2009 Transportation Recommendations

Texas should have a Smart Growth policy

Relevant state agencies, such as TxDOT, TDHCA, DSHS, TCEQ, TWC, and others, should develop a comprehensive Smart Growth policy to ensure that the state develops in a way that is sustainable for current and future populations. Components of a Smart Growth policy would include policies relating to health, economics, environment, housing, and transportation.

Improve the Environmental Division of TxDOT

Increase the number of biologists in the Environmental Division.

• Currently TXDOT has approximately 12 biologists for the entire state. In comparison, California (the only other comparable state in terms of population, size and number of roads) has created a cadre of professional biologists with a career path and formal training. CalTrans has approximately 200 people in their Biology Division and 20 in their Districts. A good start for TxDOT ENV would be 10 Senior Level Biologists and 5-10 biologists in each District office.

Make biologists in the District offices accountable to the Environmental Division at Headquarters.

• Currently, TxDOT District offices have ENV coordinators who are accountable to District Engineers rather than to ENV at Headquarters. This creates a situation in which the ENV coordinators in the District offices facilitate the mission of the District office (to build roads in the District) as opposed to the mission of the ENV. Making these coordinators accountable to ENV would go a long way to improving the environmental accountability of the agency as a whole, throughout the state.

Hire a Smart Growth expert at a high level at TxDOT

An expert in Smart Growth should advise the TxDOT Administration and the Transportation Commission. A Smart Growth expert would have substantial knowledge in sustainable urban and rural planning.

2009 ACT Transportation Team

James Canup, League of Conservation Voters (lead)

• james@tlcv.org

Kate Robertson, Environmental Defense Fund

Mary Sanger