DOT halts Texas highway project in test of Biden's promises on race

[Hugh Bloody Bastards]

Source: Politico

By SAM MINTZ
04/01/2021 04:48 PM EDT

President Joe Biden's Department of Transportation is invoking the Civil Rights Act to pause a highway project near Houston, a rare move that offers an early test of the administration's willingness to wield federal power to address a long history of government-driven racial inequities.

DOT's intervention follows complaints from local activists that the state's proposed widening of Interstate 45 would displace an overwhelmingly Black and Hispanic community, including schools, places of worship and more than 1,000 homes and businesses.

It also comes as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has identified racial equity as a major priority for his department — after decades in which federal highway money has paid for projects that leveled minority and low-income communities.

"I think this project is the poster child for [the administration's] policies," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat representing the Houston area, who has joined local officials in challenging the project.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/01/dot-texas-highway-equity-478864

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Hear hear!

[marble falls]

1. About time. Highways divide and pave over.

[TxGuitar]

5. Harris county

Is already suing Tx DOT

[calimary]

17. Good. Excellent point.

[Alien Life Form]

2. how about closing down the military bases in Texas..

See how that works. They want to be free from Federal influence..Grant them their wish

[brewens]

3. I posted about that after their storm. Does it make sense to have bases in a state that lost power

like that? Seems like a national security issue to me. I haven't seen reports of how any of their military installations and facilities fared.

[Steelrolled]

10. On the other hand, is probably a good test for the bases.

They should be prepared to loose commercial power.

[brewens]

11. I would hope so, but for all their housing and everything and for how long? I'd be interested to

find out how they did. I'm thinking about looking into getting a generator that could keep me going. I live in Idaho and we used to be okay when we got a serious cold snap. I wouldn't be so sure now. It's been couple decades since we had sub zero for a week or so.

[TxGuitar]

6. What does your comment

Have to do with the post??? Harris county has been fighting this expansion before the feds got involved. Don't get me wrong, we're happy for their support. I just wish all Texans wouldn't get painted with such a broad brush.

[onenote]

8. Would guarantee that no Democrat is elected statewide in Texas for years

And would lead to the defeat of Democrats who represents districts where federal installations are located.

So be careful what you wish for.

[Hestia]

18. How? Everytime "would lead to future defeat of Democrats" sounds like you wish it would happen.

Who cares about possible future happenings. We're busy today with actual problems with 84M people to talk to, not worried about mentally/financially ill with a federal record people who more than likely won't be around in 2 years and/or can't vote.

[Demsrule86]

19. If you don't consider the political fall out...in less than two years, the GOP assumes power again,

and we get nothing...we need every house seat and senate seat so we absolutely have to consider the political ramifications of what do.

[onenote]

20. If there is someone here who wants Democrats to lose, it's not me

Your post however suggests at least a complete disregard to the consequences of what you've proposed.

[Mersky]

4. Good. Pairs well with "Harris County Sues TxDOT To Halt I-45 Expansion Project"

Harris County Sues TxDOT To Halt I-45 Expansion Project
SCHAEFER EDWARDS | MARCH 12, 2021 | 4:00AM

The Texas Department of Transportation has been moving forward with its $7 billion plan to remake and expand Interstate 45 to lessen local traffic, but Harris County threw a wrench in that effort on Thursday by suing the state transportation agency.

The county hopes its lawsuit will lead the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to order TxDOT to pause the project and send it back to the drawing board to come up with a new plan that better addresses the concerns of county residents about pollution and all the homes and business that’ll be paved over if the expansion continues as currently designed.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Thursday that despite all of TxDOT’s promises about factoring in community feedback, she’s frustrated that the most recent version of TxDOT’s plan doesn’t incorporate any recommendations from the county or from City of Houston officials about how to reduce the project’s footprint.

“Time after time, TxDOT has done nothing more than give us and our community lip service,” Hidalgo said. “They’ve made promises they can’t keep, bulldozing right through us with this process.”

-snip-


https://www.houstonpress.com/news/harris-county-sues-txdot-over-i-45-expansion-11543546

___
So, it seems the Biden administration is well aware that there are state governments hostile to local voices calling for racial equity and common sense in such major projects.

[iluvtennis]

7. Excellent news! nt

[Stallion]

9. In Dallas They Are Building Public Parks Directly over Highway Canyons to Rejoin Neighborhoods

expensive but very successful for the adjoining neighborhoods. I think there are plans for at least another 2 parks like this:

https://www.klydewarrenpark.org/

[cstanleytech]

13. I like that concept. nt

[liberaltrucker]

21. Also in Pittsburgh

https://www.post-gazette.com/business/development/2019/06/14/new-park-over-I-579-to-bridge-Downtown-pittsburgh-Hill-District/stories/201906140069

A $32 million effort to “right a wrong” that occurred half a century ago gets its start Friday.

A slew of politicians and stakeholders will gather in a parking lot near PPG Paints Arena to break ground on a three-acre park that will straddle Interstate 579/Crosstown Boulevard.

[cstanleytech]

12. I have no problem with a review being conducted over the project but in the end if its determined

that it will help far more people than it might hurt it should probably be allowed.

[burrowowl]

14. K&R!

[BobTheSubgenius]

15. Not knowing if alternatives are available severely limits the ability to make any kind of judgment.

Is the project vital, in this location, or another?

[cstanleytech]

16. Yup. I was looking on Google Maps and it does not look like there are any real alternative routes if

the goal is to ease traffic congestion thus making the route safer.
Mind you, I think a better option to ease that would be a well maintained mass transit system such as a rail one with many stops along the way but even that would cause land to be needed to run it through.

[BobTheSubgenius]

22. I've been saying for years that investing billions in a sunset technology is a bad bet.

Burning carbon-based fuels and harnessing the energy either mechanically, or with steam as an intermediate step may have a lot more bells and whistles now, but it really hasn't changed its fundamentals since the Industrial Revolution.

[WhiteTara]

23. I remember when the interstate highways

were being built and there were some states that tried to block it. The president (I'm thinking Truman) told those states if they wanted money for their schools, they would comply with the interstates.