"They're not looking at people, they're looking at the money."
Officials: Road won’t go through San Juan
February 15,2006
Victoria Hirschberg
The Monitor
Copyright 2006
EDINBURG — San Juan residents declared victory Tuesday when state and local officials agreed to not build a toll road through the small city.
While the Texas Department of Transportation still intends to build a toll road connecting U.S. Expressway 83 and Military Highway, a letter to Commissioners Court from TxDOT’s local district engineer, Mario Jorge, last week encourages the county to consider alternative routes west of San Juan.
Jorge wrote that San Juan’s public opposition was the impetus for the shift.
The agreement to not build a toll road in San Juan came after almost 45 minutes of back and forth between County Judge Ramon Garcia and commissioners Hector "Tito" Palacios and Oscar Garza about the proper wording for the motion. Those three men are running for office in the March primary.
San Juan Mayor San Juanita Sanchez and her "troops," about 30 residents who attended Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting, were ecstatic after the unanimous vote was cast to relocate the toll road.
"It’s the power of the people," Sanchez said. She plans to now focus efforts on planning for the city without a toll road.
Maribel Romero, a San Juan property owner, said she is relieved there will be no toll road in the city.
"They’re not looking at the people, they’re looking at the money," she said.
In the past, the county has funded studies of potential toll routes, something Jorge said is part of the normal procedure.
However, TxDOT will not build roads where people do not want them, he said, adding the region needs a connector road.
"Toll roads are a funding mechanism and we’re going to explore where they are applicable," he told Commissioners Court.
He urged the commissioners to appoint board members to the Regional Mobility Authority quickly so that entity could apply for reimbursement of future engineering studies.
The RMA, which TxDOT approved November 2005, will eventually study and create county transportation and infrastructure projects. Commissioners have not yet set a timeline to make those appointments.
____
Victoria Hirschberg covers Hidalgo County government and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4466.
© 2006 The Monitor and Freedom Interactive Newspapers of Texas, Inc.www.themonitor.com
February 15,2006
Victoria Hirschberg
The Monitor
Copyright 2006
EDINBURG — San Juan residents declared victory Tuesday when state and local officials agreed to not build a toll road through the small city.
While the Texas Department of Transportation still intends to build a toll road connecting U.S. Expressway 83 and Military Highway, a letter to Commissioners Court from TxDOT’s local district engineer, Mario Jorge, last week encourages the county to consider alternative routes west of San Juan.
Jorge wrote that San Juan’s public opposition was the impetus for the shift.
The agreement to not build a toll road in San Juan came after almost 45 minutes of back and forth between County Judge Ramon Garcia and commissioners Hector "Tito" Palacios and Oscar Garza about the proper wording for the motion. Those three men are running for office in the March primary.
San Juan Mayor San Juanita Sanchez and her "troops," about 30 residents who attended Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting, were ecstatic after the unanimous vote was cast to relocate the toll road.
"It’s the power of the people," Sanchez said. She plans to now focus efforts on planning for the city without a toll road.
Maribel Romero, a San Juan property owner, said she is relieved there will be no toll road in the city.
"They’re not looking at the people, they’re looking at the money," she said.
In the past, the county has funded studies of potential toll routes, something Jorge said is part of the normal procedure.
However, TxDOT will not build roads where people do not want them, he said, adding the region needs a connector road.
"Toll roads are a funding mechanism and we’re going to explore where they are applicable," he told Commissioners Court.
He urged the commissioners to appoint board members to the Regional Mobility Authority quickly so that entity could apply for reimbursement of future engineering studies.
The RMA, which TxDOT approved November 2005, will eventually study and create county transportation and infrastructure projects. Commissioners have not yet set a timeline to make those appointments.
____
Victoria Hirschberg covers Hidalgo County government and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4466.
© 2006 The Monitor and Freedom Interactive Newspapers of Texas, Inc.
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Wednesday, February 15, 2006
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