West Houston Association    INFO@westhouston.org   V  713.461.9378    F  713.461.3065    MARCH 4, 2010

 

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2009 WHA Report to Members (Click for pdf)

 

In This Edition

  • Revenue is in Freefall: TxDOT's Delvin Dennis Reports to the  Association on Houston District Funding & Projects

  • They Need to Know How Bad It Is Going to Get

  • 2010 Development Maps Shipping Mid-March

Houston District Engineer Delvin Dennis Addresses the West Houston Association-"Revenue is in Freefall"

Reporting at the March 2 Issues Forum, TxDOT Houston District Engineer Delvin Dennis praised the Interstate 10 West project and its positive impact on West Houston.   He added that the financial landscape has changed and revenue is in freefall.  (Read a Summary of his comments at this link)

EDITORIAL   They Need to Know How Bad It Is Going to Get

Quite a bit has been said about transportation funding and the need for highway and street improvements in Houston and around Texas.   Recent years in Houston  have been good to us.  We have enjoyed a relative high level of funding that has translated into projects like Interstate 10 West, Westpark Tollway and continuing improvements to Sam Houston Parkway.

An independent group, The 2030 Committee, assessed statewide needs and came up with a funding need of $351 billion or $14.3 billion per year to maintain and build new facilities.  However, Texas because of dwindling resources can only fund $2 to 3 billion in projects annually.  It is borrowing from maintenance funds to keep a small construction program going.  The resulting gap is enormous and daunting for everyone involved from Legislators and the driving public to the good folks at the Texas Department of Transportation.

Most of the Association's member companies are very much aware of what the "gap" means for mobility and, indeed, their businesses.  However, these numbers are so huge it is difficult for the average individual to grasp.

This is where closing the funding gap must begin, at the level of the Houston motorist, some of whom do not even know that I-10 West was not built by the City of Houston.  On top of that,  they certainly don't know how it was paid for.

When these motorists learn that the US 290 project or the I-45 North project--the list goes on and on--will not be done, that they are NOT in the plans, they will understand the scope of the problem.  This knowledge will eventually turn into anger and demands that something be done.

The next step will then be "mobilizing" and focusing this energy to actually get something done in the next session of the Legislature.  State Senators John Carona and Kirk Watson recently had their say about the funding problem and the need for action.  You can read a copy of their recent editorial at this link.

2010 West Houston Development Map Nears Distribution

The new Development Map will be shipping in Mid-March, the unique, iconic display of Greater West Houston development and land use.  The 1,000 square mile Greater West Houston area with residential and commercial development, infrastructure and geographic features from the Brazos River on the west to the Fondren corridor on the east is depicted over a full color aerial.

Members of the Association will receive a free copy of the map.  Others may purchase the Development Map or any one of the 9 other versions. The Map is printed on a high gloss paper and is available in a great size for wall mounting,  49.5" x 42" and a convenient 25" x 21" size is also available.   Order form at this link to order.

Available in Multiple Versions

The Map will be available in 8 different versions and large and small sizes.

 

1.   Development Map (Large & Small)

2.  Aerial Map--Without Land Use Colorations (Large & Small)

3.  Political Jurisdictions Maps: (Small)

 

 

2010 Development Map Sponsors

Premier Sponsors

 

Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP

Cross Creek Ranch

The Betz Companies

Bridgeland

FirstSouthwest

Houston Community College Northwest

 MetroNational

Newland Communities

Wolff Companies

WoodCreek Development Company

 

Map Sponsors

Brown & Gay Engineers  |  City of Waller Economic Development Corp

Dannenbaum Engineering  |  Delta Troy Interests, LTD

The Gustafson Group  |  Mischer Investments, L.P.

Planned Community Management  |  R. G. Miller Engineers

Pate Engineers | Severn Trent Services  |  Methodist West Houston Hospital

 

 

 

 

 

West Houston Association   e  INFO@westhouston.org   V  713.461.9378    F  713.461.3065

820 Gessner Suite 1310, Memorial city plaza II, Houston, Texas 77024

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