Texans depend on safe, reliable transportation for their jobs, quality of life and safety.

Every minute spent stuck in traffic is less time with a family member, at a child’s activity, working on an important work project, or volunteering in your church or community.

Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation (TSRT) is working to improve our state’s public safety, economy and quality of life by supporting better transportation infrastructure.

Over the next 25 years, Texas’ population is expected to grow 64 percent. Road usage is expected to increase 214 percent. But road capacity is expected to expand by only six percent.

Without a significant change in the way we build infrastructure, Texas is on a collision course with more traffic gridlock, more accidents, higher insurance rates, economic stress and worsening air quality.

The state’s traditional funding source — the state gasoline tax — cannot keep up. Current gas tax revenues only pay for 32 percent of current transportation needs. Repairing and maintaining existing roads and bridges strain funding sources even more.

Reforms passed by the Texas Legislature and authorized by Texas voters are addressing some transportation challenges.

These long-term solutions will allow for construction of needed transportation infrastructure years sooner, without increasing the tax burden on Texas consumers or employers.

These solutions will also create thousands of Texas jobs, and provide safe and efficient transportation alternatives for commuters and commerce.

But this is not enough. Texans must be unified in our vision to truly provide for better Texas mobility today and in generations to come. Part of this unity means accurately
knowing how our state is doing with transportation reforms. This is where TSRT comes in.

Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation is working to relentlessly and straight-forwardly raise public awareness of transportation challenges, solutions and successes. 

This will be accomplished by building broad-based coalitions and informing the public and news media through public education efforts. Efforts include promotion of public service announcements, informational advertisements, featured speakers and community briefings for Texas civic and business groups.

With our state’s population expected to more than double in the next 35 years, Texas must address its transportation needs today.  Excessive traffic congestion hurts job creation, public safety and quality of life. 

Consider these population and funding facts:

Road capacity is not meeting current and future demand.
During the past 25 years, our state’s population grew 57%, road use increased 95%, and road capacity grew just 8%.  Over the next 25 years, our population is expected to grow 64%, road use 214% and road capacity only 6%.

Texas’ share of federal gas tax revenue cannot be counted on to meet our needs.
During the past 25 years, Congress has transferred $7 billion in Texas-paid gasoline tax to other states.  Over the next 25 years, Congress is projected to move another $7.5 billion in Texas gasoline tax payments to other states.

Other high priority needs are vying for limited state resources.
During the past 25 years, Texas has shifted $10.8 billion in state transportation funds to other uses.  Over the next 25 years, the state is expected to shift another $13.5 billion for other priority needs.
 
Texas’ spending on transportation cannot keep pace with increasing demand brought on by population growth and economic progress.  Federal and state diversions of Texas’ transportation dollars are expected to continue well into the future.   Available capacity on our roadways will continue to dwindle.  Therefore, Texans must address their transportation needs using new approaches to infrastructure development and funding.  

Texas needs innovative transportation solutions.  State leaders and transportation officials are promoting a comprehensive package of new short- and longer-term plans and transportation alternatives including:

• The Texas Mobility Fund and state highway fund bond financing
• State and local toll partnerships
• The Trans-Texas Corridor
• Regional Mobility Authorities
• Pass Through Financing
• Rail relocations and improvements 

These far-sighted solutions provide innovative and fiscally responsible ways to construct needed transportation infrastructure years sooner without increasing the tax burden on Texas consumers or employers. 

These common-sense solutions will also create thousands of Texas jobs, and provide safe and efficient transportation alternatives for commuters and commerce.  New toll roads and tolled lanes will give motorists an alternative to using existing roads, relieving congestion and improving safety for both existing and newer roads. 

Transportation experts have embraced the Texas transportation vision, and other states are looking to Texas as a model.  Private companies and coalitions of companies are willing to invest billions of dollars of capital for the right to plan, construct and operate segments of the Trans-Texas Corridor and other important regional and state roadways.

These solutions are good public policy and demonstrate smart financial sense for: 

• Faster, more reliable transportation of people and goods
• Safer transportation and roadways
• Greater economic growth

By embracing sound, innovative and market-based solutions, Texas will get much needed roads and infrastructure completed years sooner than it would using traditional methods of funding infrastructure. 

Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation will straightforwardly and relentlessly raise public awareness of transportation challenges, solutions and successes. We will communicate with the news media, build broad-based coalitions, promote public service announcements and informational advertisements, and help organize speakers and briefings for Texas civic and business groups.

Texans for Safe Reliable Transportation is dedicated to educating and informing the Texas public about transportation challenges, solutions and successes.  This organization cannot and will not be involved in partisan politics or the election or defeat of candidates.