April 16~' deadline,
the proposal to the Texas Department of Transportation that asouth-of--the-river road
connect the new high bridge in Kerrville with Hunt should be considered in the planning
process and development of the Texas Mobility Fund Strategic plan.
.,
COMMISSIONERS' COURT AGENDA REQUEST ~~ ~ -~ ~ ~ r~
.~ PLEASE FURNISH ONE ORIGINAL AND NINE COPIES OF THIS REQUEST AND DOCUMENTS TO BE
REVIEWED BY THE COURT.
MADE BY: Dave Nicholson OFFICE: Commissioner Pct. 4
MEETING DATE: April 12, 2004 TIME PREFERRED:
SUBJECT: (PLEASE BE SPECIFIC)
Consider and discuss a proposal to the Texas Department of Transportation that asouth-of--the-river road to connect the
new high bridge in Kerrville with Hunt be considered in the planning process and development of the Texas Mobility
Fund Strategic Plan. Authorize the County Judge to communicate this proposal to the Director of Transportation
Planning and Programming Division by the April 16, 2004 deadline.
EXECUTIVE SESSION REQUESTED: (PLEASE STATE REASON)
NAME OF PERSON ADDRESSING THE COURT:
ESTIMATED LENGTH OF PRESENTATION:
IF PERSONNEL MATTER -NAME OF EMPLOYEE:
Dave Nicholson /Len Odom
15 rains.
Time for submitting this request for Court to assure that the matter is posted in accordance with Title 5, Chapter
551 and 552, Government Code, is as follows:
Meeting scheduled for Mondays: 5:00 P.M. previous Tuesday.
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED BY:
THIS REQUEST RECEIVED ON:

All Agenda Requests will be screened by the County Judge's Office to determine if adequate information has been
prepared for the Court's formal consideration and action at time of Court Meetings. Your cooperation will be
appreciated and contribute towards you request being addressed at the earliest opportunity. See Agenda Request Rules
Adopted by Commissioners' Court.
Judge Tinley:
Hwy 39 from Ingram to Hunt is inadequate. It is congested and dangerous and making
improvements through widening is impractical because of the river and the terrain. This
portion of Hwy 39 features several low-water crossings. Thousands of children attend
the summer camps in the Hunt area. Hunt is virtually cut offwhen flooding occurs and
that is often. The population of Hunt grows steadily, so these problems will become
more critical.
We need asouth-of--the-river Highway that will connect the new High Bridge in Kerrville
with Hunt. I am told that the first step should be to survey a route for the road and make
dedicated easements.
I,~ee this as a high priority need that should stack up well with other proposed projects.
1.;
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Dave/#4
,Texas
Department of Transportation
P O BOX 149217 • AUSTIN, TEXAS 78714-9217 • (512) 486-5000
March 18, 2004
The Honorable Pat Tinley
Judge of Kerr County
700 Main Street
Kerrville, Texas 78028
Dear Judge Tinley:
The Texas Mobility Fund, established by the 77U~ Legislature and approved by the Texas voters,
allows the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to issue bonds and other obligations to
accelerate mobility projects throughout the state.
In August 2003, the Texas Transportation Commission (commission) approved the
Texas Metropolitan Mobility Plan which allows local officials to set priorities on how limited
transportation funds are spent to reduce traffic congestion in their respective areas. In the spirit
of cooperation, the commission believes that regional transportation decisions should be made
at the local level. These decisions will be affected by the strategic plan developed by TxDOT for
spending the proceeds of bonds and other obligations that are secured by money in the
Texas Mobility Fund.
While embracing a multimodal approach to addressing transportation needs statewide, the
commission stressed the importance of developing a comprehensive transportation system to
include highways, rail and public transportation. This approach will enable TxDOT to deliver
transportation improvements in a more expedient manner as traditional funding sources are
becoming inadequate to meet the state's ever-increasing needs. Wherever feasible, every
effort will be made to leverage the Texas Mobility Fund to construct toll facilities.
The objectives of Texas Mobility Fund Strategic Plan are 1) the acceleration of statewide
transportation improvements (preferably previously requested, locally supported projects) to
reduce congestion, improve safety, and promote/expand economic development, and 2) the
maximization of limited transportation dollars to accomplish the first objective. The guiding
principles for the development of this plan are as follows:
• A multimodal approach is needed to effectively address transportation needs statewide;
• Regional transportation decisions should be made at the local level;
• Every effort will be made to leverage the Texas Mobility Fund through the construction of
toll facilities;
• Toll facilities areaway to accelerate needed projects and maximize limited funds;
• The acceleration of previously requested, locally supported projects is preferred; and
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Judge Tinley
- 2 - March 18, 2004
Success should be measured by how quickly and efficiently a project reduces
congestion.
As a first step, we would like to invite you to participate in the planning process and
development of the Texas Mobility Fund Strategic Plan because your input is vital to the
success of this plan. Please see the attached information and provide us with any comments
you would like us to consider when developing the plan by April 16, 2004 to:
James L. Randall, P.E.
Director
Transportation Planning and Programming Division
TxDOT
P.O. Box 149217
Austin, Texas 78714-9217
Sincerely,
~~~
James L. Randall, P.E.
Director, Transportation
Planning and Programming
Attachment
Texas Mobility Fund
What:
• Anew source of money from transportation-related fees that will pay off bonds that can
be issued to build roads sooner and to help meet the costs of other public transportation
projects. The department plans to leverage this new source of money by "selling" bonds
to investors. The money in the Mobility Fund is then used to repay bond holders over
time for the borrowed money. In turn, TxDOT gets access to up a new source of funds to
complete projects earlier than with the traditional pay-as-you-go approach.
Effect
• Permits the Texas Transportation Commission to issue bonds secured by the
Texas Mobility Fund so highways and other public transportation projects can be built
and put into service sooner.
• Provides TxDOT a new source of money to build roads, which will be repaid by funds
deposited to the credit of the Texas Mobility Fund.
• Can be used to finance the construction of, or improvements to, state highways, publicly
owned toll roads, and other public transportation projects.
• Based on current revenue projections, it is anticipated that TxDOT will be able to issue
an estimated $3 billion in bonds.
History
• Voter approval in 2001 of Proposition 15 (Texas constitutional amendment) and
enactment of legislation by the 77th Legislature in 2001 created the Texas Mobility Fund
in the state treasury.
In 2003, the 78th LegislaturE dedicated revenue to the fund, which will allow the
commission to issue bonds.
Perspective
• Change was needed to increase mobility, reduce traffic congestion, and improve
opportunities for economic development.
• Cities and counties in Texas routinely finance street and road projects with bonds.
Produced by Public Information Office
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