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Outside the Box: Future Transportation May Take You on a Drive
March 12, 2010
With crude oil production reaching its peak, the dollar weak, and the nation’s highways bursting at the seams with congestion, Americans are having to think outside the traditional box about what transportation might look like in the future. One person who may have some insight into that future is Garry Golden, lead futurist with the New York-based FutureThink. I spoke with him in January at the Fifth Annual Texas Transportation Forum in Austin. Listen
Se Habla Espanol: TxDOT's International Relations Office
March 05, 2010
Seventy percent of all imports into the United States enter the country through Texas, and for the eighth straight year, Texas has been named the nation’s leading exporter. Much of that trade naturally occurs with Mexico, although, as a leading importer/exporter, Texas needs to do business with a wide variety of nations. To facilitate that need, TxDOT has its own international relations office. And as its director, Gus De La Rosa told me, the world isn’t just trading with us, they’re learning from us as well. Listen
"Golden Quadrilateral": India Undertaking Its Own "Interstate" System
February 26, 2010
The Interstate highway system in the United States has long been the envy of the rest of the world, and, along with Germany’s Autobahn, has been the template used by other countries to begin developing their own version. One such project began recently in India, and Steve Simmons, TxDOT’s Deputy Executive Director, was there as part of a fact-finding visit. Listen
The ARRA at One: Stimulus Funding's First Anniversary
February 18, 2010
One year ago this past Wednesday, the federal government launched an unprecedented program to create jobs and stimulate the economy. While the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act might be better known as “stimulus money,” it might be better known still for the controversy surrounding its effectiveness given its strict rules and small windows of opportunity. With another stimulus bill possibly on the horizon, I spoke with John Barton, TxDOT’s Assistant Executive Director for Engineering Operations, to find out what might be the same and different in another round of stimulus funding should it pass into law. To find out more about how TxDOT spent its first round of stimulus money, log on to our web site, www.txdot.gov and search keywords: stimulus projects. Listen
Making Ends Meet: Texas' Rail Plan
February 12, 2010
President Barack Obama's multi-billion dollar plan to create high-speed rail in the United States has been in the news regularly in the past few weeks. And while large sums of money have gone to other states, Texas received very little - a fact blamed on Texas' lack of an overall rail plan. As simple as any plan sounds on its surface, as Bill Glavin, director of TxDOT's recently created rail division noted, fitting all the pieces together can be challenging. Listen
MoDOT: Showing Well in the Show Me State
February 05, 2010
Government accountability has always been an important part of our society, but never more important than in the past few years. In response, the Missouri Department of Transportation has launched a comprehensive performance management program, designed to increase accountability and efficiency when it comes to spending taxpayer money. To find out more, I spoke with MoDOT’s Director, Pete Rahn. Listen
Automaker: Electric Cars to be Built in U.S. by 2012
January 29, 2010
The recent economic crisis forced many Americans and many American companies to take a hard look in the mirror and make some difficult decisions. Few companies were faced with harder look than the group known as the “Big Three,” American automakers Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. While these companies struggled, others, like the Nissan Motor Company, were looking past the crisis to determine what kinds of cars Americans would want to buy when credit became available again. For more on Nissan’s insights, I spoke with Mark Perry, Director of Product Planning. Listen
Fast Tracks: Texas, U.S. Preparing For High-Speed Rail
January 22, 2010
The hottest idea in transportation since President Barak Obama’s administration took office in 2009 has been the creation of a nationwide high-speed railway system. Both the Passenger Rail Act and the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, also known as “stimulus,” have infused large amounts of money into the effort to turn the dream into reality. But funding is only half the question. The better question might be, if we build it, will people use it? To find out more, I spoke with Karen Rae, Deputy Administrator for the Federal Railroad Administration. Listen
State Rep. Joe Pickett: Texas Transportation Funding Crisis Isn't Here ... Yet
January 15, 2010
Between a yawning transportation funding gap, a late-developing movement toward rail and public transit, and a state as diverse as the rest of the nation put together, State Representative Joe Pickett, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation literally has a pick-up bed full of unresolved challenges. The El Paso native sat down with me at the recent transportation forum in Austin to discuss some of those challenges. Listen
"Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do"
January 08, 2010
From the Fifth Annual Transportation Forum in Austin: There are as many reasons to drive as there are drivers on the road, and with all those variations come just as many driving styles. In his book, “Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (And What it Says About Us),” author Tom Vanderbilt explores the psychology of driving and the unique social situations we create every time we get in our cars. To find out more, pick up a copy of Tom Vanderbilt’s book, “Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (And What it Says About Us), available at Amazon.com and anywhere books are sold. Listen
The Year That Was: TxDOT's Executive Director Amadeo Saenz on 2009
December 23, 2009
2009 was an interesting year for the Texas Department of Transportation. Between Sunset, economic stimulus funding and the death of the Trans-Texas Corridor, the department has undergone some big changes. And 2010 promises to be just as interesting as some internal reorganization changes begin to take full effect. For more on a look back on the year that was and the year to come, I spoke with TxDOT’s Executive Director, Amadeo Saenz. Our next podcast will be from the Fifth Annual Transportation Forum in Austin. For more information on the forum, log on to www.txdot.gov/ttf. Listen
Suhm: Combining the Funding Possibilities
December 18, 2009
In spite of a number of bills in the last legislative session that proposed changes to how the Texas Department of Transportation is funded, none of them passed. At least one Texan is already preparing for the 2011 legislative session by circulating a proposed bill that combines several of the options posed in the last session. For more on his proposal, I spoke with Vic Suhm, senior consultant to the North Texas Commission and executive director of the Tarrant Regional Transportation Coalition. Listen
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters on the Federal Perspective on Transportation
December 11, 2009
To say that the United States Secretary of Transportation has a big job would be a gross understatement. But what does it entail? Looking out for the varied interests of all 50 states, some of which, like Texas, are growing, and others, like Michigan, are stagnated, can be a nearly impossible job, especially since the cabinet-level position changes with nearly each Presidential term. Mary Peters, the 17th Secretary of Transportation, served under George W. Bush in his second term from 2006-2009. I spoke with her recently about the federal perspective on transportation, and what it means for us here in Texas. Hear more from Mary Peters at the Fifth Annual Transportation Forum, scheduled for January 6-8 at the Hilton in Austin. For more information on the forum, or to register, log on to www.txdot.gov/ttf Listen
Coming in January: The Fifth Annual Transportation Forum
December 04, 2009
The Fifth Annual Transportation forum, a three-day event featuring a wide variety of guest speakers and topics, is scheduled to begin Wednesday, January 6 at the Hilton in Austin. The long list of distinguished guest speakers includes Mary Peters, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, and U.S. Senator from Texas, John Cornyn on the federal side, and several Texas legislators on the state side. TxDOT will also be discussing its new commitment to passenger and freight rail, and what the future holds for the department. To find out more about the forum, I spoke with Steve Simmons, TxDOT’s Deputy Executive Director. For more information on the Fifth Annual Transportation Forum, log on to www.txdot.gov/ttf Listen
Best of the TxDOT Podcast: Travel Information Centers Help Drive Texas Economy
November 20, 2009
From March 2009: If you live in Texas, it’s entirely possible you’ve never stopped into one of TxDOT’s Travel Information Centers. Located on major highways around Texas’ border with other states, Travel Information Centers are often the first point of contact for motorists traveling into Texas. Once there, aside from a chance to stretch their legs, the visitors can get routing and highway conditions information, as well as literature describing the best that Texas has to offer. And with Spring Break well under way, the Travel Information Centers across the state are doing a booming business. For more on Travel Information Centers, I spoke with Cheryl Cash, supervisor of the Gainesville Travel Information Center. Listen
Proposition 12: Two Years in the Making
November 13, 2009
Two years ago, Texas voters approved Proposition 12, which authorized the issuance of up to $5 billion in general obligation bonds for highway projects. During this past summer’s special legislative session, TxDOT received authorization to go to contract on approximately $2 billion of those bonds for non-tolled highway projects. This coming Thursday, the Texas Transportation Commission, TxDOT’s governing body, is set to consider a list of those projects developed by TxDOT in cooperation with elected officials and transportation partners. For some insight as to what projects are on the list, I spoke with John Barton, TxDOT’s Assistant Executive Director for Engineering Operations. For more information on TxDOT’s proposed Prop 12 project list, log on to our web site, www.txdot.gov, and search keywords “Prop 12” Listen
Best of the TxDOT Podcast: The Burma Road: A Modern Engineering Miracle
November 06, 2009
** Originally Recorded in May, 2008 ** During World War II, American and British engineers and soldiers, and more than 200,000 Chinese laborers in the little-known China-Burma-India Theater, created a modern engineering marvel – maybe even a miracle – with the construction of what became known as the Burma Road. Now, with Veterans Day just around the corner, and with the ongoing relief situation in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, the time seemed right to blow the dust off of that forgotten project in a place that until very recently, time had forgotten. Donovan Webster, a writer for National Geographic and The New York Times Magazine, published a book on the project in 2003, which chronicled the war against the Japanese in Burma, and the construction of the Burma Road under combat conditions. I asked him about what crossed his mind when he heard about the recent typhoon that hit Myanmar, and the stalled relief efforts in that country. Listen
Department of Motor Vehicles: Texas' Newest State Agency
October 30, 2009
For more than 90 years, it’s been TxDOT’s job to register vehicles and issue license plates in Texas. All that comes to an end on November 2 this year when the newly-formed Department of Motor Vehicles opens is doors. In spite being comprised mostly of former TxDOT divisions and offices, there’s still a lot to be done. To find out more about Texas’ newest state agency, I spoke with its board chairman, Victor Vandergriff. Listen
Best of the TxDOT Podcast: T. Boone Pickens: "We Don't Control Our Energy Destiny"
October 23, 2009
From February 2009: While the recent presidential campaign had some seeing red, energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens was trying to get Americans to think green. His campaign to convince America to solve its energy crisis with its own resources competed for airtime with candidates running for a wide variety of offices, and he agreed to carry his message to the Fourth Annual Transportation Forum, held earlier this month in Austin. At the forum, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Pickens and ask him how his plan and the future of transportation are connected. Listen
Federal Rescissions: Eating Soup With A Fork
October 16, 2009
If you’ve ever tried to eat soup with a fork, you know what it’s like to work in government: everyone can see the needs, but only a fraction of those needs can be met with available resources. In Texas, those available resources just got smaller with the recent federal rescission of $742 million from TxDOT. So how does something like this happen? To find out, I spoke with TxDOT spokeswoman Kelli Petras. Listen
