Texans texting behind the wheel: what’s the answer when wrong is not enough?
Texans, by and large, think texting and driving is bad and that it shouldn’t be allowed. But for most, those views haven’t changed their own habits behind the wheel.
Transportation
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Death-by-walking is becoming a chronic public health issue
Pedestrian safety dangers exist at the local community level, and it is local community leaders who have to address them and fund their solutions. To make meaningful progress, those leaders need to first understand the problems better.
A free-market “yes” to Texas high-speed rail
High-speed rail projects in California are as different from the Texas Central Rail project as California is from Texas. Our private high-speed rail system will be up and running while California’s government-funded boondoggle drags California into insolvency.
Hit the brakes on high speed rail in Texas
The fantasy of high-speed rail attracts those who believe in the urgency of a transportation transformation. These pipe dreams are a lucrative field for large developers. But taxpayers and property owners often end up sending tens of billions of dollars down the drain for this mirage.
Rural Texas highways give us a reliable path to the pump
Our almost unquenchable thirst for fuel has delivered great news on the job front, but it has also required rural highways to work overtime. Those roads are seeing far higher and heavier levels of traffic than they were designed to handle, not only from oil transports but also from myriad vehicles that support drilling operations. The result is big-city gridlock in rural locales.
Highway AND Railways: Let the voters decide
There is federal funding through the FAST Act and other programs that can be leveraged for passenger rail if Texas can step up and match it. Other conservative states, like Oklahoma and Utah, dedicate funding for passenger rail and transit and are seeing the benefits of transportation choices for their citizens. Texas has been shut out.
Finding a better way to reason with hurricane season
We can’t prevent major weather and climate disasters. But by investing resources into effective planning and engineering, we can make our systems more resilient, minimize losses of service and restore transportation service more quickly and completely.
Roadway deaths are rising, and self-driving cars don’t yet make a difference
Roadway crash deaths, after a brief but sharp drop several years ago, are rising again. And before we jump on the self-driving bandwagon, let’s remember that automated vehicles — while they do offer the promise of safer daily travel — may not constitute a universal cure for the highway fatality epidemic, and certainly not anytime soon.
Is the “Uberization’ of public transportation the future for Texas cities?
By applying the concept of a shared economy to our public transit, we may find new solutions to our mobility problems. Essentially, we need an “Uberization” of public transit services to transform how we approach transportation issues.
The promise of new rides for Texans with disabilities
Why should accessibility be a top priority of Texas leaders in the debate over high-speed trains, autonomous vehicles, and TNCs? Simply put, creating transportation equity allows all Texans greater access to employment, education, and upward economic mobility.
Keep the promise, Texas lawmakers — don’t cut highway funding
Lawmakers need to stop these discussions to cut billions in highway funding. Texas voters are counting on them. The Legislature needs to keep its promise to improve mobility and safety for Texas drivers.
Don’t take away city rights to provide transportation options for all
Houston has long been a strong proponent of disability rights and has crafted first-of-their-kind regulations to ensure all Houstonians can take part in the ride-sharing revolution which has swept our state.
The Legislature’s all-out assault on passenger trains
It’s almost too late to start a statewide passenger rail network in Texas. Rail projects here have no dedicated source of revenue; no statewide projects are being considered by TxDOT. Future generations may regret that our elected leaders only focused on more highway development and left passenger train service on a dead-end track.
Texas high speed rail would be a colossal waste of taxpayer money
Despite study after study concluding that this high-speed train is bad idea, supporters insist on railroading Texans with a $10 billion project that they don’t want, don’t need and won’t use. It’s time for local and state officials to give high-speed rail the big Texan cowboy boot.
Proposition 7 is the road to the future
Proposition 7 has the potential to deliver wide-ranging benefits across the state, from relieving urban and commuter congestion to upgrading critical rural routes to improving the overall safety and efficiency of our roadways.
A derailment ahead for freight service?
Much of what we take for granted in our daily lives is shipped by freight rail. And those same railcars could be sitting idle by Jan. 1 if Congress keeps playing a waiting game.
Improving infrastructure is crucial to Texas’ growth
Texas' infrastructure is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Traffic jams, water main breaks and power failures have become more than just daily inconveniences, and our economic wellbeing and safety are at risk.
The conservative case for more rail transit in Texas
Public transportation, especially rail, is often seen as anathema to conservatives. In fact, high-quality transit benefits everyone, including conservatives, and it's time for Texas to get on board.
Texans deserve details of bullet train plan
For those of us concerned about protecting our land, livelihood and way of life, the Dallas-to-Houston high-speed rail proposal has simply raised too many questions.
Setting the record straight on high-speed rail in Texas
Don’t let misinformation derail a game-changing transportation alternative that will help relieve our state’s congested roads.
We need a statewide solution for Uber and Lyft
Texas' patchwork of onerous regulations for companies like Uber and Lyft is bad for business and limiting access to much-needed transportation alternatives. It's time for a statewide fix.
A real fix for Texas' traffic problems
A patchwork of one-time funding jolts to our state’s transportation system isn’t sustainable. We need predictable, long-term sources of revenue.
Making Texas' new space race sustainable
The future is bright for the commercial space industry in Texas, but we'll need resources to help train Texans to fill jobs in this brand-new field.
2015: An agenda for transportation
With transportation concerns now finally at the forefront in Texas, it's time for lawmakers to start properly funding our state's infrastructure in the face of competing demands and declining revenues.
For now, the future of transit in Austin is the bus
The rejection of a light rail plan last month in Austin, Texas' liberal bastion, was a signal that it's time for the city to focus on its real transit needs — starting with improving the existing bus network.
A bold step toward solving Texas' road woes
We must act swiftly and responsibly to address our long-term transportation challenges. The passage of a proposed constitutional amendment will be a common-sense, fiscally conservative step in that direction.
The trouble with toll roads in Texas
Texans aren't so fond of toll roads these days, and for good reason. They allow politicians to take credit for shiny new projects while letting them off the hook for making tough decisions on transportation funding.
Austin's urban rail plan is overdue
If Austin were a person, a doctor would have told him many years ago that unless he changed his behavior, he was headed squarely in the direction of clogged arteries and life-threatening heart problems. That’s exactly where we are today.
A "plan B" for light rail in Austin
Austin city leaders want voters to approve a light rail system in November that can carry hundreds of people per hour in and out of downtown. But they have stopped listening to residents and instead listened to special interests.
The case against high-speed rail in Texas
We’d all like to be able to ride a sleek bullet train from Dallas to Houston in 90 minutes, but in our state, the economics simply don’t add up.
The case for high-speed rail in Texas
The future of business in Texas hinges on a transportation system that is fast, dependable and connects people with all modes of transportation. It's time for high-speed rail, and plans are moving forward faster than most people realize.
Houston should say no to Uber and Lyft
The Houston City Council should vote down the proposed overhaul of vehicle-for-hire regulations for one simple reason: equality. The taxi industry is ready for competition. But regulating only us isn't fair.
Houston should say yes to Uber and Lyft
Houston residents want and need more transportation options, and the city shouldn't stand in the way of more competition, better technology and more efficient service — not to mention job creation.
How to solve the Texas traffic problem
It’s clear that Washington is the wrong place to look for help with our transportation problems. We must take matters into our own hands, and voting for Proposition 1 in November is just the first step.
Why the fate of a Dallas highway matters to Texas
Funding for our state’s congested roads is running on empty — and maybe that’s a good thing. It’s time to start changing how we think about transportation infrastructure in Texas.
Use highway fund only for transportation
Let's stop diverting hundreds of millions of dollars a year from the state highway fund to finance other agencies. We need all of that money for our roads.