Republican Bills Targeting Local Transit Projects Die

A set of bills that would have stymied local government road and transit plans are likely dead after missing an important legislative deadline, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Among them is Senate Bill 2722, a controversial bill written by Houston Republican Sen. Paul Bettencourt that would have transferred to the City of Houston a large chunk of excess tolls collected by Harris County — around $25 million annually, according to one official. That extra money would need to be spent first on police and firefighters with any leftovers going to county roads under Bettencourt’s proposal.

In his statement of intent for that bill, Bettencourt objected to the county’s use of toll money on “projects for non-drivers: sidewalks, bike lanes, bike paths, intersections, etc.” 

Harris County commissioners rebuked that bill earlier this month, characterizing it as a bald effort to soften an impending $330 million budget deficit facing Houston next year.

Though the bill passed out of the Senate, it never came up for a floor vote in the House.

Bettencourt also wrote another ill-fated bill that targeted bike lanes, Senate Bill 2238, that would have hamstrung local efforts to narrow streets to create wider sidewalks and protected areas for bicycles and pedestrians.

That measure was left pending in a Senate committee at press time Friday.

Two other transit proposals never advanced to the floor of either chamber for a full vote. Senate Bill 1557, drafted by Republican Sens. Angela Paxton of McKinney, Brent Hagenbuch of Denton and Tan Parker of Flower Mound, would have diverted sales tax revenue in Dallas that’s helping to fund Dallas Area Rapid Transit. 

And House Bill 3879, written by Lakeway Republican Rep. Ellen Troxclair, would have targeted Austin’s voter-approved transit and light rail expansion Project Connect by challenging its funding mechanism.

Last year, the Texas Republican Party officially opposed what it called “anti-car measures” that would aim to encourage Lone Star State residents to walk, bicycle and use public transit instead of driving. Texas emits more greenhouse gases on its roads than any other state in the U.S.

Monday will mark the last day of the legislative session.