Apr. 03, 2007

Gov. Perry Urges Legislature to Keep Transportation Projects on Track

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry today encouraged the Legislature to support the state’s current transportation system and to ensure vital transportation projects continue as planned. The governor was joined by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and Dr. H. K. Park, executive vice president and general manager for Samsung Hard Disk Drive, at the Samsung Austin Semiconductor expansion site currently under construction.

“Our message today is that building needed infrastructure is essential to creating jobs and attracting economic development investments in Texas,” Perry said. “And you can’t accomplish that with a two-year moratorium on needed road projects.”

During the remainder of the session as the Legislature debates critical issues affecting Texas, Perry encouraged the Legislature to consider the successes from past sessions, highlighting key aspects of the existing transportation system. Texas is currently:

Pouring more concrete and building more roads than any state in the nation;
Attracting multi-billion dollar investments from private partners to build needed roads now; and
Using billions of dollars advanced up front by private concessionaires to build numerous other projects in local communities.

The governor also noted that the land needed for highways will always be owned by Texas, and drivers will always have a non-tolled alternative to toll projects.

“But let no one be confused: there are no such things as freeways,” Perry said. “There are taxways and tollways, and for 50 years we have tried taxways that have been underfunded by Austin and Washington and that have left local communities choking on pollution and brimming with congestion.

“You have heard me say before that we have three alternatives: toll roads, slow roads or no roads. If this moratorium passes the legislature without some other significant investment in our roads, we will be down to one alternative - no roads. Let’s get roads built so that jobs, trade and opportunity continue to come to Texas.”