Trans Texas Corridor

Alert

Contact: David Stall, 979-378-4116 December 1, 2004

Email: davidstall@corridorwatch.org

For those of you in the state of Texas, beware. There is a major push to implement a very dangerous program that threatens the livelihoods and property rights of thousands of landowners. It’s called the Trans Texas Corridor. In the next few days, major agriculture organizations will be having their annual meetings to discuss and decide whether to support or oppose this massive program and your help is needed.

The Trans Texas Corridor (TTC) is an issue that all landowners need to oppose. It will gobble up 146 acres of private land for every mile it takes and nearly 580,000 acres will be needed. That’s over 908 square miles.

Don’t let major agriculture organizations straddle the fence on this one. Stand up and be heard. Do what is right for Texas and what is right for individual landowners.

The following are a few, but very important reasons to oppose the Trans Texas Corridor:

· The State will use eminent domain to take private land.

· Land will be bisected with as much as 1/2 mile wide path forcing landowners to drive many miles to reach the other side as the highway will have limited access.

· Approximately 580,000 acres (908 square miles) of private land will be taken by the State through eminent domain for superhighway, train and rights-of-way.

· Property values will decline and taxable land will be removed from county rolls

· The state will have exclusive rights to all income generated from concessions such as gas stations, garages, stores, hotels, restaurants and other unrelated commercial or industrial purposes. Only they will have direct access and benefits.

· The state will have the right to drill, pump and transport groundwater located on all rights-of-way depleting aquifers and competing with private landowners under the rule of capture. Some water may be exported out of state or to Mexico.

· Large tracts of land will be taken only to wait decades for the corridor to be built.

·New authority granted to TxDOT allows the taking of city or county owned real property, parkways, streets, highways, alleys, or reservations and prohibits TxDOT from paying any compensation for that land. [HB-3588]

·Small towns and rural areas will not benefit from TTC because there will be no access to adjacent property nor will it have frontage roads.

· The state will own a monopoly of all businesses associated with TTC.

· All Texans will pay for TTC through tolls, fees, leases and taxes.

If you belong to a farm organization, call them immediately and tell them to oppose the TTC. Call your state senator and representative to voice your opposition. Do it now to stop this from going any further. TxDOT is wanting to award a $24 Billion contract by December 16, 2004, to begin building the first corridor between Oklahoma and Mexico.