Saturday, June 28, 2008

Transportation Task force appointed by Mayor & Judge




Laura Jesse (photo)
Commissioner's Court
Public Affairs Officer

County, City form group to look at transportation issues

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and Mayor Phil Hardberger have appointed an 11-member Transportation Task Force that will assess existing transportation plans and priorities in order to make local policy as well as state and federal legislative recommendations. The task force will begin its work in July and make a state legislative recommendation in November, with final proposals delivered by the end of the year.

As San Antonio and Bexar County continue to grow at a healthy pace, it is imperative to ensure the transportation systems are viable, efficient and integrated to support the growing population and lessen the environmental impacts. Rising fuel prices, the overall economic downturn throughout the country and stricter federal pollution standards make the work of the task force even more critical and timely.

"We've learned that when this community works together on something, we can really get a lot accomplished," Judge Wolff said. “We look forward to creating a model for successful transportation planning that can take us well into the future.”

The task force’s scope of work will specifically cover existing transportation plans and priorities, modes of travel, financing options, and regulatory and legislative contexts. The group also will compare this community’s transportation system to comparable regions in the state and country, critically review existing plans and investment priorities and provide a set of “next steps” for local transportation agencies.

The task force will work with support from the staffs of the County, City, San Antonio Mobility Coalition, Alamo Area Council of Governments, Texas Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organization, Regional Mobility Authority and VIA Metropolitan Transit.

The members of the task force are:
Hope Andrade, former chairwoman of the Texas Transportation Commission
Bill Barker, Sierra Club and Green Space Alliance member
Mary Briseno, VIA board member
Jack Leonhardt, AACOG board I and mayor of City of Windcrest
James Lifshutz, VIA board member
Terrell McCombs, San Antonio Mobility Coalition chairman
Richard Perez, Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce president/CEO and former city councilman
Rick Pych, VIA board member
Jim Reed, Regional Mobility Authority board member
Linda Chavez-Thompson, VIA board member
Derrick Howard, CPS Energy board member

“I’m very pleased with the lineup of individuals we’ll have on this task force,” said Mayor Hardberger, who will chair the group with Judge Wolff.

“Developing a comprehensive transportation plan for our area is critical as we continue to grow, and we must do it together,” he added.

The task force’s meetings will be open to the public and resources and reports will be posted to a Web site hosted on the County’s site at www.bexar.org.

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