Thursday, February 13, 2014

Metropolitan Planning Organization Meeting~West Rail Project Delay Could End Up Saving County Money Says Martinez

Partially Completed West Rail Bypass International Bridge
According to Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez, who chaired the Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Meeting at Brownsville Metro 2/12/14, the delay in completing the West Rail Project, linking the U.S. and Mexico with a new railroad bridge, could end up saving Cameron County money.
"I talked to a Mr. Winkowski, who has oversight of the Laredo Land Port.  I told him we needed a state-of-the-art scanning machine at the new bridge," Martinez stated.
Martinez said he later learned that Laredo's new version of the scanner is not that reliable, while the 11 year old version currently at the old B & M Bridge functions more reliably.  For this reason, Cameron County is now planning to move the x-ray machine(The Vehicle and Cargo Imaging System), which scans rail cars for drugs, contraband or cash, seven miles to the new bridge over Hwy 281. The county received a bid for $1,500,000 to move the scanner, but recently learned the Mexican side is moving a similar machine for $300,000. This has opened up negotiations on the cost of the move that Martinez says may end up saving the county money.

Also on the MPO policy meeting agenda was the proposed widening of FM 803. Holding that project up was indecision with respect to an urban or rural layout for the road. Considering that changing the road to a city style would require a new impact study, delaying the project event more, it was decided to finish the project as originally planned.

The always informative Mark Lund, stepped up to the video screen, pointer in hand, speaking mainly about a point system for evaluating proposed projects. He did drop one tidbit of info for a layman like me about traffic signals. Did you know that if a traffic signal does not have an A.D.A. compliant crosswalk button installed, a 21
second delay is built in to allow a "ghost pedestrian" to cross? So, for example, the traffic signals at four corners DO NOT have such a button installed, thus are slower through the cycle than those that do.

Martinez closed the meeting with a plea for citizens to download or pick up a copy of a Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study. It proposes rail service from Oklahoma City through San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley. Connections to McAllen and/or Brownsville/Harlingen are being considered. The mayor warned: "McAllen never sleeps. We need to let TxDot know how much we need this in Brownsville."



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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2014 at 2:30 PM

    The city spends money like my wife....and we end up going broke saving money. Not sure how the city will "save".....merely spend less. Nontheless, the city will find a way to spend all that money and more.
    At this point I am not sure why gets a project when we have other streets with higher density population that could use additional lanes....especially Dana Rod between 802 and El Jardin Heights (aka Emerson Blvd or Tandy Rd) I think 803 is just a project sponsored by the Kardenas Klan to raise the value of their property east of Rancho Viejo or to make the commute easier for Sen. Eddie Lucio. The tangle of traffic at the intersection of 511 and the expressway would be made worse by expanding 803. Why not a new east-west street/road, north of 511, connecting 803 to the expressway. Do our traffic planners ever get out of their office? Sometimes we wonder. We already have bike lanes that are so wide the public uses them as turn lanes or parking lanes.....and there is no enforcement to protect any fool that might be in those lanes riding a bike. Just drive along Alton Gloor or any school. The bike lanes are parking lanes. Same is true on Paredes Line between 802 and Alton Gloor......parental parking at schools or businesses near Cameron Park. It has gotten to the point that drivers expect other drivers to use the bike lanes as turn lanes....go to almost any intersection see. Perhaps the MPO should review these lane issues before they expand more streets and add more bike lanes for drivers to abuse.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2014 at 3:12 PM

    If it costs 1.5 million to move the 11 year old scanner, how much is the thing worth? And, by the way, why is the Federal government not paying for this, they are in charge of security, NOT the county. And, if it is up to the county, why not buy a cheap used one.

    And, the distribution of 2011 US-bound truck crossing volume for the Lower Rio Grande Valley POEs. The Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge handles 93 percent of the total trucks in the region, followed by Veterans International Bridge, in Brownsville, Texas, with 5 percent. Brownsville is nothing compared to Pharr and don't even think about Laredo. http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12049/ch3.htm

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