SRC-JBJ S.C.R. 50 76(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.C.R. 50
76R8687 RVH-DBy: Shapleigh
Border Affairs - Special
4/21/1999
As Filed


DIGEST 

The U.S. government prioritizes federal highway resources to corridors that
are essential for travel, national defense, and international commerce.  In
1991, the federal government designated U.S. Route 59, which runs from
Laredo through Houston to the Texarkana vicinity, a "high priority
corridor."  In 1995, the government established four additional high
priority corridors in Texas, including El Paso's Camino Real Corridor.   

The Camino Real Corridor, however, has sustained significant strain from
trucks transporting goods via the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Every year since 1992, over one million trucks travel through El Paso.  El
Paso  maintains an exporting trade presence with Mexico that ranked 21st in
the nation in 1997.  Given 80 percent of all U.S. trade with Mexico is
moved by truck and that Mexican trucks will eventually gain full access to
state and federal highways, coupled with the foreseen efficiency coming in
customs processing, the stress on the current transportation system will
continue.   

An additional corridor, U.S. Highway 54, could alleviate the burgeoning
demands for trade transportation throughout the area.  Designating Highway
54 as a high priority corridor would serve a more direct connection to the
central and eastbound trade corridors. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.C.R. 50 submit the following resolutions:

That the 76th Legislature urge the U.S. Department of Transportation to
designate U.S. Highway 54 as a high priority corridor pursuant to the
National Highway System Designation Act of 1995. 

That the secretary of state forward an official copy of this resolution to
the U.S. Department of Transportation.