Communities

Working Together
to Meet Growing
Demand & Bring
An Interstate
Highway to
Underserved
Regions of Texas

Encouraging
Cooperation and
Seeking Solutions
Since 1994

July 2008

1
Who is the Alliance for I-69 Texas?

TEXAS ission: Actively advocate the

CORRIDOR construction of an interstate
highway in Texas from
Texarkana to the Lower Rio
Grande Valley and Laredo by
upgrading existing highways
where possible

he Alliance is a 501 (c) (6) non-

profit organization made up of
local governments, economic
development groups, port
authorities and private-sector
associate members
Board Chairs of
Alliance for I-69 Texas
John Thompson, Polk County Judge (Current)
Robert Eckels, Former Harris County Judge (2004-2007)
Helen R. Walker, Former Victoria County Judge (1998-2003)
Louis Bronaugh, Former Mayor of Lufkin (1993-1998)

www.I69texas.org 2
History of I-69 Initiative
Federal
• 1991 - Congress gave interstate
designation to I-69 specifying a corridor
through Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and
Texas
• 1995 – Funding of first feasibility study
• 1999 -2008 – Federal funding total for I-
I-69 is a 69 in Texas just over $60 million
Multi-State
Corridor State
• 2002 – TxDOT designates I-69 as one of
four priority corridors
• 2003 – Alliance for I-69 supports
legislation to expand TxDOT authority to
use alternative financing tools
• 2004 - 2005 – Environmental scoping
meetings
• 2006 – TxDOT issues request for
qualifications from potential
Comprehensive Development Agreement
(CDA) partners
• 2007 – Draft Environmental Impact
Statement published on Tier 1
www.I69texas.org 3
 Progress Made in 2008
 Transportation Commission
appointed 24-member I-69
Corridor Advisory Committee
 Commission adopted guiding
principles:
TxDOT
Recommendations • TxDOT to approve toll rates
 Narrow Study Area to • Only new lanes to be tolled
Existing US 59, US 84,
US 77, US 281 and SH 44 • No “non-compete” clauses
Upgradeable Corridors
• Follow existing ROW when
possible
 TxDOT recommended I-69 study
area be confined to upgradeable
existing highways
 ZAI/ACS selected to create
TxDOT POLICY: If additional master development and
travel lanes are added to
existing highways, only the
financial plan for I-69 Texas and
new lanes will have tolls. a specific plan for upgrading
U.S. 77 south of Corpus Christi

www.I69texas.org 4
Zachry/ACS Proposal
 Anticipates $2.5 billion in near-
term transportation
construction projects in I-69
vicinity
 Anticipates no fuel tax dollars
for construction of US 77
upgrades and other near-term
projects
 Identifies opportunities for
long-term improvements
including a total of 60 near,
mid- and long-term possible
projects (not all of which will
go forward)
 Anticipates multimodal
solutions to transportation
challenges
 ZAI/ACS will work with local
communities to plan projects
that are needed and viable.
The Alliance will facilitate this
www.I69texas.org 5
ZAI Conceptual Plan for US 77
 Anticipates system financing of US
77 improvements
• Other toll projects would generate
revenue to develop US 77
• CC Southside Mobility Corridor
• CC SH 358 managed lanes
• CC SH 286 managed lanes
• Driscoll bypass
• Riviera bypass
• 5-Mile Spur – Cameron County
• West Loop – Cameron County
 Proposes no tolls on US 77 except
on the relief routes at Driscoll and
Riviera
 Proposes complete local and
county government coordination
 Includes upgrading 110 miles to
interstate standard to connect to
Interstate 37 at Corpus Christi
www.I69texas.org 6
Why is I-69 Needed: Texas is Growing
 The Texas population is growing at more
than 1,000 people each day
 Texas population:
• 1980 - 14.2 million
• 2006 – 23.5 million
• 2025 – More than 30 million (est)
 Strong growth along I-69 corridor:
• Percent Growth Since 2000 Census
• 27% - McAllen-Edinburg SMA
• 18% - Brownsville-Harlingen SMA
• 23% - Laredo SMA
• 18% - Houston-Sugar Land SMA
• 13% - Polk County
• 7% - Nacogdoches County
• 6% - Longview-Marshall SMA
• 5% - Texarkana SMA
 Texas has created 1.6 million new jobs
The Texas Data Center and the Office of the
State Demographer project that the Texas in the past 10 years
population will increase by 71.5% from 2000
to 2040, from 20.9 million to 35.8 million
people. Source: Texas State Data Center

www.I69texas.org 7
Ready or Not, Freight is Coming (and
Going)
 The I-69 corridor is already a major
freight corridor.
 Rail & truck traffic will increase in Texas
whether or not we build new
transportation capacity.
 Texas gained 36,000 new manufacturing
jobs since 2004. Increased
manufacturing means more freight.
 Texas leads the nation in exports.
Imports and exports are doubling every
10 years.
 Panama Canal expansion will change
world freight flow patterns, increasing
the amount of goods movement on
Texas highways and railroads.

www.I69texas.org 8
ZAI’s Proposed Freight Shuttle System
Improving the Supply Chain Elevated Guideways in
Existing Right-of-Way

20 feet

16 feet

Containers or Trailers Universal Shuttle

Drive-on/Drive-off loading
of rotating cargo bay
www.I69texas.org 9
 Dallas

Conceptual
Routing of
Initial Freight
Shuttle
San Antonio
Houston Texas
Network in
City
Freeport
ZAI Proposal
Victoria

Corpus
Christi
Laredo

Harlingen

www.I69texas.org 10
 I-69 Will Support Texas Industry &
Jobs
Examples of Industries That Will Benefit

Manufacturing: Agriculture/Forestry: Wholesale/Retail:

Tubular products manufactured by 90% of the cotton grown by Texas More than 1.5 million Texans
hundreds of employees in the farmers is sold for export. I-69 will work in wholesale and retail
Houston area are shipped lower transportation costs paid by trade activities supported by
worldwide through the Port of growers who send cotton and grain highway goods movement.
Houston and over the road to to Texas ports and to Mexico. I-69
Canada and Mexico. About will improve the productivity of
900,000 Texans work in Texas forestry industries.
manufacturing. Along I-69 they
make things as diverse as offshore
drill rigs, plastics, beef steaks,
lumber, bricks, jet fuel, sugar,
pharmaceuticals, auto parts and
furniture.

Construction:
I-69 will improve the efficient
movement of materials that go into
Source Employment Statistics: Texas construction projects of
Texas Workforce Commission every kind.
www.I69texas.org 11
New Highways Bring New Jobs & Tax
Base
SH 130 Case Study – Williamson
Georgetown & Travis Counties
• Orthopeutics LP moves its spinal treatment
Round Rock
Hutto company from San Diego, CA, to
Georgetown
• Joe Vining of Round Rock EDC reports their
11 miles stretch of SH 130 has put them in
the hunt for several companies currently
located in San Jose, CA
Pflugerville
• Atlantic Coast Developers LLC brings a
mixed use project to SH 130 including 1.45
million sq.ft. of office, hotels,
Manor entertainment and apartments
• Endeavor Real Estate Group LLC is putting
in 2.3 million sq.ft. of retail, multi-family,
office space and a hotel at SH 130 and US
290
• Retail West Properties is building 1.4
million sq.ft. of retail space and 1,200
residential units on the corridor
• SCC Development Co. and Eastborne
Investments Ltd, both NY developers, are
putting in 1 million sq.ft. of retail at SH
www.I69texas.org 12
Doing Nothing is Not an Option

www.I69texas.org 13
Project Funding
 10 years ago the Texas portion of I-69 was
estimated to be a $6 billion project. Today
the estimate is $12 to $15 billion due to
inflation in construction materials, fuel and
environmental regulation.
 Since 1991 federal funding for the multi-
state 1,700-mile I-69 corridor has been $300
million. The Texas portion of federal funding
has been $60 million.
 The State has invested about $48 million in
the I-69 environmental review process.
 Federal and state funding of ongoing studies
has been critical to bringing us to near
completion of the Tier 1 EIS process.
 The current cost of interstate highway
construction is in excess of $30 million per
mile. Additional tools and funding sources
from both Washington and Austin are needed
as we approach actual design and
construction of I-69 in Texas.
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What I-69 Needs From Washington
 Over the history of the project, I-69 has
consistently received support to advance
development
• Designation as high priority corridor
• Included in Environmental Streamlining Executive
Order
• Designated Corridor of the Future
• Consistent annual federal funding
 As we move toward I-69 construction we need
to:
• Capitalize on the toll pilot project program
included in SAFETEA-LU to enhance the ability of
Texas to attract project funding
• Define the Corridor of the Future Program to
serve as a template for dedicated funding
• Use the opportunity of the next federal
transportation reauthorization bill to advance I-69
through funding flexibility and creative financing
provisions
• Further reduce the donor/donee disparity against
Texas
www.I69texas.org 15
What I-69 Needs From Austin
 The Alliance for I-69 Texas supported HB 3588 in
2003, HB 2702 in 2005 and SB 792 in 2007 in order
to create and preserve the tools needed to build I-69
 As we move toward I-69 construction we need to:
 Reverse the diversions from Fund 6 for purposes other
than construction and maintenance
 Index the state fuels tax to continue adequate
maintenance of the existing highway system
 Pass enabling legislation allowing TxDOT to utilize a
portion of the $5 billion Prop 12 general revenue bond
on projects in the I-69 corridor
 Preserve the tools already provided by the Legislature
including bonding, tolls and private equity participation
 The Alliance supports:
 Tolling for new capacity only
 Use of existing right of way wherever possible on I-69
 Dedicated freight components, such as freight shuttle,
that separate freight movers from passenger vehicles
 Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDAs) for
private equity
www.I69texas.org 16
 Alliance Board Members for 2008
NORTHEAST
Charles Thomas, Carthage Economic Development Corp.
Alliance Executive Committee Member
Brenda Samford, Carthage City Manager
Ed Smith, Mayor of Marshall
James Carlow, County Judge, Bowie County
James Greer, County Commissioner, Harrison County
David Anderson, County Judge, Panola County
EAST
John Thompson, County Judge, Polk County
Alliance Board Chair
Jack Gorden Jr., Mayor of Lufkin
Alliance Executive Committee Member
Jim Jeffers, Nacogdoches City Manager
Brad Browder, Cleveland Economic Development Corp.
John Windham, Mayor of Center
NORTH CENTRAL
Jim Edmonds, Chairman, Port of Houston Authority
Alliance 2nd Vice Chair
Jeff Moseley, President, Greater Houston Partnership
Ben White, Mayor of College Station
Norman Brown, County Commissioner, Liberty County
CENTRAL
Billie Jones, Wharton Chamber of Commerce
Buck Boettcher, Mayor of East Bernard
Mickey Reynolds, County Commissioner, Wharton County
Perri D’Armond, Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council
Ex-Officio Members
Louis Bronaugh
Helen Walker
Robert Eckels
Michael Behrens
COASTAL BEND
Judy Hawley, Commissioner, Port of Corpus Christi Authority
Alliance 3rd Vice Chair
Loyd Neal, County Judge, Nueces County
Terry Simpson, County Judge, San Patricio County
Tom Niskala, Corpus Christi MPO & Chamber of Commerce
Nelda Martinez, Council Member, Corpus Christi
Berdon Lawrence, South Texas Property Owners Assn.
EAST SPUR – SOUTH TEXAS
Bill Summers, President, Rio Grande Valley Partnership
Alliance Vice Chair
J. D. Salinas, County Judge, Hidalgo County
Pete Sepulveda, International Bridge System, Cameron County
Alan Johnson, Texas State Bank, Harlingen
Ben Medina, Planning Director, City of Brownsville
Pat Townsend, Mission Economic Development Corp.
Mike Allen, McAllen Economic Development Corp.
WEST SPUR – SOUTH TEXAS
J. Jorge Verduzco, International Bank of Commerce, Laredo
Alliance Secretary/Treasurer
Danny Valdez, County Judge, Webb County
Harold Gleinser, County Judge, Goliad County
Raul Salinas, Mayor of Laredo
David Silva, County Judge, Bee County
Ray Miller, Victoria MPO
July 2008
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