Makes You Wonder

Alamo Drafthouse Parking Lot. Erosion is coming from the Arroyo side.

Yesterday I mentioned TxDOT Regional Engineer Robert Bielek's concern about the development at the Top Golf site. It seems that the developer has underestimated how much run-off the development will cause and, thus, in Bielek's words, "compromise the stability of the embankment upon which I-10 sits." Although alerted to the problem, the City continues to "permit" EPT to develop the land. Bielek has told the City that TxDOT "will consider the City equally responsible for any damage to to the I-10 embankment or our [TxDOT's] drainage structure because of this oversight." 

Surely our city leaders care more about the safety of people and the integrity of our freeways and less about whether they could win a legal battle with TxDOT. Surely our city leaders want to do the right thing by satisfying TxDOT with an acceptable plan. I sent a link to yesterday's blog post to Mayor Margo, City Manager Tommy Gonzalez and Khalil Zaied. I asked for responses. As expected, there have been no responses. (One possible good note: Mr. Bielek just now told me that "[the TxDOT] staff has been meeting with the developer but no final resolution as yet." Sounds as if yesterday's post has had impact.)

I am aware that EPT also did the Alamo Drafthouse project. Many of us watched in horror as an arroyo was destroyed and an entire hillside dug out. The destruction of this open space was justified by the fact that is would be a "new urban" project. 

I went by the Alamo Drafthouse today and noticed an inordinate amount of sand/dirt in the parking lot. I asked the manager about it and was told that they get the erosion every time that it rains. I'm not an engineer, nor do I play one on televsion and I don't really know about the drainage solutions that I saw. However, what I saw does concern me. Over time, judging from the dirt in the lot, there will be a considerable amount of erosion. 

This picture and the one below are from the retaining wall between the entrance to the theater parking lot and the hillside topped by the apartments. Note the stain and rocks from erosion.

Apparently EPT's solution to the instability of the hill next to the theater, was to put some kind of fabric on top of the slope and drill horizontal pipes into the hillside. As the pictures show, the erosion doesn't come down the slope, it feeds through the pipes.

I do wonder whether similar drainage solutions are being used by EPT at the Top Golf site and, if so, I better understand what Bob Bielek is saying.

I certainly would not live in the apartments above Alamo Drafthouse. 

Will the City of El Paso Destroy Cement Lake?

Cement Lake

The City of El Paso's apparent failure to address a critical drainage issue at the Top Golf construction site might very well destroy one of El Paso's rare gems, Cement Lake. Moreover, according to TxDOT Regional Engineer, Bob Bielek, the failure of the City to address the matter with the developer of Top Golf, EPT Land Communities, might also "overload the structure and compromise the stability of the embankment upon which I-10 sits.  This could have additional effects on the lake such as excess siltation."

Bielek also says that "it does appear that the developer is underestimating the contribution of the development to the overall runoff, and there appears to be insufficient retention on the developer’s site to adequately meter the flows in a way that will protect the embankment and the drainage structure."

The City of El Paso has apparently provided the developer with a permit to construct Top Golf but has failed to consult with TxDOT regarding drainage requirements including not just the embankment of the freeway but Cement Lake. The developer has furnished no credible plan to TxDOT.

Bielek told City Council about this problem last March. Elpasonaturally has asked him three times since then whether they have recived a credible plan. Mr. Bielek's last reply came nine days ago on July 24th in an email: "Still waiting on an acceptable design."

Bielek did contact the City Manager, Tommy Gonzalez, months ago and yet there is still no "acceptable plan". It would seem that the City has permitted the developer to undermine the integrity of I-10 and destroy Cement Lake. Bielek says, "that we [TxDOT] will consider the City equally responsible for any damage to the I-10 embankment or our drainage structure because of this oversight."

El Paso Water, city environmental and open space activists have sought for many years to preserve El Paso's natural Cement Lake.

Arroyos Safe Near Cement Lake

Cement Lake

Recently on social media there has been some concern expressed about what TxDOT might be doing to some arroyos. Is TxDOT filling in the arroyos as it continues its massive freeway building project, Go 10 El Paso? The answer is "NO".

TxDOT Regional Engineer, Bob Bielek, says that he is unaware of any arroyos being filled in. Doing so, he said, "would violate the environmental finding for either project."

I asked the Dean of Open Space, Charlie Wakeem, why are natural arroyos so important. Charlie cited an essay by Rex Funk: "Albuquerque's Environmental Story, Educating for a Sustainable Community, Environmental Topic: Arroyos" He paraphrased Funk in order to make the topic relevant to El Paso. Charlie used these words as an argument to preserve Resler Canyon, a natural arroyo. He says that they are the "best reason I've used for arguing for the importance of natural arroyos."

"El Paso is a unique place in many ways.  One contributing element is the natural drainage system of arroyos.  Most of these arroyos carry runoff from the Franklin Mountains and escarpments to the Rio Grande and are dry most of the year.  They flow most heavily from mid-summer to early fall, during a period we call our monsoon season.

"Originally these arroyos meandered freely across the land responding to the volume and velocity of storm water runoff, thereby creating large flood plains and alluvial fans.


"Natural arroyos are rich in plant life due to the soil moisture that remains after runoff events.  The abundant vegetation attracts a concentration of native wildlife in search of food and shelter."

Lights on Transmountain?

There has been some email chatter today about the possiblity that TxDOT is planning to "light up" Transmountain with a string of light poles. I'm not sure how this rumor got started, but here is the response from TxDOT's Regional Engineer, Bob Bielek:

"There is no lighting included as part of the current project and we currently have no plans to install lighting along TransMountain.  In the future, if there were a drastic increase in the number and severity of nighttime accidents along the roadway we might consider continuous lighting; however, given the lack of electric service and the cost of such an installation I expect we would look for other options first.  Let me be clear however, I don't expect there to be a sudden increase in accidents along TransMountain so any discussion of what might happen is just speculation."

Rest easy.

Progress on Tom Mays Corridor

Photos by Rick Bonart

It may not look like much yet. However, work on the Tom Mays underpass (Animal, Hike, Bike Corridor) continues at a steady clip. The official name of this corridor being constructed by TxDOT is the "Park Connectivity Project". Tom Mays is a "Unit" of the Franklin Mountains State Park.

TxDOT Regional Engineer, Bob Bielek, reports: We are trying to accelerate and finish this year but most likely February or March of next year."

Improve Connectivity at FMSP Soon To Start

TxDOT calls it simply "Improve Connectivity at FMSP". It's an animal corridor and a separate hike and bike trail. It is the means to connect the south and north sides of Franklin Mountains State Park at Tom Mays Park now cut off by Transmountain Road. 

The project has been a possibility for a long time. The problem has been funding but it looks like the funds are now there.

TxDOT opened bids yesterday and there were six. Three of them came within the acceptable 10% range above estimate. The lowest was 1.07% over estimate. Regional Engineer Bob Bielek reports: "Without doing a complete review for an unbalanced bid, 1.07% over is very close to the estimate.  Absent any abnormalities with the bid I would think that a contract will be awarded to the low bidder at the next Commission meeting.  In fact, the three lowest bids are all within, or close to, the 10% that we typically look for.  That said, given the time to get the contracts signed, etc. and the upcoming holidays, I would expect a construction start shortly after the first of the year."

Former PSB member, avid mountain bike rider and a major driver throughout the years for this project responded: "Very Cool! Woohoo!"

Very cool indeed.

State Park Animal Corridor to Let in September?

Although it's pretty certain that the City of El Paso's priorities and not TxDOT nor regional engineer, Bob Bielek, are to blame, the process for actually building the wildlife corridor with a hike and bike trail at the Tom Mays Unit of the FMSP has been a lengthy one.

In a July 30, 2015 email to Rep. Joe Pickett, Bob Bielek wrote: "I discussed how we are going to fund this project with staff today and we came to the conclusion that it makes the most sense to fund the project out of Category 11, which is essentially District discretionary funds.  We will likely have enough to fund this project with FY 16 funds and should be able to let in September or October. The reason for this is that we would not need to get the project into the TIP, STIP or have to go through all of the paperwork associated with conformity, etc. Depending on final estimates this could change, but as of right now we believe this is the fastest and cleanest approach."

Let in September or October? Let's hope it's finally true.

Invest in FMSP and Animal Hiking Corridor OR the Trolley Folly?

Racetrack Drive to Spur 1966

Neighborhood Development Services sent out a pdf of a recent issue of the Border West Expressway newsletter showing how 1-10 and Spur 1966 will look once the job is completed. You can read that letter and see the pictures HERE. A prominent El Paso environmentalist commented: "Cement everywhere! How about some animal/hike/bike crossings?" She was referring to the long anticipated project at the Tom Mays Unit of the Franklin Mountain State Park - one that will benefit the park and spark ecotourism dollars for the city.

But the "cement" and the I-10/Spur 1966 projects are just really a part of the story. 

One wonders how much TxDOT Regional Engineer Bob Bielek's hands are tied when it comes to funding. We can interpret his delayed promises as deceit or we can interpret them as agony. Let's get to what is truly agonizing.

The mega projects such as I-10, the Spur, 375, 601, yada, yada, yada (not to mention the much less expensive animal corridor with a hike and bike trail that will connect the north and south parts of the FMSP at Transmountain) are not the first priority of the backroom movers and shakers of El Paso. What is? The trolley folly. Bielek has pointed out that El Paso may have the worst highways in the state. Yet, the priority is the $97 Million unnecessary trolley folly that will enrich a few, cost a bundle and will probably fail in a few years. (Or maybe it won't fail because "enlightened" city leaders like Niland, Romero and Noe will just vote to borrow more money and raise our property taxes more. We will subsidize the fat cats and a trolley system to nowhere.)

A trolley system (even with the expense of refurbishing our old Presidents’ Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars) might have had tourist attraction if built from the downtown historic district to the Magoffin House. However, you can forget that because there won't be a downtown historic district, there will be an arena taking over 12 blocks and paying lots of money to building owners who have never intended to renovate their buildings. That's my bet.

A trolley system at the airport could have been a tourist attraction or one through Segundo Barrio or one to the zoo. But no.

More people are leaving El Paso than other major cities in the nation. Passenger traffic at our airport is down 20%. And, according to Scientific American, our toxic air is harming our school children's progress. Yet, what's our priority? The trolley folly. It is this "priority" of our city policy makers that complicates funds for an animal corridor at Tom Mays.

So, my green friends, we can all blame Bob Bielek for the delay with the animal corridor, or we can blame the colonialism of our backroom wheelers and dealers who wield the power and bank the bucks in El Paso. As a linguist friend told me: "It isn't vox populi, it's hoax populi."


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The Friday Video: Double Feature about Animal Highway Crossings

[If you receive elpasonaturally by email, the videos won't display. Go to www.elpasonaturally.com to view them. You can sign up to get elpasonaturally by email in the box in the column next to this post. Also, please help us become the "Newspaper Tree" of El Paso. Your contribution will help us turn the El Paso Southwest "green".]

First of all, hat tip to Tami Gandt who sent this Seattle Times story about an ambitious animal crossing program in the State of Washington. Washington is a state that values its natural beauty and wildlife. The natural El Paso southwest is a beautiful part of the Chihuahuan Desert and it teems with wildlife. Is it too much to ask TxDOT and Bob Bielek to keep their promise for an animal passageway at the Tom Mays Unit? This passageway could also be used by hikers and bicyclists and will serve to connect the north and south sides of the park. Simple question, Bob: When will you do as you promised?

First a video from the Commonwealth of Virginia:




Here's one from Utah:

Remember that FMSP Hike-Bike-Wildlife Corridor and Entrance at Tom Mays?

In March TxDOT presented a report to City Council that included the hiking/biking/animal corridor into the Tom Mays unit of the Franklin Mountains State Park. The corridor is the key connection between the north and south sides of the State Park west of the mountains. It sounded like good news. But where are we now?

On April 7th of this year in an email, TxDOT District Engineer, Bob Bielek, said that he would like to accelerate the project and start sometime in the first quarter of the next fiscal year. (It begins in September 2015.) Acceleration is necessary because of all of the work beginning on I-10 from downtown to Executive. More demand will be put on Loop 375 (the Transmountain Highway.) 

In an email on the same day, Bielek stated that TxDOT workers pick up about 4 dead deer in a year and about 4 dead smaller animals a month. He didn't think that the death toll was too high. His opinion, of course; and the opinions of wildlife experts don't register with him or TxDOT.

Now let's review the record of broken promises and shifting predictions. Judy Ackerman passed some detailed notes about the corridor/connectivity project to me. Her notes begin in January 2013.

January 24, 2013 - the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission considers a proposed transfer of 8 acres of park land to TxDOT for the purpose of a new entrance into the Tom Mays Unit.

November 19, 2013 - at the Border Highway East Public meeting, Bielek stated in a conversation that Dr. Rick Bonart's idea for an animal crossing was a good one , that the project might cost $2 Million, and that TxDOT might start working on it in the Fall of 2014.

December 11, 2013 - plan unveiled to public and is warmly received.

April 10, 2013 - TxDOT holds a public meeting about the corridor/connection/new park entrance. Plans get a positive response.

April 15, 2013 - at a special meeting of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Transportation Policy Board (TPB), Bob Bielek announces that he is committed to the project in 2014.

February 20, 2014 - at an El Paso League of Women Voters meeting, Bielek gives a Fall 2014 date for the beginning of a corridor between the north and south portions of the park that have lost direct access. He gives a date of Fall 2014 for the beginning of such a project.

April 11, 2014 - at a breakfast meeting sponsored by NE El Paso City Council Representative, Carl Robinson, Bielek says that the project will begin in Fall 2014, take 3 months and cost $1 Million.

October 3, 2014 - Bielek says that the project is still in design.

March 17, 2015 - in a presentation to City Council it is announced that the project will cost $3 Million and that the estimated let date is 2016.

May 15, 2015 - again at a Carl Robinson breakfast, Bielek announces that the project will let in 2 to 3 months and that funding will be from Proposition 1 Funds. (Previously it had been from his discretionary account and then "Denial of Access" funds.)

As you can see, dates keep moving up, estimated costs keep changing as well as funding sources. It's June 2015, when will this corridor, which should have begun in Fall of 2014, really begin - if at all?

If they can't handle a tree, how can they handle a lake?

If they can't handle a tree, how can you expect the City of El Paso to handle a lake - Cement Lake in fact? That was the rhetorical question that a friend posed to me earlier today. His point is well taken seeing the city's negligence with the beloved Holiday Christmas Tree in San Jacinto Plaza.

When TxDOT purchased the land on which Cement Lake lies, there was still the possibility of the City taking possession and preserving it as a wildlife area. TxDOT Engineer, Bob Bielek, told Dr. Rick Bonart that, if the City wanted to discuss the lake, just send him a letter saying so. The letter could have come from anyone - the Mayor, a City Council Rep, Tommy Gonzalez, anyone. Dr. Bonart even went before Council and informed them about Bielek's offer. The City's response? The perfect vacuum - something that no one thought existed in nature. Thus, the inspiration to lease it to the Boy Scouts.

The lease agreement between the Boy Scouts and TxDOT is now I understand a done deal. I have two friends who have persisted in their defense of the Scouts and their ability to preserve the land. I have my doubts and I certainly would never get any pleasure out of saying "I told you so". We will just have to see and I hope that I have to eat my words.

I don't trust the people behind the deal. On the other hand, I do admire their committment to Scouts and the fact that some of them were Eagle Scouts especially Ted Houghton who has three sons all of whom are Eagle Scouts. That's something to be very proud of.

Time will tell. I still hope that the Scouts (and TxDOT) will, at the least, make a good faith effort to use local wildlife and ecology experts when developing a conservation plan for their Cement Lake camp. At the most, they could enter into a conservation easement agreement with a third party ensuring that the land is preserved and well managed rather than merely mining and exploiting the land's resources.

Bielek Backpedaling on State Park Entrance?

TxDOT Regional Engineer, Bob Bielek, appears to be backpedaling on his promises about a Franklin Mountains State Park entrance. A plan to connect the southern and northern sides of the park dissected by Transmountain Road was set to begin this fall. On April 11, 2014 at City Council Rep. Carl Robinson's breakfast meeting, Bielek said regarding the connectivity project: "Expect to start in Fall 2014.  Will take 3 – 4 months to complete.  Not a difficult project, because it is a short-span bridge.  Costs a bit over $1,000,000." His statement was not much different from what he indicated in November of last year to a group of park advocates prior to a public meeting in December. Bielek told the public that his discretionary funds would pay for the project.

Now Bielek is saying, as elpasonaturally has learned, that the project might begin in January and that he is looking for money for it.

The plan called for a new park entrance with a corridor under the Transmountain highway for animals, mountain bicyclists, hikers and other pedestrians. Conceptual drawings may be viewed at this post. The TxDOT page of the drawings is not loading well currently.

It seems that Bielek is backpedaling on the project which suggests that he was never serious about it before. "He often tells people what they want to hear," one observer mentioned. 

What's next? Perhaps like so many public projects the actual start date is actually much later than originally estimated. It may be prudent to wait until December to see what, if anything, happens. If nothing, then it will be obvious that once again TxDOT has been less than honest with Texas citizens they are supposed to be serving.

Sign the petition to save Lincoln Center and its murals from being destroyed.

About twenty or more people attended the Metropolitan Planning Organization this morning to speak out against the destruction of Lincoln Center and a number of murals painted on pillars of an overpass. 

Although Judge Veronica Escobar explained that the MPO really doesn't own and therefore has no final authority over Lincoln Center (I am told that she does not favor saving this historic building whose heritage is cherished by Hispanic families, ancestors of the Ascarates, Rosa Guerrero and many more), Rep. Pickett, Senator Rodriguez and others pointed out that the MPO has control of the funding of projects. Somewhere along the line they could defund a project that requires destroying the Center. The fear is that, once the MPO, votes to include the HWY 54 project in a Transportation Program, TxDOT really has all control. Indeed the MPO voted to include HWY 54 into a TIP. 

Although MPO has agreed to a process (which some say doesn't predetermine an outcome), there has already been a de facto determination. Ted TxDOT Houghton has already stated publicly that Lincoln Center will be destroyed. TxDOT Regional Engineer, Bob Bielek, in emails to Sen. Rodriguez and Joyce Wilson has said that the building will be destroyed. Moreover, even if there are a number of alternatives now, Bielek speaks of them as Platonic abstractions not ready for the scrutiny of the public. We know this routine all too well. When the final process is trotted out, it will be done at a public meeting so that there is the window dressing of public input. However, the decision-making going into determining which alternative will be used to connect the Border Highway with I-10 will be done behind closed doors. Never mind, heritage. Never mind the will of the people who want an alternative that preserves Lincoln Center. (Bielek said today that the pillars would be left standing thus preserving the murals.)

The MPO may not have final say. But the MPO is the only place where people can go and, in a civil manner, voice objection to Houghton's and TxDOT's desire to destroy Lincoln Center. Sadly, TxDOT does own the Center. However, TxDOT is an agency of the people of Texas and WE are the people. That is why we look to our Congressman, our State Senator and Representatives and our City Council to voice our opinion - and all have agreed on the rightness of saving the Center. We also look to the MPO. Through these elected people and institutions we have a civil manner to press our case. However, given the royalism and the elitism of TxDOT, one begins to wonder whether the voice of the people must be expressed in manners less civil, by civil disobedience or perhaps with greater force. Those alternatives must also now be weighed.

State Park Entrance on Track to Start Fall 2014

Picture appropriated from Robert Gray, El Paso Inc.

TxDOT Regional Engineer, Bob Bielek, was City Representative Carl Robinson's guest at the District 4 breakfast last Friday. Judy Ackerman asked him about the State Park entrance. Here's what Bielek told her in a nutshell: "Expect to start in Fall 2014.  Will take 3 – 4 months to complete.  Not a difficult project, because it is a short-span bridge.  Costs a bit over $1,000,000."

See TxDOT Drawings of State Park Connectivity Project

TxDOT has published drawings of the connectivity project at the entrance to the Franklin Mountain State Park HERE.

Email and Facebook posts continue to be hugely positive. The only question seems to be whether there is a way to move the project along faster. I got this email from Terri Garcia's favorite EX-PSB member:

"One of the things that doesn't compute is not being able to use discretionary funds to build this feature ( either in whole or part ). After all, what monies were used to build the wildlife tunnel between Paseo and Plexxar?

"Why is there a distinction?

"I really like the design, it's very thoughtful, and needs to be expedited or risk being shelved.

"I'm glad the current Transmountain project is ahead of schedule, so any delays caused by doing this now probably would have little net effect on that benchmark.

"The public was promised by TxDOT, as a condition of approval by City Council to not only  look at but resolve these issues.

"TxDOT just issued a $3.5M change order at the City's request for cosmetic enhancements. If that's doable, then $1.5M for functional and safety improvements should not only be possible but a priority.

"Finally, this project is one of only a handful at most through out the entire country. It's a huge PR opportunity!"

Bob Bielek did say the other evening that the "cosmetic enhancements" were done at the request of the City. 

It's always good to see City leadership get their priorities straight.

Environmental Community Gives Thumbs Up with TxDOT Park Entrance Plan

Last evening at Canutillo High School, Regional Engineer Bob Bielek and his staff unveiled their plan for the new park entrance at the Tom Mays Unit of the Franklin Mountains State Park. You can review the plan on one of my previous blog posts HERE. The plan met with enthusiasm from a small but happy sample of the local outdoors, environmental/conservation, recreation and Master Naturalists community. Almost as soon as the meeting ended last evening the chatter on Facebook began and it is all positive.

During the first thirty minutes of the gathering, people reviewed pictures of the proposed underpass for hikers, bicyclists and animals as well as pictures of the entry and egress configurations for the park. There were a number of TxDOT and design engineers on hand to answer questions. Bielek also was on hand to answer questions and visit. He then informally addressed the gathering and explained safety and wildlife issues and park access issues. 

The point that I really want to make here is how comfortable the situation was. Two years ago the scene was totally different. Former Engineer Chuck Berry of TxDOT had plans and wasn't willing to listen. I remember well that as person after person came to the mike to speak about the need for connectivity between the two sides of the park, a workable animal corridor, etc., etc., Chuck and company sat at front and chatted among themselves. They weren't listening. Not only did Bielek's plans show that they listened and listened to wildlife experts such as Dr. Cesar Mendez and Lois Balin, but that they heard from hikers and mountain bikers and did their homework on safety issues.

Bielek discussed the traffic issues and satisfied the group assembled that a left turn into the park going east on Transmountain would still be safe whereas a left out of the park to go east would not be as safe as requiring a U-Turn of sorts. That U-turn (a right out of the park going west and a U-Turn at Resler) is not the perfect solution - but it sure is safer and it saves the park entrance from having an enormous scar of a concrete and asphalt entryway. The simple U-Turn versus an enormous exchange is, obviously, cheaper.

Bielek also explained the need to go after Denial of Access funds. The modificaitons at the entry are really not transportation issues but right of way issues. There is funding for ROW work and that is separate from the discretionary funds that he seemed to think would work earlier. The cost will be $1.5-2 Million. Some of the local politicians on hand seemed to think that there might be a way to get funding sooner than later. Whatever, Bielek now projects that the project can be done in 15 to 18 months from today or March to June 2015. 

Because of our previous experience with TxDOT and the former Engineer, it has been easy to expect the same level of duplicity and arrogance from Bielek. Bielek is a guy who likes to wear cowboy boots, visit with folks, get feedback while at the same time possessing the maddening trait that comes from believing that we are all subject to the laws of the Universe, Nature, physics, what have you. He's not a person who cares so much about policy. He's the kind of person who takes current policy as a given in the equation. Basically it is "here is what I can do for you folks - what we can do based on natural law and what the laws of the land will currently let me do." When at first he said that discretionary funds would do the trick, he wasn't trying to deceive just trying to figure out how it could work for the folks he serves.

The plans unveiled last night and the informal straight-talk of the Regional Engineer went a long way to heal a very fractured relationship between conservationists along with outdoors recreationalists and TxDOT here in El Paso. There are still serious institutional issues and there will always be that struggle for balance between environmental and economic values. But one thing is for sure - Bielek's TxDOT office knows what a real animal corridor looks like and knows that people enjoy hiking and bicycling in our beautiful Franklin Mountains. Now if we can just do something to convince them to be a bit more pro-bicycle . . . 

By the way, your comments are needed. At issue is what most of us have been saying all along: We need connectivity. The Transmountain expansion has cut off access between the two sides of the park. Hikers, bicyclists and animals need safe, attractive corridors. Right of way to the park must be safe. This plan does it. Email your comments to ELP-FMSParkEntrance@txdot.gov. If you prefer snail mail - okay - here it is:

Blanton & Associates
Attn: Connectivity at the Franklin Mountains State Park
5 Lakeway Centre Court
Suite 200 
Austin, TX 78734

Plan for Animal Corridor and Access to Tom Mays Coming Together

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) El Paso District will hold an open house for a proposed project to maintain connectivity at the Franklin Mountains State Park on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Canutillo High School, 6675 South Desert Boulevard. Map

The key word in this announcement is "connectivity" as District Engineer Bob Bielek explained at a meeting with conservationists, State Park and wildlife officials yesterday. I was among those in attendance.

Backed up with research and experience, Bielek showed sensitivity for concerns about an animal corridor, a pathway for hikers and mountain bikers and safe access in and out of the Tom Mays Unit of the Franklin Mountains State Park. The plan met with positive reactions from those in attendance.

A huge concern resulting from the expansion of Transmountain has been the loss of ability to get from one side of the park to the next. Hikers and mountain bikers alike have been anxious to get the kind of connectivity that is needed for recreation and the expansion of such events as the international bike races sponsored by the Borderland Mountain Bike Association. Connectivity is also essential to the expansion of new eco-tourist businesses in the El Paso region.

Those concerned about wildlife have been calling for an animal corridor for years. 

Finally, the need for safe entrance and egress from the park has been important for all who see the growth in park attendance, recreational programs and events such as the yearly Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta (which doubled attendance this year from last) and future chili cook-offs as preliminaries for Terlingua.  

Impatience to see a plan has grown recently and even led to a quick acceptance of what was called Alternative 4 - a plan with interchanges and a shared animal and motorist corridor - something Bielek pointed out was a very bad idea. Besides, Alternative 4 would have required excessive excavation on the north side of the highway. What do preservationists/conservationists want? Well...preservation and conservation. Alternative 4 wasn't that nor was a new road into the park across critical archaeological areas. 

Bielek is the man with the plan and here is a rough draft of that plan:

 Bird's eye view of the project. Click image to enlarge.

 The animal, hiker, mountain biker corridor. Click image to enlarge. Note deer.

The corridor will be for animals, hikers, pedestrians and mountain bikers only. No motorists and that change from Alternative 4 is most welcome. There will be fencing to channel larger mammals such as deer into the corridor and away from the highway. The corridor will be 10 feet in height and 40 to 50 feet wide. 15 feet will be dedicated to hikers, etc.

Access into the Tom Mays Unit. Click image to enlarge.

Bielek unequivocally said that there is no safety issue. He refuted the video posted twice at elpasonaturally. The video suggests that with a car coming every second almost, accidents will be unavoidable when turning left across two lanes of highway traffic. Bielek explained that traffic behaves just the way kids do in a kick ball game on the school play ground. They bunch together. People drive or come in "quantum" packages as they do when grabbing that extra six pack at 7-11s only to find numerous people have the same idea at the same time. Thus left turns into the park are safe for the foreseeable future. However, eliminating the left turn out of the park will decrease potential conflicts and thus is safer. "There is no question that permitting left turns from the park would be less safe than what is currently being constructed," District Engineer Bielek told me in an email. The turnaround for those exiting the park but wanting to go east on Transmountain will be the easternmost interchange with the Texas turnarounds - about a 2.5 mile "detour" - but a safe one to be sure and one that won't mean a costly interchange at the park.

TxDOT will provide the "brown" signs to indicate entrance to the park. Hopefully in time the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and/or the City of El Paso will create a more attractive way to welcome people to the park.

The creation of the corridor would be a separate project from the current TxDOT expansion and not a change order to the current project. Bielek anticipates finishing the expansion in April or May of 2014. Putting together final plans, demonstrating denial of access and the need for right of way for people (read "connectivity"), obtaining funding ($1 Million or less) and beginning the new project could start next fall and be done in early 2015. 

Please make plans to come to the meeting on December 11th. Let TxDOT know that you want connectivity from one side of the park to the other.

More, of course, later

Bielek Responds to Border Highway Concerns but Questions Persist about TxDOT Sincerity

In an email, TxDOT Regional Engineer, Bob Bielek, says that there is no need for anxiety about the Border Highway East project threatening the Rio Bosque because, according to Bielek, "construction is not in the cards for 15 to 20 years based on the likely funding levels for transportation, even the most optimistic projections."

"The purpose of the meetings," explains Bielek, "is to identify issues such as that associated with a planned park entrance. The reason that all of the alternative alignments remain east of the park is to preserve the [Rio Bosque Wetlands Park]."

Bielek wrote that his agency was not even aware of an entrance project to the Bosque. The dream for development at the Rio Bosque can be found online in this document. Obviously those development plans are obscure and should be brought to TxDOT's attention. It is TxDOT's track record of little or no regard for public input (despite insistences otherwise) which causes distrust.

For example, in response to criticism about delaying a safe entrance at the Tom Mays Unit of the Franklin Mountains State Park, Bielek wrote in the same email: "We continue to work on an alternative that will allow hiker, cyclist, and wildlife access to both sides of Franklin Mountain State Park, which appears to be the real purpose and need for this project." In letters, emails, memos and at public meetings, FMSP and TPWD officials as well as members of the public have also emphasized (and done so numerous times) the need for safe access to the park by motorists. TxDOT has dismissed those concerns saying that there is no record of any serious accidents into or out of the park. TxDOT's dismissive attitude means that, in spite of reasonable concerns, only hiker, cyclist and wildlife access are the "real purpose and need for this project." Extremely important yes - but not the only real purpose and need for this project as stated repeatedly.

I am reminded of this tongue in cheek video by people with common sense even if lacking in hard statistical data:



In his email, Bielek suggested that those concerned with environmental issues were operating emotionally and not intellectually. Again, the minimizing of TxDOT's critics while attempting to appear in search of shared solutions is ingenuous. The other side's points of view have already been judged as unreasonable. After all, most conservationists don't carry evolved slide rules nor wear a white shirt with a pocket protector full of pens. (Sorry I'm stereotyping.)

According to Bielek, TxDOT is aiming for a public workshop the week of December 9th for the entrance into the State Park. Hopefully a good alternative that will provide safe access for motorists as well as hikers and cyclists and an animal corridor without destroying the scenic view with a tall overpass will be presented. Such a presentation will go a long way toward showing the public that their concerns and viewpoints are important. Frankly, I've yet to go to a TxDOT meeting that wasn't window dressing for a decision already made. (They can claim to have gotten public input but then turn around and tell the public what TxDOT's right solution is.) If just once, the public concern for such things as safe access for motorists, bicyclers and hikers and animal corridors are really integrated into a plan, then Mr. Bielek and to some extent his agency would have just a bit more credibility.

No Public Meeting about Park Entrance Scheduled as Promised

In spite of earlier assurances by TxDOT District Engineer Bob Bielek, there will be no public meeting about the an entrance to the Tom Mays Unit of the Franklin Mountains State Park off of Transmountain Road. Bielek told us on September 23rd that a public meeting would be scheduled before November.

Just yesterday I emailed him and asked him what was going on. Here is his response:

Mr. Tolbert,

There are a number of issues that have caused a delay, including developing the initial plans for the improvements needed in the area bounded by Montana, Global Reach, Spur 601 and Loop 375 to support the development anticipated by Fort Bliss disposing of approximately 2,500 acres that will go into residential and commercial development.  Since this will have a very significant impact on the congestion that will be experienced by many thousands of commuters, and the attendant air quality impacts, we have had to give priority to getting these initial plans developed.  A secondary issue is that the project manager for this project accepted another position (still within the District, but as the Assistant Area Engineer in the Alpine Area Office).  While Tony is trying to assist our Advance Project Development staff here in the District, his absence and the limited staff we have available has presented challenges that we are attempting to deal with.

I still expect to hold the public meeting to present alternatives in December. I am trying to get this accomplished halfway between Thanksgiving and Christmas so that we will have minimum interference from people traveling for the holidays.  I apologize for the delay; however, we do need to prioritize our workload based on the number of citizens that will be affected if we don’t get adequate facilities in place when they are needed.

Bob Bielek, DPA, PE
District Engineer, El Paso District

Texas Department of Transportation

What residential and commercial development? On March 25, 2011, the El Paso Times ran this story. The Department of Defense announced land for sale on March 10, 2011.

The Texas Department of Transportation will conduct a series of Open House Informational meetings to provide information on the plans of improving the mobility of the Purple Heart Memorial Highway (Loop 375) and the Liberty Expressway (Spur 601).

The series of Open Houses for this project will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the following locations:

Monday, November 4, 2013
El Dorado High School – Library Lobby
12401 Edgemere Blvd. El Paso, TX 79938

Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Parkland High School  - Cafeteria 
5932 Quail Ave. El Paso, TX 79924

Thursday, November 7, 2013
R.E.L. Washington Elementary School - Gymnasium

3505 N. Lee Trevino Dr. El Paso, TX 79936

Regarding a meeting about the park entrance, one veteran observer said: "It is very inconvenient to have a public hearing 'halfway between Thanksgiving and Christmas' when everyone is busy to the max."  

The Fix Is In

I'm tired of this endless saga of bike share and TxDOT. Today's Transportation Policy Board of the MPO convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt that the fix is in and has been in for some time. Here's how it is going to go down and why.

In answering a question from Courtney Niland, TxDOT's Bob Bielek once again repeated in many more words than necessary the bottom line: TxDOT sees no benefit cost to spending CMAQ money for a bike share program. Mayor Leeser then stated it best: "In other words, the answer is 'no'." It doesn't take a B.S. (and I don't necessarily mean an undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree) to figure this one out.

The motion from Joyce Wilson basically stated that we will wait one more month to be told the same thing again so that we can use the money for the Border Patrol bridge project. Bielek made clear that CMAQ money could not go for personnel but for structure. You watch and see how the money taken and spent on personnel will be justified as structure in some way. Wilson and others repeated two new themes (new to the public not to themselves). The first was that, if we can't do this big bike share program, we will do a smaller program and then fund it more as more money comes available (or not).  The other theme: let's all make sure that this current fussing over money doesn't damage our relationship with a great agency - viz., TxDOT. They're worried about ruffled feathers!? I don't think so. They (the City Manager's office) wants to make sure that this appearance of a disagreement is sustained but that anyone who really, truly believed it will now be ready to make nice and move on.

The mantra from city of El Paso officials was this: Just tell us if TxDOT will release those funds or not. How many times and how many ways can Bielek say publicly that the will of the people of El Paso and their elected representatives means nothing to the most powerful agency in the State of Texas especially when they are most probably in cahoots with the top people in El Paso city government (who were probably driving this from the beginning) and there is a stupid belief that throwing away the CMAQ money will really help improve bridge times - until the money runs out and there is new federal bloat to pay for in perpetuity never mind that the the better answer is to re-prioritize the personnel that the Border Patrol already has.

Here's how the deal went and how it will go down. I already related to you an August 12th email gathered from an open records request in which Bielek says: "Why are we complicating this? The discussion prior to the MPO meeting with the Mayor [Leeser of El Paso], Representative Pickett and Mike Medina (Director of EPMPO) was based on deprogramming the bike share program so that those funds could be used in the pilot program to decrease congestion at the bridges. The city would look for funds elsewhere."

Elpasonaturally has learned that Wilson was already looking for money for the bridge project and  was hoping for some money from the MPO for her "smaller program" (throw the bike riders a spoonful of refried beans). All of this back and forth has gone on first because we do have representatives like Senator Rodriguez and Naomi Gonzalez and Joe Moody who have principles; and, second, process window dressing to convince us that everything that could be done was done: We talked to everyone. TxDOT won't release the funds. We've got to get along. Let's put the money for the bridge and give a token nod to bike share. 

Somebody please tell me why the City is fixing a federal government problem and, for that matter, not even fixing it - or, what they propose won't really fix it. 

I hope that those who see a future better than Big Oil, automobiles, consumer economies will really start pointing out that those currently in power are playing games and doing it behind closed doors - all of the public process is just for show. I also hope that our representatives will continue to stand up against this current city sham. After all, it really would just be easy to release the CMAQ funds intended for a bike share program in El Paso to go to a bike share program in El Paso. This would be a lot easier than months of putting on a show.