Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority
Encyclopedia
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) is a Regional Mobility Authority
in the US
state of Texas
. CTRMA was created in 2003 by Travis
and Williamson
counties after authorization by the Texas Transportation Commission in October, 2002. It was the first Regional Mobility Authority created under the enabling statute. CTRMA is headquartered at 301 Congress Avenue in Austin
.
, an 11.6 mile (18.7 km) toll road
in southwest Williamson County. Construction of the US$238 million toll road began in March 2005 and was opened to traffic in March 2007. The road is intended to serve the fast growing suburban communities of Cedar Park
and Leander
. 183A features a state-of-the art electronic toll collection
system known as TxTag
implemented by Caseta Technologies, Inc.
CTRMA is currently developing the "Mopac Improvement Project"
Here is an excerpt from the website:
"The MoPac Improvement Project is a combined effort by the Mobility Authority, TxDOT, the City of Austin, Capital Metro and other local experts to address traffic congestion on MoPac. The effort includes an environmental study by TxDOT and the Mobility Authority to evaluate a full range of alternatives and identify a preferred solution. Thorough studies will be conducted and the community will be invited to review the various alternatives in detail and provide feedback before any final decisions are made."
One of the proposed methods to deal with the issue are "managed lanes" or toll lanes on the highway. CTRMA states "If Express Lanes are added to MoPac, they would be separate travel lanes that would offer improved mobility on one of Austins most important arteries. Express Lanes, sometimes referred to as "managed lanes," allow buses, registered vanpools and emergency vehicles to bypass congestion and get to their destinations without delay. Any extra capacity in the lanes would be made available to individual drivers who have the option to pay a toll if they choose to use the lanes. To keep traffic in the lanes free-flowing, the toll rate would rise when traffic is heavy and go down when traffic is light. The value to users would be the predictability and reliability of travel times throughout the day."
CTRMA's anticipated second project will be to construct toll lanes in the median of US 290 east from US 183 to Manor
and a staff of approximately a dozen individuals.
Carole Keeton Strayhorn
issued a report that alleged conflicts-of-interest for board members of the toll authority (the CTRMA) charged with building and eventually running the Phase 2 toll roads. The CTRMA subsequently issued a response contesting the Comptroller's report. Ronnie Earle
, the Travis county District Attorney, wrote a letter to the CTRMA reporting no conflicts-of-interest from his own investigation.
In June 2006 Johanna Zmud, one of the CTRMA board members who the Comptroller called to resign in the report, subsequently announced plans that she would resign in order to pursue consulting opportunities.
Also in March 2005, the People for Efficient Transportation (PET), an anti-toll PAC
opposing Austin-area toll conversions, filed a lawsuit contesting the constitutionality of the CTRMA board's tenure. The Texas Constitution limits persons appointed to boards created by the legislature to two-year terms (matching that the terms of state representatives) unless otherwise provided by the state constitution. The provision is intended to ensure accountability for un-elected board members.
In July 2005, Texas district court Judge Darlene Byrne ruled that legislation allowing six-year terms to CTRMA board members is unconstitutional based on Article XVI, Section 30(a) of the Texas state constitution which states "The duration of all offices not fixed by this Constitution shall never exceed two years." Because a majority of the board members were within a two-year term, the ruling did not immediately affect the ability of the CTRMA board to conduct business. Subsequently, Williamson county reassigned their CTRMA appointees to two-year terms.
In September 2005, Judge Byrne further ruled the CTRMA must pay PET for legal expenses resulting from the successful lawsuit filed by the group.
On October 5 of 2010, popular local austin radio host Charlie Hodge went off half cocked about CTRMA's proposed MoPac Express Lane Alternative. The listeners of his show were not supportive of the measure because they felt the problem should be rectified with existing agencies and funds instead of charging a toll. They also mentioned the construction would cause additional problems on mopac until the lane was finished. Another complaint was the fear of use of eminent domain
to take land of citizens for use in a private organizations business venture.
Regional Mobility Authority
A Regional Mobility Authority is an independent local government transportation agency in the U.S. state of Texas.-Authorization and Powers:Under Chapter 370 of the Texas Statutes, a Regional Mobility Authority can be formed by one or more counties. The Texas Legislature first authorized the...
in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. CTRMA was created in 2003 by Travis
Travis County, Texas
As of 2009, the U.S. census estimates there were 1,026,158 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 821 people per square mile . There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 per square mile...
and Williamson
Williamson County, Texas
Williamson County is a county located on both the Edwards Plateau to the west, consisting of rocky terrain and hills, and Blackland Prairies in the east consising of rich, fertile farming land, The two areas are roughly bisected by Interstate 35...
counties after authorization by the Texas Transportation Commission in October, 2002. It was the first Regional Mobility Authority created under the enabling statute. CTRMA is headquartered at 301 Congress Avenue in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Projects
CTRMA's first project is 183A183A toll road
The 183A Toll Road or 183A is a toll road in the Austin metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Texas. The road includes sections in north Austin, Cedar Park, and Leander. It provides a bypass for U.S. Highway 183. The road is owned and operated by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. ...
, an 11.6 mile (18.7 km) toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
in southwest Williamson County. Construction of the US$238 million toll road began in March 2005 and was opened to traffic in March 2007. The road is intended to serve the fast growing suburban communities of Cedar Park
Cedar Park, Texas
Cedar Park is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population is 48,937. The city is a major suburb of Austin, the center of which is approximately to the southeast, although Austin directly borders Cedar Park at the latter's...
and Leander
Leander, Texas
Leander is a city in Williamson and Travis counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 7,596 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2008 estimates the population is now 25,424...
. 183A features a state-of-the art electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection
Electronic toll collection , an adaptation of military "identification friend or foe" technology, aims to eliminate the delay on toll roads by collecting tolls electronically. It is thus a technological implementation of a road pricing concept...
system known as TxTag
TxTAG
TxTag , operated by the Texas Department of Transportation , is one of three interoperable electronic toll collection systems in Texas.-Current system status:The TxTag brand name is used on the following highways:* Operated by TxDOT:...
implemented by Caseta Technologies, Inc.
CTRMA is currently developing the "Mopac Improvement Project"
Here is an excerpt from the website:
"The MoPac Improvement Project is a combined effort by the Mobility Authority, TxDOT, the City of Austin, Capital Metro and other local experts to address traffic congestion on MoPac. The effort includes an environmental study by TxDOT and the Mobility Authority to evaluate a full range of alternatives and identify a preferred solution. Thorough studies will be conducted and the community will be invited to review the various alternatives in detail and provide feedback before any final decisions are made."
One of the proposed methods to deal with the issue are "managed lanes" or toll lanes on the highway. CTRMA states "If Express Lanes are added to MoPac, they would be separate travel lanes that would offer improved mobility on one of Austins most important arteries. Express Lanes, sometimes referred to as "managed lanes," allow buses, registered vanpools and emergency vehicles to bypass congestion and get to their destinations without delay. Any extra capacity in the lanes would be made available to individual drivers who have the option to pay a toll if they choose to use the lanes. To keep traffic in the lanes free-flowing, the toll rate would rise when traffic is heavy and go down when traffic is light. The value to users would be the predictability and reliability of travel times throughout the day."
CTRMA's anticipated second project will be to construct toll lanes in the median of US 290 east from US 183 to Manor
Manor, Texas
Manor is a city in Travis County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. The population was 1,204 at the 2000 census; it was 1,877 in the 2005 census estimate. The approximate population for the City of Manor is 5,500, which is calculated from the number of...
Governance
The Mobility Authority is an independent government agency with a seven member Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board is appointed by the Governor of Texas. The Travis County Commissioner's Court appoints three members and the Williamson County Commissioner's Court appoints three. The Board Members serve two year terms and can be reappointed. The Mobility Authority is run by Executive Director Mike HeiligensteinMike Heiligenstein
Mike Heiligenstein serves as the Executive Director of the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. He was selected from three finalists by the seven-member CTRMA board of directors in 2003. Prior to the CTRMA, Heiligenstein was a Round Rock City Council member for 8 years and a Williamson County...
and a staff of approximately a dozen individuals.
Controversy
In March 2005, Texas ComptrollerComptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
Carole Keeton Strayhorn
Carole Keeton Strayhorn
Carole Keeton Strayhorn is the former Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts....
issued a report that alleged conflicts-of-interest for board members of the toll authority (the CTRMA) charged with building and eventually running the Phase 2 toll roads. The CTRMA subsequently issued a response contesting the Comptroller's report. Ronnie Earle
Ronnie Earle
Ronald Dale "Ronnie" Earle was, until January 2009, the District Attorney for Travis County, Texas. He became nationally known for filing charges against House majority leader Tom DeLay in September 2005 for conspiring to violate Texas' election law and/or to launder money...
, the Travis county District Attorney, wrote a letter to the CTRMA reporting no conflicts-of-interest from his own investigation.
In June 2006 Johanna Zmud, one of the CTRMA board members who the Comptroller called to resign in the report, subsequently announced plans that she would resign in order to pursue consulting opportunities.
Also in March 2005, the People for Efficient Transportation (PET), an anti-toll PAC
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
opposing Austin-area toll conversions, filed a lawsuit contesting the constitutionality of the CTRMA board's tenure. The Texas Constitution limits persons appointed to boards created by the legislature to two-year terms (matching that the terms of state representatives) unless otherwise provided by the state constitution. The provision is intended to ensure accountability for un-elected board members.
In July 2005, Texas district court Judge Darlene Byrne ruled that legislation allowing six-year terms to CTRMA board members is unconstitutional based on Article XVI, Section 30(a) of the Texas state constitution which states "The duration of all offices not fixed by this Constitution shall never exceed two years." Because a majority of the board members were within a two-year term, the ruling did not immediately affect the ability of the CTRMA board to conduct business. Subsequently, Williamson county reassigned their CTRMA appointees to two-year terms.
In September 2005, Judge Byrne further ruled the CTRMA must pay PET for legal expenses resulting from the successful lawsuit filed by the group.
On October 5 of 2010, popular local austin radio host Charlie Hodge went off half cocked about CTRMA's proposed MoPac Express Lane Alternative. The listeners of his show were not supportive of the measure because they felt the problem should be rectified with existing agencies and funds instead of charging a toll. They also mentioned the construction would cause additional problems on mopac until the lane was finished. Another complaint was the fear of use of eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
to take land of citizens for use in a private organizations business venture.