Trinity River Bridges fund tied up in Congress

[question]

Trinity bridge funds tied up in Congress

If bill isn't OK'd during lame-duck session, all bets may be off

11:04 PM CDT on Sunday, October 24, 2004

By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News

In June, Dallas officials made a mad rush to Washington, D.C., imploring legislators to put differences aside and pass a federal transportation bill before the November election.

But when Congress recessed this month, they left the reauthorization bill unfinished – and construction dollars for Dallas' Trinity River bridges tangled up in the mix.

"It's deeply disappointing for the city of Dallas, the state of Texas and this country that we couldn't get past the partisan politics and complete this most important bill," City Council member Ed Oakley said. "There's so much that's not getting accomplished."Members of Congress will return to Washington in mid-November for a lame-duck session. But Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, said that if the bill doesn't pass then, all bets are off.

"It means we start from the beginning," Ms. Johnson said.

The future of Dallas' Trinity River project depends on three bridges – monumental structures designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava. The first, the future Woodall Rodgers extension bridge, is fully financed. But the transportation bill is expected to fund the Interstate 30 bridge and the nearby Interstate 35E bridge, as well as two highway interchanges on Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway.

Interim City Manager Mary Suhm said this was one item on the to-do list she was hoping to check off.

"I would've liked it to have passed, but it's not the end of the world," she said. "The good news is we still have a serious commitment from the Dallas delegation, and that plows the ground."

But she said the extent to which this year's legislation is reconsidered will depend on whether control of the House or Senate changes.

And the outcome of local elections – particularly among candidates pledging to allocate large sums to Dallas' projects – could play a role.

In the 32nd Congressional District, two incumbents – Democratic Rep. Martin Frost and Republican Rep. Pete Sessions – are running against each other, a result of Texas redistricting. Both have earmarked funds for the project.

Of the two congressmen, Dallas Mayor Laura Miller said, Mr. Frost has allocated the "lion's share" of the money for the I-30 bridge. And she said if he doesn't win, she's worried about who will make up the remainder.

"When you have two congressmen running against each other, only one is going to win," she said.

Ms. Johnson said no matter who wins, funding the Trinity River bridges is going to become more difficult after the election.

"We're going to lose one veteran," she said. "It will be a more complicated process, and it's likely to change."
Stalled out

In April, the House approved legislation to reauthorize the transportation bill, to the tune of $275 billion over the next six years. The Senate's version, which was approved in February, would provide $318 billion. The White House has threatened to veto any version of the bill that allocates more than $256 billion for transportation projects.

The bill, which expired at the end of last year, was extended twice before this fall's extension. And city leaders say they can only hope when Congress picks up the legislation again, members will choose to tweak existing versions rather than start from scratch.

"This has been very frustrating," said Mr. Oakley, who chairs the city's Trinity River committee. "We need them to continue to move forward."
Timeline

State Transportation Department officials say construction of an I-30 bridge should begin in late 2005 to address safety concerns, including capacity limits and road deterioration. Recent events make the schedule for the bridges "tighter and tougher," Ms. Suhm said.

But Rebecca Dugger, the city's Trinity River project director, said as long as the bill passes by May – its most recent extension date – the city will still be on target for construction.

In the meantime, she said, design plans will go "full speed ahead," even though construction funds still aren't set in stone.
'Not slowing down'

"We're not slowing down, we're not stopping anything," Ms. Dugger said. "We're going forward as if we had the money in hand."

But Mr. Oakley said it's hard for projects to proceed with design, planning and review processes without a definite dollar figure for construction. And he said the city and the state Transportation Department have to keep funneling money into paving and repairs, when what they really need is to replace thoroughfares.

"The lifeblood of this country is movement of goods, services and people," he said. "We will be OK. But this gives us pause."

Ms. Dugger said the real question will be what to do if the bill doesn't pass in May. At that point, she said, the city would have to have some serious talks with the state.

"We would have to regroup and see where we want to go," she said.

[taken from: DallasNews]

[MysteryMeat]

Originally Posted by question

"It's deeply disappointing for the city of Dallas, the state of Texas and this country that we couldn't get past the partisan politics and complete this most important bill," City Council member Ed Oakley said.

I live within spitting distance of the place, and I couldn't give two squirts of warm piss. I'm sure George W. is losing all sorts of sleep at night wondering if Dallas will get the money to build an overtly expensive, over-designed bridge to highlight its river of sewage.

In the meantime, she said, design plans will go "full speed ahead," even though construction funds still aren't set in stone.
'Not slowing down'

"We're not slowing down, we're not stopping anything," Ms. Dugger said. "We're going forward as if we had the money in hand."

Isn't that just about the perfect microcosm for modern American's outlook on life? Just keep on plodding forward, money or not, right or wrong.

[Adam D]

Originally Posted by question

...Dallas Mayor Laura Miller said, ..."When you have two congressmen running against each other, only one is going to win," she said.

Fucken brilliant.