By Chavez H.C.R. No. 85
77R2961 NBH-D
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, While the North American Free Trade Agreement
1-2 (NAFTA) has boosted the economy in Texas and the nation, the
1-3 increase in heavy truck traffic has caused excessive wear on county
1-4 and city roads that lie within the border commercial zone; and
1-5 WHEREAS, According to the Texas Border Infrastructure
1-6 Coalition more than 77 percent of U.S.-Mexico trade passes through
1-7 the Texas border region annually; in 1999 this amounted to 4.4
1-8 million trucks crossing the Texas-Mexico border carrying $127.6
1-9 billion worth of commerce; and
1-10 WHEREAS, Many of these trucks exceed the weight limits
1-11 imposed by both federal and state law, causing extensive damage to
1-12 public roads and bridges, especially the "off-system" roads that
1-13 are maintained by counties and municipalities, most of which are
1-14 not designed to handle these heavy commercial trucks; and
1-15 WHEREAS, The Texas Department of Transportation estimates
1-16 that there are more than 17,000 miles of load-posted roadways in
1-17 Texas; many of these roadways are Farm-to-Market roads that were
1-18 built in the 1940s and 1950s using design standards for a legal
1-19 weight limit of 48,000 pounds, or approximately 60 percent of the
1-20 weight of some of the heavier trucks today; and
1-21 WHEREAS, There are approximately 7,250 deficient bridges on
1-22 off-system roads in Texas, and while the Texas Department of
1-23 Transportation is in the process of upgrading these bridges, the
1-24 scope of the bridge rehabilitation required means that, at current
2-1 funding levels and practices, it could take decades to complete the
2-2 undertaking, assuming no more bridges become deficient; it is
2-3 important, therefore, that trucks be weighed before they are
2-4 permitted to operate in the commercial border zone, so as not to
2-5 cause further infrastructure damage; and
2-6 WHEREAS, In addition to contributing to the destruction of
2-7 transportation infrastructure, overweight trucks pose safety
2-8 hazards for other vehicles sharing the roads; the University of
2-9 Michigan Transportation Research Institute estimates that as the
2-10 weight of a truck goes from 65,000 to 80,000 pounds, the risk of an
2-11 accident involving a fatality increases by 50 percent; and
2-12 WHEREAS, County and city governments within the commercial
2-13 border zone would benefit greatly from having additional weigh
2-14 stations situated in their jurisdictions and additional law
2-15 enforcement officers to conduct weight inspections of commercial
2-16 vehicles traveling on roads that they maintain; and
2-17 WHEREAS, While the entire nation benefits from NAFTA, the
2-18 local governments along the Texas-Mexico border must bear the high
2-19 cost of overweight truck inspections and repairing damage to the
2-20 roads resulting from the increase in heavy commercial vehicle
2-21 traffic on the off-system roads; now, therefore, be it
2-22 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-23 hereby urge the United States Congress to create a federal category
2-24 under the NAFTA agreement, for NAFTA traffic-related infrastructure
2-25 damage, to provide counties and municipalities with funding for
2-26 commercial vehicle weigh stations within the 20-mile commercial
2-27 border zone; and, be it further
3-1 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
3-2 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
3-3 the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of
3-4 the senate of the United States Congress, and to all members of the
3-5 Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this
3-6 resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a
3-7 memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.