TxDOT director: Agency needs $4 billion more for roads, maintenance

[TexasTowelie]

FORT WORTH — The Texas Department of Transportation needs an additional $1 billion a year to keep up with maintenance on 80,000 miles of roads in the state, the agency’s executive director said Thursday.

Phil Wilson told a group of officials Thursday that TxDOT also is likely to need an additional $3 billion a year to deal with growing congestion on interstates and other roads.

Lawmakers, who started their biennial legislative session this week, have already said Texas will need to tackle road financing as the state’s population grows.

TxDOT, which currently has a $10 billion annual budget, relies on a 20-cents-a-gallon fuel tax that hasn’t been raised since 1991. State officials say they’ll soon run out of money for any construction or expansion without changes.

More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/txdot-director-agency-needs-4-billion-more-for-roa/nTsR7/

[font color=green]The budget surplus that was projected for the next biennium disappears within a matter of days.[/font]

[dlwickham]

1. but the state is so well run

or so says the republicans running the state

how can they need MORE money when the deficit is already in the billions

[Gothmog]

2. Goodhair will shortchange both education and roads to pay for tax cuts

Goodhair is determined to pass some tax cuts this time and needs like education and roads will have to accept less funding in order to pay for these tax cuts