February 15, 2017      7:22 PM

KR: What to watch for on transportation this session

The future of tolls is up in the air, North Texas is on the hunt for dollars, and all those bills that never go anywhere are probably still DOA

Transportation finally had a steady stream of funding in Texas, which means it’s time to consider what new leadership and a slew of bills could mean in both the House and Senate.

House Transportation, with Rep. Geanie Morrison, R-Victoria, at the helm, will now meet with Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso, in attendance but not holding the gavel. That must be an especially hard blow for Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, which saw its greatest victory last session with the conversion of US 281 from toll to free lanes with the assistance of Speaker of the House Joe Straus. Equal measure for Loop 1604 was on the horizon.

Pickett was a natural ally for TURF, which fanned Pickett’s growing frustration with managed lanes and toll roads out of the El Paso area. Now the toll opponents have Morrison, an even-handed lawmaker from a rural district with no particular vested interest in toll roads. It was enough to fan the flames on the rumor that the toll lobby had knocked out Pickett.

By Kimberly Reeves

Copyright February 15, 2017, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved