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Mass Transit & Energy Use
The future of Houston’s ongoing transit woes will be decided on Nov. 4th as voters head to the polls to determine the fate of the Metro Solutions 2025 Transit System Plan. Under the proposed plan, 73 miles of light rail would be constructed through 2025 at a cost of more than $292 billion. However, Metro’s plan has met fierce opposition from those claiming the plan will be a disaster.
The most significant rail-opposition is Texans for True Mobility (TTM), funded by Michael Stevens and John Butler, an original member of Metro’s board of directors. True Mobility has launched an aggressive televised ad campaign urging voters to reject Metro’s plan. True Mobility spokesman Chris Begala contends that Metro’s plan does not cost-effectively reduce congestion.
According to Begala, the light rail system may be counterproductive and increase traffic congestion as a result of rail lines being built along pre-existing ground-level roadways. He also says the light-rail system will only serve the downtown area, rendering it ineffective for much of the Houstonian work force.
In addition, Begala says that potential rail riders would come from those who currently ride Metro buses, which would mean the plan transfers commuters to an expensive method of public transportation from a cheaper one.
Anti-rail advocates have developed alternate plans for Houston roadways. One week before the election, Judge Robert Eckels released a plan he says is faster and cheaper than Metro’s light rail and would run separate from traffic in pre-existing corridors on freeways such as U.S. 290.
Texas congressman John Culberson has been supporting a “100% Plan” that entails commuter lines running to the suburbs, more toll roads, more lanes in key area thoroughfares and diverting truck traffic around the city. Culberson says that if Metro’s rail plan is passed, there won’t be enough money leftover for the 100% Plan.
But the anti-rail campaign is itself controversial. Texans for True Mobility has stated earnings of $1.4 million but has refused to reveal the identities of the donors.
On Oct. 25, Metro announced they were seeking legal action to demand that contributors to the anti-rail campaign be publicly disclosed. Metro requested that Houston District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal launch an investigation to determine if True Mobility were breaking the law. The Houston Chronicle and Citizens for Public Transportation have echoed Metro’s demands. If an investigation does take place, the results will not be known until after the election.
“There is nothing illegal about what we are doing,” said Begala. “We have a constitutional right to withhold the information concerning our financial supporters. The accusations are totally baseless, and our opposition is just doing whatever they can to draw attention to their cause.”
Despite the public anti-rail campaign, the Metro Solutions plan does have a sizeable share of supporters. Citizens for Public Transformation, a committee dedicated to supporting the rail plan, announced that they have raised $1.1 million in order to promote alternate commuter plans. The next stage of the rail line controversy will be determined when Houston residents head to the polls on Nov. 4.
© Copyright World Internet News 2006-07
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