MPO Delays TxDOT Attempt to Defund Park Entrance

Judy Ackerman was our woman on the ground for the MPO meeting today.  Below is her report along with a message that she will send out again to FMWC persons.  I include it here for everyone.  Apparently the MPO delayed decision on taking funds from the park entrance project and spending them on doodads and frills (those boring Lone Stars that TxDOT likes to use for its big freeway exchanges instead of real live landscapes - and, in this case, in stead of a safe, visible entrance to our Franklin Mountains State Park which will include an animal corridor as well as bicycle and pedestrian paths that will connect the southside of Transmountain with the North.  Lone Stars in TxDOT's planning come before human safety or wildlife preservation.  

Judy told me that the Chairwoman of the MPO, Judge Veronica Escobar, made it clear that the MPO wanted to see consensus in the environmental community.  With the exception of one person, there is unanimous favor for the TPWD's preferred alternative - an underpass at the entrance not a 3 mile round-trip diversion from Paseo del Norte that will cut through an arroyo and valuable archaeological assets. 

It is critical that you let TxDOT, the MPO, Judge Escobar and City Manager Joyce Wilson know that you prefer the TPWD's choice and no others and that you are part of the environmental community.  Judy has published a list of email addresses below.  I add two more:

Robert Bielek, TxDOT Engineer for El Paso: Robert.Bielek@txdot.gov

Ted Houghton, State TxDOT Chairman: ted4@houghtonfinancialpartners.com

I have also learned from an undisclosed source close to MPO and TxDOT that TxDOT person's have been told to lie about the alternative - to claim anything besides the truth which is that they want to divert funds from safe, visible entrance preferred by the Park and use those funds for Lone Star doodad frills.

Judy's Report

Today, MPO Delayed a decision on agenda items 10 – 15 http://www.elpasompo.org/2013Agendas/TPBAgenda040513.htm.  TXDOT’s proposal to Defund Option 4 was based on an agreed upon suspense of 30 Aug to let the funds.  Joe Pickett believes he can slip the suspense. MPO wants to hear from the public and says their recommendation to defund will go forward unless the community comes to consensus at the meeting 10 Apr.  IF Pickett can NOT ensure the money will still be available after 30 Aug, MPO will have a special meeting to decide whether to defund.

judy

Email to FMWC Community 

You - the Public will determine the fate of FMSP Entrance.  Your participation will determine if Franklin Mountains State Park (FMSP) will have a safe, appropriate entrance.  The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will base its approval of the TXDOT project on the public comments at next week’s meeting.  If there is no public conscious, the FMSP Entrance project will be de-funded. 

Please attend TXDOT’s public meeting on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Canutillo High School, 6675 South Desert Boulevard, El Paso TX 79932.

We need an entrance to FMSP that is safe for vehicles, pedestrians, bikes and animals.  TPWD completed an in-depth analysis and determined that TXDOT’s Option 4, with an underpass into the Park, is the only acceptable option.  Links to their reports are available at:  http://www.franklinmountains.org/.

Expanding Transmountain Road cuts the Park in half, fragmenting habitat and making it impossible for visitors to safely get from trails south of Transmountain Road to amenities that are north of the road.

Links to details about the environmental community’s preference can be found at http://elpasonaturally.blogspot.com/2013/02/fmsp-staff-makes-case-for-best-entrance.html.   

The MPO board members repeatedly reminded FMSP advocates that public participation is the key to funding Option 4.  Whether you can attend the meetings or not, please contact all the elected officials and government personnel listed below and let them know that you support a safe and appropriate entrance to our nation’s largest urban park.

Written comments from the public regarding this project are encouraged. Comments may be submitted either at the Public Meeting or within 10 days after the meeting. Written comments may be emailed to the following address: Blanton & Associates, Attn: Loop 375 at the Franklin Mountains State Park Entrance, 5 Lakeway Centre Court, Suite 200, Austin TX  78734. Comments may also be e‐mailed to

ELP‐FMSParkEntrance@txdot.gov.

Comments must be postmarked on or before Saturday, April 20, 2013 to be included as part of the public record. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the project in more detail, please contact Ms. Martha Gandara, TxDOT Project Manager, at (915) 790‐4255.

Here is a sample message you can copy and paste:

Dear City, County and State Officials,

I urge you to support and fund TX Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) preferred entrance to the Tom Mays Unit of the Franklin Mountains State Park (FMSP) known as TXDOT Option 4.  This is the only option that is safe for vehicles, pedestrians, bikes and animals. 

As someone who deeply cares about our State Park and the safety of motorists and wildlife, I want the TPWD front-door alternative back on schedule and fully funded.

Here is why you should support an improved entrance to the Tom Mays Section of the Franklin Mountains State Park (FMSP) that includes an underpass. (This is known as TXDOT Option 4.) 

·         Ensures safe access to the FMSP for vehicles, pedestrians, bikes and wildlife. 

·         The TPWD and FMSP personnel are the experts on the Park.  They have reviewed the entrance options and we should respect TPWD’s professional decision on what is the best entrance to the Park.

·         Ensures that emergency vehicles will have the easiest access and swiftest response times when dealing with emergencies in the park.

·         Safeguards orderly traffic flow for an estimated current 35,000 – 40,000 vehicles that visit FMSP each year - and the number is growing.

·         Minimizes habitat and terrain distribution.

·         Leaves the FMSP’s richest archaeological site undisturbed.

·         Preserves mountain vistas.

·         Provides a world-class entrance to a world-class Park, not the back-door entrance proposed in other options.

·         The best long-term investment in local transportation.

Just copy this list and paste into the “To” field of your email. Robert.Bielek@txdot.gov, mmedina@elpasompo.org, escobar@epcounty.com, johnfcook@sbcglobal.net, lillyam@elpasotexas.gov, byrdsm@elpasotexas.gov, acostaea@elpasotexas.gov, robinsoncl@elpasotexas.gov, noem@elpasotexas.gov, holguinec@elpasotexas.gov, ortegasx2@elpasotexas.gov, nilandcc@elpasotexas.gov, mcelroymx@elpasotexas.gov, wilsonja@elpasotexas.gov,

joe.pickett@house.state.tx.us, joe.moody@house.state.tx.us , jose.rodriguez@senate.state.tx.us