SENATE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

COMMITTEE:    Transportation 

TIME & DATE:  9:00 AM, Tuesday, April 24, 2018 

PLACE:        E1.016 (Hearing Room) 
CHAIR:        Senator Robert Nichols 

The Committee will hear invited testimony only on the following interim charges:

· Project Acceleration: Study and make recommendations regarding segregating state and federal transportation funding to accelerate project delivery.

· TxDOT analysis on the effect of funding allocations made in the Unified Transportation Program (UTP) and project selection decisions on accomplishing goals described in the statewide transportation plan.

· Monitoring Charge: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Transportation during the 85th Legislature, Regular Session and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. Specifically, monitor the following:

· Implementation of statutory changes specified in the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) sunset legislation. 1) requiring toll road entities to use toll revenue to pay back TxDOT for grants used to construct toll roads. 2) prohibiting TxDOT from operating or transferring a HOV lane as a tolled lane. 3) authorizing TxDOT to convert non-tolled lanes as toll lanes - only if the number of non-tolled lanes is greater than or equal to the number in existence before the toll conversion project. 4) prohibiting TxDOT from awarding contracts unless the contractor participates in E-verify; and

· Progress of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) efforts to issue an annual permit for transporting overweight, sealed intermodal shipping containers on TxDOT approved routes within 30 miles of a port of entry or an international bridge.