An Animal Corridor? Really?

Do these pictures . . . 

look like this:

Unless there is some magic left for TxDOT to do, it isn't even remotely the same as the plans shown for an animal corridor.

Lois Balin, our Urban Wildlife Biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department had this to say after visiting the site:

"I inspected the wildlife crossing with Rick Bonart on Friday afternoon.  I am sincerely hoping that they are not finished with it yet.  Currently, there are many shortfalls.  It looks more like a new entrance to FMSP than a wildlife crossing.  There are wide graded roads along 375 on the south side as well as continuing on through the underpass into the park on the north side.  It currently does not look very wildlife friendly.  There is a very steep enormous drop off on the south side of the crossing that does not encourage the use of wildlife.  I see no significant difference in grades for the humans and wildlife.  I thought there would be a narrow surfaced section for the hikers and bikers and a wide natural and soft earthen section for the wildlife.  I had suggested using a barrier between the two sections.  I see no difference whatsoever at this point. The surface is hard and compacted.  Of course, they are not finished.  I can only hope they  will reduce the steep grade on the south and use natural surfaces and native vegetation to make it more attractive to wildlife.  Also, I didn’t see a funneling fence into the corridor as yet."

As to Ms. Balin's observation that "[i]t looks more like a new entrance to FMSP" - it does. I too have inspected it and the "road" not corridor ends where eastbound Transmountain is. Another entrance for vehicles to the park? Is it in anticipation of the new FMSP Visitor's Center? That Center was to have been built on the eastside of the mountain near the current Archaeological Museum. Concerns about water and electrical utilities have dictated a change to the opposite side near the entrance of the Tom Mays Unit.

Something is very wrong here.

FMSP Corridor Project Lets!

It's official. TxDOT is now calling for bids for the FMSP connectivity project (animal corridor with a hike and bike trail). The corridor will be constructed near the entrance to the Tom Mays Unit of the Franklin Mountains State Park. The El Paso conservation community has long awaited for TxDOT to ask for bids and then begin and complete the project. Here we go.

Click image to enlarge.

To see the bid online go to http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/cmd/lettingschedule/2016/current-month.pdf and scroll to page 68.

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.

O'Rourke Gives Strong Support to FMSP Connectivity Proposal

In a letter to a TxDOT official, Congressman Beto O'Rourke supports the most recent entrance proposal because it offers safety and connectivity. He applauds TxDOT for working with "the community, environmental groups, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department". 

Here is his letter:

O'Rourke Letter to TxDOT on FMSP Connectivity 

Click to enlarge.

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

Now the Bad News from the MPO: No State Park Entrance

At the Metropolitan Planning Organization/Transportation Policy Board meeting last Friday (7/13/13) State Rep. Marisa Marquez spoke in favor of an appropriate entrance to the Tom Mays section of the Franklin Mountains State Park (FMSP) and asked what funding might be possible.  The board listened respectfully as Richard Teschner, Pat White, Scott White, Lois Balin and Judy Ackerman spoke in favor of TxDOT’s option 4, the underpass that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has determined to be the safe and appropriate entrance for the Park.  

The MPO looked at 47 projects for the 2014-2016 four-year Transportation Improvement Program funding.  The desired FMSP Entrance was one of four projects that was not included.  Members of the public spoke about other projects in the TIP.  Then without further board discussion, they voted to approve the list of 47 projects.  The FMSP entrance project is still in the 20 year Metropolitan Transportation Plan but there is no immediate funding for it.

El Paso Times report: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_23653206/new-park-entrance-doesnt-get-priority

Whatever Bielek Wants, Bielek Gets

We may have to re-write the words of the popular Richard Adler and Barry Ross song "Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets" from the 1955 musical, "Damn Yankees".  It will go like this: "Whatever Bielek wants, Bielek gets."




In a recent email to Rep. Jody Pickett, Judy Ackerman wrote:

From: judy Ackerman [mailto:jpackerman53@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, July 08, 2013 8:26 AM
To: jill.breitinger@house.state.tx.us; joe.pickett@house.state.tx.us
Cc: Escobar Veronica Asst. Ruben Vogt; vgescobar@gmail.com; Escobar, Judge's asst Celeste A. Varela; CountyJudge@epcounty.com; TxDOT ProjectManager Tony Uribe; TXDOT Bob Bielek; Moody Campaign Daniel Mahoney; Moody, Joseph; Moody, Joe For El Paso; joe.moody@house.state.tx.us; ngonzalez@bowlawfirm.com; Gonzalez, Naomi District76; Rodriguez, Jose Asst Corinne ; Rodriguez, Jose for Senate; Rodriguez Leg Aid Sushma Smith; Rodriguez, Aid Cecilia Rodriguez; Teschner, Richard; mary.gonzalez@house.state.tx.us; naomi.gonzalez@house.state.tx.us; marisa.marquez@house.state.tx.us; Marquez, Marisa State Rep Dist 77
Subject: Move Project Forward, FMSP Entrance

Dear TX State Representative Joe Pickett,

We need your guidance on how to ensure a timely resolution to a safe and effective entrance to the Tom Mays Section of the Franklin Mountains State Park.  At the Apr 2013 meetings of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Transportation Policy Board (TPB), I understood that an entrance option would be selected (with public input) THIS FY so that funding would be locked in by the first quarter of next FY.  However, communication with Bob Bielek (below) indicates considerable delays. 

Note the original schedule:

Click on image to enlarge.

Thank you for your help.  I look forward to your suggestions on how to move this project forward.

Judy Ackerman

The communication with Bielek was this email:

From: Bob Bielek [mailto:Robert.Bielek@txdot.gov]
Sent: Sunday, July 07, 2013 2:15 PM
To: judy Ackerman
Cc: Tony Uribe; Eddie Valtier
Subject: Bielek Re: Entrance to Franklin Mountains State Park

Ms. Ackerman:

As I told you, we have a large number of projects that are letting this month and next which have our staff fully occupied. I have asked the project manager, Tony Uribe, to have the consultants look at Dr. Bonart's suggestion as well as any others that may be similar. I also requested that we ask the folks at TPW about migration/forage trails. I know we have asked for this information before without sucess but will do so again.

I expect that we will get heavily involved in this project again after the letting rush is over, probably in September. Should you have any further questions please feel free to contact me.
Bob Bielek sent from my Blackberry

He had previously called Judy and Judy reported that he told her that [h]is preferred option is #6 [option 4 is supported by the TPWD and local environmentalists] with no change to original plans for the expansion of Transmountain Rd, at grade entrance with eastbound vehicles using a left turn lane and crossing 2 lanes of traffic headed down hill, west.

"He talked at length about a short span bridge, under Transmountain Rd, for hikers, bikers, and animals that would be located between the old entrance and the 3 culverts at the bottom of the arroyo."

Conservation activist, Dr. Richard Teschner, offered this comment to other comments Mr. Bielek made and which Ackerman had written down and shared with Teschner in an email:

Cleverly, TxDOT District Engineer Bob Bielek is seeking to give the impression that we’re still in the early stages of discussing the Tom Mays Entrance. Some quotes from Judy’s notes: 'TxDOT received one suggestion.' False. TxDoT received dozens of suggestions earlier this year, including one long one from me. 

'After the end of year rush, the end of August, [Mr. Bielek] will look at the Park Entrance project and the related environmental process.' Misleading. This project has been being “looked at” since before Mr. Bielek assumed the district engineership at the beginning of September, 2012. 

'He [Mr. Bielek] prefers option 6 [which] is the do nothing, no change, no cost option.” True—and that is the option he’s supported since last fall. '  I asked if he was working with TPWD and got a vague answer about 'somebody should be talking with them.' There’s no “should be” about it. Scott Boruff, Deputy Executive Director for Operations, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, has been talking with equally-high-up officials at TxDOT about the Tom Mays Entrance since (again) before Mr. Bielek took on the job of El Paso-area District Engineer, and has continued to do so thereafter. 

'Mr. Bielek was particularly interested in any work TPWD has done on identifying ‘defined migratory trails’.' If he picked up the phone he could learn. I suspect, however, that “defined migratory trails” is a red herring, one that TxDOT may hope will delay further consideration of Option 4 until the time has passed for it to be funded. (Another way in which “defined migratory trails” can be used as an Option-4 killer: to hope that such trails lie either well within the Park and thus way to the east of the Tom Mays Entrance, or way to the west of the Entrance and thus within an area zoned “commercial” or “residential.”) 

'Mr. Bielek expects no problem with east[-]bound traffic entering the park by turning left across 2 lanes of traffic headed downhill, westbound' etc. This “expectation” conveniently—shockingly—overlooks the rationale that TxDOT repeatedly used three years ago when appearing before City Council in defense of its proposed West Transmountain Loop 375 freeway: that the Safety Of The Public is the primary reason the freeway must be built. Vehicles entering Tom Mays are not public maybe? 

'Mr. Bielek expects to hold a public comment after Aug 2013.' Fine: we’ll be as ready for this public comment as we were for the previous public comment, a public comments whose public comments somehow didn’t get recorded, let alone publicized, by the TxDOT folks who were running the show. 

'In the environmental process he will look for ‘categorical exclusion’ and a finding of no significant environmental impact[;] otherwise there will be extensive delays.' Of course “extensive delays” will enable any option other than Option 6 (“Do nothing; retain the Entrance as it—at grade level”) to get defunded.

I also note how far off mark the “Project Development Schedule” is, and how parts of it put paid to the notion that Schedule is a paramount concern by TxDOT. See especially “Anticipated Environmental Approval—Spring 2013” and “Construction Letting—May 2013.” I also note the “Public Hearing” bullet: “Dec 2012/Jan 2013.” The public hearing/public comment was held back then. To schedule yet another one (“Mr. Bielek expects to hold a public comment after Aug 2013”) is at best disingenuous, at worst cynical and self-serving (as in, “Whoops, this meeting came too late”).

Joe Hardy/El Paso Citizens: "We have to keep training and strict rules and all that."

Lola/Bob Bielek: "You can tell me all them rules!"

Joe/El Paso:  "You're making things very complicated."

Lola/Bielek:  "Then be good boy."

Joe/El Paso:  "I'm trying to."

Lola/Bielek:  "And do like Lola tells you to do."

Update on FMSP Entrance

From Judy Ackerman:

Park Entrance – Vigilance Needed

Expect more calls for action to ensure a safe and appropriate entrance to the Tom Mays Section of our Franklin Mountains State Park (FMSP).  As you know, TX Parks and Wildlife Department prefers TxDOT’s option 4 and El Pasoans agree.  That option would create an underpass to facilitate hikers, bikers, and wildlife crossing in addition to vehicular access and serve as a vital connection between north and south portions of FMSP.

At the 15 Apr 2013 Special Meeting of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Transportation Policy Board (TPB), members acknowledged hearing from you, the public, and discussed this topic at length.  The ball is in TxDOT’s court.  El Paso’s transportation expert, State Representative Joe Pickett, said, “… options are still being looked at since the environmental has not been completed.  The [TxDOT] district engineer [Bob Bielek] has committed to the project in 2014, but not sure what option would be proposed or at what cost….  At this point, it is up to TxDOT to provide the when, and how much.”

FMWC alert system will keep you informed on breaking news and ask you to contact elected and appointed officials as necessary.  For background information, see our website:  www.franklinmountains.org/. You can also subscribe to ElPasoNaturally at www.elpasonaturally.blogspot.com/.