Honkin' Mad

Visit the Fort Worth Stock Show, and leave the driving to bus operators (and cattle herders)

Fans of the Fort Worth Stock Show who don’t like being herded into the Will Rogers Memorial Center’s parking lots – and paying for it – have another option.

Shuttle buses are available 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the weekends, with departures about every half-hour from the Macy’s at Ridgmar Mall, 2008 Green Oaks Road in west Fort Worth, and about every 20 minutes from Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza in north Fort Worth.

Parking is free at the shuttle pickup spots. Fare to ride the bus is $1 per person each way.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority will operate the shuttles Saturday, Sunday (Jan. 28-29) and the final Stock Show day Feb. 4.

For more information, visit www.the-t.com or call 817-215-8600.

@gdickson 

Heavier trucks may be coming to America's highways; Congress may increase max weight to 97,000 pounds, up from 80,000

Opponents worry that allowing heavier trucks on highways will severely damage roads and especially bridges.

Speed limit going up to 75 mph on another 1,500 miles of Texas highways; 80 mph limit still in place in West Texas

Good news for Texas leadfoots. The speed limit soon will be increasing on nearly 1,500 miles of highway - although motorists are strongly encouraged to obey the old speed limit until they see the new signs.

“The new speed limit is not official until the signs go up,” said Carol Rawson, Texas Department of Transportation traffic operations director.

Highways will be posted for 75 mph in 60 counties after the Texas Transportation Commission on Thursday approved the change. The decision came after speed studies were conducted on the roads, where the current posted speed limit is 70 mph.

Where will the new speed limits be posted?

• Interstate 10 — 289 miles across the counties of El Paso, Gillespie, Kerr, Kendall, Bexar, Guadalupe, Caldwell, Gonzales, Fayette, Colorado, Austin, Jefferson and Orange.
• Interstate 20 — 423 miles across the counties of Crane, Ector, Midland, Martin, Howard, Mitchell, Nolan, Taylor, Callahan, Eastland, Erath, Palo Pinto, Van Zandt, Smith, Gregg and Harrison.
• Interstate 27 — 109 miles across the counties of Lubbock, Hale, Swisher and Randall.
• Interstate 30 — 139 miles across the counties of Hunt, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Morris and Bowie.
• Interstate 35 — 106 miles across the counties of Webb, Medina, Atascosa, Bexar, Hill and Cooke.
• Interstate 37 — 130 miles across the counties of Nueces, San Patricio, Live Oak, Atascosa and Bexar.
• Interstate 40 — 166 miles across the counties of Deaf Smith, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Donley and Wheeler.
• Interstate 44 — 11 miles across Wichita County.
• Interstate 45 — 143 miles across the counties of Walker, Madison, Leon, Freestone and Navarro.

Four other highways in Central Texas got the new speed limit late last year. Once all the signs are up, there will be total of 3,063 miles of highway in Texas with a 75 mph speed limit.

And, of course, Texas is famous (safety advocates might say infamous) for its 80 mph speed limit on 521 miles of Interstates 10 and 20 in west Texas.

That's a grand total of 3,584 miles of road in which the speed limit is 75 or greater.

@gdickson

Rescuers throw a line to motorist stranded in Haltom City flood water, but passing drivers hamper the effort

Apparently, some Fort Worth/Haltom City motorists are so eager to get wherever they're going, they're not willing to get out of the way of rescuers trying to throw a life line to person stranded in flood water.

@gdickson

North Texas Tollway Authority board member resigns, takes gig at Texas Historical Commission

The North Texas Tollway Authority is losing one of its nine board members. Robert Shepard of Weatherford resigned from the board late last week.

But the longtime American Airlines pilot apparently plans to stay busy. On Tuesday, an official with the Texas Historical Commission confirmed that Shepard had been appointed to that agency's board.

“As I consider other opportunities to serve the state of Texas, I leave the NTTA board of directors during a time of exponential growth and accomplishment,” Shepard said in his resignation letter. “It has been particularly gratifying to work with my fellow board members during my tenure as we worked to deliver mobility solutions such as the Chisholm Trail Parkway (NTTA’s first project in Tarrant County), Sam Rayburn Tollway, Lewisville Lake Toll Bridge and President George Bush Turnpike Eastern Extension to the citizens of the North Texas region."

Gov. Rick Perry will be asked to appoint a successor to the tollway board. The other eight board members are appointed by the four largest counties in North Texas -- Tarrant, Dallas, Denton and Collin.

@gdickson

William Shatner's Priceline TV character killed off; Bus group says commercial is in bad taste

William Shatner's Priceline Negotiator character is apparently killed off in the company's latest commercial - in a fiery bus crash. And the American Bus Association is crying foul.

The association, which represents the long-distance bus industry, says the commercial that began running Monday is "in very poor taste."

"ABA believes the commercial damages the reputation of our industry and the hardworking men and women who drive buses, maintain them and do all of the work to safely carry hundreds of thousands each day," association spokesman Don Ronan said in a press release. "ABA is asking Priceline to take the spot out of circulation immediately."

In it, Shatner's character is among several people on a bus that has crashed into a bridge and is dangling over the edge. He hurries the others out the back of the bus and encourages them to use Priceline to find a hotel and "save yourselves ... some money." The bus then topples over the side of the bridge with Shatner aboard. 

The association also invited the real-life Shatner to ride in a motor coach, so he see for himself how safe the mode of travel really is. To read the bus association's full press release, click here.

@gdickson 

 

Driver in Abilene Christian bus crash may have shut his eyes for a few seconds

Driver fatigue has been linked to a November bus crash that killed one person and injured 15 others, according to this report.

Photo KTXS.com

Security stepped up after 18 car break-ins at Trinity Railway Express Hurst/Bell Station

FORT WORTH -- Security has been increased at the Trinity Railway Express' Hurst/Bell Station after a rash of vehicle burglaries Wednesday afternoon.

Authorities reported that 18 vehicles were broken into and one vehicle was stolen from the park-and-ride lot, 3232 Bell Spur Drive, on Wednesday before 4 p.m., T Vice President Anthony Johnson said.

Officials are reviewing surveillance footage and have posted undercover officers at the lot, Johnson said. The T will distribute a memo to riders encouraging them to put away valuables, such as GPS units and radar detectors, Johnson said.

"The station is in a remote area," he said. "When the arrival frequency of the trains dwindles around noon, there's hardly anyone out there until the afternoon."

Officers from the East Division Criminal Investigation Unit have been assigned to investigate the thefts, police said.

-- Mitch Mitchell

Fort Worth installing showers for employees to bike to work. Is the plan all wet?

Advocates of giving people alternatives to driving to work alone have often said that employers could go a long way toward encouraging employees to cycle to work by installing showers in the workplace. Fort Worth is doing that, but now the Star-Telegram's Watchdog columnist Dave Lieber asks if the estimated $50,000 cost is a worthwhile expense at a time when the city is struggling to make ends meet, furloughing workers, etc.

@gdickson

Photo: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/leedsbug/work.htm

Oversize truck strikes Grapevine bridge; Huge traffic mess! Texas 114/121 closing at 8 pm tonight for emergency inspection

Motorists traveling through Grapevine can expect big delays this afternoon -- and those planning to go through the city after 8 p.m. tonight may want to find another route altogether.

Eastbound Texas 114 and northbound Texas 121 is reduced to two lanes after a large commercial truck crashed into bridge supports at the Texan Trail overpass. There is concern that the structural integrity of the bridge has been compromised. The eastbound side of the freeway will be completely shut down tonight for an emergency bridge inspection, Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Hartzel said.

All lanes are still open on the westbound side of Texas 114 -- which also serves as southbound Texas 121, in this area of the Metroplex where the two highways are merged.

The area of this crash is about a mile west of the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport north entrance. Travelers wishing to catch a flight may wish to use the airport's south entrance at Texas 183, near the Euless/Irving border. Through traffic may also want to use Texas 183, or cut through the airport at Glade Road or Mid-Cities Boulevard.

The truck was carrying an oversized load that was too tall for the bridge, a Grapevine police official said.

"There is evidence that the 18-wheeler was hauling a load that was a little too tall and hit the bottom of the bridge," Sgt. Robert Eberling said. "He was hauling some sort of Caterpillar implement."

Grapevine's commercial vehicle inspection team investigated the crash and "did find violations," Eberling said. However, Eberling said he hadn't seen the final report and wasn't sure if the driver had been ticketed.

The two outside lanes on the freeway's eastbound side will be closed until 8 p.m., at which time all eastbound traffic will be shut down and detoured to side roads, police said. But motorists planning to use the corridor during rush hour should be ready for long delays.

The freeway will re-open by 6 a.m. Friday.

For local Grapevine traffic, Texan Trail is shut down in both directions until further notice, and motorists are being detoured to Main Street.

If the bridge is seriously damaged, it could present an interesting dilemma for the transportation department and NorthGate Constructors, the firm hired to rebuild the Texas 114/121 DFW Connector corridor. Part of the Texan Trail bridge is scheduled to be demolished and replaced this year -- including some work on the northbound side of the bridge scheduled for next week -- so it will be interesting to see if this crash forces officials to either demolish the bridge sooner than previously scheduled, or perhaps make temporary repairs to get the bridge back up to specifications, only to tear it down later.

But that's getting ahead of ourselves. Let's let the inspectors get in there tonight and assess the damage.

@gdickson

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North Texas Tollway Authority approves new ethics, conflict of interest policy; board members must disclose more of their income, business ties

North Texas Tollway Authority board members will be required to share more details of their personal incomes with the public, and won't be allowed to participate in discussions of matters in which they have even an apparent conflict of interest.

Those are among the highlights of a new ethics policy that was approved unanimously Wednesday by the nine-member tollway board.

“When people trust each other in organizations, they work more productively and the business thrives,” tollway general counsel Thomas Bamonte said during a presentation of the new rules.

The board also named Bamonte as its permanent ethics officer. In that position, he will serve as a special advisor in determining when a board member should or shouldn’t abstain from a discussion or a vote, or report income from a company with tollway authority ties. The new policy encourages board members to report possible or even apparent conflicts of interest to the ethics officer, board chairman and executive director – and empowers those officials to informally rule whether enough of a conflict exists to restrict the board member’s involvement in a proceeding. If an agreement can't be reached, the ethical question can then go to the full tollway board for a formal vote.

Several board members applauded the new policy, and said they're eager to move forward after some prickly conflict of interest problems surfaced last year. In October, the agency disclosed in a Chisholm Trail Parkway bond report that the FBI had opened an inquiry into possible conflicts of interest involving tollway officials.

"I think it's going to help us shine a bright light on the entire operation of the agency," board chairman Kenneth Barr of Fort Worth said. "We will be discussing this in the next few weeks, as the board meets and we try to get started on training. I think it's important to move quickly in extending these items to the senior staff, too."

In October, the Star-Telegram reported on several potential conflicts of interest involving board members. Barr, for example, disclosed that he had prior business relationships with lawyers who had been hired to perform legal work related to the Chisholm Trail Parkway project.

Early in 2011 Barr had made a motion that the minority-owned firm Newby-Davis -- comprised of Gov. Rick Perry's former chief of staff Brian Newby, who is African-American, and state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth -- be hired to handle right-of-way legal matters for Chisholm Trail Parkway, which is now under construction.

Newby and Davis are both lawyers with Fort Worth's Cantey Hanger firm. Barr keeps an office in Cantey Hanger's building on the west side of downtown Fort Worth. In 2009, Barr, Newby and Cantey Hanger attorney David Chappell formed a partnership named Barr Newby Chappell Consulting, according to records at the secretary of state's office. Nearly two years later, when the tollway board voted unanimously to hire Newby Davis, Barr said it was an oversight that he didn't ask the tollway authority's legal counsel whether he should abstain because of his past relationship with Newby and Chappell. He said he had forgotten about the 2009 partnership, which had been for a business opportunity that never materialized and was dissolved.

Also, Barr's brother Andrew Barr is employed by the tollway's long-time outside legal firm, Locke Lord -- although Andrew Barr has never worked on a tollway-related business.

Another board member, David Denison of Lewisville, disclosed last year that he had a prior business relationship with an investment firm that sold property for the Chisholm Trail Parkway, a planned 28-mile toll road from I-30 near downtown Fort Worth to U.S. 67 in Cleburne.

The tollway authority's legal counsel determined that Barr and Denison didn't have conflicts of interest under the agency's old rules.

But critics said those old rules didn't go far enough, and didn't require nearly as much financial disclosure as other state and local government bodies.

Board member Michael Nowels of Lewisville expressed frustration during Wednesday's discussion. He asked Bamonte to clarify that the new ethics policy "does nothing but strengthen and clarify" rules that have been on the tollway's books for years -- and Bamonte agreed with the essence of that comment.

Board member Victor Vandergriff of Arlington had a similar take, but he said the importance of appearances can't be oversold.

For example, in 2007-08, then tollway chairman Paul Wageman of Plano often recused himself from tollway board votes involving items with even a remote tie to his law firm, Winstead. Yet during that time, Wageman did participate in discussions about how to get the Chisholm Trail Parkway project over the Union Pacific Railroad's Davidson Yard in west Fort Worth -- even though Winstead had represented the railroad.

Technically, the new policy would not have prohibited Wageman from participating, Vandergriff said. But it would have required tollway leadership to discuss the matter, and understand how Wageman’s continued participation might look to the public and give members an opportunity to object.

"I don't necessarily believe our directors have done an improper action. Paul, I think it was once said he would run over his own mother if it would not put the NTTA in a bad light," Vandergriff said. "It's just the way we handled it. It was that we didn't have to report the appearance, and we addressed that today."

The new policy will require board members to fill out financial disclosure forms annually each January -- although members were given until February to fill out the forms in the first year.

@gdickson

Bridge demolition coming to west Fort Worth; West Seventh Street to get makeoverr

The West Seventh Street bridge will be closed for part of 2013 for demolition and replacement.

Single women ages 25 to 34 drawn to downtown Fort Worth lifestyle, study finds

Lifestyle is the main reason more woman live in downtown Fort Worth than men, a recently completed survey shows.

Nearly 5 years after the I-35W Minneapolis bridge collapse, many Fort Worth structures are in poor shape

A Star-Telegram review of bridge inspection records found 29 bridges in Tarrant County with a sufficiency rating below 50 on a 100-point scale.

Map: Troubled bridges of Tarrant County

View Bad bridges in a larger map

This list shows 29 bridges that scored a sufficiency rating below 50 on a 100-point scale, according to the 2010 National Bridge Inventory kept by the Federal Highway Administration.

The scores reflect inspections in 2008, 2009 and early 2010. The descriptions include observations from the most recent inspection reports available, including some inspections conducted in 2011.

The latest information available is used. Texas Department of Transportation officials say that, since the 2010 inventory was published, 16 of the bridges have been repaired or replaced, or soon will be.

The bridges are listed by score, lowest first.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Score: 7

Bridge: I-35W northbound frontage road, north of Basswood Boulevard, far north Fort Worth.
Year built: 1967
Vehicles per day: 12,000
Why the low score? Culvert on a dead-end road that was briefly closed in 2009. State officials say the low score is a glitch. The fact that the bridge was closed at inspection time, and its load ratings were adjusted, artificially dropped its score, they said. The road has since been re-opened, and its next inspection score will be about 77.7, the same rating the bridge had in 2007.

---

Score: 13.7
Bridge: East First Street, 0.9-mile east of Beach Street, east Fort Worth.
Year built: 1936
Vehicles per day: 3,680
Why the low score? Abutment threatened by sloughing at nearby channel. Bridge footings exposed. Evidence of scouring. "The founding material appears to be very erodible," inspectors wrote. Scheduled to be replaced in 2015, at a cost of about $11 million.

---

Score: 21.8
Bridge: Bowman Springs Road, 0.6-mile south of I-20, south Fort Worth.
Year built: 1939
Vehicles per day: 3,810
Why the low score? Cracks resembling alligator skin on asphalt deck. Spalling and delamination around drain holes. Up to four feet of scouring up and downstream. "The northwest and northeast wing walls are separated from the abutment wall and have failed," inspectors wrote. Scheduled to get repairs totaling $1.9 million.

---

Score: 24.2
Bridge: Cattle Baron Drive, 0.2-mile south of Confederate Park Road, Lake Worth
Year built: 1962
Vehicles per day: 1,200
Why the low score? New channel and bridge completed as of Sept. 13, 2011.

---

Score: 29.2
Bridge: South Stewart Street, 0.1-mile south of Main Street, Azle
Year built: 1939
Vehicles per day: 3,430
Why the low score? Honeycomb-style erosion on column. Spalling on deck joint. Timber back wall rotted at various locations. Improvements scheduled in 2012.

---

Score: 31.2
Bridge: West Division Street, 2.7 miles east of East Loop 820, Arlington
Year built: 1947
Vehicles per day: 19,300
Why the low score? Replaced in 2011.

---

Score: 31.5
Bridge: Silver Creek Road, 1.5 miles south of Confederate Park Road, Lake Worth
Year built: 1950
Vehicles per day: 7,900
Why the low score? Spalling at railing. Cracking on all spans. Minor undermining of south abutment at east end. Exposed rebar. Scheduled for improvement in 2014.

---

Score: 31.5
Bridge: Silver Creek Road, 2.5 miles south of Confederate Park Road, Lake Worth
Year built: 1940
Vehicles per day: 8,100
Why the low score? Hairline cracking with leaching. Spalling on north back wall. Scheduled for improvement in 2014.

---

Score: 32.8
Bridge: Farm Road 156, 9.5 miles north of Northwest Loop 820, Haslet
Year built: 1949
Vehicles per day: 9,700
Why the low score? Functionally obsolete bridge has been replaced.

---

Score: 33.7
Bridge: Elm Street, 0.13-mile east of U.S. 377, Keller
Year built: 1950
Vehicles per day: 2,590
Why the low score? Heavy spalling, cracking and erosion. Exposed rebar. Drains clogged. Plan to replace bridge in 2006 canceled.

---

Score: 33.5
Bridge: North Main Street, Trinity River, downtown Fort Worth
Year built: 1914
Vehicles per day: 13,600
Why the low score? Minor to moderate vertical cracking on concrete arch bridge spans. Arch post misalignment. Floor beams cracking, spalling and delaminating at various locations. Historically protected structure. Rehabilitation currently underway, at an estimated cost of $2.8 million.

---

Score: 35
Bridge: West Vickery Boulevard, over Henderson Street, south Fort Worth
Year built: 1930
Vehicles per day: 10
Why the low score? Bridge closed in 2002, after reconstruction of the nearby I-30/35W Mixmaster. Long spalled area with exposed rebar. Scheduled for demolition and removal in 2014.

---

Score: 38.5
Bridge: West Seventh Street, Trinity River, downtown Fort Worth
Year built: 1913
Vehicles per day: 12,010
Why the low score? Extensive delamination, spalling, cracking and exposed rebar. Sidewalk overhang supports are delaminating. "There are areas where chunks of concrete have fallen to the ground," inspectors wrote. "Bearing pad material (possibly lead) is squeezing out."
A contractor has been hired to replace the bridge by fall 2013, at a cost of $24.1 million. Parts will be manufactured off-site beginning this year, and installed in 2013.

---

Score: 41.5
Bridge: Burleson Retta Road, three miles east of I-35W (near Spinks Airport), south Fort Worth
Year built: 1939
Vehicles per day: 3,960
Why the low score? Scour below abutment walls has exposed footing of the back wall, wing walls and columns. Material behind the west back wall is falling out. Erosion of banks upstream and downstream.

---

Score: 41.7
Bridge: South University Drive, southbound across Trinity River, west Fort Worth
Year built: 1936
Vehicles per day: 17,330
Why the low score? Deck surface spalling and cracking. Bottom of deck has honeycombing with exposed rebar. Asphalt in truss span is worn, cracking and spalling at joints. Gusset plate deformed with possible pack rust. Functionally obsolete.

---

Score: 41.7
Bridge: Main Street over Texas 183, Euless
Year built: 1970
Vehicles per day: 14,800
Why the low score? Bottom side of slab has longitudinal cracking with leaching. Functionally obsolete.

---

Score: 43.3
Bridge: West Lancaster Avenue, over Foch Street, 0.3-mile east of Camp Bowie Boulevard
Year built: 1938
Vehicles per day: 6,910
Why the low score? Functionally obsolete. Superstructure in fair condition, with structural elements sound but minor loss of section or cracking, spalling or scour. Substructure is good. Deck is very good.

---

Score: 43.9
Bridge: Forest Hill Drive, near Carriage Hill Drive (near City Hall), Forest Hill
Year built: 1986
Vehicles per day: 17,980
Why the low score? Substructure in poor condition with advanced spalling, scouring or other deterioration. Superstructure in fair condition, with minor section loss. Deck has minor deterioration.

---

Score: 43.9
Bridge: Forest Hill Drive, near Valley Forge Trail, Forest Hill
Year built: 1986
Vehicles per day: 16,570
Why the low score? Substructure in poor condition with advanced spalling, scouring or other deterioration. Superstructure in fair condition, with minor section loss. Deck has minor deterioration.

---

Score: 44.1
Bridge: Hulen Street northbound, 2.1 miles south of I-30, west Fort Worth
Year built: 1968
Vehicles per day: 19,045
Why the low score? Functionally obsolete. Minor deterioration of deck and substructure. Superstructure is good. Replacement planned by 2013 as part of Chisholm Trail Parkway project.

---

Score: 44.1
Bridge: Hulen Street southbound, 2.1 miles south of I-30, west Fort Worth
Year built: 1968
Vehicles per day: 19,045
Why the low score? Functionally obsolete. Minor deterioration of deck. Superstructure and substructure are good.. Replacement planned by 2013 as part of Chisholm Trail Parkway project.

---

Score: 44.2
Bridge: Keller-Haslet Road North, 0.7-mile north of Farm Road 156, Haslet
Year built: 1940
Vehicles per day: 1,160
Why the low score? Culverts scored poor, which could mean large spalls, heavy scaling, wide cracks or opened construction joint permitting loss of backfill. Other problems could include settlement or misalignment, scouring or erosion at curtain walls, wing walls or pipes.
Channels are fair, meaning bank protection could be eroding.

---

Score: 45.2
Bridge: South Cravens Road, southwest corner of East Loop 820 and East Rosedale Street, southeast Fort Worth
Year built: 1952
Vehicles per day: 1,490
Why the low score? Culverts are rated poor, which could mean large spalls, heavy scaling, wide cracks or opened construction joint permitting loss of backfill. Other problems could include settlement or misalignment, scouring or erosion at curtain walls, wing walls or pipes. Channels are fair, meaning bank protection could be eroding. Scheduled for improvement in 2013, design complete.

---

Score: 45.6
Bridge: Shawnee Trail, 0.7-mile north of Loop 820 southwest of Texas 199, Lake Worth
Year built: 1962
Vehicles per day: 3,700
Why the low score? Bridge replaced in 2011, at a cost of $546,000. Deck was very good, but substructure was poor.

---

Score: 46.3
Bridge: Chapin Road, 0.1-mile west of West Loop 820, west Fort Worth (Chapin and Alameda area)
Year built: 1944
Vehicles per day: 700
Why the low score? Substructure is poor, with advanced spalling, scouring or other deterioration. Improvement scheduled in 2013, design complete.

---

Score: 47.2
Br idge: Nine Mile Bridge Road, 0.4-mile southeast of Texas 199, Lake Worth
Year built: 1926
Vehicles per day: 60
Why the low score? Superstructure and substructure in fair condition. Primary structural elements are sound but there may be minor section loss, cracking, spalling or scour. Scheduled for demolition and removal in 2014.

---

Score: 47.8
Bridge: Old Denton Road, 0.2-mile north of Keller-Haslet Road, far north Fort Worth (just east of Alliance Airport)
Year built: 1939
Vehicles per day: 240
Why the low score? Substructure is poor, with advanced spalling, scouring or other deterioration. Superstructure and deck are satisfactory, with minor deterioration.

---

Score: 47.7
Bridge: Silver Creek Road, 1.4 miles south of Confederate Park Road, far northwest Fort Worth (near Lake Worth)
Year built: 1939
Vehicles per day: 7,900
Why the low score? Bridge is functionally obsolete. Deck and superstructure are fair. Primary structural elements are sound but there may be minor section loss, cracking, spalling or scour. Substructure is satisfactory.

---

Score: 48.3
Bridge: South Pipeline Road, 0.1-mile west of American Boulevard, far northeast Fort Worth (near Euless)
Year built: 1938
Vehicles per day: 1,400
Why the low score? Functionally obsolete bridge has been replaced. Cost: $831,000. Superstructure was in fair shape, with all primary structural elements sound but minor section loss, cracking, spalling or scour. Deck and substructure were satisfactory. Scheduled for improvement this year. Design complete. Waiting for right-of-way agreement with American Airlines.

 

A NOTE ON TERMS

Words in the inspectors’ notes that may be unfamiliar:

Delamination: Separation of concrete into layers, often below the surface.

Functionally obsolete: Bridge used for purpose beyond its design (i.e. lane width, safety features, daily traffic).

Leaching: Intrusion of water into concrete or other bridge material.

Scouring: Erosion of earth or other material at or near the bridge base, usually by running water.

Sloughing: Standing water.

Spalling: Flaking, loss of concrete or other structural material. 

(Photo of spalling with exposed rebar on the underside of the Elm Street bridge in Keller. Photo taken by reporter's cellphone during a visit to the bridge.)

New traffic circles in old Fort Worth neighborhood; Ryan Place one of few places to get traffic calming devices before the city's money runs out

The century-old Ryan Place neighborhood gets a trio of traffic circles, and most residents seem to like their calming effect on traffic.

Texting while driving -- only four people written tickets during first six weeks of crackdown in Arlington, Texas

On paper, Arlington has one of the state's most aggressive laws banning the use of mobile devices while driving, but so far not many people have been cited for it.

Riding the bus to Fort Worth; Cleburne residents tuned into public transportation

An express bus route from Cleburne to downtown Fort Worth is enjoying a nice increase in ridership, and the Star-Telegram's Elizabeth Campbell has the scoop.

Bus driver fatigue, hours of service debated in Grapevine today at federal motor carrier safety hearing

GRAPEVINE – Owners of long-distance bus companies called for tougher enforcement of existing laws governing how many hours a motor coach operator can remain behind the wheel.

But several bus drivers say enforcement by itself isn’t enough, and they called for a change in federal rules that would reduce the maximum number of hours they can work without sleep.

The differing attitudes about how to reduce driver fatigue, and therefore improve safety for bus passengers and other motorists, were on display Monday during a daylong hearing hosted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

“Many of us ... work very hard to develop good practices to stay within the rules. It’s frustrating to see those companies who work hard to circumvent those rules continue to operate,” said Buddy Young,owner of Capitol Bus Lines in West Columbia, S.C. He was one of several business owners who took the podium Monday during a hearing hosted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and called for a crackdown on the relatively small number of companies that scoff at safety rules. “It gives all of us a black eye in the industry,” Young told federal officials during the hearing at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine. “It takes away the general public’s view of what we do.”

But several drivers testified that they’d like to see stronger restrictions on the hours of service a bus – or motor coach – operator can work without a mandatory break. At particular risk are school groups that travel overnight to save hotel costs, said Woody Bohley, a St. Louis-area bus driver with 26 years of experience. “They’re basically using the motor coach as a motel,” Bohley said. Drivers of school groups often must drive entire shifts at night, even though their sleep cycle isn’t accustomed to those hours, he said.

Unlike freight truck drivers, who according to federal rules must complete no more than 11 hours of drive time in a 14-hour period before taking a mandatory 10 hours off, motor coach drivers often are required by their employers to split their work shifts over long periods. Motor coach drivers can work no more than 10 hours in a 15-hour work shift – but, unlike freight drivers, their 15 hours don’t have to be consecutive. For example, a driver might take a group on a five-hour, out-of-town trip, then spend six hours off duty – often killing time while waiting for the group – before making the five-hour return trip, all the while accumulating only 10 hours of work time over a 16-hour period. “It’s kind of a floating 15 hours, as opposed to a fixed 14 hours for freight truck drivers,” said Larry Minor, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration associate administrator for policy.

Motor coach operators also are guaranteed only an eight-hour break after a work shift – two hours less than freight drivers. For bus drivers, work days of 23 hours are common, one driver said.

The hearing was held simultaneously with a four-day event known as the American Bus Association Marketplace, an annual gathering of bus operators and tour companies.

Ridership on long-distance buses is up for the fifth straight year, according to a DePaul University of Chicago study. With nearly 750 million passenger trips per year, it’s a form of transportation that is growing in popularity as Americans seek alternatives to driving or flying. Also, with many motor coaches offering free wireless Internet access, electrical plugs and other amenities, cross-country bus travel is no longer necessarily a stuffy experience.

But several recent fatal crashes involving motor coaches has drawn attention to the issue of safety. On Sunday, two people were killed and 32 injured after a Rimrock Stages bus crashed in Montana, according to news reports. Authorities are looking into the possibility that icy weather was a factor.

In North Texas, 17 Vietnamese pilgrims from the Houston area traveling to a religious gathering were killed when a bus crashed near Sherman in 2008. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation later concluded that a punctured retreat tire on the right side of the front axle probably caused the crash. Also, the bus driver also tested positive for cocaine and alcohol after the crash. A year after the deadly incident, three employees of a Houston-area inspection station were arrested and charged with issuing the bus a phony inspection sticker. Other factors the NTSB report cited were a weak bridge railing and a lack of seat belts for passengers. The report also criticized the Texas Department of Public Safety for its lack of oversight of the state’s vehicle inspection system. After the crash, it was discovered that the charter bus operator, Iguala BusMex, had been operating as Angel Tours. Weeks before the crash, Angel Tours’ certification had been pulled, with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration citing an unsatisfactory safety record.

@gdickson

Bus driver fatigue, hours of service debated in Grapevine today at federal motor carrier safety hearing

This morning I have stopped by a hearing in Grapevine, where bus operator fatigue and hours of service are being discussed. It's known as a listening session, and it's hosted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the agency that regulates the long-distance bus industry.

The hearing is being held simultaneously with a four-day event known as the American Bus Association "Marketplace." It's being held at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine.

Right now, a handful of motor coach company owners is testifying about the pros and cons of stiffening federal rules for how long a driver can operate a motor coach, and the prospect of increasing roadside inspections.

Buddy Young, owner of Capitol Bus Lines in West Columbia, S.C., said he favors stepped up enforcement of federal safety requirements.

"Many of us in South Carolina work very hard to develop good practices to stay within the rules. It's frustrating to see those companies who work hard to circumvent those rules continue to operate," Young testified. "It gives all a black eye in the industry. It takes away the general public's view of what we do."

Young added this his company hasn't had a fatal crash in its 30-year history.

But when pressed for more details of his position by a FMCSA official, Young said he didn't favor increased roadside inspections of motor coaches.

"One issue is safety of our passenger on the side of the road," he said. "The other is meeting scheduled obligations. Many times we're taking people to airport transport. We might be taking them to a train station. Our concern is roadside inspections will impede scheduled such that the general public will become extremely frustuated."

Now at the podium is a bus driver (I'll get his name asap) who says the 8-hour time limit for a driver's on-the-road day "is just not enough time off. When a driver gets done with a trip it's a 22- or 23-hour day. It could be he had to drive home maybe 45 minutes." For drivers working out of town, he said, "you go to a hotel, take a shower ... and by the time all is said and done that driver probably is only getting five or six hours of sleep."

@gdickson

 

Airport Freeway traffic switch starts this weekend -- big change for Texas 121/183 split in Bedford

BEDFORD — A major change in the traffic flow on Airport Freeway takes place today. Drivers accustomed to exiting to the right to access Texas 121 where Airport Freeway splits in Bedford will now be required to make a left exit. “The big change will be that people who are used to making the merge to nortbound 121 in a right lane exit will now need to be in the left lane,” said Lara Kohl, spokeswoman for Bluebonnet Contractors, builders of the $2.5 billion North Tarrant Express project.

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“There have been signs in place for the past few weeks announcing the change, and there will continue to be signs as drivers become accustomed to it.” The switch begins at 9 p.m. Saturday and should be complete by 10 a.m. Sunday. The shift will affect traffic on Airport Freeway for the next few months. “At the end of the project it will operate the same way as it does today, from a right exit,” Kohl said. The shift is near an area where reconstruction of the Westpark-Murphy overpass has for months been calling for temporary overnight and weekend lane closures and detours. Kohl said the overpass construction has gone smoothly and is nearing completion. She added that the shift moves eastbound traffic away from the center of that section of the 13.5-mile project, allowing continued traffic flow despite construction on toll lanes that will be flanked by non-toll lanes when the project is finished in 2015. Texas 121 is popular with commuters in Bedford, Euless, Colleyville and Grapevine and provides access to the north entrance of Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and Interstate 635 on the western edge of Dallas County. See northtarrantexpress.com for details on the project and upcoming closures.

-- Terry Evans

Texas Dept. of Transportation's Maribel Chavez named newsmaker of the year in 2011 for steering projects in the Fort Worth area ... Oops, not 2001 ;-)

Before last year gets any smaller in the rear view mirror, I wanted to quickly post the Star-Telegram's 2011 newsmakers story, which identifies Maribel Chavez as one of the top movers and shakers. Chavez is the Fort Worth district engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation. She was selected as a newsmaker because transportation is such a huge, ongoing story on the western side of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Chavez wasn't mentioned by name in many of our stories on the billions of dollars worth of projects currently underway in the region. But behind the scenes, she was instrumental in negotiations for the Texas 114/121 DFW Connector project in Grapevine, the North Tarrant Express project in Northeast Tarrant County and the Chisholm Trail Parkway project in southwest Fort Worth.

@gdickson

Amtrak service between Fort Worth and Kansas City is getting a look

Passenger rail advocates in Kansas and Oklahoma are pushing for expansion of Amtrak service to Fort Worth. Both options would essentially be an expansion of the Heartland Flyer route.

 

Names of those arrested for DWI will be posted on Tarrant County district attorney's website (but their photo's won't)

Tonight through Monday is a "no refusal" weekend in 25 area cities, including Fort Worth, Arlington and Keller. In addition to all the legal turmoil, drunk driving suspects will face a bit of embarrassment, when the DA's office posts their names on its website. But the DA won't publish mug shots.

Seattle experiments with electronic tolling on the 520 bridge

Traffic has dropped 45 percent on the 520 bridge in Seattle after officials this week started charging electronic tolls on the structure, the Seattle Times reports. Meanwhile, traffic is up 20 percent on the nearby toll-free I-90 bridge.

Seattle experiments with electronic tolling on a floating 520 bridge

Traffic has dropped 45 percent on the 520 bridge in Seattle after officials this week started charging electronic tolls on the structure, the Seattle Times reports. Meanwhile, traffic is up 20 percent on the nearby toll-free I-90 bridge.

Bridges connecting Southlake to Grapevine over Texas 114 switching to one way next week; latest move in $1 billion DFW Connector project

Starting next week, the bridge from Grapevine's Northwest Highway to Southlake's Gateway Drive will be westbound only, and the bridge from Southlake's Southlake Boulevard (Farm Road 1709) to Grapevine's Wall Street will be eastbound only. More here ...

Planning to travel Christmas Eve? Might be better to leave early, and beat the bad weather

Rain is in the forecast for Saturday afternoon, and there's a possibility of snow in the northwestern nook of North Texas.

New (temporary) ramp to Interstate 35W at Meacham Boulevard makes traffic a smidge better in far north Fort Worth

It just got easier to enter northbound Interstate 35W from Meacham Boulevard.A temporary on-ramp just north of Meacham replaces one that was closed weeks ago by construction of connector ramps from I-35W to Northeast Loop 820.The ramp will remain open most of the time until a permanent ramp has been built, said Lara Kohl, spokeswoman for Bluebonnet Contractors. The company is building the $2.5 billion project to expand Loop 820 and Texas 121/183 in northeast Tarrant County.North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners spokesman Robert Hinkle said that access from Meacham wasn’t part of project’s original design.“Over the course of our continued outreach with businesses all along the NTE corridor, we saw an opportunity to lessen the hardship of this particular on-ramp closure,” he said.The work at Meacham Boulevard is part of the 13.5-mile project that by 2015 will expand Loop 820 and Airport Freeway from I-35W to Industrial Boulevard with four to six toll lanes and new main lanes. Frontage roads will be continuous except for the space along Iron Horst Golf Course in North Richland Hills.Keep up with details and closure notices at www.northtarrantexpress.com.

Terry Evans, 817-390-7620

 

@fwstevans

@gdickson

North Texas Tollway Authority will pay legal fees for board member involved in federal investigation

The North Texas Tollway Authority board on Wednesday agreed to pay legal fees for one of its members who disclosed that he has been asked to provide documents for an ongoing federal investigation into the agency.

Tollway board member David Denison of Lewisville has retained the firm Meadows Collier Reed Cousins Crouch & Ungerman LLP to represent him, according to a letter from Denison to tollway authority general counsel Thomas Bamonte. The undated letter was released Wednesday.

"I believe with respect to performance of my duties as a director of NTTA that I have acted at all times in good faith, my conduct was not opposed to the best interests of NTTA and I did not have reasonable cause to believe that my conduct was unlawful," Denison wrote in the letter. He couldn't be reached Wednesday afternoon to elaborate. In the letter, Denison said he was asked to provide the documentation Oct. 11.

In October, tollway authority officials disclosed in a preliminary bond offering statement to potential Chisholm Trail Parkway investors that the FBI had questioned several officials about possible conflicts of interest by past and present board members. Details of that inquiry have not been discussed publicly.

In February, Denison came forward with a potential conflict issue, after the Star-Telegram reported the sale of a 625-acre tract of land straddling the planned Chisholm Trail Parkway, a 28-mile toll road from downtown Fort Worth to Cleburne that officially broke ground on Tuesday. Denison, a retired real estate investor, disclosed to fellow board members in February that he had worked as an independent consultant and investor with one of the partners in the purchase, Stratford Land.

Stratford and Legacy Capital Partners bought the McPherson Ranch property, about five miles south of Hulen Mall, near where McPherson Boulevard is expected to intersect with the new toll road. Part of the property will be set aside for single-family homes, although retailers will likely also be drawn to the area once the toll road provides easy access, a Stratford official has said.

But, Denison wrote in a Feb. 11 memorandum to fellow board members and tollway staff: "There is no scenario under which that acquisition can result in any economic benefit to me." Denison later explained in a Star-Telegram interview that Stratford has several funds, each of which is managed independently, and that although he was an investor in three such funds, he had no involvement in the fund near Chisholm Trail Parkway.

On Wednesday, tollway board chairman Kenneth Barr of Fort Worth sought to downplay the board's agreement to pay Denison's expenses, and instead focus on the agency's progress in getting the Chisholm Trail Parkway project underway. The agency is also celebrating the opening of a new, 10-mile eastern extension of the President George Bush Turnpike east of Dallas.

“The NTTA Board gave careful consideration of the request and concluded that reimbursement under the circumstances is appropriate, is consistent with its continued cooperation with the FBI in its investigation, and will provide current and prospective directors with the assurance that the NTTA will stand behind its indemnification obligations," Barr said in a statement. “The NTTA will now move to formalize the terms and conditions of the reimbursement process. This will include an agreement by Director Denison to repay any monies paid if it is later determined that Director Denison is not entitled to indemnification. We look forward to getting this matter behind us and so that we can fully focus on delivering more mobility projects to the North Texas region.”

@gdickson