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Texas Agriculture Archive

March 1, 2002

Governor Rick Perry has unveiled his "Trans Texas Corridor" proposal. The concept is enormous, and Texas Farm Bureau is beginning the process of studying and reacting to the Governor's long-range transportation plan based on organizational policy.

The plan envisions a series of 1,000-1,200 foot-wide interconnected corridors—totaling more than 4,000 miles in length and serving every area of the state at an estimated cost of $150-$175 billion—that will have six lanes of highways (three lanes in each direction and a possible combination of toll and nontoll roads); six rail lines (three in each direction, including lines for high-speed freight and high-speed passenger trains, and regional commuter trains); and enough right-of-way to include water, natural gas and petroleum pipelines as well as telecommunications cables.

Of concern to our organization is the fact that the corridors would not utilize existing highways. Rather, they would parallel these major roadways and loop around metropolitan areas. New rights-of-way, and lots of it, would have be acquired—about 145 acres of right-of-way for every mile of corridor. There are serious issues involving property rights, right-of-way purchases, property access, high-speed rail, and project funding to be studied by Texas Farm Bureau.

The Governor has instructed the Texas Department of Transportation to develop a plan by this summer to construct the Trans Texas Corridor. The plan will identify action items, public involvement opportunities, environmental studies, financing options, public/private partnerships and an implementation strategy.

We will keep you posted on Texas Farm Bureau's analysis and position.